Welcome! If you’re reading this, I hope it’s because you’re looking for whether I accept submissions of books for review consideration. I do! Please read this policy fully, as I will assume if you contact me about reviews, that you’ve read and agree with all of this.
- Sending me a book does not guarantee a review, or a review on a specific timeline unless we specifically agree to it.
I work full time 90 minutes away from where I live. Every office day is a 12 hour day so my dedicated time to both read and also write reviews is inconsistent. I try to aim for 2 published pieces a month, because that’s what is supported by my Patreon, which is what justifies the time spent. I am also autistic and have ADHD. Sometimes my brain simply will not cooperate with a task like writing a review, and my self-care is more important than this deadline. - I will publish both positive and negative reviews.
I tend to get more passionate about books I really liked, but that does not guarantee that your book might not be the subject of a negative review. If you aren’t willing to accept negative reviews (Though bear in mind I am more than capable of divorcing my personal feelings from the work, if the review is negative it is constructively negative) please do not contact me for a review. My duty here is to -my- readers to help them find books they will like, not to just provide you positive marketing or nothing. - I have a specific process for publication of reviews.
When a review is published, it will be published to this site. A social media post will be made on both Facebook and Bluesky indicating that a new review has been published leading to it. The opening paragraph will be posted as a review on Goodreads with a link tracking back to the full review on my website. It will also be published to my Patreon, but the content is not delayed or gated behind Patreon, it will be published simultaneously on all platforms. - On Tagging the Author
If I feel that the review is wholly positive, or contains only small constructive criticisms, I typically do tag the author and publisher in the tweet. I want to be able to direct my readers to your content in case they are interested, and the potential for the author to interact with the tweet and direct more traffic to me is also desired. If the review is largely or even significantly negative, I do not link the author. If you would like to be/not be tagged regardless, please just tell me your preference. - Disclosure in Reviews
I will always include at the end of a review if I acquired a copy of the book through a means other than simply purchasing it in a store. If I receive a copy via NetGalley, from the Author or the Publisher that will be made clear in the review. - Formats
I can receive the book in every format I’m aware of, though I prefer .epub or .pdf I’m overjoyed to receive a physical copy of the book if that possibility exists, but I live in Canada and shipping timelines and costs might be prohibitive. - What I like:
I almost exclusively review Science Fiction and Fantasy, though I am often interested in Historical Fiction as well. There can be other genre elements, like Romance, Horror, Comedy, Mystery etc as long as the core of the work is SFF. I love interesting worlds (which does not mean excessive world building exposition) and real meaningful character development. I won’t read a later book in a continuous series unless I have read the previous books. - Diversity Statement
I explicitly give priority to any story with diverse elements. By which I mean ‘The more a story deviates from being about a cishet white man the more likely I am to want to review it.’ The same is true of the authors of the works as well. There is no shortage of marketing budget for western white men writing about cishet white men in imaginary all-white ancient Europe, and far future all-white interstellar dynasty. The very least I can do as a white man is use my platform to help elevate the work of marginalized authors. - How to Contact Me
You made it all the way through and you’re still here! Excellent! If you want to send books for review, or contact me regarding books for review, you can do so at dan_ruffolo@hotmail.com or by Bluesky chat at https://bsky.app/profile/strangecurrencies.org
Thank you for your interest!