Review Policy
Publishers, Publicists, and Authors
Please take the time to read the following information to prevent any misunderstandings or misconceptions. My email address is BFish [dot] Reads [at] gmail [dot] com. Revised 5/2018
Pitches: I'm open to receiving pitches from publishers, publicists, and authors. Please be aware that I find more than a few pitches in my e-mail inbox every week. I cannot take the time to answer each one. I will contact you if the book looks like a good match for me. If I don't respond, please feel free to pitch another book, you never know what will strike me as interesting. Authors: Unless we have an established relationship, I will not accept pitches via Twitter (or any social media). Please read this policy and then send me an email. Note that if I accept a pitch, this is no guarantee that I will actually review the book. I accept all books on the understanding that I am considering them for review.
What I'll review besides books: Although I mostly review books, I also review movies, television shows, and other products. Most of what I've written here concerning book reviewing applies to other items under review.
Unsolicited books: I am very open to getting unsolicited ARCs, early finished copies, unabridged audiobooks, and backlist books in my mailbox. There is no guarantee that these will be reviewed, but if they catch my interest, I will read and review them. If they do not interest me, I will pass them on to someone who will read them. NOTE: If you send me an e-file of an unsolicited book it will never be opened and will be immediately deleted.
Book formats: Because I am a full-time freelance book editor, I much prefer print copies (I spend all day reading on screen): finished copies or ARCs. I accept e-books for review and prefer ePUB over PDF. I love to review backlist books—if a new edition is coming out or the author is about to publish a new book, I would be happy to review from your backlist to produce some buzz. Note that I also review my own books and library books. I am addicted to audiobooks and am pleased to accept unabridged audiobooks for review. I prefer digital download.
Restrictions: I do not accept self-published books--in any guise, including vanity presses and other outlets that do not offer the full services of traditional publishing (including placement in brick-and-mortar stores and independent bookstores).
Genres: I'm an eclectic reader, but I don't read and review everything. For an idea of what types of books I've reviewed on Beth Fish Reads, click the "reviews" tabs at the top of this post.
⇒ Will not read for review: Politics, self-help, trade health or fitness, horror, erotica, explicitly religious, business, marketing
⇒ Will likely turn down, but can be pitched: Inspirational memoirs, romance, non-literary chick-lit, war books
⇒ Will definitely consider: Literary memoirs, biography (political and not), autobiography, short stories, thrillers, crafts books, new editions of classics, early readers
⇒ Will generally accept: Literary fiction, contemporary fiction, young adult, middle readers (in the older range), fantasy (any type), science fiction (but I'm picky), historical fiction (any place, any time), mob stories, graphic novels, graphic nonfiction, coming-of-age stories, mysteries (any type), paranormal, cookbooks, foodie books (any type), outdoor writing
Timing: I post reviews to suit my own schedule. If I receive an ARC or an early release of a finished book, I will try to post the review within a month of the release date. If I receive an already published book, I will do my best to review it in a timely manner. However, owing to my family life, my full-time job, my part-time job, and the amount of review requests I receive, it could take several months before I review your particular book. Even if I tell you I will post in a specific month, that is no guarantee that I will meet that deadline.
Book exposure: Each book I read may receive several points of exposure on my blog. The book may be the specific focus of a teaser, spotlight, and/or must-read list as well as the subject of a full review or Bullet Review. The links to all reviews and spotlight posts are tweeted on Twitter and posted on Facebook and Litsy. (See also Freelance work, later in this policy.) I also regularly have a book night on Twitter, when I tweet to my 12.7K followers about new books I can't wait to read. I'm also a featured user of the Litsy app, where I also post blurbs about books that cross my path.
Nature of reviews: Currently, I am writing short reviews every Monday, although some books may receive more extensive coverage. I provide my honest assessment of every book I review. My reviews are in no way affected by the source of the book (bought, borrowed, or review copy) or my relationship with the author, publicist, marketing person, or publisher. I always feature an image of the book cover. Depending on the type of book, I may explore themes, writing style, plot, or character development as well as my thoughts about the work in general. For audiobooks, I also review the narrator and production, and for graphic novels, I discuss the artwork.
Rating system: I used to use traditional U.S. school grades for my ratings, because they make sense to me. I no longer use a rating system. My thoughts on the book should be clear from the what I said. I sometimes include a "recommended" statement, which summarizes my thoughts.
Review and feature schedule: I post between one and four reviews a week, depending on my reading time and book length. I may post up to two spotlights each week (usually Tuesdays and Fridays). Most weeks I compile a round-up post of recommended books or books I think deserve some buzz. I sometimes devote Fridays to Imprint Friday, a feature I use to spotlight and review a book from a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. I review food and cooking books on Saturdays as part of my very popular Weekend Cooking feature.
Where else to find Beth Fish: I have a large following on Twitter, a decent following on Instagram, and a minor presence on Facebook and Pinterest. See also the buttons and badges in my sidebar and footer. I am also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and am a professional freelance book reviewer (see Freelance work, later in this policy), and a contributing editor for AudioFile magazine. I sat on a panel at BEA 2009, at the Baltimore Book Festival 2010, at the Book Blogger Convention 2011 & 2012, and at the Audio Publishers Association conference in 2015. I was a member of the nomination board for the Quill Awards (2005, 2006) and the voting board for the Quill Awards (2007). I have been a judge for the Nerds Heart YA book tournament (2010, 2011) and the Independent Literary Awards (2011). I have been a featured blogger for the SheKnows Book Club and a member of the She Reads Blog Network.
Freelance work: I have been a full-time professional freelance book editor since 1984. I am also a freelance book reviewer and journalist, covering a wide variety of topics and genres for both print and online venues. When I pitch feature and review articles for publication elsewhere, priority is given to books, ARCs, and audiobooks that I already have in hand. Unless clearly stated, I have not been compensated for any post that appears on this blog.
Compensation / FTC: On occasion, I receive compensation for a feature that appears on this blog. If I've been compensated, I've clearly stated that fact. I also, accept advertising. Starting in October 2009, a statement revealing the source of the book or product under review appears on all appropriate posts. Please see "Nature of reviews" (this page) for my statement indicating that the source of the book in no way whatsoever affects my opinion.
Copyright issues: All content (text and photos) is my own (unless otherwise noted), and I hold the copyright thereto. If you would like to use any of my material in print or on another site, you must contact me and obtain my permission first. Unauthorized use of my copyrighted text or photos will not be tolerated. Short quotations that are within the bounds of copyright restrictions can be used on book jackets and other promotional material as well as on book blogs, provided full credit (and link, when appropriate) is given. Please attribute all quotations to "Beth Fish Reads"—when possible, please include the URL to the review.
Contact: Click on white envelope icon in my sidebar. My email address is BFish [dot] Reads [at] gmail [dot] com.
