I love to read. I love to review books. Hence, reading & reviewing MORE books is a welcome thought.

And after an interesting #dearpublisher conversation over on Twitter, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to write a formal book review policy, so here it is:

July 15th, 2010 — I am currently open to review requests.

Email me at: info [at] phoenixpress [dot] ca

I will accept books for review from publishers, authors, and publicists; however, I will be selective in the books I accept, in order to give each book the attention it deserves.

Formats: I accept ARCs, finished copies or early finished copies (hardcover and paperback), and backlist books. I will accept ebooks only at my own discretion, until such a time as I purchase an eReader (projected date for this: August 2010).

Genres I Will Review: Fantasy & Paranormal (and all related sub-genres, including YA); Historical Fiction / Historical Romance / Alternate History; Contemporary / Contemporary Romance; Women’s Fiction; Chick Lit; Literary Fiction (at my discretion); Mystery; Suspense; Humor; Speculative Fiction; Memoir; including YA and MG of all above genres; also including Inspirational Fiction of all above genres. I am also interested in a very wide selection of non-fiction topics, so send me an email and see if I’m interested!

Genres I Will Not Review: Horror; Erotica/Hot Romance; Crime / True Crime; Hard Sci-Fi. In non-fiction, I will not review books about sports, politics, or gardening. I also do not review picture books.

If you do not see your genre in either of these lists, and have a book in that category for which you’re seeking a review, please email me.

Time Frame: If the book is part of a blog tour / release party / specific blog promotion, I will post the review on the assigned date. For ARCs, I will do my best to get the review up within 3 weeks of the book’s release (though I prefer to post it the week of release). For reader copies (already released), my goal is to get the book up on the site within 3 months of receiving it. I am willing to make exceptions to all these policies, so if you have a book for which the review is time-sensitive, simply let me know and I will schedule you in.

Review Posting: I will post my review on this site, and also on Librarything.com. I may also post on Amazon.ca (or .com, if requested) and Chapters.Indigo.ca. I am willing to post the review on additional websites at your request.

My Reviews Are: Honest, truthful, and tactful. No matter whether I love your book or find it’s not for me, I’ll let my blog readers know. I will always respect the author, because the review is about the work and not the person behind it. My readers know that my reviews are opinions, so honesty is key in each review I write. All reviews will be accompanied by the book’s cover image and link to its Amazon page (unless another sales page is requested). If I can find them, I’ll also provide links to the author’s website and book trailer.

And finally…: I will not sell books I receive for review, though I may choose to help promote the book by running a giveaway on this blog. I do not receive financial compensation for any books reviewed on this blog, and accepting a book for review in no way guarantees a positive review.

Please also know that if I accept your book for review, this is not a guarantee that I will finish reading it. If I find that a book isn’t for me after giving it a fair shot (50-100 pages, depending on the book’s length), I may choose not to post a review and may send it to another book reviewer who would enjoy it more. If this occurs, I will let you know so that you’re able to watch for the review elsewhere.