Review Policy

Original Policy written 7/29/09

Updated 6/7/14

My name is Sheila and I live in Central Minnesota. I have always been a lover of books and writing and enjoy chatting up books whenever possible.

My contact email for review requests is” journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

As of this time I accept review requests for books, audiobooks, cook books,and movies. I do not accept PDF’s and rarely read e books.

I currently receive several review requests a week and of course as much as I would like to accept ever book that catches my eye, my book reviewing is just a part of my life and I must leave time for other things as well. I am active with my family, friends and community. This review policy was put together so you can see if I am the right fit for your book.

Please note that I am no longer able to respond to every email request, if it is a book I feel will fit with my schedule and I want to read I usually respond within a couple of days of receiving. If you do not hear a response from me you are right to believe the book was not going to fit into my schedule. Please consider me in the future for other books as I am quite diverse in my reading and what may not fit into my schedule at one time may very well fit at another time.

1. When offering me a book the more information the better. I like to see the cover, know the synopsis,and have a link to where I can see it online. The more information you can give me about the book, the more likely I will be to consider it. The harder I have to work to find out information about a book or look it up on my own the less likely it is I will choose to review it.

2. I am just starting to accept e-reader reviews – I recently purchased a Kindle Fire

3. I do book tours for books I wish to read. Please do not ask me to tour the book without reviewing or promote authors I am unfamiliar with.

4. I am very diverse in my reading and like many genres. The only genres I do not read are: Romance, Horror, Poetry, Erotica. I do not enjoy books with a lot of foul language, extreme sexual content ,or strong graphic violence.

5. As of 2012, I will no longer accept memoirs, or any book written by the author about the authors life. These books are too hard to review and are too personal to the author. The only time I will review memoirs is if I purchase them myself.

6. If I review your book I will give an honest review. I do not guarantee a favorable review, if I find the book not to my liking I will give a reason in my review why so my readers can understand. I always encourage my readers to try a book anyway, even if it was not to my liking. I try to connect my readers to author websites, book related contests, a synopsis of what the book is about, and then what I thought of the book.

7. I no longer can guarantee when or if I can read your book. I work 30+ hours a week as a Family Life Administrator, love the outdoors (biking, rollerblading, kayaking…), and enjoy spending time with family and friends, as well as a little travel. **If you need your book read and reviewed in a certain time frame please make those arrangements with me prior to sending me a book.

8. Accepting to review your book does not guarantee a review. I try to choose books to review that I believe I will enjoy, however occasionally there will be a book that I just am unable to get into for whatever reason. Accepting your book is my considering reading and reviewing it.

9. I do not grant author interviews unless I 1) know the author and/or 2) have read the authors work and request the interview.

I am very active in the blogging community and currently receive around an average of 750 visitors a day. I enjoy starting bookish conversation with those who comments and currently have over 1,005,485 views and over 86,000 comments (not including my own) since I started with this review site in June 2009. Many people have told me they have purchased books off my recommendations and reviews.

I enjoy taking with authors, attending book festivals, and I attended BEA (Book Expo America) in New York in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.. I have been on Book Panels for events in Minnesota and write book reviews and women’s interest articles for a local magazine called Her Voice. I am current President of our Friends Of The Brainerd Public Library and on our city Library Board. I am part of an 13 year book club called the Bookies that has 16 wonderfully Bookish women in it.