My blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, is a voluntary, part-time effort and a labor of love. When my schedule permits, I accept children's and YA titles (including picture books) for potential review. However, my reading time is extremely limited. I have a full time job (unrelated to this blog) and a 2-year-old daughter. Therefore, I accept very few books for review, only those that particularly capture my interest, and that meet the guidelines below.
These days, I only review fiction. I especially enjoy mysteries and science fiction (including post-apocalypse novels). I don't review books in which the "message" overwhelms the story (regardless of how important the message itself might be), or books that strike me as issue-driven. This is because I think that such books can turn kids off from a love of reading (and because I don't tend to enjoy them). I prefer print books (to cut down on screen time), but will occasionally review ebooks and audiobooks. I am not currently reviewing apps, though this may change in the future.
I regret that I am no longer able to accept review copies of self-published books, due to the high volume of requests, and because I prefer to read books that have already been screened by a publisher and professionally edited.
To get a sense of what I do review, please look through the list of titles that I have reviewed. I'm most drawn to books that I think will get children and young adults excited about reading.
My acceptance of a review copy from an author or publisher does not ever guarantee that I will write a review, that my review will be uniformly positive, or that I will get to the book within a particular time period. I frequently review books that I have purchased or checked out of my library. My guideline for deciding to write a review concerns whether or not I have something to say about the book, not whether or not I received a review copy. I always disclose the source of the book in the review.
I never sell review copies or ARCs - I share them with other reviewers, give them as gifts to people I know, or (for the finished review copies) donate them to libraries or charities that will share them with children and young adults. I do not receive any compensation for writing reviews - the only money that I currently make from this blog is from Amazon affiliate referrals (whereby I get a small commission if you click through a product link from my site and make a purchase during that same session).
I do not participate in blog tours or book giveaways or promote book-related Kickstarter projects - I prefer to save my focus for book reviews and literacy news, and to work according to my own (not anyone else's schedule). I appreciate your understanding.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this policy. If you are still interested in offering a book for potential review, you can reach me here.
