# Kindleboards Master List of Book Reviewers!



## Guest (Feb 12, 2010)

After seeing the number of threads looking for reviewers, I figured its time to get our hands dirty, so to speak, and just get a master list together. Anyone that reviews books should post to this thread. While I have no authority other than sheer force of will, I would like to establish a few ground rules. These are based on my years of experience in the POD industry and my countless conversations with book reviewers and customers.

*1. No requests for quid pro quo reviews*. This is not a review "exchange." Ideally, if you review someone's book, they should NOT review yours. This is frowned upon by most people outside of self-publishing. At best, it looks like patting each other on the back. At worst, it looks like you are trying to game the system by trading reviews. For the sake of reviewer integrity, refrain from offering to trade reviews. This serves two other important roles. First, it prevents "guilt" stars. For example, if someone gives you a five star review, but then you didn't really like their book, you may feel obligated to give it a better rating than it deserves. Two, this prevents retalitory reviews. For example, if you gave a book a negative review and the person did not take it well, they may slam your book maliciously. And yes, I see this happen all the time.

*2. No fee-based services.* While it is one thing if a reviewer offers "express" reviews for those too impatient to wait, the reviewer must also offer non-fee based reviews. Predominately fee-based services are suspicious and don't really help authors. Most of these services don't even post their reviews in places seen by actual readers, because they are too busy trying to get more authors.

*3. The reviewer must already have reviews posted somewhere for comparison.* Anybody can claim to be a reviewer to get free books. If you post a blog or site for reviews, there should already be some reviews there available for people to read to get a feel for what to expect.

*4. If you own it, own it. * If you are posting a review site that you operate or a blog of your own, great! But don't pretend to be a nuetral third party. If it is your site, say so. Too often, people try to pretend they are posting something they "found" online when a two second Google search reveals who you are. If it is a friend's site, say so. If it is your Aunt Helen's site, say so. Transparency makes everyone more comfortable with each other.

*5. If you don't own it, why are you recommending it? * If you post a review site that you don't operate, share with us why you recommend it. If they have reviewed your books, let us know how it worked for you.

*6. Include the following information (as applicable):*
Site name, web address, contact information for submissions (e-form, e-mail, physical address, etc), genres reviewed, general information about the type of reviews offered (short blurb, critique, book report, etc).


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2010)

I shall start this list with my own site. We have been reviewing POD titles for years. We post our reviews on Amazon.com and recently moved all of our reviews to our Gather.com group to increase exposure. Our reviews are detailed and, dare I say, quoteworthy. At least, many of the authors that have used us have been happy to quote them in press material.

Our primary interest is speculative fiction, but we also review a wide variety of other types of materials. We prefer to review print books, but will review digital books as well.

_What we review: _ horror, fantasy, science fiction, young adult fiction, paranormal non-fiction (such as ghost story collections, urban legends, etc), writer guides and resources, roleplaying games, parapsychology, new age/mysticism non-fiction, and non-fiction works regarding ancient civilizations, dark ages, or mythopoetic literature. We give limited consideration to mysteries, biographies, humor/parody, and political science.

_What we don't review: _ Under no circumstances do we review children's books, erotica, romances, westerns, self-help, how-to manuals, unofficial guides to copyright/trademark material, fan fiction, "ripped from the headlines" fiction or non-fiction, and any book that uses the words "witch" and "Wiccan" interchangeably.

Send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line "Request for Basic Book Review"
with the following information:
*Your Name
*Title of Book
*Book Details: (genre, page count, retail price, ISBN if applicable)
*Book Summary

_What to expect: _ Before requesting a review, we suggest authors read some of the existing reviews posted to get a feel for what to expect. Reviews will cover both the good and bad of your work, and therefore those with a very thin skin when it comes to criticism should not request a review. If we feel a review will reflect poorly on your work, we will send you a copy of the review first before posting it. You will have the option to not have the review posted. We will not, however, change our reviews once written. As a matter of reference, for every review we post, two to three are not posted at the request of the author.

We do offer an express review service, but as we normally turn over reviews in 30 days we don't recommend it unless you are really in a hurry for a review.


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## Kristen Tsetsi (Sep 1, 2009)

The Self-Publishing Review
Pop Culture Zoo
POD People
Lit and Life

I do not own any of the above, but here's why I recommend them (and I should note that I can't guarantee their willingness to write reviews for others; as with most reviewers, they say yes to subject matter that interests them):
*
Self-Publishing Review*: While I contribute to the site, the only reviews I write are called "Page One Reviews." That said, SPR is one of few online publications to take seriously, and advocate for, self-published work. The reviewers take their reviewing seriously.

*Pop Culture Zoo*: I was reviewed by this online magazine, one making a place for itself as a media site specializing in movies (sci-fi and/or comic book types in particular, it seems).
*
POD People*: does nothing but review self-published work. Read how seriously they take their reviewing here. (They reviewed my collection.) An excerpt from the blog entry the link takes you to:



> I'll be honest and say I don't like wasting my time writing bad reviews, and I don't like wasting the blog reader's time either. The reason I don't like writing them is that I am a hard-ass reviewer. I don't have time to read crap, slapped together, poorly edited, poorly written and executed self-published work. I am not talking about a typo or two, those get by no matter what. What I look for in a self-published book is high concept and a command of the language. I want fearless, edgy, not necessarily overt, though I don't mind explicit content. I want to think when I read. I don't want to read a mass-market action-film styled book or some tarted up cliché romantic comedy or anything even remotely like *Twilight*. They might be good, but I am just not into them. I think Indie art is about being different than the mainstream, in subject matter and in narrative style and voice...


(POD People has more than one reviewer, fyi.)

*Lit and Life*: Reviewed my novel, but I only asked the blog author for the review after having read some of her other reviews. They're not as comprehensive as what you'll find at POD People or SPR, but she offers good reasons for what she does or doesn't like, and again, she has a ton of readers.


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

Bookmarked with thanks, Kristen.  And Julie, those review rules are words to live by!


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## Herc- The Reluctant Geek (Feb 10, 2010)

Great thread.

(hidden bump...  )


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Sent a query to the pod people. Thanks for the list of links!

David Dalglish


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## Kristen Tsetsi (Sep 1, 2009)

I forgot to add The New Podler Review of Books (mentioned by someone else in another thread). Also very thoughtful reviews, favors genre fiction but does a great job with literary reviews, as well. There is no bias present in the honest reviews. (I've known the blogger - sort of - for years. "Homefront" was reviewed there shortly after I released it.)

The New Podler was also one of the early places to review Frank Daniels' "Futureproof" (when it was a self-pub...it has since been picked up by Harper) Henry Baum's "North of Sunset," and others you may have heard of. Additionally, the creator used to offer an annual Best SP book award, but i don't know whether it's being done now.

Check out the site for past reviews and guidelines (on the left sidebar).


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## RJ Keller (Mar 9, 2009)

Kristen, New Podler's review of Homefront is what convinced me to buy it. That was well over two years ago. It was the first self-published book I'd read.


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## Kristen Tsetsi (Sep 1, 2009)

rjkeller said:


> Kristen, New Podler's review of Homefront is what convinced me to buy it. That was well over two years ago. It was the first self-published book I'd read.


Oh, wow! I feel honored, actually. Even if maybe the Podler should, because the review was that convincing, but I'm flattered to have been the first sp you read.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2010)

http://www.compulsivereader.com/html/index.php

I have worked with Magdalena Ball a number of times over the years. Her site has reviewed several of our books, and I have also advertised on her site with good results. Compulsivereader.com is very much reader-focused and has a lot of repeat visitors. POD/self-publisher friendly.

You should query first at her e-mail address  with the following information:

Title and author
Genre
format (note that they prefer print books and it is harder for her to find a reviewer for ebooks.)
One to two paragraph synopsis

If she has a reviewer that is interested, she will provide you with the address to send the book to.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2010)

www.myshelf.com

Myshelf.com is POD/self-publisher friendly, however they have a low tolerance for amateurs (i.e. query on your best, literate, behavior). As with compulsivereader.com, they have reviewed some of my books over the years and I have also advertised on their site. Currently, they are only accepting new releases for review (2010 titles only). Complete submission guidelines are found at http://www.myshelf.com/aboutus/request.htm


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2010)

http://www.rambles.net/

These folks recently reviewed Foot Ways for us. This is a very folksy site that is relatively easy to navigate. The site is primarily interested in folklore, speculative fiction, and folk art. Reviews sometimes wax philosophically, with the reviewer providing insight into how a particular book impacted his life. Reviews are well written, focusing on both the positive and negative aspects of the work. Very easy going people to communicate with, and just a nice site all around if you enjoy the subject matter.

Information on how to submit is available at http://www.rambles.net/enquiries.html


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## Herc- The Reluctant Geek (Feb 10, 2010)

This is a great thread. Thanks for all the info.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Harclubs said:


> This is a great thread. Thanks for all the info.


I agree, thanks for all of the great info!

Debra


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

Much obliged!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

_"What we don't review: Under no circumstances do we review children's books, erotica, romances, westerns, self-help, how-to manuals, unofficial guides to copyright/trademark material, fan fiction, "ripped from the headlines" fiction or non-fiction, and any book that uses the words "witch" and "Wiccan" interchangeably."_

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Sounds pretty high-toned and fancy to me. Just reading the requirements, do's and don't's and such make me feel "ripped from the headlines". LOL. Just my opinion.


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

Crud.  Some of the sites are blocked.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2010)

Brendan Carroll said:


> _"What we don't review: Under no circumstances do we review children's books, erotica, romances, westerns, self-help, how-to manuals, unofficial guides to copyright/trademark material, fan fiction, "ripped from the headlines" fiction or non-fiction, and any book that uses the words "witch" and "Wiccan" interchangeably."_
> 
> Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Sounds pretty high-toned and fancy to me. Just reading the requirements, do's and don't's and such make me feel "ripped from the headlines". LOL. Just my opinion.


Sorry you feel that way. I simply don't like to waste my time responding to a dozen requests for reviews each day for books nobody I know is interested in (which is what use to happen before I specified the guidelines.) I work full time. I run a business. I read hundreds of submission a month for various projects. It isn't fair to me and, more importantly, it isn't fair to potential authors not to give them an honest understanding of what they might expect. I run my business with transparency and honesty. If some folks are bothered by that, they probably wouldn't want one of my reviews anyway.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2010)

J Dean said:


> Crud. Some of the sites are blocked.


Which ones? They all seem to be working fine on my end. Are you trying to access from work or home? Some corporate networks block blogs and such, so that could be a problem.


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

bardsandsages said:


> Which ones? They all seem to be working fine on my end. Are you trying to access from work or home? Some corporate networks block blogs and such, so that could be a problem.


Yeah. We've got a blocker at work here, so it won't let me on for a few of them. I'll have to try to get to another computer and do this.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I had a mailer-daemon error submitting to your review address. Is it still [email protected]? I've checked three times, and it doesn't appear I mispelled anything.

Help!

David Dalglish


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> I had a mailer-daemon error submitting to your review address. Is it still [email protected]? I've checked three times, and it doesn't appear I mispelled anything.
> 
> Help!
> 
> David Dalglish


We had an attack of the cyber-kobolds. We were doing some updating and purging of old accounts and a few of our active ones got deleted. Everything is working now. And the kobolds have been properly punished (we took away their cookies.)


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Shouldn't you have had them sacked?

David Dalglish


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Thanks for all the great info. And Bards and Sages, you seriously rock.


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## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

I will offer, although that may be a bad idea. http://mrshields.com is my book review site. I mostly review theology and non-fiction but about 1/3 of my reviews are fiction. If you want a review quickly ask someone else. I have over 100 books on my kindle and a ton of to read paper and audiobooks. I am willing to look at the book and see if I want to review it. But I don't have a large following, so it may not be worth it for you.


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## Ben Lacy (Apr 20, 2010)

@Arshield

I'd be interested.  If you think you'd be interested, I'll send you a .pdf.


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## traceya (Apr 26, 2010)

What a great site 

Thanks to bardsandsages for starting this.  And thanks for all the tips.

Cheers,
Trace


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## koland (Nov 24, 2008)

I do some book reviews and mention promotions for ebooks on my blog, Books on the Knob. I will occasionally post a review at Amazon or LibraryThing, but it's an exception. Submission guidelines are on the Contact page; generally I only accept ebooks and prefer a format easily read on either my Kindle or Sony reader, rather than a PDF that requires me to convert it (which introduces a myriad of formatting problems, often) or read it only on my DX (I hate being locked into one font size or having to read it sideways to get it large enough to read).


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## Guest (May 27, 2010)

William Campbell said:


> Bardsandsages, you should post a link to your "Review of review sites." (Your site so I leave that to your discretion.) Knowing where to go is good, as has been talked about already, but knowing where NOT to go is valuable, too. Thanks for that, and I agree, allbookreviews does not appear interested in providing solid reviews, rather collecting our 50 bucks. I'm with you... I passed.
> 
> Back to where this began -- www.bookconnector.com. Like I said, not bad. I have found some of interest. Just step lightly, some turds lurking too.


I don't maintain that page any more because it became too much work trying to keep the links updated (particularly with some shadier sites, because they tend to fold and reappear elsewhere often)


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## NickSpalding (Apr 21, 2010)

A truly useful thread this.

One of the bad things about the internet is that you can't see the wood for the trees half the time and finding the suitable review sites for self-published ebooks can be a trial...especially when your book is an odd little comedy bugger that doesn't fit into any genre easily.

Having a few links to peruse is a real bonus. I'll have a look and see if I can ask (extremely nicely) for people to take a look at Life...With No Breaks and give it their opinions.

The book's with Red Adept and Compulsive Reader and Neil Marr at BeWrite has already reviewed it, but the more reviews from respected sites the better...so I'll add my thanks to BardsandSages for starting this thread


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## Guest (Jun 19, 2010)

Hey folks...

I've decided that we really need an easier to find location for all of these sites. I've gathered up the info in this thread and reposted it to my new forum under the Book Reviews section:

http://www.positivepublishing.freeforums.org/book-reviews-f13.html

The section is divided up into catagories to make it easier to find reviewers for the type of book you have. Where appropriate, I cross-posted sites that are interested in multiple sub-catagories.

If I posted a link to your site, please feel free to join the forum and add additional information about your review site. I only posted the bare-bones.

The new forum is much more geared toward the business end of publishing, instead of a general writer hang out. I hope folks will join it and participate in Service Swaps, add info about their review sites, and maybe form some Writer Circles to help each other with their work.

I suppose you could say that if Kindleboards is the bar everyone hangs out in at the end of the day, the new forum is the office where you get your work done.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Sounds great, thanks for setting it up. I only have an issue for signing up for some advertising I'm not at all interested in at the end of the registration, with no opportunity to uncheck (it says check what you are interested in, not remotely connected to books or publishing.) So I made up a crap name and email for that part of it...   Will check it out!


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## Learnmegood (Jun 20, 2009)

As someone who has been reviewed at Bards and Sages, I can highly recommend that site!  And thanks even more, Julie, for helping us Indie Authors finding even MORE places to spread our work around!


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

Dawn Judd runs Breakout Books Reviews for indie authors and is accepting requests. I do guest review for her occasionally and have started a thread in the Book Corner with the upcoming reviews (I've just put mine down, I'll ask Dawn for a list of hers.)

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,27139.0.html

I do promote my reviews/interviews by twitter/FB etc. Dawn's submission procedure is on her blog. (I do them by invitation only)

Imogen


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

This appears to be a really cool forum. Thanks to everyone involved. I have bookmarked it.
Ann


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## Groovy Writer (May 24, 2010)

I submitted to Bards and Sages and POD People, and plan on sending queries to the rest. Thanks for this info! (Bump)


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks for the information!


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## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

Nice thread and great info. Many thanks!


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## karencantwell (Jun 17, 2010)

Just what I've been looking for.  Thanks so much!


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

Thank you for posting this thread. There is so much good information in here. I'm bookmarking this for future reference.


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## Groovy Writer (May 24, 2010)

bardsandsages said:


> We had an attack of the cyber-kobolds. We were doing some updating and purging of old accounts and a few of our active ones got deleted. Everything is working now. And the kobolds have been properly punished (we took away their cookies.)


BIG LOL!!! Gotta watch out for those kobolds. Why am I reminded of Family Guy ... something about a cookie monster.

Once again, Julie Ann, in case all of the previous thanks and praise aren't enough, this thread has been invaluable for me. One reviewer so far has accepted my title for review, and I've only been sending submissions for a few days now. Now I'm off to submit to the rest. A truly big favor you have rendered us. I'm sending your warm wishes....

-JMD


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## JoeMitchell (Jun 6, 2010)

sibelhodge said:


> Although not a review site, The Indie Spotlight is a good site to promote your books http://www.theindiespotlight.com/ another one is ebooks just published http://www.ebooksjustpublished.com/
> 
> Every little helps!
> 
> Sibel xx


I signed up on ebooksjustpublished.com, only to realize that the site appears to have gone dormant two months ago, with the last post on May 1st. The button to add a new submission is missing fro, where's supposed to be, and people are posting on it's forum that they don't know how to submit a new book. I think the site is dead, or at least on an extended covert hiatus.


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## swcleveland (Jun 6, 2010)

Here's a new one: http://thescattering.wordpress.com/

The reviewer is currently looking for Indie scifi in particular. Click on the "about" link on her page for contact info.


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Here's mine. I usually update at least once a week and run author interviews and book giveaways as well.

Site name: Stimulated Outlet Book Reviews

web address: http://www.stimulatedoutlet.com

contact information for submissions: [email protected]

genres reviewed: just about anything, except for...
-erotica / smut
-horror
-containing graphic violence
-religion/heavy religious overtones
-self-help / self-improvement / how-to guides

Books are rated on a 5-point scale based on categories. For fiction, those are plot, originality, language, and believability. For nonfiction, they are content, originality, language, and credibility. The overall rating is an average of the four numbers. Reviews are generally about 400 words long and typically comment on the strengths and the weaknesses of the novel. Please refer to the site for a better idea of what a typical review looks like.

Reviews are posted on the blog, as well as Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, and occasionally Smashwords.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

bardsandsages said:


> *1. No requests for quid pro quo reviews*.
> *2. No fee-based services.*
> *3. The reviewer must already have reviews posted somewhere for comparison.*
> *4. If you own it, own it. *
> ...


Well, I do some reviews and even author interviews, but I keep things a lot simpler than even this.

I only review books/interview authors I'm genuinely interested in.

I do it for free.

I ask for nothing in return.

I only review after I've read the whole novel.

I don't "do requests." If I like someone's stuff, I'll contact them.

This isn't to be mean or selective or exclusive. It's just how I've always done things to ensure that my interest in the author I'm interviewing, or the book I've read completely and am reviewing, is coming from a genuine place.


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## LaurenHidden (Aug 26, 2010)

I review books (like the other reviewers here, only books I like!). Mostly it's memoirs, business books, and select novels. I will read some fiction with mild erotica but nothing over-the-top. After all, I'm posting this stuff on my business website! I do not review Christian fiction, sci fi, vampire, fantasy or self-help. 

I post them on my own site's blog: www.hiddenhelper.com/blog I also post them on Goodreads and Amazon. My user name on both is Lauren Hidden. I link to the book review on my Facebook fan page and personal page. I mostly review self-published books. I don't charge for reviews (though I like the idea of a token fee to "rush" the book!). I will accept a print copy, ebook, or even a PDF to send to my Kindle. I will not purchase the book for requested reviews, but do post reviews of books I buy too.  

Anyone is welcome to pitch me. Obviously I can't accept every request, but if your book looks like something I'd like to read, I'll probably say yes.  

There are some great resources on this thread. Thanks for the info, everyone!


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Hmm... that fizzled, maybe..?


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

Anybody review Epic Fantasy? Still looking for our first review.

Great thread!


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Matthew + Stefanie, I read the summary on Amazon, and it sounds interesting. If you're still looking for a review, let me know. Submission guidelines are on the blog.

Happy writing!


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

AYY,

Thanks! We'll contact you soon.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

What an excellent topic! I've submitted to a couple reviewers listed here, and bookmarked their sites for the future. Since I'm preparing to release a science fiction novel later this year, this info will be so handy. Thanks, Julie Ann, for starting the thread, and to everyone else for participating!


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

I'm always willing to look at a book to see if I'm interested in reviewing. I read about 3 books per week and post reviews of books (and other things from time to time) on my blog Candy's Raves. Book reviews are also posted to Amazon and Goodreads along with Smashwords (if I get it from there).

For submissions, see the first link on the sidebar of my blog that talks about how to get an honest review. I talk about how to get it to me and what the process is.

It's important to know that I will only write an honest review. If I hate your book, I'll say that. If I love it, I'll say that too. I generally like books for what they are. I don't expect all books to be compared to the best book ever written. It's not fair to the writer of either (okay, I could get on that soapbox, but I won't). I also review them as I can, generally try to get to them quickly, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. As you can see if you've ever visited my site, sometimes we do long reviews, and sometimes just a paragraph or so. It just depends on how much I have to say about it 

My favorite genres are:

Memoirs
Women's Fiction
Light Paranormal (esp comedic - ie Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series, Twilight and Almost Human stuff okay too)
Crime novels (think Jack Daniels/Stephanie Plum)
Time travel novels - not science fiction, more like Imogen Rose's stuff or Time Traveler's Wife
Some selected Young Adult
Horror/Suspense/Thriller but only if it's not too gross and has a true plot to it

My husband does a guest blog now and then when asked nicely. He reads science fiction - primarily space opera and fantasy type stuff. He is also an elementary school teacher so likes children's books as well.

That's about it!

Edit: I wasn't going to do this, but I don't want to take over this thread... I'll set up a thread for my blog. I feel weird doing that for some reason though. You can find that thread HERE.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

CandyTX said:


> I'm always willing to look at a book to see if I'm interested in reviewing. I read about 3 books per week and post reviews of books (and other things from time to time) on my blog Candy's Raves. Book reviews are also posted to Amazon and Goodreads along with Smashwords (if I get it from there).
> 
> For submissions, see the first link on the sidebar of my blog that talks about how to get an honest review. I talk about how to get it to me and what the process is.
> 
> ...


For those of you who don't follow Candy's reviews yet... DO!!! They always make me smile... entertaining and so well written.


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

Imogen Rose said:


> For those of you who don't follow Candy's reviews yet... DO!!! They always make me smile... entertaining and so well written.


Awww... that was sweet of you, Imogen. Just ignore my typos and spelling errors... tell you what, I'll ignore yours if you ignore mine... oh, wait. *laughing*


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

"Does the term, 'Crime Novels,' include murder mysteries?" he asked as he quickly hid and stuffed the bloody kitchen knife inside his belt at the small of his back.


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

R. Doug said:


> "Does the term, 'Crime Novels,' include murder mysteries?" he asked as he quickly hid and stuffed the bloody kitchen knife inside his belt at the small of his back.


I'm not sure how to answer that. Do I get the knife or if I say no or yes? If it helps, I purchased your book a while back, I'll bump it up on the list.
Maybe that's the right answer?*
*edit: This is my dry sense of humor, I didn't want to "get" the knife. I obviously need more sleep 

I wasn't going to do this, but I don't want to take over this thread... I'll set up a thread for my blog. I feel weird doing that for some reason though. You can find that thread HERE.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Thanks for the purchase and, no, the knife wasn't meant for you.  That was just me being entirely too literary.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning, followed a few links and ended up at this post by an author and book reviewer on how difficult it is to get reviews for self-pubbed books. She compiled a list of reviewers who will read indies, and some of the comments are from other reviewers also willing to read self-published work.

http://bookblogs.ning.com/forum/topics/problems-getting-book-reviews


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks for sharing the list, KC !


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

A tip for those that are sending books to reviewers... we cannot review on Smashwords unless we bought it there. So if your book is on Smashwords, you might want to make sure to use the coupon generator on there to give a freebie so that we can "buy" it from Smashwords. You can do that with the coupon generator - https://www.smashwords.com/dashboard/coupons

I personally don't care what format or whatever, but just wanted to give a heads up. Some people don't know about that piece


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## soma (Sep 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the great info. With the hard slog that all new authors go through, it's nice to see everyone helping out. I've just started on this journey, so I hope I can give some advice when I learn some tricks of my own!

ps. I'm a complete newbie, how do you add ur book image to the sig's here?


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## Chris J. Randolph (Jul 1, 2010)

soma said:


> ps. I'm a complete newbie, how do you add ur book image to the sig's here?


That's a very popular question, soma. Good news is that someone wrote a very thorough guide to help you get started.

Welcome to Kindleboards, and let me know if you still need help getting that set up. 

Edit: Oh, looks like you got it. Cheers!


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## soma (Sep 9, 2010)

Thanks Chris. Yep, I found the guide as soon as i went out of the discussion.


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

I review books on my blog: A Happy Life, http://luxlioness.blogspot.com/. I describe the content as "book and media reviews, mostly of mysteries which lean towards the dark and complex. If you like cozies or unrelieved happy endings, this isn't the book review blog for you."

I will review what strikes my fancy and I make no guarantees, except that I won't review romances or sword and sorcery/quests. If it is a book published also as a DTB and I like it, I may publish it on our library's blog. As our library moves into ebooks, we may be reviewing ebook-only publications as well.

If an author would like to submit something for a review, they can PM me and I'll buy it if it I am intrigued and I will do a quick once-over to see if I will be reviewing it or not. I do occasional pre-pubs. My reviews are not always positive.


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## Chris J. Randolph (Jul 1, 2010)

soma said:


> Thanks Chris. Yep, I found the guide as soon as i went out of the discussion.


Glad to very nearly be of service.


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## Julie Christensen (Oct 13, 2010)

This is a great thread.  Can anyone give me help on how to send my book to reviewers who use Kindle?  Do I just send the html of the Word document I uploaded to Kindle?


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Julie Christensen said:


> This is a great thread. Can anyone give me help on how to send my book to reviewers who use Kindle? Do I just send the html of the Word document I uploaded to Kindle?


You can get the Mobipocket Creator for free, and with a bit of practice you can spin out 100% Kindle compatible files to your heart's content.


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Julie Christensen said:


> This is a great thread. Can anyone give me help on how to send my book to reviewers who use Kindle? Do I just send the html of the Word document I uploaded to Kindle?


People have been sending me PRC, MOBI, or PDF. (I'm not a big fan of that last one, but it's doable.) You can use Mobipocket Creator, or, if you've uploaded to Smashwords, you can create a coupon for a free book and give that to the reviewer(s) instead. S/he can download the MOBI file from there.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Well, I do some reviews and even author interviews, but I keep things a lot simpler than even this.
> 
> I only review books/interview authors I'm genuinely interested in.
> 
> ...


That's pretty much how I work.


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## alevine513 (Apr 25, 2010)

Some great information here.

Thank you,

Arthur


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## destill (Oct 5, 2010)

Great thread! 

Thank you for the tip, Candy, about Smashwords reviews. I did not realize a reviewer could not post a review there unless he or she had "purchased" a copy of the eBook from Smashwords.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Since this thread went silent, we've heard from a few more folks who do reviews of Indie books:

dailyebookreviews.com
kindlebooksreviewed.com
syriasays.com


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

I don't know if it's posted here already - I glanced through quickly - but there's a good list over at http://www.simon-royle.com/indie-reviewers/ as well.


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## JackNolte (Oct 28, 2010)

Thanks for this list. Just what I'm looking for. I've contacted a few of the reviewers listed here, but I'm certainly looking for more. If anyone here reviews books, and thinks my mystery, The Gray and Guilty Sea, looks up your alley, please let me know. More than happy to send you a free copy. Sales have been pretty steady and I've gotten some nice emails from folks, but I'm trying to get the word out a bit more. You can contact me here or via my website. All I ask is that you at least post the review to Amazon.

~Jack


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## feitelberg (Dec 13, 2010)

Looks like there are great tips here and just what I need, place to review my novel.  Thanks much.


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## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

Too bad this isn't Facebook, because I'd 'LIKE' it. 

Adding my useless comment so that I can bookmark this thread!


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

kcmay said:


> Since this thread went silent, we've heard from a few more folks who do reviews of Indie books:
> 
> dailyebookreviews.com
> kindlebooksreviewed.com
> syriasays.com


Thanks, KC! 

And a big thanks to Julie for starting this thread! (I wonder how I missed it!) I'll have to check out ALL of these other sites too! (If I can find the time for extracurricular reading! )

I am definitely still taking submissions for books and whatnot. You can find my guidelines at my site.

Thanks!


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## KerylR (Dec 28, 2010)

I'm new to the book review blogging thing, but I'm enjoying it and intend to keep going.

These days I get one or two books a month done, but I'm always happy to get more books coming my way.

I'm not picky about genre or style. I prefer fantasy, romance, paranormal, or historical fiction, but I'll read just about anything that looks like it was written by a pro.

When I write a review I post it on my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble (assuming your book is for sale there). At the end of the year I create a Listmania list with all the books reviewed that year on it.

If you're interested, PM me.

If you'd like to check out my blog and my reviews go to: http://topublishornotto.blogspot.com


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Welcome to the club, Keryl. Good luck with your blog


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## Bill Defelis (Jan 3, 2011)

Surprised no one's mentioned this list yet:
http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/book-reviewer-list.html

Must be close to 100 entries, and seems pretty current. Not all accept ebooks, but of the two dozen I've investigated so far, most do. At the end of the list is a section for ebook-only reviewers.
This was produced by the blog's author, Christy Pinheiro, and I'd strongly recommend buying the PDF copy for 99 cents to help defray her costs. I've found it to be a great resource.

Bill


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

The Romance Reviews is indie-friendly. By that, I mean they are perfectly happy to accept work by independent publishers.

Main Site
My Reviewer Page
My Reviews
Request For Review

A few things about the site:
1) Yes, I'm "affiliated" with TRR - I'm a reviewer there. No, I'm not part of the ownership nor management.
2) Carole is the person who is in charge of the reviews. She handles both distribution of submissions and also approval and posting of reviews.
3) You may request a specific reviewer. There are a lot of reviewers; I'm not sure the exact number. Review submissions are sent to us (the reviewers) by Carole. We see the Title, Author and description of the book. If we see one we're interested in, we can request it. If you, the author, request a specific reviewer then that book is not put on the list. Carole is the author-reviewer liaison and handles things such as arranging for review copies, notifying you when the review is posted, etc. All inquiries need to go through her. Feel free to PM me, though - as several people here can tell you, I'm happy to chat 
4) TRR accepts all sub-genres of romance (historical, paranormal, suspense, contemporary, etc.) and all heat levels. Erotica and GLBT works are also reviewed - there are sister-sites for these two genres. We also accept SOME urban fantasy. There's been a good bit of cross-over lately with paranormal romance fans loving some UF, so we review that, too. Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels novels would qualify. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files would not. Yes, they're both UF, but one would appeal to the average TRR reader, the other would (probably) not - even though I personally adore TDF  Individual reviewers like different sub-genres - just because I don't pounce on historical romances doesn't mean there aren't several reviewers who will.
5) Formats: This depends on the reviewer. I prefer .mobi or other Kindle-compatible files. Some reviewers might prefer physical copies. This would be something you'd hash out with Carole.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

So many great links in here. I am bookmarking this!!


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## Guest (Jan 19, 2011)

Maybe a mod could be so kind as to stickie this thread, if for no other reason than to prevent folks from posting fifty "does anyone know where I can get reviews" threads 

I'd also like to remind folks, particularly those of you offering your own sites up for review, that you can also share your information at my Positive Publishing Forum in the book review sites section. The section is actually broken down by genre to make it easy to search. And yes, if you review in multiple genres you can post the same thread in different sections. I try occassionally to add new sites myself, but honestly with everything else that I have to do it is difficult for me to go back here and then repost the threads. I only ask that you read the guidelines first before posting to make sure you post in the right places.


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## David N. Alderman (Jan 15, 2011)

What a great thread! It's tough finding review sites that will review independently published books. Thanks everyone for the great links!


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> I'd also like to remind folks, particularly those of you offering your own sites up for review, that you can also share your information at my Positive Publishing Forum in the book review sites section. The section is actually broken down by genre to make it easy to search. And yes, if you review in multiple genres you can post the same thread in different sections. I try occassionally to add new sites myself, but honestly with everything else that I have to do it is difficult for me to go back here and then repost the threads. I only ask that you read the guidelines first before posting to make sure you post in the right places.


Thanks, Julie.


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## Budo von Stahl (Aug 31, 2010)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Maybe a mod could be so kind as to stickie this thread, if for no other reason than to prevent folks from posting fifty "does anyone know where I can get reviews" threads


Hear, hear!


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Hey folks...
> 
> I've decided that we really need an easier to find location for all of these sites. I've gathered up the info in this thread and reposted it to my new forum under the Book Reviews section:
> 
> ...


Julie, I found that and bookmarked it before I found this thread. It is absolutely a god-send. Tracking down review sites is just way worse than a pain in the arse.

Thank you!

Edit: I've even recommended going to that page to a couple of people. I couldn't believe all the work you must have put into it.


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## Beth O (Jul 9, 2010)

sibelhodge said:


> Chick Lit Reviews are now accepting ebook submissions. They are a UK site...http://chicklitreviews.com/about-2/


Yes, but they only accept self-published books from authors who were previously traditionally published.

From their site: "We are now able to accept ebooks for review, which will go to Danielle. We do not however accept self-published ebooks, unless the author has previously published books with a big name publishing house. Any other self-published requests will be deleted, as we just don't have the time or review space to review them."


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## HeadshotHeather (Jan 7, 2010)

HI!

Thought I would pop in and add my site to the list of review sites.

Doubleshot Reviews is the name over at http://doubleshotreviews.com 
I read, mostly, horror and dark fantasy, but love to entertain all genre. I just have a lot of horror author connections, so that's what I have been reading. My co-reviewer Rachelle reviews mostly mystery/suspense and thrillers.

If I can ever be of assistance, please contact me at [email protected]


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## nwyckoff (Feb 13, 2011)

Hi Julie,

Could you please be more specific about your refusal to review children's books, and your willingness to review YA fiction? My first novel is middle-grade fiction (8-12 years old), and my next may be more for the YA age range. Which age ranges will you review?


Thanks,
Nathaniel Wyckoff


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Don't mind me...Just adding another site

Book Love Blog

Here's a quote from Stephanie's submission guidelines:

"My favorite genres are Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Mysteries. But I am open to other genres should the mood strike me. Nonfiction, Historicals, and Memoirs are not my strong suit. Feel free to ask if you aren't sure. "


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## Michael Robertson Jr (Feb 24, 2011)

This is great information. I feel like reviews are what really starts the ball rolling for us indie authors. Thanks to all who have contributed.


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## MBZ (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi folks. I'm a professional book reviewer for Suite101 and a member of the National Book Critics Circle: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/melaniebarton

I also write for About.com in the Continuing Education section: http://adulted.about.com/bio/Melanie-Zoltan-85191.htm

I review the following types of books:

non-fiction history (nothing fiction - sorry!), historical memoir (historical events have to play a major role), philosophy, continuing education/non-traditional education (must address students 25+ OR be on the history of education)

Please feel free to contact me through the links on my profiles.

I'll be joining you all, eventually, as an indie, whenever I finish my historical fiction mss. Someday...


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## DickStanley (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks to all the reviewers here who specify what they want and don't want. It certainly saves a lot of time and work.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

The Historical Novel Review: http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/

Terms (listed on the Review Policy page) -

At Historical Novel Review, we review only fiction novels of historical periods. Due to demand, we are no longer able to review non-fiction books or novels set in the 1900's.

We accept advanced reading copies or trade paperbacks only. Some of our reviewers accept PDF or ePub format also.

If you wish to submit your fiction novel, please email us at [email protected].

When submitting, please include Author Name, Title, a brief synopsis, and author's website link where we can find an excerpt.

We do our best to try to review every book, however, this is often not possible due to recent workload and high demand. Regrettably, if after 30 days, no reviewer volunteers, you may assume we were unable to find a volunteer reviewer for it and it will be removed from our list.

At the reviewer's discretion, book reviews may or may not be posted on other sites.

Please note: Featured Author terms are by invitation only and based upon our volunteer's time.


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## DeAngelo (Mar 14, 2011)

Ow....I just spent the past 3 hours sending off emails to every link in this thread. My hands hurt. Well, to anyone I missed, my book is in my sig. Contact me if you want a free copy for review.


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## Brandon514 (Mar 5, 2011)

Just wondering guys, does anyone know a website that would review a book of poetry?


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

I've gotten a rash of bad (and downright weird) review requests lately. I'm sure I'm not the only reviewer getting them. So, here's a few quick tips for you guys wanting reviews:

1. Look around the review website. A lot have a guidelines or "get reviewed" section. Follow their requests. If they really want you to submit your request in flashing green text, figure out how and send it.

2. I shouldn't even have to say this, but it's the biggest problem I get. Send a copy of the book or a Smashwords coupon or gift a copy. We cannot review the book if we don't have a way to read it. I will buy a book here and there, especially if it was really good and I want others on my account to read it, but for the most part - send us a copy!

3. Provide links. I'm lazy. Even if you attach a copy, send me a link to the Amazon/Smashwords page where the book is. Give me your website address. Don't make me hunt stuff when I'm ready to do the review and post it.

4. Give me a blurb. Make me want to read it. Saying "here's my historical romance, enjoy!" doesn't get me excited. At the same time, don't bore me. Keep it to a few sentences and short. Otherwise, I skim it and usually add it to the "one day" pile. A lot of us have quite a few books hanging out (I "only" have 95 or so). Make it say "pick me, pick me!".

5. The title and author. You would think this would be standard, but you'd be surprised... *laughing*

Okay, that's just the biggest peeves that I have these days, hopefully that helps you guys when submitting requests to other book bloggers too.


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## Jenni (Feb 20, 2011)

Is there anyway to put this "master list" into a document that is easily accessed by all over searching through the boards?


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

CandyTX said:


> I've gotten a rash of bad (and downright weird) review requests lately. I'm sure I'm not the only reviewer getting them. So, here's a few quick tips for you guys wanting reviews:
> *
> 1. Look around the review website. A lot have a guidelines or "get reviewed" section. Follow their requests. If they really want you to submit your request in flashing green text, figure out how and send it.*
> 
> ...


Just echoing Candy's comments above, and adding one more:

6. Pay attention to how you go about writing your request. If the query reads like gobbledygook, you've already made a rotten impression upon the reviewer.


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

CandyTX said:


> I've gotten a rash of bad (and downright weird) review requests lately. I'm sure I'm not the only reviewer getting them. So, here's a few quick tips for you guys wanting reviews:
> 
> 1. Look around the review website. A lot have a guidelines or "get reviewed" section. Follow their requests. If they really want you to submit your request in flashing green text, figure out how and send it.
> 
> ...





Alice Y. Yeh said:


> Just echoing Candy's comments above, and adding one more:
> 
> *6. Pay attention to how you go about writing your request. If the query reads like gobbledygook, you've already made a rotten impression upon the reviewer.*


Oh my god! YES! All of these things are very true when making requests for an author to read/review your tome! ESPECIALLY the blurb part. I'm sure you, as an author, can write up a few sentences giving me some info on the book.

And please, please don't take offense when we don't get to your book right away. We _do_ have a backlog and we're trying to read them in a way that'll not make all of the books blend together... In the past I've read fantasty after fantasty after _fantasy_ and pretty soon I've got Lord What'shisname in the Wizard Iforgethisnametoo's Land fighting the Whosits and the Whatsits using the mystical Whoskerdoos and Whiskerdon'ts and I can't keep them straight anymore.  So, sometimes I like to hop around and mix it up a bit.

Another thing: please pay attention to the generes we're willing to review. I've gotten several YA submissions and though I try to give them a go, some of them are just "too young" for my "old" brain and I can't get into the book. If you include that it's a YA in the blurb, we're more likely to at least try it out to see if it holds our attention. We all know that certain fiction meant for younger readers can really catch on with the adult crowd (Harry Potter or Twilight, anyone?).

My own personal set up is that the submissions are sent as a PDF attachment since I can't access Smashwords at work. But, that's just me. I'm sure I'm in a very small minority as far as format requests for books.

Most of you guys are really awesome and know this stuff and some of you may be new and these things haven't yet occured to you. Either way: we appreciate the effort and we're just trying to make it work for everyone involved!


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2011)

JenniHolbrook-Talty said:


> Is there anyway to put this "master list" into a document that is easily accessed by all over searching through the boards?


I did set up a section of my Positive Publishing Forum  to organize book review sites. And again I invite folks to cross-posts your sites there. While it doesn't have a lot of "posters" the forum gets a lot of traffic because it is an information resource. I unfortunately just don't have the time to manually cross post everyone's sites for them, but anyone that wants to take the initiative and do so would be appreciated.


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## naomi_jay (Feb 1, 2011)

This is an awesome thread, especially for a newbie to indie publishing like me! I'm going to be emailing a lot of the reviewers mentioned here this weekend. Thanks to everyone for pulling all this information together!


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## Javier Gimenez Sasieta (Feb 18, 2011)

Great thread!

I wonder know if someone reviews novels written in spanish...

Cheers!

Javier


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## donna callea (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks for this thread.  I just sent a review request to Candy.


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## William BK. (Mar 8, 2011)

Great list. Thanks to all contributors.


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## Rex Jameson (Mar 8, 2011)

Bookmarked and also I favorited every one of you in my brain's index.


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

rexjameson said:


> Bookmarked and also I favorited every one of you in my brain's index.


I don't know if it's a good idea to put us ALL in your brain... You may not like all the craziness...


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## Frida Fantastic (Apr 11, 2011)

Hey all,

First time poster here. I hang out at the mobileread forums under bashfulbanshee, and I lurk around all the various fantasy/sci-fi forums on Goodreads.

I have a new little blog that reviews indie speculative fiction: science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, pulp-inspired, anything speculative. I accept both books and reviews. My blog is over at: http://fridafantastic.wordpress.com


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Found out about a new site that reviews indies: http://goodbookalert.blogspot.com/
One of the reviewers is a writer I met on critiquecircle.com and she's a damned good writer & critiquer. Don't know the others, though. Still, looks like it should be a good resource.


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

Thank you so much for such a helpful guide.

I've contacted those who seem as if they might be interested in women's fiction but if I've overlooked or misinterpreted anyone, please let me know via pm and I will send along review copies.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Authors, 
Please remember as you submit to various sites, to make sure you follow the rules of each site. Send the format they require. If you write under a pen-name, make sure that is CLEAR in all communications. Use the title of your book in all correspondence. If they say, "We are a romace website" do not send them  your zombie apocalypse horror novel just because 2 people kiss once as they die. Realize that many review sites are 3-12 months backed up with submissions, so if you don't see your book reviewed this week, it may just mean they haven't gotten to it yet, not that they are ignoring you. Some review siteshave the option of "scheduling" a review, if your book is going to come out in a couple of months, they may be willing to work with you. If it comes out tomorrow, don't hold your breath.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

Just a reminder:

It is impossible for me to keep up with all of these review sites. Anyone who has a review site (or finds one) is welcome to add it to the master list I have at my forum.

http://positivepublishing.freeforums.org/book-reviews-f13.html

The forum is broken down by genre to make it easy to find. Because information on review sites is all over the place here, it may be worthwhile to have a centralized location to search. But with everything else I do, I simply can't keep up with it like I want to.

In fact, I am willing to resort to overt bribery if anyone is willing to take the initiative and make sure all of these sites get added to the central database. If you have a speculative fiction book and you are willing to take on the task of adding sites to the Positive Publishing forum, I'll give you a free full page ad in an upcoming issue of the Bards and Sages Quarterly. PM me if you are interested and we can sort out the details.


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## Ripley (Oct 29, 2008)

My blog is new so I only have one review posted, but I plan to review more books as my reading time and inclination allow. I will likely lend a more critical eye toward future reviews. The review posted is one that I just happened to be reading, and I make my bias clear (I already like the author's books). I am reading an indie book now for review.

*Site name*
Jimi Ripley: A writer's thoughts on science, reading, and the journey to publication.

*Web address*
http://www.jimiripley.com/

*Contact information*
Please submit a link to your book via my contact form. If I am interested in reviewing the book after reading a sample, I will email to arrange a copy for review.

*Genres reviewed*
Science fiction, speculative fiction, science (nonfiction)

*Type of reviews*
I strive to give a general feel for the book, without giving away any major plot points. I may quote one or two particularly enjoyable or illustrative short passages. My rating system: Recommended with reservations, Recommended, Highly recommended. I will not review books that I find unreadable. My reason for any reservations will be noted (e.g., overly complex dialogue attribution). I will also highlight particular strengths. Reviews will be cross-posted to Amazon.

ETA - I will also add this to the forum, assuming my registration works. All the ads had me confused.


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## journeymama (May 30, 2011)

What a helpful thread, thanks so much!


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

BTackitt said:


> Authors,
> Please remember as you submit to various sites, to make sure you follow the rules of each site. Send the format they require. If *you write under a pen-name, make sure that is CLEAR in all communications.* Use the title of your book in all correspondence. If they say, "We are a romace website" do not send them your zombie apocalypse horror novel just because 2 people kiss once as they die. Realize that many review sites are 3-12 months backed up with submissions, so if you don't see your book reviewed this week, it may just mean they haven't gotten to it yet, not that they are ignoring you. Some review siteshave the option of "scheduling" a review, if your book is going to come out in a couple of months, they may be willing to work with you. If it comes out tomorrow, don't hold your breath.


I just want to foot-stomp that point. I've gotten some submissions lately from folks who use a pen name, but their email is their real name (and vice versa) and they sign their emails with their real name and it's all screwy!  Makes my eyes just go cross thinking about it...

Please try to keep your identities straight as we the reviewers don't want to blow your cover or anything. 

Thanks guys!


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## indie.ebooks (Mar 30, 2011)

Syria Says... said:


> I just want to foot-stomp that point. I've gotten some submissions lately from folks who use a pen name, but their email is their real name (and vice versa) and they sign their emails with their real name and it's all screwy!  Makes my eyes just go cross thinking about it...
> 
> Please try to keep your identities straight as we the reviewers don't want to blow your cover or anything.
> 
> Thanks guys!


A big Ditto from me on that point.


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## TWGallier (Apr 21, 2011)

indie.ebooks said:


> A big Ditto from me on that point.


This is very good to know as a writer. We want to make it as easy as possible to review our work.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Wow I didn't even know there was a thread like this. Just started a indie review thread last week but already have a few books up. 

www.lastdraftediting.com/reviews/

Here is a the submission guidelines:
---------
Now accepting submissions for indie books to review. Currently taking all books, although I will admit I am not as versed in Christian fiction and Sci-fi but I have read in both genres and liked them. No erotica please but books with sexual content are fine.

Please send a short synopsis to:

[email protected]

In the subject line put: Book Review Submissions

I will only contact you if I am interested in reviewing your book. One book submission per author to be considered for review at a time.

After a review has been posted, I will post my review on Amazon & Goodreads. 
---------

Just a note, I really am open for all kinds of books. I especially love YA, zombie, post-apocalyptic, romance, & historical. Hope to hear from some of you!


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## David Jones (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi! My site isn't a review site per say, but it does give writers a place to talk about themselves, their books, and posts some extracts up. I will try and get some interviews done in the future, too, I just launched this yesterday, but the blog itself, to which this profile page is linked, has been going ages, has several thousand followers, and is listed in the tumblr writers spotlight, too:

http://storydjauthors.tumblr.com/

This is a tumblr, its a really great site in my opinion, and I don't think enough writers use it! Anyway, check it out


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## tallulahgrace (Jun 9, 2011)

LOVE this thread. Thanks so much~

Tallulah


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## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

Here's another reviewer list:

http://fyreflybooks.wordpress.com/about/book-blogs-search

Note: I don't know how many bloggers on that list review indie books. Also, be aware there are some broken links/abandoned sites listed.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

arshield said:


> I will offer, although that may be a bad idea. http://mrshields.com is my book review site. I mostly review theology and non-fiction but about 1/3 of my reviews are fiction. If you want a review quickly ask someone else. I have over 100 books on my kindle and a ton of to read paper and audiobooks. I am willing to look at the book and see if I want to review it. But I don't have a large following, so it may not be worth it for you.
> 
> @arshield, and anyone else. I would be interested to. I have quite a variety of books: from humor and satire to literary fiction, cultural critique, literary memoir, and Prisoner-of-War memoir (my father's, which I edited and added essays to).
> 
> ...


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## leearco (Jul 17, 2011)

It is hard to find a reviewer for a self help book. Can you tell me anyone that does in ebook form?


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

leearco said:


> It is hard to find a reviewer for a self help book. Can you tell me anyone that does in ebook form?


For self-help, personally I would concentrate on general sites in the area. Certainly submit to ebook review sites that do take self-help, but if your self-help is in, say, spirituality, just start contacting sites relating to that, instead of just book-focused sites. Just my opinion, but I can't help but think that's more effective.


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## kindlescribbler.com (Jul 28, 2011)

My site is http://www.kindlescribbler.com

I don't do reviews- but I do interview authors about their whole kindle publishing experience. I think it's a helpful site for new authors who are considering publishing on Kindle and want to get a realistic picture of what people's experiences are.

And I post links, photos etc.

You can email me at [email protected]
-there's also a list of questions on the site - which you can use (or ignore). I'm flexible


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Hey y'all! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm still alive and kickin'! Though, I'm having to sort of start over because my nickname - Syria - has brought some...um...interesting traffic my way. Some pro and anti Syria groups (the country - not me) have been visiting my site and have been giving me some attention on FaceBook. I've temporarily suspended my FaceBook too because I don't want to be on anyone's radar for THAT kind of stuff... Yeesh... I'll probably have to start a new Twitter account as well&#8230; So much to do!

Anyway, I started banging out the new bloggins last night - it will be called "Celia Can Read" and will be found on WordPress. The launch date will be sometime in mid to late September.

I've also spiffed up my submission guidelines:

1. As usual, *I will only be accepting .PDFs.* This has always been the rule, but instead of correcting an author when they send over the wrong format, I'm just going to skip over their email. The number of submissions I've received with the wrong file type is incredible. I want to avoid that as much as possible.

2. *I will also require an image of your book cover.* I want to have something purty to put into the review/character interview posts. People like pretty pictures, don't they? And, chances are, you've worked very hard to create your book cover too... Don't you want to display it as much as you can?! 

3. *You must ALSO write up a character interview.* These are so well-received that I want to make that my little twist on the whole review process. So, they are now requirements. For now, these questions are still up and available over at SyriaSays.com, so you can grab them and fill them out.

4. Now for the "mean" part: *if the submission package email is missing any of these three elements, I will skip over the email and move along to the next author.* This will help keep me organized and make it much easier to find what I'm looking for when the time comes to post your review.

This may seem like a lot, but really, it's not. Given my vast experience (and headaches) with ol' SyriaSays, I promise that these changes will help EVERYONE out so very muchly. You'd be surprised at the number of people who didn't read all of the rules before playing the game. It was frustrating to keep repeating myself. I felt like I was taking crazy pills! I also felt like it wasted so much of my time. Time that could better spent READING! EGADS!

*Anyway, my recommendation to everyone is: if you've submitted something to me in the recent past, please take a minute and see if your characters are available for an interview and resend an email with all of the things I'm asking for. For now, you can send the emails to [email protected] - I still check that email regularly. No worries. *

I will let everyone know when the changes are in full effect and the world will be right again as Celia/Syria will be cranking out reviews again. WOOT!


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

HI - I am looking for a couple additional contributors/reviewers for a novella and short story review blog I started recently. I need people who would be willing to commit for at least a few months and also send in a two or three reviews a month. It's a very low key blog, but not a glossy, automatic four or five star review spot for author friends. Honest reviewers wanted!  

*PM me and we can see if it's a fit.  *

~ Jenna

Here's the site - http://www.NovellaReviews.blogspot.com


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## mesmered (Feb 2, 2011)

Great advice all over this thread as I begin the arduous and sometimes dispiriting process of seeking review. I spent hours two weeks ago approaching so-called bookbloggers open for business in my home country, Australia, and had one reply. One! Not even a form reply from the others. How many bookbloggers are truly professional and how many are not?


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

mesmered said:


> Great advice all over this thread as I begin the arduous and sometimes dispiriting process of seeking review. I spent hours two weeks ago approaching so-called bookbloggers open for business in my home country, Australia, and had one reply. One! Not even a form reply from the others. How many bookbloggers are truly professional and how many are not?


A reply would be nice. I realize that they get lots of submissions, but I think that could be common courtesy.

It's also amazing how many people don't follow the submission instructions. Since I've started doing book reviews only two out of many have done what I've asked. I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying this as a reminder to authors. *Don't give them a reason to ignore you*.

Jenna


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## mesmered (Feb 2, 2011)

_*Don't give them a reason to ignore you.*_

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. The review guidelines are there for a reason.


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## SusanneSpencer (Jul 28, 2011)

What a fantastic resource in this thread.

Thanks so much to Bards and Sages and to everyone who has contributed.

It's just what I was looking for.  Serendipity strikes again.


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

My original post with info is on page 3 (see that post for what I look for), but I just wanted to drop by to say I'm still around. I have about 300 books that folks have sent me asking for a review. Crazy! I'll never get to them all, but I thank all of you for being so willing to share your work. I read them as I can and as interested.

I have had kind of a weird year, personally. I apologize for not being around but I had some things I needed to deal with and it really has taken me this long to feel somewhat normal again and like I can move on with life. I know you guys, so I know you still love me and forgive my absence. I truly had to work on some stuff. BUT to say that I'm doing better would be an understatement. I feel great!

I also wanted to tell you authors... if you REALLY want me to review your books THIS weekend, here's your chance. I participate each year in the Dewey's Read A Thon and this year, I'm offering up to read one author's book and post a review this weekend BUT you are bidding for a donation to charity to Reading Is Fundamental. It's simple. The highest bidder, gets moved to the top of the review line during my reading for the Read A Thon. For info visit my book blog - http://www.candysraves.com


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

For future reference--

indicating where a post is by page number is somewhat problematic as some of us read the forum with the latest post first (like me--and the page number of a post would keep changing), and some with the oldest post first. If you want to reference a post you've made earlier, the best way to do it is to right-click (or touch and hold on a touch device) and copy the bold faced subject shown in the actual post you're referencing. In CandyTX's case that results in a link that looks like this:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,20049.msg644409.html#msg644409
which is a link to the exact post. (The thread topic number is 20049.0, the specific post number is 644409.)

Candy, I've added the link to your post!

Betsy


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## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

Oh! VERY cool, Betsy! Thanks for the heads up. You rock!


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

What an excellent idea. Great thread. This has really helped me a lot.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I just stumbled across this blog that has about a million review blogs listed alphabetically or by genre. http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/


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## Serena Fairfax (Aug 21, 2011)

Very sorry moderator- I think I may have breached the review rules of this thread by offering a review when I plugged a novel in another thread. Only just read this thread with its  regulations.


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## RuthNestvold (Jan 4, 2012)

Wow, this is a great thread. Thank you all for sharing all these excellent links and resources! 

Ruth


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## RJ Parker - Author &amp; Amazon Top Reviewer (Nov 10, 2011)

Hi folks, not sure if the moderator is going to delete this post as I'm always half afraid to post anything on the Kindleboards lol. Here goes, besides being an author, I have been reviewing books for many authors for the past 30 years. I am currently ranked around 2000 in the top reviewers for Amazon. At present, I have only two books remaining to review. I usually read and review 4 books per week as I love reading. My favorites are suspense/mystery with police, swat, snipers, detectives, FBI etc etc. I have read several of Julie Millers books which is romance but with the bodyguard/swat stuff too that I like. My review profile is as follows: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2ZJPSX9FA2KJZ?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_aya_bb_pdp

If you have a digital book that you think I would be interested in, please fire me off a copy at: [email protected] in Epub or PDF format. I do not charge for reviews. I love reading and haven't bought a book in years because I review in return. Cheers and hope that I posted this in the correct thread.


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## T.K. (Mar 8, 2011)

I don't have a book for your list but just wanted to say that when I saw what you like to read -  suspense/mystery with police, swat, snipers, detectives, FBI etc etc. - I just had to chime in and say I LOVE those, too. But I write YA... Well YA with espionage, old Russian prophecies, action, mystery, etc.  

I'm curious what your favorite books have been since you've reviewed so many?


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## RJ Parker - Author &amp; Amazon Top Reviewer (Nov 10, 2011)

Hi T.K., I love books by Bernard DeLeo, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson, Lee Child, Mariah Stewart, my, there are so many. The best book I have ever read is Cold Blooded by DeLeo. I recently reviewed it and read it a second time. There's a lot of great authors out there. This past year, I've primarily have been reviewing for indie authors like myself, to help support them. I post the review on my FB page and I have what I call my groupies and they love to read what I've recently read lol.


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## T.K. (Mar 8, 2011)

"The best book I have ever read is Cold Blooded by DeLeo."

Okay, I'm off to check this one out...


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## Sebastian Michael (Jun 18, 2012)

magnificent thread this - some of it now slightly out of date but nevertheless... - many thanks!


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## Kate R (Apr 7, 2011)

Only just seen this thread and I found that on Google! Great thread. 

I have many books still needing reviews but it is especially hard finding reviewers of literary/edgy/gritty fiction - whether contemporary or retro.  

If there are any reviewers out there who review these sorts of books, please let me know. I know there must be someone somewhere out there


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## Victoria lane &amp; R.T. Fox (Nov 10, 2009)

Thanks for the info


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## Indie Kindle Blitz (Oct 10, 2012)

I'm the webmaster for a new review site called Indie Kindle Blitz ( http://indiekindleblitz.wordpress.com ). We offer free and honest reviews of Kindle books by indie authors.

We are currently taking submissions. Our submission policy can be found at http://indiekindleblitz.wordpress.com/review-policy/

What do we review? Nearly anything except erotica, overtly religious books, and books with black and white covers (because we also post the cover on the front page of the site, and we like it to look colorful). We especially like sci-fi, mysteries, short stories and historical fiction -- though as I said, we review just about anything. If you've written a book in some other genre, we'd love to hear about it!

I started the site because I saw a huge need in the kindle community for free and honest book reviews. I am an indie author myself, and have first-hand experience with the difficulty of getting reviews. I want to give back to the indie community, and this is how I figured out how to do it.

If you'd like to submit your book for a review, please read our submissions policy and then email us at [email protected] Thanks!


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## oshun55 (Nov 12, 2012)

Amazing thread this is. And so very helpful. Thank you for posting all the links and information!


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