Looking at the reviews that I’ve done so far for this blog, it would be easy to believe that I have no taste and simply like everything that I read. While I wish this were true, it is not; nor would it be realistic for me to enjoy everything that I read. Lately, I’ve been lucky to be given advanced copies to review, and I want to be fair to both the author and the publisher. From the first written word to the moment that it hits the shelves, producing a book is an intense exercise that is incredibly meaningful to at least the author and probably more. In that regards, here are the criteria for a review on this website.
1.) I will only post reviews to this blog that get at least three stars out of five on the Goodreads scale.a I will note that I’m harsher on the Goodreads rating than I am here. Expect to see a lot of recommended due to this policy; not all will be recommended, though. The books that don’t make this minimum will not be mentioned on the blog. I prefer to be critical in private than trash another author’s work, especially as I know my craft needs improvement as well.
2.) The review – once published – is what it is, and I will not change it even if I later change my mind. If the change is significant enough, then a re-read review might be possible. Reviews are also a snapshot at who I am at a certain time, and thus, changing the review means rewriting my own history. This is something I frown upon.
3.) That said, if any portion of the review is found to be in error, factually incorrect, and/or harmful to anyone, I reserve the right to update the review. Any and all updates will be noted for the action taken and why. I am human and will make mistakes.
4.) Feel free to quote the review as needed with the appropriate attribution.
5.) I’m still figuring out how electronic review copies work; so, I will not be posting whether I own the book unless/until I get it sorted out.
6.) I will note when I am reviewing work by a friend. Conflict of interest is easily documented and should be known.
7.) Feel free to disagree with my reviews in the comments or through e-mail. Please, abide by the commenting policy.
There is the PrimmLife reviewing policy. I reserve the right to update this policy as necessary. If you think I’ve missed something, please, let me know through email Primmlife78(at)hotmail.com.
a.) The Goodreads rating system is a bit too restrictive for me. Only five stars with no halves is too wide a range. Rarely do I feel good about the rating that I give on Goodreads. My profile tends to have a lot of four stars, but really, I rate books between seven and eight point five out of ten. Divide by two and roundup puts this range at four on Goodreads. On the rare occasion where a book has risen to a nine or, very rarely, nine point five out of ten, I cannot in good conscience rate them a perfect five on Goodreads.