Review Policy

As an independent author, I know first hand how difficult it can be to get the word out there for any new book without a celebrity author attached to it. I’ve decided to do my part in getting the word out by reviewing other independent authors.

Be warned, however: This is NOT part of the indie author circle jerk. There is no expectation for authors to read my books. Nor will I like every book sent to me or post 5-star Amazon reviews just because you put pen to paper. There isn’t even a guarantee I’ll finish a book submitted for review. This is my house and my rules, which are as follows.

  1. I have preferences. First off, I have no interest in erotica, so save your queries there. Same goes for horror (I’m a wuss and get nightmares). I rarely read romance or historical fiction just as a matter of personal taste, so it will be more difficult for me to find one of those I’ll review. Mainstream fiction is fine, but I’d rather a story than a post-modernist description of a trip to the DMV. When it comes to what I actively like, however, send me your science fiction and fantasy. That’s what I read the most, and it’s what I write the most, so that has the best chance of being reviewed. If you have non-fiction, it must be related to writing or creativity for me to consider it.
  2. I only review books I like. I will not be actively trashing books on this site. That works out really well because I’m quick to put down any books I’m not enjoying. Life is too short to make reading drudgery. However, if I receive review copies and I put them down for any reason, I’ll reach out to the authors to let them know.
  3. Start with the good. Each book has its strengths, and I’ll present those first. There must be some reason I kept reading, and you’ll see all of them here. However, this will be a judgement call and should be seen as merely the appreciation of a fellow wordsmith.
  4. Follow with the bad. No book is perfect, and I’ve found that independent authors have fewer resources available for beta readers, editors, proofreaders, and such. This is an opportunity for an objective critique of where a book could be better, and it should be taken as just one reviewers opinion.
  5. End with personal response. Of course, I’ll include a little piece where I was eloquent about how the work made me feel, how it fits in with my literary tastes, yada, yada, and yada. I may also recommend this book to certain audiences, or suggest similar books I’ve read.
  6. Brief reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’ll also kick in a brief review on Amazon and Goodreads with between 3 and 5 stars. (Yes, I give many books I like only 3 stars for various reasons.) This will be the short version of what I post on the blog.

If this sounds like the kind of review you’d like, then please reach out to me in the contact form below. It’s best if you make a free copy of the ebook available. There’s no need to send my a hard copy as I am overseas and shipping is exorbitant.

In your initial message, sure to include your email address and a brief description of your book. If you want to included a personal message as well, I’m a sociable guy and would love to connect. (Please note, however, that if your query is full of mistakes, I’ll assume your book is even worse, and you’ll receive a polite “no.”)

[contact-form to=’danielhowardwriting@gmail.com’ subject=’REVIEW QUERY’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Message’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

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