What is your stand on paid reviews?

I am against them. I understand some sites will review your book quicker for a fee. If the fee includes other areas, like an interview, a possible chat with the author, spotlight the author…then I’d say you are buying a promotional package. But to pay for one review – no. As a writer, I would feel the readers would think I paid to get a good review and I know that is not the case. When paying for a review you are not guaranteed how the review will go.

Do you think it’s okay for reviewers to resell the books they review? What about Advance Review Copies (ARCs)?

Most online reviewers are not paid. What they do get is the free book to review. Once it comes in their possession, the book belongs to them. I personally have never sold a review book. I’ve made baskets and donated them to the retirement homes, yes.

I’ve reviewed arcs, pre-edited arcs, and I will never do that again. When the arc is riddled with mistakes, switches from third person POV to first person POV…how can you critique this? How do I know what the final book will be like? What I did in these cases, and I’m talking big traditional houses here, is I gave my impression on the storyline only but made sure to mention I read a pre-edited arc. I couldn’t write about the characters since the characters needed fleshing out.

What are the most common mistakes amateur reviewers make?

That’s an easy one and I’ve had to edit their reviews in the past. They tell you the whole story, revealing the outcome. A big no no. If the reader knows what’s going to happen you’ve just spoiled it for them.

You need to give the essence of the book first. Then your impressions, followed with who would enjoy the book.

With so many major newspapers getting rid of their book review sections, how do you see the future of online review sites?

Forget about the newspapers getting rid of their book review sections. What is flooding the market now, and more and more review sites are going to be inundated with review requests, is the fact more and more writers are going the self-published route, along with several new smaller presses coming to the surface.

Do you keep the author’s feelings in mind when you review?

Always. Mind you, when I say always I’m not referring to gearing the review to suit the author. Oh no. What I mean is that we will not sarcastically bash a writer’s work. We will offer the good qualities in the book before we dig into what we felt were missing elements that took away from the read.