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 a General round
All fiction/ non-fiction accepted. This means you may be required to read anything from a book about tax returns to horror/erotica and everything in between.

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. Gene Kendall
2. Balroop Singh
3. Denis Roubien
4. Mary T. Kincaid
5. Marcel Eschauzier
6. Liz Tuckwell
7. Cam Lang
8. C.R. Hurst
9. Conner Steel
10. Wayne McKinstry

Book Links

1. Blind Cerulean
2. Hues Of Hope: Selected Poetry
3. Naxos - Paros. The marble Greek Islands: A different Greek Islands travel book
4. Hawk McCoy: The Mutant Onion
5. Without Opposite: A Philosophical Adventure
6. Moonsleep and Other Stories
7. The Concrete Vineyard
8. Jane Digby's Diary: To Begin, Begin
9. INVISI GIR1
10. Beyond the Atmosphere: A Military Sci-Fi Adventure

Please sign me up for Jane Digby's Diary: To Begin, Begin - or the second installment of the series, if the the first has already been read by the reader/reviewer. Thanks! CR

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

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

Hi Eleanor,
Could you please sign me up for
Without Opposite: A Philosophical Adventure
Thank you!
Marcel

I'd like to join with Blind Cerulean. (I deleted my request in the other round when I saw some existing conflicts and moved over here.) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I don't see conflicts in this round so far.

Welcome C.R., Marcel, and Gene - please keep checking back frequently and report and clashes you spot. Thanks

Hi E.M., I'd like to join with my novel, The Concrete Vineyard.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I don't see any conflicts so far.
Thanks, Cam.

Welcome Cam - you know the drill, please keep checking back frequently and checking for clashes.

Hi E.M. I would like to join with my new book Hues of Hope:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Thank you.

Gene and C.R have read my books and I've read Cam's book listed here.

Welcome Balroop - do please keep a close eye on the group as it fills and let me know of any further clashes you might spot. Thanks.

Hi! I don't know if I can fit in this round, but if I can, I would like to join with my travel book "Naxos - Paros. The marble Greek Islands"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Balroop Singh and Gene Kendall have reviewed other books of mine. I have reviewed another book by Marcel Eschauzier and this book of C.R. Hurst, but I can review another book, as she says.

Welcome Denis - looks like you can fit in here. Please keep checking back often to catch any fresh clashes that might appear. Thanks.

Please sign me up with Hawk McCoy: Mutant Onion.

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

I haven't reviewed anyone in the list that I remember.

Mary - I can't add you to the round until you have set your messaging status to allow people to communicate with you.

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...

Also, to be sure you have no clashes you can check if you have reviewed anyone before by going to your reviews through your profile (the link is under your portrait) and searching their name. You can check if someone has reviewed you in the same way through their profile and searching for your name.

I have checked and I have not reviewed any of these authors. I have changed my settings to everyone.

Let me know if I need to do something else.

Mary Kincaid

Mary - can you please recheck the settings and be sure they are saved as the change of privacy doesn't seem to have taken effect.

I have reset all the settings I wanted to change. Hopefully I have handled this issue.

Mary

Mary - I'm very sorry but I am still not given the option to PM you which means no one in the group, myself, group admin and moderators would be able to communicate with you during the round. People could not contact you to offer their books and the mod couldn't get in touch if there was an issue.
Your setting for 'Who Can Send Me Private Messages' needs to be 'anyone'.
You need to make that change then scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the 'Save Account Settings' button - and maybe declare you are not a robot too!
If you are unwilling to set to that for the full duration of the round then I regret I can't allow you to sign up as it means if there is a problem no one can get in touch with you.

I just tried to message you too, Mary. Just to confirm there was no glitch and I can't see that option either.

Good luck changing it.

Trish

Well whatever you did that time, Mary, worked!

I can see the option to send you a message now.

EM will confirm later.

Cheers!

Trish

Welcome Mary - I'm so sorry it's been such a struggle for you, but glad it is all sorted now. I would strongly suggest you now delete the post with your email in it as it is not a good idea for that to be public. Please do keep checking back for any clashes as the group fills.

And thanks Trish for checking it :)

Sorry Loralee - not a fit here, but I think maybe in the other round...

Hi E.M,
Is it possible to join? I have a clash with Gene Kendall
Balroop Singh and Cam Lang. I would like to join with A Tangled Web. If not, I'll ask to join +18....

A. Claire wrote: "Hi E.M,
Is it possible to join? I have a clash with Gene Kendall
Balroop Singh and Cam Lang. I would like to join with A Tangled Web. If not, I'll ask to join +18...."

To be able to answer you I need to know what nature each of those clashes might be. Have you read them or have they read you? If you have read Gene and Balroop and Cam has read you then yes, I can fit you in. Otherwise probably not.

Hi. Could I join this group please with my collection of short stories, Moonsleep and Other Stories?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Liz wrote: "Hi. Could I join this group please with my collection of short stories, Moonsleep and Other Stories?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."

Hey, Liz,

Can you state if you have any clashes with any of the existing people listed? Have you reviewed any of them or have any of them reviewed you before?

Thanks.

Trish

Hi Trish

I've checked and I don't have a clash with any of the people listed. I haven't reviewed them and they haven't reviewed me.

Welcome Liz - Please keep checking back frequently to catch any clashes that might appear. Thanks.

Hello. I have two possible clashes, one with Balroop Singh whose book, Magical Whispers, I reviewed in another round, and Denis Roubien, who reviewed my book, Jane Digby's Diary: To Begin, Begin.

C.R. wrote: "Hello. I have two possible clashes, one with Balroop Singh whose book, Magical Whispers, I reviewed in another round, and Denis Roubien, who reviewed my book, Jane Digby's Diary: To Begin, Begin."

Thanks for that info, C.R. As it stands you are fine for both those clashes where you are.

I would like to join this round with my just released book, She Who Returns.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Other books by me have been reviewed by Balroop, Cam, and Gene. Otherwise, no conflicts.
Audrey Driscoll
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Audrey - I am really sorry but I can't fit you in the round with those clashes. We still have a couple of other groups open, perhaps your book would work in one of those?

Well, my book is too clean for 18+ and not clean enough for Clean, so I think I'll have to sit this one out.
Is matching up positions in the list that causes the problem? So joining up early is advisable? I would have done that when the round opened up, but this book was on pre-order until today.
Or do I have to look for a round where no one else on the list has reviewed any of my books?

I was recently in a 18+ with a clean-ish story, for what it's worth, Audrey. It seemed to me that about half the books in that round were clean-ish. In other words, I don't think 'too clean' disqualifies your book.

E.M. wrote: "C.R. wrote: "Hello. I have two possible clashes, one with Balroop Singh whose book, Magical Whispers, I reviewed in another round, and Denis Roubien, who reviewed my book, Jane Digby's Diary: To Be..."

Thanks for that, E.M.

Audrey wrote: "Well, my book is too clean for 18+ and not clean enough for Clean, so I think I'll have to sit this one out.
Is matching up positions in the list that causes the problem? So joining up early is adv..."

Hi Audrey,

PL is right, For 18+ your book doesn't have to be 18+ but you must be prepared to read 18+ material and not comment on your review about it being too violent/sexy as you agree when signing up to read that level of content. Make sense?

It is all about who has read whom before when positioning the reviewers in the 1-10 slots. You cannot be listed to review someone who reviewed you before and vice versa. It's also important for everyone to be flexible about which of their books is reviewed in case their first choice has already been reviewed by somebody. That situation is made more difficult if someone only has one book released as they can only be in one person's blind spot in the round. After reading that, I'm sure we're all more appreciative of what a great juggling job E.M. does.

It is first come first serve, so yes, signing up early is the best option.

Do try and fit into another now forming round if you can.

Hope all that helps and see you around.

Trish

Okay, thanks. I'll try the 18+ round.

Audrey

Hi Trish, are you still in need of one more for this round? I'd like to join if you are. Zero clashes as this is my first time... My book link is below...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Welcome Conner - do please keep checking back frequently bot for review clashes and because the round will move forward as soon as that last spot is filled. Every step will be explained as we go, but feel free to ask here or in PM if you are confused at all.

E.M. wrote: "A. Claire wrote: "Hi E.M,
Is it possible to join? I have a clash with Gene Kendall
Balroop Singh and Cam Lang. I would like to join with A Tangled Web. If not, I'll ask to join +18..."

Hi E.M, I read Gene and Cam and Balroop read me. In the other group I read Dave. It's a bit frustrating that because everyone joins the same groups one cannot join unless they manage to get to a group just when it opens. Obviously that's not your fault or problem. It's just frustrating. Perhaps I can read another book read by them or they can read another book written by me? In the 18+ group I did read Dave but maybe I can ask to read another book by him?

Hello! I would like to join this review group with my military sci-fi Beyond The Atmosphere.

Thanks, Wayne

I would like to join the group with my military sci-fi book, Beyond the Atmosphere. I took a quick look and I did not see any clashes.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Thanks, Wayne

A. Claire wrote: "Hi E.M, I read Gene and Cam and Balroop read me. In the other group I read Dave. It's a bit frustrating that because everyone joins the same groups one cannot join unless they manage to get to a group just when it opens. Obviously that's not your fault or problem. It's just frustrating. Perhaps I can read another book read by them or they can read another book written by me? In the 18+ group I did read Dave but maybe I can ask to read another book by him?"

Believe me, I fully understand your frustration - I've known it myself as a participant in these rounds and I experience it vicariously over and again trying to sort them to fit everyone in.
Where it is possible, yes people can read another book by the same author - if they have written more than one. Sadly sometimes they haven't and it means there is no way through.
In this particular case both you and Balroop have read Cam's only book, so the only place either of you can go in a round where Cam has signed up is in his 'blindspot'. As that place is already occupied by Balroop in this round I can't fit you in.
If you can't find a place in this set of rounds I will make a note to PM you as soon as I set up the next set so you can hopefully jump in early.

Welcome Wayne.

Everyone - please post to tell me if you have reviewed any of the four people above you on the list (the list wraps around so (10) is 'above' (1) ). Please also check that if you have already reviewed any of the four people 'below' you on the list they have more books available that you have not yet reviewed and post to tell me if they have not.

Remember that you can check if you have reviewed anyone before by going to your reviews through your profile (the link is under your portrait), and searching their name. You can check if someone has reviewed you in the same way through their profile and searching for your name.
Please check all those who are the 4 above and 4 below you.
If you have no review clashes - or if you are scheduled to review someone who you have reviewed before but can see they have another book available just post 'Good to go :)' or words to that effect.

When everyone has posted 'Good to go' we will be :)

If you are new to these rounds do not worry, full instructions will be provided at every stage.

Good to go!

Good to go

Good to go

Good to go

Good to go.

Good to go!!