3 reasons I Won’t Review your Book

Last updated on 6 June 2021

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As an avid reader and blogger, I often get requests from authors to review their books.

I have my blog linked on a couple of websites for book bloggers, write over at Blogger’s Bookshelf, and have my contact details here on This Splendid Shambles, so there will be the odd email here and there for a review request. Not many, but a few. Some are via BB, and some are directly to me, but it’s those direct review requests that I struggle with, and often won’t follow up, for a number of reasons.

If you’re an author thinking about sending a novel or short story, I won’t review your book if…

1. I won’t review your book because: you don’t use my name

Countless emails have come to my inbox that is obviously just copied and pasted from a thousand other emails that have been sent by the same person. Now, I’m all for sending the same email to multiple people if you want them to respond in a certain way (in this case, you want them to review your book), but at least have the common courtesy to add my name to the top. It just seems decent and doesn’t make me feel like I’m a reviewer in a sea of millions of reviewers. Just because I am, doesn’t mean I want to be treated as such. A little personalised addition will go a long way.

2.I won’t review your book because: you haven’t done your research

There are several genres listed on my book reviewer profiles: young adult, fantasy, dystopia. They’re my go-to genres, the ones I really love to read, especially if books are a combination of two or more of these genres. If you send me a review request for your western mystery thriller, chances are I’m not even going to read past that sentence. You might not know it, but I’m dismissing your book straight away. There’s a small chance I might actually enjoy your western mystery thriller, yes, but if you’re looking for a positive review then starting with my preferred genres will at least get you in the door.

3.I won’t review your book because: you haven’t given me enough information

It’s not enough to give me the title and a two-sentence synopsis; I want more. Show me links to other people’s reviews, the Goodreads page, the Amazon link, an image of the book cover so I don’t have to find one. Offer me a choice of different types of formats: epub, mobi, PDF; not everyone has the same devices in which read their books on.

Not essential, but always interesting and it’ll give me more background into your writing: bonus points if you tell me the story behind the story. Why did you write this book?

Am I being too harsh? Perhaps. But I don’t think I am. I’ve received too many ‘meh’ proposals and half-hearted pitches for book review requests to ignore them. I want to read your book, I really do, but only if you put in a little more effort at your end. Be relatable, be well researched, be a bucket load of information. Is that too much to ask?

What do you think about this? Have you had similar experiences? Drop me a comment and let’s chat!