SFReader is pleased to offer reviews on speculative fiction novels and anthologies (all flavors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror). We don't review other genres (such as mystery, western, romance, etc.).
If you're an author or publisher of a speculative fiction novel or the editor of an anthology and would like SFReader.com to post a review of your book, you have two options:
Option 1:
Send one (1) copy of the book to SFReader's Review Editor Pete S. Allen at:
Pete S. Allen
SFReader.com Review Editor
1832 18th Ave
Forest Grove OR 97116
Do not send two copies.
Pete will make the book available to SFReader.com's stable of volunteer reviewers. Posting time could be as short as a few days or as long as a few months – it is entirely possible the book will not be reviewed at all (see special notes below).
Option 2:
Effective immediately, it is no longer necessary to send review copies to the editor to have them considered for review. Because of a number of recent changes, not least of which the staggering increase in postage for parcels (especially outside the US) and the advent of the LibraryThing website, we have decided to cut out a step, and save the authors and publishers (and ourselves) some postage – so...
To have your book considered for review, send the following information in an email to the editor (Pete AT sfreader dot com):
Title
Author
ISBN
Publication date
Publisher name
Contact email address – this is VERY important. This is the address we will need in case the book is chosen for review. It is best if this is a public address – as it will also show on the book's description on the LT catalogue.
The procedure:
you send an email to Pete with the aforementioned information
Pete adds the book to the LT catalogue, with the appropriate tag
The reviewers, who go over the list regularly, see a book they want, and hey, if it's yours, yippee!
Pete then gets hold of the book's contact person, and tells them where to send the book.
End result – if chosen, the book only gets mailed once, and if not chosen, publisher or author need not mail the book at all.
SPECIAL NOTE #1 SFReader makes no guarantee that your book will be reviewed. It's entirely possible that no one will want to read it, no one volunteers, no one is available.... etc. If you would like your book returned, enclose return postage and return instructions: "If you are unable to find a reviewer for my book XXXXX after 3 months, please return it. I've enclosed postage/SASE, etc...." Keep in mind that some SFReader reviewers live on other continents. Shipping time to these reviewers can take 6-8 weeks alone. If one of these reviewers volunteers for your book, it will probably be a MINIMUM of 12 weeks before your review appears. More on self-published books and alternative media below in #2....
SPECIAL NOTE #2
SFreader will accept print-on-demand (POD), e-books, books published on CD-ROM, chapbooks, and books most other review sites won't. Be forewarned, however, the vast majority of reviewers don't want to read a self-published book, nor do they want to read a book on their computer screen, nor off a bad photocopy, nor do they want to take their time, effort and resources to print out an e-book so they can read a hard-copy. If you decide to send your self published book, or your e-book either as a file or on CD-ROM, we'll see if anyone is interested in reading and reviewing it. Past experience has shown that your chances of getting a review are slim. So if you want to send your self published book or e-book, feel free, but do so with the realization that it might not get reviewed. If you so request, and if you enclosed return postage, we'll send your book (or disc) back if we're unable to get someone to review it. Please provide specific return instructions if that is the case.
SPECIAL NOTE #3 SFReader.com is a book review site, not a book promotion/marketing site. If you send a book for review, your SFReader.com reviewer is going to write an HONEST review that represents his/her opinion of your book. It's very possible that your book might get an unfavorable review. If you're not prepared for or are unwilling to accept/chance an unfavorable review, DON'T SEND YOUR BOOK. Let me repeat that: It's very possible that your book might get an unfavorable review. If you're not prepared for or are unwilling to accept/chance an unfavorable review, DON'T SEND YOUR BOOK.
Ultimately, a book review is no more than one person's opinion, but keep in mind that such an opinion might not be favorable, might not be one you agree with, and might not be the same as your mother's, brother's, father's, uncle's, or best freind's glowing praise.
Once more for those of you who missed it: It's very possible that your book might get an unfavorable review. If you're not prepared for or are unwilling to accept/chance an unfavorable review, DON'T SEND YOUR BOOK.
SPECIAL NOTE #4
By submitting your book for review, you grant rights to any and all reviewers to quote passages/sections from your book for the purpose of review.
SPECIAL NOTE #5 Recognizing that it can often be frustrating to wait for a review with no news, or that it may be hard to keep perfect track of where review copies have been sent, SFReader.com has opened an account with Librarything.com to replace our in-house database for tracking review copies. All review copies that are either waiting for selection by our reviewers, or have been selected but have not yet been reviewed, are now available on SFReader's profile.
In our library, we use mainly 3 "tags" by which you can see where your book is -- "received" means we have received the book, but it has not yet been selected for review, "selected" means the book has been selected for review, but I have not yet received or have not yet posted the review, and of course, "reviewed" means the book has been reviewed. A reviewed book will have a star rating, both on the librarything web site and on sfreader.com. Also, a link to the review will be posted on the librarything web site, leading users directly to the review on our main web site.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at webmasterATsfreader.com.
SPECIAL NOTE #6
Because of the volume of books SFReader receives, we're unable to keep them indefinitely as they wait for some friendly reviewer to volunteer to review them. After SFReader has had your book for one year, and no one has volunteered toreview it, your book will be donated to a library.
