recommendations and reviews for the aspiring reader

recommendations and reviews for the aspiring reader

Review Policy

If you would like to proceed with submitting your manuscript for review, I will be more than happy to work with you if it proves to be a mutually agreeable relationship. I only formally review 52 manuscripts per year and I am committed to giving each book their proper due diligence and my attention. 

 

If you would like me to consider your manuscript for review, please contact me via email at abelleinabookshop@gmail.com 

As an avid reader, I welcome any and all genres of literature for review consideration.

Please understand that due to the diversity of the blog and publishing dates, that not all books sent to me will be considered for review unless previously agreed upon in writing.

Please read my policies and procedures carefully before requesting a review.

When a book is sent to me for review and is accepted as part of my schedule, the following can be expected:

  • I will attempt to set the review as close to the book’s publishing date as possible. I have found that this policy maximizes my contribution to a book’s particular overall sales. All attempts will be made to publish my review on all platforms the Monday before the book is due for publication for the masses. If you would prefer a different review date, please recommend this. All attempts to satisfy preferences will be made but are not always possible due to my review schedule.
  • In addition to a review on my blog {www.abelleinabookshop.com}, I will also post a summary of my review to my blog’s FaceBook, Instagram, GoodReads, and Amazon social media platforms.
    • The author/publisher/publicist is welcome to directly quote any part of my review as long as it is done so verbatim and appropriate linkage/credit is sent back to my blog or other social media platform.
    • The Instagram posting will include a minimum of {1} original photo featuring the book reviewed, as well as links back to the author and/or publisher’s Instagram page via the handle provided. This photo may be copied and featured on any social media outlet as long as credit and linkage are provided back to A Belle in a Bookshop via appropriate handle(s).
      • If author/publisher/publicist would like additional photos and features of their book on my Instagram feed, a hardcopy of the book must be provided. Features will not exceed more than {5} postings per month.
    • The GoodReads posting will be included as part of A Belle in a Bookshop’s GoodReads blog and also posted to the reviewed book’s GoodReads page.
    • Any postings of my review made on the Amazon.com platform is subject to Amazon.com’s approval process and as such, certain reviews may not be posted. However, all attempts to remain inside the Amazon.com review policy parameters will be made.
    • The author/publisher/publicist can request that I post my review on other platforms and I will use my discretion while attempting to fulfill said requests.
  • Once a review is published, I will email the book’s point of contact a PDF copy of my review along with a photo of the Instagram posting featuring their book within {7} days of the review’s publication.

 

ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) Policy 

  • Most books I receive for review consideration are of the ARC variety. Please note that any hardcopy ARCS sent to me will be disposed of either via giveaway on my blog/social media platforms or kept in my own library for personal use only.
  • If the author/publisher/publicist involved in sending the ARC to me would prefer to have the ARC back, arrangements should be made within {30} days of the ARC being sent to me. Any and all postage to send ARC back is the author/publisher/publicist’s sole responsibility.
  • Please note that at no time will ARCs be sold to any person or business. No ARC shall be donated to a library, per their strict policies on the matter. No ARC shall be reproduced at any time.

 

Accepted Book Formats

  • Virtually all book formats are accepted. I prefer hardcopies because they are easier to photograph but I also understand that it is not always possible to send those out to every reviewer.
  • Books available via PDF, Kindle, iBooks are accepted, as well as Aldiko compatible manuscripts.
  • Please be advised that Word docs are not accepted for review.

 

Review Content

  • Please be advised that any and all review content is written by me, and is all original work. It is owned and operated solely by me, Melissa Ahmed, and if any outside reviewer is involved, all attempts to notify the author/publisher/publicist owning the manuscript sent for review shall be made. In any event, any content that is allowed on this blog is ran by myself and has my permission to be featured, with the exception of any virus and/or hacked content.
  • As my reviews are an honest account of the book featured, not all reviews are 5-star ratings. My review format is such:
    • objective summary of plot/characters/setting given
    • honest account of my opinion on the book at the end of the review, along with an honest rating
    • accompanying links to the author’s website and/or Wikipedia page, along with appropriate links to other points of interest featured in the blog
  • Each book is tagged appropriately to serve as part of the navigation formatting featured on my blog
  • No review shall be amended on the cause of opinion by the author, publisher, or other readers at any time. The only things that shall be amended in a blog post/review are:
    • dates, names, specific setting changes, if appropriate
    • misspellings
    • direct book quote changes
    • link changes
  • I reserve the right as owner of my text to amend or change my review at any time I see fit, in any way I see fit. Further reading or reviewing of material may result in amendments to my reviews.
  • Each review is featured on my blog, FaceBook, Instagram, and GoodReads account – with no exception. Authors/publishers/publicists my request that I not post my review on other formats if they do not find the review to be favorable. I do not guarantee that all requests will be honored, but every attempt to do so will be made.
  • As all reviews are published on Mondays, all posts will remain at the top of my blog until the following Friday, when a recommendation is published. Every review/recommendation remains on my blog via archived material and can be recalled at any time.
  • Any and all quotes from books sent are pulled directly from the manuscript provided and copied verbatim. Please note that if the author/publisher/publicist requests that no quotes be pulled, I will honor that request. I will also honor any request that quotes pulled are removed from any blog already published, as those quotes belong solely to the author and publisher. My usage of quotes is simply to further incite curiosity of a book and nothing more. I understand that ARCS and certain galleys are not a finished product and as such, quotes can be amended at any time they are requested.
  • If an author/publisher/publicist would like additional artwork to be included in my blog and/or Instagram feature, please feel free to send this along in a timely manner. I would prefer to have this media before the blog is published.
  • Please be advised that no preferential treatment of any author and/or publisher will be given. Every book is given the same amount of “air time” and I will at no time accept gifts in return for a favorable review or extra publicity. At this time, no advertising will be accepted on my blog or any other social media platform affiliated with this blog.

 

Original Review Policy published August 6, 2017

Amendments made September 8, 2017

Amendments made June 4, 2019