Thanks for your interest in Amara's Eden! Before contacting me about reviewing your book, please be sure to read my review policy. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email.



First Thing's First

 

All reviews at Amara's Eden express my honest opinion of the book, film, television show, or other product in question. I do not accept financial compensation for any reviews or other posts of either a positive or negative nature. All books reviewed at Amara's Eden were received in one of the following ways: borrowed from a U.S. public library system, purchased secondhand from a charity store or a library, downloaded for free from Amazon or Smashwords during promotional periods, downloaded from eARC websites such as Edelweiss or Netgalley, or offered by the author or publisher for review purposes. All books received for reviewing purposes are treated with the same objectivity as every other book.

What I Read


I am open to reading books targeted at any audience, whether it's picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young/new adult, or adult. I also read both fiction and nonfiction. For what genres I like and dislike, see the chart below.

I Typically EnjoyI Am Open to ReadingI Typically Don't  Enjoy
Horror Historical Fiction Romance or Erotica
Fantasy Science Fiction Humor/Comedy
  Mystery or Thriller Chick Lit
  LGBT or Minority Fiction Religious/Spiritual Themes
  Graphic Novels Poetry or Plays



To get a better idea of whether or not I would enjoy your book, you can browse my reviews here at Amara's Eden.

If the book you would like for me to review is part of a series but not the first book, I will turn it down unless I have already read or can easily access a copy of the previous book(s) in the series. I am not interested in purchasing the first book(s) in a series in order to review one of the later books.

I will gladly accept ebooks and prefer .mobi files whenever possible. I do not accept audiobooks at this time. Due to recent safety concerns in the book blogging/reviewing world, I no longer accept physical copies.

About My Reviews


All reviews posted at Amara's Eden reflect my honest opinion of the book in question. My relationship with the book's author and the method through which I received a particular book have no conscious influence on my reviews. If I receive an ARC or finished copy from Netgalley, Edelweiss, directly from the author, etcetera, my review will contain a brief note specifying the ARC's origin.

No review copy I receive is guaranteed a positive review. If you are looking for exclusively positive reviews, I am not the reviewer for you. My definition of a positive review may differ from yours; please see the next section for details on my star rating system.

Though I try to read every book in its entirety, I am not obligated to finish reading any book I am not enjoying. Should I find myself particularly disinterested in a book, I may stop reading. I may or may not write a DNF ("did not finish") review for any book that I decide not to finish reading; my DNF reviews note my opinion of the portion of the book that I read in an attempt to explain why I did not continue reading.

My reviews are posted here at Amara's Eden and at my Leafmarks profile. I also post short snippets of my reviews to my Goodreads profile with a link back to the full review; here is an example.

I do not post my reviews at Amazon, but I will consider posting to other sites upon request.

About My Rating System


My rating system is based on the Goodreads star rating system and is as follows:

One star books are books that I disliked. This may be because I disliked the plot, the characters, or the themes of the story or because the book's editing was subpar. 

Two star books are books that I thought were mediocre. I did not enjoy these books, nor did I strongly dislike them. 

Three stars books are books that I enjoyed.

Four star books are books that I enjoyed and would consider "above average" in some sense--perhaps the writing is particularly appealing, the plot was especially clever, the world-building charmed me, etcetera. These are books I quite recommend.

Five star books are books that I thought were spectacular. These are potential new favorites and highly recommended.

Gold star books are books that qualify as favorites. These are usually but not always books I read and loved as a child.


Most books I read and/or review fall in the two to three star range. My rating frequency as of 5/19/2014 is as follows:


Only ten percent of books I read receives less than two stars, while only nineteen percent receives more than three. Statistically, a book is most likely to receive a two or three star review from me and more likely to receive a four or five star review than a one star review.

 

Book Tours and Other Posts


I am usually not interested in participating in book tours, hosting giveaways, or interviewing authors. If you would like to pitch one to me anyway, please use the email below.

Unsolicited Books


Should I receive an unsolicited book, I am under no obligation to read or review it, though I will certainly read and review unsolicited titles that pique my interest. Unsolicited paper books that I have no interest in will be donated, while unsolicited ebooks that I have no interest in will be stored until such time that I decide to either read or delete the book.

Negative Interactions


If you are dissatisfied with my review, I still expect my review--my honest opinion of the book--to be respected. Please do not ask for the review to be removed or censored; I will refuse to do so. Reviews will only be altered if a factual inaccuracy or egregious typo is found.

If I am ever verbally abused, harassed, threatened, or otherwise attacked by an author, a publisher or other representative, or an author's family or fanbase, I reserve the right to document the confrontation and share my experience with other readers, bloggers, and reviewers. If you do not agree that I have the right to discuss my negative experiences with my friends, followers, and fellow book lovers, I am not the right reviewer for you.

This information was last revised on May 19, 2014. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask via the email address listed in the next section.

How to Pitch a Review Copy


If you wish to offer me a review copy of your book, you can submit your request via the form below...





...OR email me the following email address.



Please be sure to include the following information in your email:
  • the book's title and author
  • your identity and relation to the author, if you are not the author him/herself
  • the book's publication information, including publishing company and publication date
  • the book's genre and a plot summary
  • the format(s) that are available (physical copy, .mobi, etcetera)
  • any other information you feel is relevant--but please don't include testimonials, reviews, or award information

 

If I receive a review request, it will be assumed that you have read, understood, and accepted the policy above.