The imperial federal government has unconstitutionally mandated that bloggers who review books must say where they get the books.
I get most of them at the bookstore or from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s and other online sites. Like you, I pay for these books.
I get other books via mail and e-mail from small presses and authors who have asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the books. These books are free. My only obligation is to read them and then write a review.
In either case, a large percentage of my reviews are of small press books simply because–as a small press author–I see that we have an uphill battle getting any publicity whatsoever when contrasted with the authors from big publishers with big promotion budgets. My reviews are skewed more toward the positive because (a) I am not a book critic, and (b) I tend to read books I think I will enjoy rather than working for a newspaper or magazine that requires me to read books that I might otherwise have no interest in.
I am not compensated for any of my reviews. Some say the free book, when there’s one involved, is compensation. Most of the people who say that (including the feds) have no clue how many hours of work it takes to read a book and then write a review. Suffice it to say, the monetary value of the book is far less than the amount a freelance writer would bill a client if he were receiving true compensation for his time.
I enjoy reading and I enjoy posting reviews about books I like. That’s the long and the short of it.
2011 Review Copies: Razor’s Revenge, Snare, kiDNApped, Snakes, After the Jug Was Broken, Adagio & Lamentation, The Butterfly’s Kingdom, The Witch of Babylon, Mister Blue, The Devil’s Elixir, and Cinder (Cinder was reviewed on Sarabande’s Journey)
2012 Review Copies: The Infernal Republic, The History of My Body, Identity: Lost, 99 Girdles on the Wall, This Mobius Strip of Ifs (Reviewed on POD Book Reviews & More), Should I Not Return, The Storyteller’s Bracelet, The Divine Comics, The Subversive Harry Potter, Goatsong, Alexander’s Lighthouse, The K Street Affair. My reviews appear on this blog as well as on Literary Aficionado.
2013 Review Copies: Handover, The Woman of Porto Pim (reviewed at Literary Aficionado), Crescendo, The Faust Woman Poems and The Book of Now (both reviewed at Literary Aficionado), Bitter Orange, The Best of Glacier National Park
I knew this, and always forget to say where the books are from. 8-( Think I’ll steal your idea and post a similar thing to this. Thanks for the idea!
Even though I don’t want to list the sources, I’ll do it.
Malcolm,
My book SHOULD I NOT RETURN was just released to the public on April 1st. Please visit my website at: to view a short video about the book, and read some of the reviews from early galley readers and others.
I would be willing to send you a copy, if you are interested in perhaps writing a review. I would appreciate your posting the review on my book’s Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites. Also, on your own site, as well as where ever else you feel might help to further promote my book further.
I will be up in Alaska from May 22nd through July 3rd promoting the book there. I will be returning to AZ afterward, with other book signing engagements slated for Phoenix and local venues. I hope to travel to the east coast this fall to promote the book at Cornell University and hopefully at the Boston Museum of Science, and elsewhere.
Please let me know if you are interested in giving my book a read, and a review.
Sincerely,
Jeff Babcock
Hi Malcolm,
Floyd Orr emailed me that PODBRAM is no longer active and said you might be willing to do a review of my new novel Alexander’s Lighthouse. Two years ago you reveiewed my previous novel Nero’s Concert. I could email you a synopsis if you wish.
Don Westenhaver