Review policy, etc. - Meeghan reads

I am currently NOT accepting books for review, unless I have requested it. Please do not email me copies of your book, unless I have agreed to read and review it. This (unfortunately) is not my job, and I do not have as much time to read or respond to email requests as I would like.

I accept print ARCs and finished copies, and occasionally ebooks which I can accept through Netgalley or email.

I am NOT accepting self-published books, indie press books, or interactive media books at this time. Exceptions include those already on my anticipated books list, TBR, or from an author I have previously read/reviewed.

Genres and age categories

I read the following genres:

Fantasy
Fairy tale/myth retellings
Contemporary (including Queer fiction)
Romance

I sometimes read the following genres, depending on the author or synopsis:

Paranormal
Science fiction
Mystery
Historical fiction

I do NOT read books in the following genres:

Non-fiction
True crime
Memoirs/biographies
Horror
Thriller
Crime
Extremely political or “hot button” topics
Poetry
Free verse novels
Overtly religious fiction

I read a variety of age categories. These are Adult, New Adult (NA), Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG). However, I do not read all genres within each category. For example, I ONLY read fantasy and fairytale/myth retellings middle grade books. Please see the below table for crossovers.

Genre ↓ \| Age category →	Adult	NA/YA	MG
Fantasy	✅	✅	✅
Fairytale / myth retelling	✅	✅	✅
Contemporary (incl Queer)	✅	✅
Romance	✅	✅
Paranormal	✅	✅
Science Fiction		✅
Mystery		✅
Historical fiction		✅

Requested books

If you are a publisher that I am in contact with, and I request a book from you, please know that I will do everything in my power to read and review your book in a timely fashion. Should I receive the book minimum one month prior to release date (and I am caught up on previous books if this is a series), then I will do my utmost to post a review within a month of release. If I receive the book after the publishing date, again, I will try and read it quickly, but the review may come within 1-3 months of receipt of the book.

If you are a publisher that I am in contact with, and I receive an unsolicited book from you (particularly from a genre I do not read, or am ambivalent about), there are no guarantees that I will read the book. Please do not send me thriller, horror, crime, mystery or historical fiction books that I have not requested. I will not read these.

Accepting books

If I accept a book for review, that does not guarantee a review immediately. I will make every effort to read and review in a timely fashion and with regard to release dates, but I cannot guarantee this. I prefer to receive a book 2-3 months prior to when you would like the review posted.

Please note: While I schedule my TBR and posts months in advance (that is, if you contact me in January, the odds are slim that I will have an opening available for you in February), sometimes life happens and I may not be able to get to your book. I am also a mood reader, and while I attempt to stick to a TBR, this does not always happen.

Reviews

I will try to write a review for most books that I finish. Reviews will also be posted on Goodreads, though not all, not at the same time as they are posted on my blog, and they may be modified. My reviews are written in a relaxed manner reminiscent of a conversation among friends. They are not meant to be objective literary critiques.

I write fair and honest reviews, but this does not mean I will always write positive reviews. My reviews are MY opinion, and if I don’t enjoy a book then my review will reflect that. With that said, I strive to explain why the book in question did not work for me personally. I do NOT write criticisms about the author, unless the author in question makes comments on a public platform that I do not agree with (e.g. JK Rowling and her transphobia).

If I Did Not Finish (DNF) a book, I may write an explanation why. These explanations are different from standard reviews and will state that I DNFed the book, what page I read up to, why, and if I plan on ever picking up the book again. I do not rate books that I DNF on Goodreads, and I give them a 0 star rating in my review.

Requested Review Structure

All requested reviews will include the following:

Cover art
Book stats: Title, author, release date, series status
Rating
My review: What I liked and what I didn’t like, plus overarching comments
Where I received the book if it was a review copy

Each review will have some general discussion of things such as plot, characters, world-building and writing style, but not necessarily all of these.

Ratings

0 / DNF = I did not finish this book.
1 = I did not enjoy this book (will have reasons)
2 = This book was ok, but I had some issues with it
3 = I liked this book
4 = I really enjoyed this book
5 = OMFG I LOVED THIS BOOK and I probably cried while reading it

Ratings are based on my personal enjoyment of the book and are not meant to be objective.

Giveaways

I am happy to host a giveaway for you! My criteria for hosting giveaway books is the same as that for review books. Please refer to the the genre, publisher, and book format requirements for review books. Entries will be compiled using Numbers (I am a Mac user) and the winner will be chosen using Random.org.

If you would like me to host a giveaway for a book, please be sure to include the following information in your request:

Title/Author
Format of the book (ARC, hardcover, softcover, audiobook)
Shipping requirements (AUS, AUS/NZ, or International)
Run time of the giveaway
Any additional information you would like included (photo of prize, blurb, signed?, etc)

Requests to Host Me On Your Blog

Thank you for your interest! I am honoured, but my schedule doesn’t really leave me time for this. I am happy to look over your proposal and let you know, or alternatively I could participate in an interview. Sorry, this isn’t my day job (although I totally wish it was)!

Other

I am not currently sponsored by any companies, despite mentioning specific products in my recipe posts. I do not receive payment for any blog posts.