Review Group discussion

The review group is the most successful group for peer reviews on Goodreads. It hosts non-reciprocal reading/review rounds of ten authors with a variety of themes and genres, as well as ‘general’ rounds where any book is permitted, from non-fiction, to horror. When a round has ‘now forming’ in the title, there are places available, you can sign up. If it doesn’t, it’s full – look for another round or check back another time.

The Amazon rules state that authors/publishers are not allowed to specifically supply published books in return for reviews on Amazon. To comply with this rule, we don’t insist members review on Amazon, but we do insist that every participant in the round has the capacity to leave a review on their local Amazon store, so we all start with the same options.

The founding principle of the group is honest, non-reciprocal reviews, so please help maintain the integrity of the group by letting me know as you sign up if you have been reviewed by, or have reviewed another author in the group and do check back as the group fills to report any clashes. Usually places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This is an 'Out of this World' round
Fiction books classified as sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal.

Please note it is always possible that the books you are assigned may contain material you find upsetting or offensive. If you can't commit to this, please do not sign up.

Now for the boring stuff, but please read it, it saves a lot of time if everyone is on the same wavelength.
Before signing up below with your Goodreads author and Goodreads book link in the thread below, please ensure that:

1. You have enough time to read and review 4 books within the 12 weeks of time allowed.

2. Your book is currently available for sale on Amazon (not pre-order) and it complies with the individual round theme, if there is one.

3. Your book is fit to be reviewed.
If it is not, due to editing or other issues, you risk poor reviews. This is your problem, not that of the reviewers or the groups. For a small fee, the group admin will look at the first few pages of your book to advise. The number one error new authors make is not having their book beta read and edited, by non-family members.

4. You can submit reviews to Goodreads and Amazon.
Amazon allows only those people who have spent $50 in the last year to leave reviews in each of their stores. If you are unsure about your Amazon reviewer status, try posting a ‘test’ review before signing up. If you are unable to post reviews on Amazon, please do not sign up.

5. You can provide (and accept) at least PDF files.
You are not expected or required to buy the books you are allocated to review, but as this will give a ‘Verified Purchase’ review on Amazon, it is welcomed when you choose to do so. Many authors have books available via KU and others might provide smashwords coupons. Most authors can provide mobi and/or epub files directly by email. Please note: International Copyright laws apply. You cannot sell, or give away material you have received without the author’s express permission.

6. You have completed your reading if you are currently in another review round in this group. You can be involved in the ‘one for one’ list whilst you are in a round.

7. You have an author profile set up before you join.

8. Your Goodreads profile allows people to message you, i.e. your profile is not set to private.

9. You declare any relationship you have with another member in the round.
Amazon will not allow reviews from the same household on the same book or if you are an editor, relative or close friend of another member.

10. You agree that your reviews will be unbiased and honest, whatever the star rating, and you will try to avoid ‘spoilers’. i.e. giving away the finale of a book. Please note the Review Group will back any reviewer's right to express their opinion about a book, but personal comments about a fellow author are against both Review Group and Goodreads policy.

11. You will not ask a fellow author to change a review of your book because you don’t agree with it.
If you think you have a legitimate concern, talk to the mod of your round, NOT the other author. Personal attacks, or pressurising other members WILL NOT BE TOLERATED and will result in you being blacklisted.

Please note:
We all want reviews, it’s why we joined the group. It is bad taste to expect other people to review your book and then not do the same for other people in the group. People that DNF and/or don’t post reviews will find it difficult to get into a subsequent group.

It is not necessary to leave any kind of disclaimer in your review, but ultimately, it is up to individuals. Reviews that state you received a copy ‘in return’ for a review will probably be removed/not allowed by amazon.com. ‘I received a free copy from the author without an obligation to review’ would be more acceptable if you feel the need to add a disclaimer.

Your Goodreads details and the rounds you participate in may be recorded by the admin mod on a database. We do not retain details of email addresses etc.

Allocation is entirely random and there will NOT be any rearranging of the listing to accommodate personal preference. The ONLY circumstance in which you may duck out of giving a review is if YOU provide a stand-in reviewer.

The only way this group can function is if we trust each other to behave honourably. And it IS perfectly possible to give a fair-minded review of a text that does not coincide with our normal choice of reading matter. If you need a few hints/tips, please see this thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I will do my best to fit everyone into the group they request, but occasionally, particularly in the case of our more prolific good standing members, I may have to decline a member request to fit the maximum number of people into a particular round. I will always endeavour to start another round as soon as possible with that member in mind.

It is permissible to review an author more than once if a different book is available.
If you need anything clarified please ask, either by goodreads personal message to me or on the thread below, before signing up. It’s a pain to have to keep rearranging the list because people haven’t read the above.

Your group moderator will be:
Chrys Cymri

Member Links
1. Lin Meili
2. D. Wallace Peach
3. P.M.F. Johnson
4. Miriam Yvette
5. P.L. Tavormina
6. Jonathan Sobe
7. Cathleen Townsend
8. Bethany Rae Salway
9. Zita Harrison
10. K.T. Munson

Book Links
1. I Will Save the Villain
2. The Ferryman and the Sea Witch
3. Dark Alley Magic
4. The Hunted Prince
5. Aerovoyant
6. As Vaan Made us
7. Survival of the Fairest
8. Queensmen
9. Owl Manor - Abigail: Book 2 of the Owl Manor Trilogy
10. Unfathomable Chance

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ANYONE SIGNING UP TO JOIN THIS ROUND

Please note that Goodreads has recently made a privacy reset to their private messaging system. This means that they have shifted the default setting to restrict those who can message you.

In order to participate in this round, your setting for 'Who Can Send Me Private Messages' needs to be 'anyone'.

Please follow this link to check - and if necessary change - your privacy setting.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?t...

Welcome Lin - please keep checking back as the group fills to spot for any review clashes - and thanks for changing your privacy setting :)

Hi EM. I'd like to join with my book The Ferryman and the Sea Witch.

Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Author Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Welcome D. - Please make sure to check back and report ant clashes as the group fills. Thanks.

E.M. wrote: "Welcome D. - Please make sure to check back and report ant clashes as the group fills. Thanks."

Will do.

I would like to join, please, with Snow White and the Civil War, Part 1. (I have finished my obligations to round 290.)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Diana Peach and I need to go five spaces apart--we're long time blogging friends who promote each other's books.

And I have read Lin Meili's I Will Save the Villain, so she can't read me.

That's all for now, but I'll keep checking back.

I'd like to join with The Soldiers' Perspective.

Phillip Murrell

Cathleen, D, and Jeff have reviewed me before.

I've reviewed a short story by Phillip, so he can't read me.

And Jeff and I have no clashes.

However, Jeff, you're still listed in space 10 for group 292. I believe EM changed the group from children's to general, but you're still there. : )

Aha, that's what happened. I didn't keep track of the number for the group, I just looked for the YA-Group. Okay, in that case, I will withdraw from this one. Group 292 only needs one more person.

Welcome Cathleen - you know the drill ;) Thanks for nudging Jeff.

Philip - so sorry but as Cathleen and D have to be 5 places apart there is no way they can both review you so you can't fit in this round.

not a problem

Is there room for me to join in here with my fantasy novel, Dark Alley Magic?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Lin has reviewed it (I have other books).

I have reviewed Cathleen's The Golden Key and Survival of the Fairest.

I have no review history with D.

Welcome P.M.F - *please read and act on Message 2* or I will need to remove you again. And please keep checking back for further clashes.

I have made my profile available to anyone. At the same time, I removed the ability of friends and friend requests to see my email. Is that okay?

I have acted on message 2, so I should be okay. At the same time, I removed the ability of friends and friend requests to access my email. Is this okay?

P.M.F. wrote: "I have made my profile available to anyone. At the same time, I removed the ability of friends and friend requests to see my email. Is that okay?"

All good. Thanks :)

As PMF stated upthread, I can't read him. He hasn't read Snow White, part 2. : )

Hello, I haven't been back in this group in a while but I would like to participate in the fantasy category with The Hunted Prince!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

I don't believe I have read anyone's book in this thread.

I have no clashes with Miriam. : )

I have no clashes with Miriam. And as Cathleen said, I can read Snow White Part II. ;->

I would like to join with Queensmen. I have a clash with D Wallace Peach. I can read her; she can't read me.

Welcome Bethany - please read Message 2 on the thread and act on it - and post to say you have done so. Thanks :)

Welcome Miriam - please keep checking back and check (both ways) anyone added to the round for any clashes. Thanks.

No clashes over here, so far you guys are all new authors for me! :)

E.M. wrote: "Welcome Bethany - please read Message 2 on the thread and act on it - and post to say you have done so. Thanks :)"

Yes, I have acted on message 2.

I have no clashes with Bethany.

No clashes with Bethany. The current provisional author/book review list works fine for me. : )

I'd like to join with Unfathomable Chance - an urban science fiction. Cathleen is my only conflict, she'll have to read this book because she read another short story of mine.

Unfathomable Chance

I don't have any clashes with K.T.

As KT says, I can read her--she can't read me. : )

Hi, I've finished round 291 and would like to join with Owl Manor - Abigail.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

I've read Dark Alley Magic by P.M.F. Johnson but he has not read mine.
Cathleen has reviewed Abigail but I have not reviewed her.

All the others look good.

Thanks.

I have another novel that Zita could review, as needed.

Welcome K.T. and Zita - you know the drill ;)

And mega-thanks to everyone who is reporting their staus with those who sign up as they do so. That is incredibly helpful.

I reviewed a different book by K.T. but not this one.

I will need an alternate book from Zita. Other than that, the list still looks good for me. : )

Hi, I'd like to join with The South Tower:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
D. Wallace Peach has read another book of mine. Otherwise no clashes.

I've read another book of Alex's--Operation Outfect. Alex can't read me, I'm afraid.

I have no clashes with Alex.

Cathleen wrote: "I've read another book of Alex's--Operation Outfect. Alex can't read me, I'm afraid."

Sorry, Cathleen, memory lapse! Not sure if there's a way in for me then...

No clashes with Alex

No clashes with Alex.

I'm still good. No clashes.

Hi Lin! I’ll let the Mod weigh in but as a fellow author I’d 100% recommend doing book 1 first because I tried doing that once as a collection of books that are each stand alone but build on each other and the results were impacted. Hope that helps!

Lin wrote: "Question: How does it work when my book is the second in a series? I'm thinking of giving people the option to read the first book instead since the second one isn't a standalone.

How is this norm..."

Lin, it's up to you, but I would almost always recommend entering the first book in your series unless you're really confident the book you're entering works without reading the previous books. This can affect reading experience.

As you do more rounds, the people who have already read book one will naturally read book two as a substitute (or book 3, 4) wherever they are in your series, so you'll wind up getting reviews for later books in the series anyway.

Lin, it is my philosophy that any book I write should be readable by people who have not read earlier books in my series. Since I (as you) need reviews on later books in my series, I list the book I need reviews for, and so far people have responded well.

Lin wrote: "Question: How does it work when my book is the second in a series? I'm thinking of giving people the option to read the first book instead since the second one isn't a standalone.

How is this norm..."

Hi Lin, I'm going to agree with Kat. I prefer to start with book one in a series, but if I've already read it, I'll move on to book two naturally. It seems to work well.

I'd be thrilled to join this group with my colonization sci-fi first-in-series "Aerovoyant."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I know one author on the list from another forum (Hi Cathleen!) but have not read, or reviewed, any of the books on this list, and therefore have no conflicts.

I believe I took the action needed on item #2.

Hello mods and readers!

I have a question. I'm currently in the "now forming" 18+ round with my book, As Vaan Made Us (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...), but I've been thinking that it might be more appropriate here. It's a dystopian sci-fi book that I placed in 18+ because of some adult language (I would argue not excessive) and themes, but my book and I really are sci-fi/fantasy at heart. If this group is not opposed to it, I would withdraw my book from that group and move it here.

Please let me know.

I think I may have missed my chance, haha, but just in case, I'd like to join this round. I had to wait until I finished my last novella in Round 290, which I did about 20 minutes ago. (Just waiting on the review to post to Amazon.)

My book is Advance Screening: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Clashes: I have read another of Cathleen Townsend's books. Zita Harrison and D. Wallace Peach have read other books of mine, so the only way I'd be able to fit into the current configuration is at spot number 5.

If that doesn't work for whatever reason, then no worries! I'll get the next one.