Review Policy

It seems I am not making much headway on my backlog. I finish one and get offered three more, and they all sound so good that I find it difficult to say no. So, I am just going to have to stop accepting submissions for a while so I can catch up. Thanks for your assistance in helping this book addict get his habit back under control.

An addition to my policy: I am a retired/disabled psychotherapist. I worked for many years in the psych and social services field. I have worked with just about any population you can name. I have seen firsthand the pain and suffering mental illness causes in the lives of those suffering from the illness, and those who love them. I loved the work I did and have seen many inspirational turnarounds in peoples lives. But I don't accept books in the "psychological" realm. Fiction can never match the reality I've seen, so it just doesn't work for me. I see the value of these kind of books for others, and they deserve to be written and read. So, there you have it.

I will honestly review any book I read. I try to read them in the order I get them. I usually write my review the day after I finish the book because I like to sort out my thoughts and reactions to the story. This is not set in stone as I have had such strong reactions to some books that I have written my review within hours.

Since I have a lot of time on my hands, it usually doesn't take me long to read the average book, Usually just a few days. Longer books of course take longer to read. I have bought a kindle so it won't take as long as it did to read ebooks.

I try my best to give constructive criticism. I do not trash anyone's work!  I don't respect mean spirited reviews, so I don't do them.

I will share my reactions to the stories I read, positive or negative.

If an author requests a review from me they need to tell me where their submitted work is in the publishing process. Is it an early draft still subject to revision/correction? Is it the finished product available as is to the general public?

These questions are important to me because I do see typos, misplaced words and other general mistakes and will point them out if the version I am reading is at the appropriate stage. I do not let such errors influence what I think of the actual story, but I will comment if they are so prevalent as to effect my reading experience.

Like the old saying: "I don't know art, but I know what I like". I am not an author, but I am an avid reader. My reviews are written that way, by a reader for readers.

I attended college for 13.5 years, I have Masters Degrees in Counseling Psychology and Business Administration. I have read my share of technical books. I now read for pleasure only!

I like most genres but favor Scifi Fantasy, Humor, Adventure, Action, Horror, Historical Fiction, Parodies, Dystopian, Intrigue, and Espionage. I like Romance as a part of any of these genres, but I don't particularly care for "Bodice Ripper" type romance. Sex is okay, again as part of a greater story line. Politics also as a part of the greater story but not the main theme, Not a fan of poetry so I don't review that.

If anyone is interested in having me review their work, I encourage them to contact me at librarymikes@gmail.com.


Mike