Review Policy/General Information

Suzanne Collins and I in 2010

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the interwebs! Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to get to know me and my blog. If you would like to contact me about a potential review opportunity I can be reached via email at: Irisheyz_5 AT yahoo DOT com.

About Me

My name is Gail although many people know me as Irish based on my preferred screen name of Irisheyz77. I started Ticket to Anywhere in June of 2007 as a way for me to express my thoughts on the books I've read. Blogging has been an invaluable tool in helping me to better remember not just what I've read but what I thought about a particular book after reading it. I was blogging quietly for about a year before really starting to become active in the book blogging community and its a choice that I am so glad that I made as I've come across so many wonderful blogs and have met so many amazing people who share my interests. When not blogging I work as a Quality Assurance Specialist in the biotechnology/medical device industry. I currently live in Central Massachusetts. I read, shop, watch tv, craft, hang out with friends and do all the normal things that people do.

My Book Blogging Resume:

• Operator of Ticket to Anywhere since June 2007
• Book Blogger Conference Attendee for 2010, 2011, and 2012
• Book Expo America Attendee for 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012
• American Library Association Midwinter Conference Attendee 2010
• NEIBA Fall Conference Attendee 2010 and 2012
• Amazon Vine Participant
• Over 1900 Twitter followers
• Purchased my blog's URL in July 2010, previously http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com 

Where can I be found on the Interwebs?

I can be found on LibraryThing, Goodreads, and Twitter. Please feel free to look me up there I would love to hear from you!

Stats:

As of October 2012, I have a Google Page rank of 4 and a Global Alexa rating of 2,353,877. For the most up-to-date follower count and page view stats please email me.

Book Subjects of Interest:

I am an eclectic reader but I do seem to go through phases of preferring certain types of books over others. The genres that I read the most are (in no particular order):

• Young Adult/New Adult - contemporary, historical, paranormal, (witches, magic, vampires, etc) fantasty, sci-fi, dystopian, fairy tale retellings, coming of age, etc. Pretty much anything goes here though I am not really into books about werewolves.
• Middle Grade - I don't read a lot of middle grade but see above for genres that would be of interest for this age group.
  
• Science-Fiction - I enjoy a good futuristic or science based book.
  
• Fantasy - Urban, Paranormal, High, et al.
  
• Romance/Erotica - Historical and Contemporary
  
• Non-Fiction - Preference goes to books that deal with 1940s/WWII, Middle Ages, the 1920's, astronomy/space age or science based books
  
• Biographies/Memoirs - Political leaders, famous literary people, astronauts/space age pioneers, et al.
• Mystery - I love a good mystery especially those that are forensic/science based. Nothing to gory/scary please.
• Historical - love books that take place in the middle ages, Renaissance, 1940s/war years, 1920s, et al.
• Graphic Novels/Manga - a genre that is fairly new to me so open to all while I learn what I like and don't like.
• Dual Time Period - love books that have connecting stories in two different time periods
• Multiple Points of View (POV) - another style of story telling that I really enjoy
• Self Published/Indie - Opening up to limited submissions based on the categories mentioned above. (Click here for a list of bloggers who accept Self Published titles on a regular basis)

Please note that this list is a work in progress while you might not see your book category specifically listed above if you think that your book might be similar than feel free to pitch it and I will consider.

Series: 

I prefer to read a series in order. If when pitching a book in the middle of a series if you could also provide the books that came before I would appreciate it. If not then please allow time for me to obtain the books and read them. Although I will most likely turn down a pitch if the book is far into the series.

Book Subjects That I am **NOT** Reading at this Time:

• Self-Help - I've tried to read this genre several times and its just not for me
• Picture Books - I don't have any small children so can't really give an accurate review. Any picture books received will be donated to my local library or my niece.
• Horror - accepting on a limited, case by case basis
• Business/Marketing books
• Cook Books
• Sports
• Novels in verse.

Formats Accepted:

• Finished review copies
• ARCs/galleys
  
• ebooks - epub, pdf or anything else that is compatible with the Nook/iPad.
  
• audio - CD or iPod compatible

Pitches:

When sending me a review inquiry please include, at minimum, the following:

• Description of book
• Book Cover
• Your expectations of when you would like a review posted

I am not usually swayed by blurbs or quotes from reviews in a pitch so while you can include them know that I usually just skim over those sections. If I do not respond to your pitch that that particular book may not have been of interest or your email may have been attacked by my spam folder. I don't go into my spam folder very often so if you don't get a response then please resend me your pitch. Also, if the first book you pitch isn't of interest please don't hesitate to send me pitches for different books or send me your catalog so that I can chose for myself the books that interest me most.

Unsolicited Books:

Unsolicited books are welcome as long as you feel that they will fit with my blog content (see above for genres accepted.) However due to the number of commitments I currently have I can't promise that all unsolicited books will be read. If I can't read a book in a timely manner then I may pass it on to another person for review.

Timeline:

Typically I need two to three months notice when accepting a book for review. I can be a moody reader and don't like to force myself to read a book in a short amount of time. Therefore I like to have plenty of time to read the book and be able to give it a fair and honest review. Reading is my hobby and my escape from the real world and I don't ever want it to feel like work. As with all rules though there are exceptions. Just let me know in advance when you would like to see a review posted and I will do my best to comply but I do not make any guarantees.

Blog Tours/Interviews/Guest Posts/Giveaways:

Yes please! I am interested in all of the above.

• Blog Tours - please give me at minimum one month from receiving the book to review. Preferably two. I also prefer to post reviews on Tuesdays, Thursday or Saturdays so would prefer tour dates to match that.
• Interviews - I love to host both author and character interviews on my blog. I do prefer to read the book prior to asking questions. So please allow time for me to receive and read the book. I will post the interview around the same time as my review but on a separate day. Typically a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday in order to give maximum exposure to both my review and the interview.
• Guest Posts - These can be about anything that the author prefers. I will post around the same time as my review but on a separate day. Typically a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday in order to give maximum exposure to both my review and the guest post.
• Giveaways - I love to host giveaways on my blog so if you are willing to donate a book for this purpose then please let me know.

Reviews:

I review almost every book that I read in what I hope is a fair and honest manner. I can not guarantee any book a positive review but when I don't like a book I will say why this particular book doesn't work for me. Books that I don't finish will generally not be mentioned on my blog unless I have read at least half of the book. I also like to try and post a review on or around a books release date whenever possible but I can not promise this will happen. I will not post a review months before a book will be available although sometimes I will post a small teaser to let my readers know I just read a fabulous book and to watch for the review closer to release.

My review format generally includes: basic book information (i.e. ISBN, Release date, publisher and format I read the book in), Links to where the author can be found on line (website, blog, twitter), the location/time period of where the book was set, and my rating. I sometimes will post a synopsis (usually from GoodReads or Amazon) but have been trying to get away from this as I am trying not to read too much about a book prior to reading it. I will also sometimes include key background of the book while writing my thoughts on the story.

My reviews are my honest thoughts on a book at the time that I read it. They are not influenced by how I received the book or how well I might know the author or publicist. All reviews are based on the book itself and in know way reflect my opinion of the author or publisher. Even though I accept a book for review it doesn't mean that I will review the book on my blog. If I can not get into a book then I will put it aside until such time when I can. If I do not finish a book or if I find a book is not for me then I will try to find another blogger to review the book in my place.

Rating System:

I rate books on a 5 star system including 1/2 stars basically this means the following:

• 5 stars - loved loved loved it! I will become a book bully for this book
• 4 stars - liked it didn't love it but will recommend
• 3 stars - varies - but more of a middle of the road reacting. didn't love it or hate it. May not recommend to others
• 2 stars - didn't like it, won't recommend it
• 1 star - hated it
• DNF - Did not Finish (these may not always be mentioned on the blog)

Where else do I post reviews?

I will often post reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, and LibraryThing. I have also been known to post reviews on Powells and Barnes and Noble as well. My blogfeed is also imported to Twitter and Facebook. If you would like my review posted in any other locations then please don't hesitate to ask.

Affiliate Programs

I am a member of the affiliate programs with Amazon, Indiebound, and Wellesley Booksmith. When you click on a link in a blog post and it brings you to that site and if you make a purchase then I will receive a small portion of the proceeds if you purchase that item. Any money earned form these programs will go to supporting this blog.

What Happens to a Book when I am Done with It?

I keep many of the books that I read. Unfortunately, I can't keep every book. Final review copies may be donated to my local library or given to another person to read/review. I do not sell any ARCs/galleys but they may be given to other bloggers or librarians. If I do not have the time to read an ARC/galley then I will try my best to find another person to read/review the book in my place. This may be done through a contest held on my blog or through a private transaction.

Copyright:

All content (text and pictures) is my own and belong to me unless otherwise noted, and I hold the copyright on this information. If you would like to post my reviews on another site, please contact me first. At the very minimum you must link back to my blog as the source of the information that you are quoting from me.

Publishers/Authors: You are welcome to short quotations to use on your blog, website, book jacket or other promotional material. I would ask that when you do to please credit my blog as Ticket to Anywhere and my name (Gail or Irish) as well as link back to my review when possible.