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 '18+' round
Books that may contain explicit material. Including but by no means limited to horror and erotica. Books in other genres may be submitted. All authors must be comfortable with reading extreme and explicit material.

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:
Trish Butler

Member Links
1. Zara Stone
2. Cam Lang
3. Thomas A. Burns Jr.
4. Andrea Mircheska
5. David Øybo
6. Florian Armas
7. William Hart
8. Nico J. Genes
9. E.M. Swift-Hook
10. Bella Nox

Book Links
1. Killer Looks: The Forgotten History of Plastic Surgery in Prisons
2. The Concrete Vineyard
3. Killers!
4. The Girl Who Painted Death
5. JULEBORD (The Holiday Party) - Book II : A Story about Recent Events - CORRELATIONS TRILOGY
6. The Shamans at the End of Time
7. Roller Rink Starlight: A Memoir
8. Magnetic Reverie
9. Trust a Few
10. Delusional in Darkness: A Kyle Campbell Novel

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...

I'd like to join this round, please

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

Welcome Bella - as always please keep checking back as the group fills to alert me to any review clashes you might spot. Thanks :)

Hi E.M, I would like to join this round with my book Magnetic Reverie. I have reviewed Bella and as far as I can see she has only one book. Thank you :)

Nico has reviewed my book, but I have not reviewed hers.

This is so exciting! I’d like to join this round, with my book “The Girl Who Painted Death”.

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

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

I have no clashes with Andrea

No clashes with Andrea, either.

I'd like to join this group with my book Roller Rink Starlight: A Memoir

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

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

I see no clashes with Bella, Andrea, or Nico.

Hi. I’d like to join this round with my novel See Beneath Your Beautiful. Nico has reviewed me.

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

Welcome Nico, Andrea, William and Eunice - please keep checking back frequently to report on any review clashes you spot as the group fills. Thanks.

No clashes with William and for Eunice I see she has other books. So far so good:)

I would like to join this group with my book As Vaan Made Us.

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

I would like to join with my book A Tangled Web A Tangled Web. I have clashes only with William and Eunice. I reviewed Eunice and William reviewed my book. But I'll gladly review any of Eunice's other books and William can review another one of my books if that helps.

Welcome Jonathan and A. Claire - please keep checking back and report any review clashes you might spot. Thanks.

A. Claire - please read Message 2 on this group thread and reset your privacy to allow PMs. Thanks. I should not have added you to the group until you had done so - and would hate to have to remove you.

I've reviewed Clair's A Tangled Web, but would be glad to review another of her books--as she offers.

E.M. wrote: "Welcome Jonathan and A. Claire - please keep checking back and report any review clashes you might spot. Thanks.

A. Claire - please read Message 2 on this group thread and reset your privacy to al..."

Hi E.M I had no idea there was a problem with my privacy setting...I'll go reset now. No worries.

Reset done! (Sorry, didn't see the message).

William wrote: "I've reviewed Clair's A Tangled Web, but would be glad to review another of her books--as she offers."

I even know what I would give you to read :)

I see a possible problem, EM. Clair is now scheduled to review my book in this round but I reviewed her book back in round 286.

Hi EM. Nico and Claire Everard have reviewed this book. I unpublished my other 2 books só at the moment, I don’t have another book.

I have no other clashes

Eunice - I am really sorry but I will have to remove you from this round. Nico only has one blind spot and that is already taken by Bella. It would be very helpful if in future you could state when signing up that you have no other books even though GR shows you as having them so those who have reviewed you before (and I myself) can know (or be reminded) that you only have the one book. Thanks.

William - thanks for letting me know, you are now in each other's blind spot.

Edward - you are already in the General round and you can only sign up in one round at a time. If you would prefer to be in this round please let me know and i will move you.

I'd like to join with Killers! My only clash is that I've reviewed Nico before.

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

Thanks for reshuffling the deck to avoid that clash, E.M.

I should also inform you that Roller Rink Starlight is my only book with a PDF and electronic versions. All my other books are in paperback only.

Should Thomas join, he can read ADHD:Life is beautiful, if okay with him, having in mind is not 18+.

William wrote: "Thanks for reshuffling the deck to avoid that clash, E.M.

I should also inform you that Roller Rink Starlight is my only book with a PDF and electronic versions. All my other books are in paperbac..."

Hi William. It looks like you have 4 books listed on Goodreads, and at least 2 of the others are novels. In the event that someone has previously reviewed Roller Rink Starlight would it be possible for you to generate a PDF review copy of one of those books? I would assume you have them on your computer somewhere as a Word file? In the event that you don't it makes things trickier, perhaps not for this round, but for each subsequent round going forward because if you only have one book available to offer, anyone who has previously reviewed you must go into your blind spot, and you only have one blind spot in a round.

This is a scheduling challenge faced by all authors who only have one book available.

Just something to consider.

I should also inform you that Roller Rink Starlight is my only book with a PDF and electronic versions. All my other books..."

Hadn't thought about that possibility, Kat. I do have a word file for one of those novels, and I could mail the other as a paperback, here in the US at least. Thanks for the clear explanation.

Sending paperbacks would be above and beyond, but definitely having a pdf available for a second book in the event someone has already read the book you're entering into the round will make things much easier scheduling wise, particularly as you do more rounds and accrue more clashes :) Hope this helps.

Hey Kat,
I just want to double check that I'm done with the other round and can successfully join this one. I hadn't thought anything of it till I saw your name here.

Hi Bella! Yes, you have all your reviews turned in over in 289 and are good to go! 😊

Kat wrote: "Sending paperbacks would be above and beyond, but definitely having a pdf available for a second book in the event someone has already read the book you're entering into the round will make things ..."

Your advice indeed helps, Kat. Thanks!

Nico, I will read anything.

Kat, am I in?

Hi Thomas! I was just dropping by to answer a quick question. EM will be along shortly to continue adding people into the round.

EM. Thanks for trying to fit me in, I’ll try another round.

William wrote: " I do have a word file for one of those novels,..."

William if you want to convert that to a PDF (or indeed a rough and ready mobi or ebook). You can use Calibre which is a free file conversion software.

https://calibre-ebook.com

Welcome Thomas - Please check your PMs. I did place you in the new General round to be sure you had a place in the current set, but having heard nothing from you at all I am assuming you would rather be in this round and that is fine.

Hi E.M. Thomas should be above me (nr 3) as he read me. Thank you!

Nico wrote: "Hi E.M. Thomas should be above me (nr 3) as he read me. Thank you!"

Oops! thanks Nico :)

I do not have clashes with anyone so far.

No clashes for me either.

I'd like to join this group!

The Hum of Taos https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639840737/...

Nico has read & reviewed mine
I have read & reviewed Andrews & he's read & reviewed mine.

Welcome Andrew!!!!

Andrew - you already signed up for the General round as well. Please let me know which round you wish to join and I will add you. Whichever round you join don't forget to list all your existing clashes, please and read Message 2 and change your privacy settings as well so people can PM you. Thanks.

Hi

I'd like to join with my second book Crown of Fire. Though it is a second in series. I can send a plot summary of the first part so reader can understand the book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Sanam - I'm happy to add you if you could please report any review clashes with those already in the group, or that you have none. Thanks :)

I've read Sanam.

I have Magnetic Reverie by Nico.

I havent read the others.

Though, Nico, Thomas and Bella have read my work.
They can read the ones they havent read before.

No clashes yet.

Sanam, unfortunately I think I see a clash that will be impossible to work around. Bella and Nico must be in each other's blind spots because Bella only has one book, which Nico has already read. Because you and Nico have reviewed each other in the past, you would also need to go into blind spots, but Nico's blind spot is already taken.

Might I suggest you try this General round, which still has lots of room?

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