Who am I?
Hello ?! I’m Dominique. I have been an avid reader all of my life, always choosing books to entertain myself because books are life!
If you’ve made it to my Contact page, then you’re probably here to ask if I can read your book in exchange for an honest review. I would love to review your latest title and I am open to reviews but before we get into that we should go over my policies.
*PLEASE NOTE* My schedule is very tight and I can only read so many books in a month. I will do my best to get it done in the time frame requested but make no promises (just to be clear).
join the pages of the diary!
Reading Preferences
Before I go into my reading preferences, I want to note that I reserve the right to not accept books I’m not interested in reading or don’t have the time to read. I also reserve the right not to post or review the book.
There are so many genres in this world that my policy has always been to read the genres you love. There are some days when I’ll stretch myself and try something new, but for the most part, I mainly read: YA/NA/Adult Fantasy, YA/NA/Adult Sci-Fi, YA/NA/Adult Romance, Thrillers / Psychological Thrillers, Mystery, Horror, and Selective Historical Fiction.
Books written by POC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized voices are prioritized.
Rating Books
My reviews are unbiased and HONEST! This means that I cannot promise to always write positive reviews.
*Please note* that the criticism, if any, is subjected to the book and not to the author or publisher. Also if I do not enjoy the book, but I feel some readers might like the book, I would mention so in the reviews. I rate books out of 5. This means a 2.5 rating is an average book in my reading experience while 4 stars and above are books that you’ll repeatedly find me recommending.
Where do I talk about books?
I talk about books on my social media channels and/or create a blog post and/or discuss it on Goodreads based on my experience with the book. Sending a complimentary book for review consideration does not guarantee a review. Unfortunately, I am unable to give a time frame in which I would feature a book.
If you have sent me a book and I have not talked about it either on my platforms or in my writing elsewhere, it probably falls under the following categories *PLEASE NOTE* ALL REVIEWS ARE HONEST WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE:
– It did not move me positively or negatively.
– I haven’t got a chance to look at it yet.
– It might be a negative review and you haven’t seen it yet. In this case, I do not tag the author/publisher anywhere. Sometimes I would not mention the name of the book but a picture only, so it might not pop up on search engines.
Sponsored Posts
I currently collaborate on paid reviews with authors/publishers. I also collaborate with publishers during marketing campaigns to spread the word about a book. These collaborations are usually on my Instagram platform which currently has over 3.5K followers.
Such collaboration does not mean a positive review of the book, rather it only spreads the word about the book and I fashion the post (and photo) in a way that speaks best to the audience and agrees with the aesthetics of my platform — the post can feature the blurb, a review, a list, what I felt while reading the book or what I hope the book will be. You can check a sample collaboration here.
The words and photos I share on collabs will be mine. Hence I will not sign up for a project that calls for pre-written words. Contact me for rates for sponsored posts.
What to Mention in Your Request?
Keep your review request short and crisp. Mention the title (I get so many emails with no title mentioned), a blurb, the name of the publisher, and other relevant details (always happy when a page count is mentioned). I do not respond to mass forwarded requests.
A Note to the Authors
I usually work with publicists because it is less awkward in case I do not enjoy your book. But feel free to email me if you handle your own publicity. Or you can always email me and then have a copy sent via your publicist. Please read this review policy before contacting me.
You might receive glowing praise or sometimes the book just might not sit well with me. It does not mean your book is bad. It only means I, as a reader, could not connect with it. But another reader might love the book more. By sending a book, you automatically agree to the book being read impartially and given an unbiased review.
A negative or average-sounding verdict is no doubt upsetting but remember this is only the personal reading opinion of one person. Focus on those who’ve loved your book rather than those who didn’t. Kindly do not follow up with emails or social media DMs if you haven’t received a high rating. A review is for a potential reader and not for the writer.
Where am I?
Currently, I am based in the USA. I prefer physical copies of books for review. However, I will consider e-copies if the book blurb really piques my attention. I accept e-copies from publishers including indie publishers and small presses.
How to Contact Me?
If you’re still interested in reaching out, then please use the contact form below or email me at contactus@thediaryofareader.com or you can contact me at any of the following links!