Call to Action - Send your indie book for review! Updated with rules.

Updated 3/22/2026

In my newsletter, I've been reviewing indies readers might never find. I've discovered I need to set standards for submission. I do not like writing negative reviews, but I do not want to encourage unprofessional publishing, either. Therefore, before you contact me about your book, see if it meets these criteria:

Before You Query

1. It has been published DIY indie, hybrid, or small press - anything but the major publishers.

2. You guarantee the book is your original work, not copied from anyone else and not created by AI. Grammar checks, brainstorming, and such are okay with AI, but the writing needs to be your human creation. Be honest about any AI use.

3. It is for sale online where I can read the opening pages and see if I want to read it.

4. You are willing and able to send a physical copy of the book for review if requested.

5. Make sure your physical copy is well-edited and formatted to industry standards.

Basic Industry Standards

Well edited:

I don't care how the editing was done - I've seen books that were "professionally" edited yet had multiple glaring errors and I've seen clearly written books with few if any errors that were "edited" through multiple layers of critique groups, beta readers, and other free means. The published result is what counts.

Essential formatting:

Whether you do the formatting yourself, use a program, or hire it done, know what it should look like. Look at traditionally published books. Front matter follows an order. If your book has the copyright info in the wrong place and other blatant errors that reinforce the idea indies are dilettantes or dabblers, I will not review or return your book.

Some formatting issues where I'll be more flexible:

• Mirrored margins should be used in print books, so the interior margins are wider than the outside margins. If the interior margins of your book are wide enough to facilitate reading even in the middle, I may overlook this.

• Look where page numbers begin in traditional books in your genre. Generally the first page is on the right with no number and numbers start with #2 on the first left-hand page. Blank pages have no numbers but are counted. If page number errors are the only issue with your formatting, I'll probably overlook that too.

But I'll read books that do everything right first.

Initiate Contact

If you believe your book is professionally done, use the form below to initiate contact. Tell me about your book, why I'd want to read it, and where it is available for sale. Include your contact information. I'll look at it online, read the sample, then let you know if I want a full copy of the book to read.

Then What Happens?

When I've read the book, I'll ask you to share your publishing process

• What did you do yourself? What free supports would you recommend?

• You can include links to any editors or other professionals you've hired in this process and your assessment of the value received.

• If you published with a company, what services did they provide and how much did you have to pay? Were you happy with their performance?

  Finally, the Review

I will post reviews in my newsletter, on Amazon, and Goodreads.

• You're welcome to use the review or selected quotes for marketing.

• If there are any negative aspects to the review, I'll send it to you first and you can "kill" it if you like. Just don't quote it in that case.

• If for some reason I don't read the whole thing, I'll let you know why. I won't publish a review without reading the full book.

Copyright Sheri McGuinn