At Vigilant Reader, independent authors are given preference for book reviews. I understand how hard it is to kick-start sales of new books by unknown authors. I provide that initial review that will draw attention to their books. My customers receive an honest review backed up with factual praise or criticism. Authors and potential readers will know what I like or question about each book.
No reviews will be provided for books already having 10 or more reviews posted @ Amazon.
Authors should seek an experienced editor unless they are qualified to fill that role. Otherwise, authors need to edit, edit, and re-edit until their book is as close to error free as it can be.
My Rating System Five stars = Excellent, professional in all respects. Four stars = An enjoyable read with minor negative issues No one, two, or three star reviews will be published.
Books are evaluated on: Editing: spelling, punctuation, scene separation, word usage, etc. The mechanics of writing. Character development: important characters must be described clearly and in depth. Sentence structure: are sentences too long, unorganized or confusing? Details: too little, just right, too much? Research: are the facts that are presented accurate? Plot: is the story believable, especially considering the period and locale it's set in? Writing Style: is the reader drawn into the story to want to continue to the conclusion? Continuity: does the plot flow well; are the characters steadfast and believable?
Only the following genres are accepted for review: Action, Adventure, Hard-core Crime, Detective, Military, Mystery, Suspense, Thrillers, and Westerns.
I do not read or review Chic-Lit, Children's books, Christian, Cozy Detective, Erotica, Fantasy, Gay and lesbian, Graphic novels & comics, Historical, Horror, Humor, comedy or satire, Inspirational, Literature, Mashups, Paranormal, Plays and screenplays, Poetry, Romance, Science fiction, Steam punk, Supernatural, Women's fiction, Young adult or Teen. Please, no novellas with fewer than 50,000 words and no novels with more than 120,000 words. Authors: Complete the 'Contact Me' form to request a book review.
Authors are notified within ten days if their book is accepted for review. A free copy of the book must be ‘GIFTED’ from Amazon.com to Vigilant Reader within ten days of that notification. If the author does not respond, after ten days their book will be dropped from consideration without further notification.
Books published at Amazon will have the reviews posted at Amazon.com, Goodreads, and the Vigilant Reader website. Books published at Smashwords.com will have the reviews posted at Apple, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Kobo, Smashwords, and the Vigilant Reader website.