Journal · 26th October 2024

Review Policy

I am currently CLOSED for review requests.

Books can be sent to:

Stephen Baird
Waterstones
17 Newport Crescent
Middlebrough
TS1 5UA

But please contact beforehand so we know where we both stand.

Things I am accepting

fiction: with fiction I will accept pretty much anything as I’m a very catholic reader and I’m always willing to read a new book, though after reading light romance novels I don’t think they are for me. I do have a slight preference for speculative fiction but please don’t let that hold you back.

non-fiction: again with non-fiction I will pretty much read anything, but have a preference for nature writing, esoteric/witchcraft, travel, and art history.

tarot decks: each deck would get a use for a month with regular posts showing off the deck on social media with a review post at the end of the month.

What format I will accept

physical copy: ARC, finished paperback, hardcover, written on the back of Pizza Hut receipts.

digital copy: as close to finished copy as possible please, or at least well formatted as a poorly formatted copy usually means a DNF from me

What should you include in your review request to make it easier for both of us

  • the summary
  • the release date
  • any relevant information (especially anything that shows why this would be a good fit for me based on what you see on my blog)
  • if you have a time frame for when you expect the review to be posted, please let me know that as that will greatly influence my decision and I will have to see if we can commit to that timeline.

What happens if I accept your book/deck for review?

Before sending me a review request please understand that by accepting or receiving a book, I do not guarantee that it will be read immediately or posted on the blog immediately. I’ve got an ever growing stack of books that I want to read and a pretty busy life as well as the fact that I’m very much a mood reader. I will try my very best to read and review in a timely manner but it’s not always doable.

If the book is an ARC, I will try and publish the review on or around the release date and not before. I MAY do a Save the Date for it, in addition, if I really enjoyed it.

I also reserve the right to NOT post a review of your book should I not feel comfortable doing so. This could be because I’ve run out of time, didn’t really have anything to say about it, etc.

I do try to post my reviews on Waterstones and Goodreads also but sometimes I DO get behind on doing that.

I will also not post a negative review on the blog so that may also be a reason you don’t see it.

What else I may do on this blog

author interviews: typically I only interview authors that I’m familiar with.

giveaways: I will only post a giveaway of a book I have read or am anticipating to read!

blog tours: Like with giveaways, I have to have interest in the book being promoted or have enjoyed it. I only do blog tours with interesting, exclusive content. I want the content to be valuable to my reader and not something copy and pasted from blog to blog.

exclusive cover reveals: With this, it has to be for an author I’ve read or a book I’m excited about. I say exclusive because I do not want to be one of 100 bloggers revealing on the same day

guest blogging: I am interested in guest blogging on OTHER blogs and I will accept guest bloggers with topics I am interested in and that are relevant to my site.

Please use the Contact Me form or email me if you are interested in having me review a book

I am not paid to blog or review. I wish I was but sadly I’m not. I’m just a reviewer that loves to read and talk to other book loving folks. So, please keep that in mind when wanting to work with me. I don’t run a tight schedule with my reading because it makes it not fun for me and I’ll only accept deadlines that I agree to first.


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