Review Policy

As on 4th July, 2017:

I am currently NOT ACCEPTING review requests. Please check after a month to see if I’ve begun accepting requests again. Thank you!

I am glad to accept books for review consideration on The Reading Desk.  Contacting me assumes you have read and agree to the following terms:

  • I would love to be contacted by publishers and authors about books, but unfortunately, I cannot guarantee a review. This blog is an expression of my passion for reading and books, not a full-time job.
  • While I will respond to all requests that come my way, I will only choose to accept those requests that interest me. Please respect my choice, if that choice is a no.
  • I do not promise to write about a positive review about any book.  My reviews will be honest, but kind.
  • I will try my best to finish every book I receive. However, time being a scarce resource I may be forced to give up on a book. This happens rarely, but in case I do not finish the book for any reason, the same will be mentioned in my review.
  • I usually try to post the review on my blog before the publication date or as soon as possible after it has been published. I require at least two weeks prior notice if you would like the review to be published by a particular date.
  • The books reviewed on my blog are usually from borrowed from my library, or received from the publisher through Netgalley or through other review programmes such as Blogging For Books. I can be reached through email at thereadingdeskblog@gmail.com.
  • I am on LibraryThing, Netgalley, goodreads, Instagram,Facebook, and Twitter.
  • I may offer recommendations to other books similar to the book being reviewed at the end of a review. These may be books by another author and/or publisher.

Reading Preferences:

I read a wide variety of books and my tastes do evolve.  I love reading diverse books, written by authors whose backgrounds are unfamiliar to me, and/or which are set in countries outside US/Europe and which describe the cultures of the local people.

  • I tend to read more of literary fiction, crime fiction, science fiction and fantasy and YA fiction.  I rarely read and review nonfiction, however may choose to do so if it interests me. Currently, I am especially interested in the following:
  • Detective stories
  • Crime Fiction/Mysteries
  • Books about reading/libraries/booksellers
  • Psychological thrillers
  • Noir Fiction
  • Weird fiction
  • Literary fiction
  • Historical Fiction (especially Indian history)
  • Fantasy

I DO NOT usually read romance. I also do not review erotica, religious and self-help books. Not that I think there is anything wrong with these genres, but I feel that I cannot make a judgment regarding what others may like/prefer with respect to these genres and hence cannot recommend

I accept hardcover, paperbacks and e-books. My e-reader is a Kindle and so the file shared with me must be compatible (e.g. mobi.). I will require a physical copy of the book to talk about it on Instagram. I would also like to have an image of the book cover so that I can use it on my blog.

Commenting Policies:

I appreciate and read every comment to my blog. I do moderate comments but this is only to prevent abuse/spam/trolling from getting posted.  I accept and encourage discussion on my blog and will be open to receiving comments that are opposite to my review.

An Assurance to my Readers:

Irrespective of where I receive the book from, I will always let you know where I got the book and give you my honest opinion about the same.

All of the above terms and conditions are subject to change at my discretion.

Thank you for your interest!

Regards,

Vijayalakshmi Harish