Now that this blog is starting to grow (he said with a hint of irony) a few people have got in contact with me about my review policy. So that’s what this page is.
1: Every book I have reviewed as of April 2021 is from my own shelves, either paid for with my own money or gifted by friends and family. I take great pride in my collection, and the fact that I have invested so heavily spurs me on to see the best in even the worst books I read. Only reviewing books I have chosen from the shelves gives me the independence and indeed the freedom to say whatever I want about them without outside influence.
2: I am not subscribed to NetGalley, Edelweiss or any other ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) programme. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, I have a lot of books already. Secondly, I don’t read ebooks, which are the ARCs available through these sites. This does put me behind the curve on a lot of releases, so if you’re wondering why I’m often late to the blogging party, this is it. I would style this as a principled stand against the tyranny or ARCs, but if anyone in the publishing industry would like to offload any physical ARCs, that stand will collapse like shortbread. If this is you, please feel free to get in touch.
3: I do not read self-published works. There are exceptions if the author is traditionally published but expanding their work independently as well, but as a general rule, I only pick up what I can find in the shops. I acknowledge this may well come off as snobbish, but I trust publishers to help me find books I enjoy more than I trust the thousands of adverts on Amazon and Twitter. Please do not send my requests to review your self-published novels.
4: When it comes to music, I am a lot more open to independent artists. My tastes lean towards rock, metal, and anything with a nerdiness about it. Basically, if you think your music would be a good fit for this site, feel free to get in touch. I’ll do my best to get the reviews up in a timely fashion.
5: If I review something I have been sent by the author/artist/publisher, I will make this clear in the review. This will not otherwise affect the content of the review, but if I enjoy what I am sent, I will purchase my own copy of the material for personal use later on. I firmly believe people should be paid for their art.
6: If you are a like what I do here, feel free to get in touch, either through the contact form or in the comments. The science fiction community is all about discussion, and I don’t think reviews should sit in isolation. We’re all here because we enjoy what we do, and discussion is what keeps this community intact. Nothing that is said in the comments will affect that or any future reviews.
