Book Reviewers Wanted!

Consider this an open call to all reviewers.  Here at I Read a Book Once, I’m in kind of jam.  See, I’ve got more books than one man can possibly read, and new requests are rolling in all the time.  At this point, I take copies of any new books and post about them in my weekly Mailbox Monday entry, but given my current reading load, most of them never really get beyond that.

So I thought to myself, “Self, it ain’t right to keep all these books just between the two of us.  Them books need to be read, and them authors need reviews.  There’s gotta be something we can do ‘bout that.” 

Sorry, sometimes when I talk to myself I slip into the hick accent of my forefathers.

I wish I could say you'll get this oh-so-
apropos T-shirt... but you won't.

Anywho, after some deep thinking and navel gazing, I hit upon an idea.  What I’d like to do is get some partner reviewers for the blog—like-minded readers and reviewers who want to be a part of this-here blog, post reviews, and get free books to do it.  It would start off with guest posts, but then transition into more of a full-fledged partnership.  My vision is to take I Read a Book Once from my personal literary criticism outlet and transform it into more of a book reviewing “brand” (for lack of a better term).  I’d like to have several member reviewers and contributors so that I Read a Book Once isn’t just my thing, but an umbrella entity that encompasses multiple reader/reviewers.  Unfortunately, however, I can’t pay anyone for their services.  So far I’ve made a whopping $15 from ads in this endeavor, and that’s barely enough to cover the domain name fee.  But if you’re willing to work for books, I’m your man.

I currently have about 45 books I’ve received for review that I haven’t yet had time to read myself.  Some are physical.  Some are electronic.  Some come from Amazon and NetGalley, so I can’t transfer them to you very easily, but I’ve got good relationships with publishers, so chances are we can arrange something.  Anyhow, they’re collected in a LibraryThing library called For Review, so check that out if you want to see what kinds of delicious books you might be reading.  Also, I’ve forged relationships with several publishers so, if you don’t see anything you like in the list, I’m confident we can find something to accommodate you in short order.

A few more tidbits about the things I’m looking for and certain stipulations:

- All reviews will be honest.  There’ll be no pandering to authors or publishers here.  If it sucks, we’ll say it sucks.

-  I want reviewers who can write with a little bit of pluck and do so entertainingly and informatively.  Above all, you need to have an engaging writing style—not just give a glorified plot summary.  

-  Good grammar is a must.  I don’t expect perfection (hell, a little imperfection is necessary sometimes to maintain artistic integrity), and I’ll edit reviews before they go to press, but I don’t want to spend all my time fixing grammar mistakes.

-  I Read a Book Once plays host to a pretty eclectic mix of books, and I’d like to keep it that way.  As long as you don’t want to review cheesy romance or chicklit, we can accommodate just about any taste. 

-  I don’t expect reviews to be written in a certain timeframe, nor do I expect you to finish a book you don’t like.  However, the receipt of future books will depend on the fulfillment of prior reviewing commitments.

- If you have a book of your own you’d like to review here, bring it on.  We’ll take all comers… except the aforementioned cheesy romance or chicklit.

-  This reviewing gig is supposed to be fun.  If you take the job and it’s just not working out for you, feel free to bounce at any time.

So if that sounds like something you’re interested in, comment here or head over to the Contacts Page and drop me a line.  We can hash out all the details behind closed doors and get the ball rolling on your first gig.  A fun time will be had by all—I pinky swear on it.  

*************************UPDATE (2/26/2013)*************************

We've had a reviewer leave our staff recently, and we're trying to find someone to fill his spot. Preferential consideration will be given to a candidate who:

--Reads a lot of crime and mystery fiction
--Is male (we're trying to keep some sort of gender balance with the staff to offer diverse viewpoints)
--Has extensive knowledge about literary theory and/or editing
--Can be kind of a smartass

If that sounds like you (or mostly like you) we'd love to hear from you!

-Jonathan