Updated 11/22/14
Hello! I would love to hear from you if you have a book that you would like for me to feature on my blog. Below you will find my review policy to give you a sense of what I will and will not review and also other information on what you can expect from me.
I operate this blog purely on my own time and I am uncompensated for my work on this blog (unless you consider the FTC's new guidelines that state receiving a book for review is considered compensation - I would beg to differ). As I also have a full time job, am a Masters degree student (studying Ancients and Classics), my reading time is precious and I will be very selective as to what books I will accept for review. I make every effort to respond to my emails in a timely fashion, but I do not always respond to every one; please don’t hesitate to contact me again in the future regarding another reviewing opportunity nonetheless.
I am open to participating in blog tours, host author interviews or guest posts, and conduct giveaways. Please contact me in regards to these opportunities or any other ideas that you may have as well.
If you are interested in having me review your book please send me an email at dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com with the information or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page. I try to respond to most pitches for reviews - but sometimes will not if it is not something I will consider (as expanded below).
What I Will Consider for Review: The genres I am currently reviewing are: historical fiction (including romance), biblical fiction, and non-fiction (focusing on royalty and notable figures in history mostly right now for the non-fiction). I am open to reviewing short story collections and holiday novels that fit into the above mentioned genres. I will review some YA novels within the historical setting as well. While I don't have a particular subject area that I prefer to review, I have interest in the following: American Revolution, WWII, and War of the Roses. I am also open to reviewing backlist books for an author as well. I read across a wide genre in my personal reading, but at this time am only sharing reviews of the above mentioned genres on this blog.
At this time I will accept bound books, audiobooks (on CD or digital download) and on e-book (preferably mobi (Kindle) or PDF, although I can read epub).
*Note* - Unsolicited books: I am willing to receive unsolicited ARCs, finished copies, and backlist books. At this time I cannot guarantee that just because I receive these books that they will be reviewed, as I did not specifically agree to review it, however if it fits my interest I will review it within my own time schedule.
What I Will Not Review: I do not review books that have a contemporary setting – as my blog is essentially a historical based blog (fiction and non-fiction). I make an exception for books involving time travel - so if part takes place in past and part in the present that is fine. I also do not review science fiction, paranormal, and most fantasy books (unless they are based more in the real world). I do not review books that are heavily erotic.
What You Can Expect In My Reviews: I make it my top priority to write my honest opinions about the books I review. If there is something that doesn't work for me, or I can't finish the book for whatever reason, I will write about it with support for why I feel that way. To this end, you cannot expect a positive review just because I accept the book for review - I will give my honest view on the book. On this regard, even if I don't like the book, I will always be respectful in my reviews. I will not, under any circumstances, change my review or not post a review because you request it of me. I often will post links to other bloggers that reviewed the book as well so there is the opportunity for readers to find various opinions on the book. I think this is fair as we all have different tastes.
If I cannot finish reading a book accepted for review because it is not working out for me, I will post a review of what I have read. I will also discuss what it was about the book that caused me to not finish reading it. At that time I will most likely offer the book to another blogger to read and review.
My Typical Reviews Include: A photo of the book cover, a link to the author's website/publisher's website/author's blog (whichever is applicable), some form of a summary of the book (usually the back cover blurb), and my opinions on the book. I will also likely post a link to purchase the book (see FTC Disclosure below for more information).
I will never sell an ARC - I respect books too much for that. Almost under all circumstances I will keep the book; sometimes I will offer them to a blog reader in a giveaway.
Where I Will Post Reviews: All reviews I write will be posted on my blog and at least one other book site (Goodreads, Shelfari, etc). I also make an effort to email you a link to my review. I no longer routinely post my reviews to Amazon.com, but I will post my review there upon request.
Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court
My Typical Reviews Include: A photo of the book cover, a link to the author's website/publisher's website/author's blog (whichever is applicable), some form of a summary of the book (usually the back cover blurb), and my opinions on the book. I will also likely post a link to purchase the book (see FTC Disclosure below for more information).
I will never sell an ARC - I respect books too much for that. Almost under all circumstances I will keep the book; sometimes I will offer them to a blog reader in a giveaway.
Where I Will Post Reviews: All reviews I write will be posted on my blog and at least one other book site (Goodreads, Shelfari, etc). I also make an effort to email you a link to my review. I no longer routinely post my reviews to Amazon.com, but I will post my review there upon request.
At the time of posting the review a link will be posted on my Twitter page @dolleygurl as well as on my Facebook Fan site and Networked Blogs.
Time Frame for Reviews: I try to post my reviews during the month that the book is being released, but this has become less feasible lately. If there is a specific day that you would like the review posted (such as during a tour or the like) let me know and, if I can accommodate it into my schedule, I will confirm this with you. Most requests are able to be scheduled.
Time Frame for Reviews: I try to post my reviews during the month that the book is being released, but this has become less feasible lately. If there is a specific day that you would like the review posted (such as during a tour or the like) let me know and, if I can accommodate it into my schedule, I will confirm this with you. Most requests are able to be scheduled.
If the book has already been published prior to contacting me about a review, it may take me a little longer to review it. I usually have a few laid out in advance, and I will read it as promptly as I can (typically this is within 4-6 months depending on how many reviews I have lined up).
However, taking the above into consideration, right now I have become slightly backed up with review copies due to my dedication to my education. I have every intention of reviewing these books, however it might take a little longer.
FTC Disclosure: I do not receive paid compensation for the reviews I write or other ways that I host authors or their work. Receipt of free review copies does not in any way influence my reviews - I am at heart a reader and am certainly not doing this for compensation, but for the sheer enjoyment of the prospect of a good book and chatting with others who have similar reading tastes as me. I spend much more time working on this blog than the "monetary value" assigned to a book. I also indicate on my reviews the source of my copy. I will post links to various sites where the books I review/feature can be purchased - I do not have any affiliation with these sites. I provide a link to my personal favorite independent book store, RJ Julia, in an effort to support my local indie store and to see bookstores survive and for nothing else.
However, taking the above into consideration, right now I have become slightly backed up with review copies due to my dedication to my education. I have every intention of reviewing these books, however it might take a little longer.
FTC Disclosure: I do not receive paid compensation for the reviews I write or other ways that I host authors or their work. Receipt of free review copies does not in any way influence my reviews - I am at heart a reader and am certainly not doing this for compensation, but for the sheer enjoyment of the prospect of a good book and chatting with others who have similar reading tastes as me. I spend much more time working on this blog than the "monetary value" assigned to a book. I also indicate on my reviews the source of my copy. I will post links to various sites where the books I review/feature can be purchased - I do not have any affiliation with these sites. I provide a link to my personal favorite independent book store, RJ Julia, in an effort to support my local indie store and to see bookstores survive and for nothing else.
Some Blog Traffic Details: As of November 2014, I have posted 1300+ posts collecting in excess of 5,500 comments. Currently, over 620 people subscribe to my blog feed and over 503 people follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect. I also communicate information about my blog through my Twitter account (@dolleygurl) which has over 709 followers and through my blog's page on Facebook which has 478 followers. I have surpassed 580,000 page views during the life of this blog with an average of 10,500 page visits per month.
Additional Information:
• 2010 Book Expo America attendee in New York City
• 2010 Book Blogger Convention attendee in New York City
• Founding member of Historical Fiction Blogger Round Table website (now defunct)
• 2011 Historical Novel Society Conference attendee in San Diego, CA
• 2013 Historical Novel Society Conference attendee in St. Petersburg, FL; panel speaker on blogging in the historical fiction community, particularly social media behavior and how to measure success.
Giveaway Guidelines and Policies:
All giveaways hosted at The Maiden's Court will follow these guidelines unless otherwise noted in the specific post where the giveaway if posted.
• Giveaways will be hosted on the blog through Rafflecopter. Winners will be selected using Rafflecopter’s methods of selection and the winner(s) will be notified via the email address provided when entering the giveaway. The winner(s) will also be posted on the original giveaway page through the widget and in a new giveaway winners post.
• Are hosted with the intent of adding a bit of fun to this site and in no way are meant to be a form of gambling or sweepstakes.
• Open only to persons 18 or older
.
• Will start and end on dates listed on each specific giveaway post or in the widget.
• Each winner will have 5 days to claim their prize, after being notified via the email. After 5 days, if there is no response, another winner will be chosen. All emails sent by me will be from dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com.
• I will send follow-up emails letting you know when I have passed your information on to the tour coordinator/publisher (if the prize is being provided from a site outside of me) or when I have mailed out your package (if I am providing the prize).
• It is appreciated, however not required, if you let me know when you receive the item that you won, so that I can cross it off of my follow-up list.
• If giveaway is sponsored by an outside entity, then winner will abide by their prize fulfillment periods, which may be as long as 180 days, depending on the company.
o I cannot be held liable or responsible, should a vendor choose not to fulfill a promised prize. I will do whatever I can to try to get a company to make good on a promise, but there are no guarantees.
o If you have not received your prize within a reasonable amount of time – please feel free to contact me and I will see what I can do. I delete all giveaway related information after 6 months, so if you do not follow up with me within that time period, I will be unable to follow up on the giveaway issue for you.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems. Do not enter under multiple email addresses. If a book is being offered as a giveaway across a blog tour, it is likely that you cannot win multiple copies of the book. Please give other readers a chance to win and notify the blog owner if you win another copy of the book. If I suspect fraud, or am notified by a tour coordinator or publicist that you have already won a copy of the item in question your entry may be disqualified at our discretion, no questions asked.
• If your name and email address is gathered for contest entry, that email address will be the one used to notify winners. Your email address will not be sold to outside entities.
• Any prizes that may result in tax liability for the winner(s) are the winner(s) responsibility.
• Any and all giveaways may be promoted on Facebook, Twitter, email or other social network sites. This is a means of promotion only, and any promotion on those sites is not to be interpreted as Facebook or Twitter partaking in, or being in any way responsible for that particular contest.
• Winner(s) assumes all responsibility if further clarification is needed, prior to either entering a giveaway on this site or claiming a prize at the conclusion of a contest.
• Please follow the guidelines for additional entries made via Rafflecopter. Failure to do as requested in that guideline will result in that entry being void. I do check each and every entry for fraud or misuse.
Thank you to Galleysmith, Devourer of Books, Beth Fish Reads, and Maw Books Blog for inspiring my review policy. Thanks to A Day In Our Shoes for the skeleton for the above Giveaway Policy which I have amended as necessary for the needs of this blog.
Additional Information:
• 2010 Book Expo America attendee in New York City
• 2010 Book Blogger Convention attendee in New York City
• Founding member of Historical Fiction Blogger Round Table website (now defunct)
• 2011 Historical Novel Society Conference attendee in San Diego, CA
• 2013 Historical Novel Society Conference attendee in St. Petersburg, FL; panel speaker on blogging in the historical fiction community, particularly social media behavior and how to measure success.
Giveaway Guidelines and Policies:
All giveaways hosted at The Maiden's Court will follow these guidelines unless otherwise noted in the specific post where the giveaway if posted.
• Giveaways will be hosted on the blog through Rafflecopter. Winners will be selected using Rafflecopter’s methods of selection and the winner(s) will be notified via the email address provided when entering the giveaway. The winner(s) will also be posted on the original giveaway page through the widget and in a new giveaway winners post.
• Are hosted with the intent of adding a bit of fun to this site and in no way are meant to be a form of gambling or sweepstakes.
• Open only to persons 18 or older
.
• Will start and end on dates listed on each specific giveaway post or in the widget.
• Each winner will have 5 days to claim their prize, after being notified via the email. After 5 days, if there is no response, another winner will be chosen. All emails sent by me will be from dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com.
• I will send follow-up emails letting you know when I have passed your information on to the tour coordinator/publisher (if the prize is being provided from a site outside of me) or when I have mailed out your package (if I am providing the prize).
• It is appreciated, however not required, if you let me know when you receive the item that you won, so that I can cross it off of my follow-up list.
• If giveaway is sponsored by an outside entity, then winner will abide by their prize fulfillment periods, which may be as long as 180 days, depending on the company.
o I cannot be held liable or responsible, should a vendor choose not to fulfill a promised prize. I will do whatever I can to try to get a company to make good on a promise, but there are no guarantees.
o If you have not received your prize within a reasonable amount of time – please feel free to contact me and I will see what I can do. I delete all giveaway related information after 6 months, so if you do not follow up with me within that time period, I will be unable to follow up on the giveaway issue for you.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems. Do not enter under multiple email addresses. If a book is being offered as a giveaway across a blog tour, it is likely that you cannot win multiple copies of the book. Please give other readers a chance to win and notify the blog owner if you win another copy of the book. If I suspect fraud, or am notified by a tour coordinator or publicist that you have already won a copy of the item in question your entry may be disqualified at our discretion, no questions asked.
• If your name and email address is gathered for contest entry, that email address will be the one used to notify winners. Your email address will not be sold to outside entities.
• Any prizes that may result in tax liability for the winner(s) are the winner(s) responsibility.
• Any and all giveaways may be promoted on Facebook, Twitter, email or other social network sites. This is a means of promotion only, and any promotion on those sites is not to be interpreted as Facebook or Twitter partaking in, or being in any way responsible for that particular contest.
• Winner(s) assumes all responsibility if further clarification is needed, prior to either entering a giveaway on this site or claiming a prize at the conclusion of a contest.
• Please follow the guidelines for additional entries made via Rafflecopter. Failure to do as requested in that guideline will result in that entry being void. I do check each and every entry for fraud or misuse.
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Thank you to Galleysmith, Devourer of Books, Beth Fish Reads, and Maw Books Blog for inspiring my review policy. Thanks to A Day In Our Shoes for the skeleton for the above Giveaway Policy which I have amended as necessary for the needs of this blog.
Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court