Please read this page in its entirety before contacting me about reviews. 
I’m very transparent about what I like and don’t like and I wrote this page for your benefit.

Update 8 March 2021:
In addition to this blog, I have a couple of magazine clients I write book reviews for. While I’m unable to guarantee what my editors at these magazines will accept in terms of the books I pitch, if I accept your book for review my write-up will appear either on this blog only or it will be published in one of my clients’ magazines (which have a reach equal to or larger than what I have here) and cross-promoted on this blog. Given the interests of my clients, please let me know

  • if you’re a student at or an alumnus of Kenyon College and/or the University of Michigan

  • if you live in or are from the Clintonville neighborhood or city of Worthington around Columbus, Ohio

  • if your book is published by a small press/indie press.

Please note that I’m on deadline to finish my own manuscripts, so be patient with me. If I haven’t responded to your review request in a month, please assume I’m drowning in words and am unable to accept your request. I appreciate your understanding.

 

Whether I ask for an ARC or an author solicits me, the bottom line is I have to love a book to blog about it. I don't post negative reviews, so that means I won't write about books I don't like. 

If you'd like me to consider featuring your book on Off the Beaten Shelf, let's make sure we're a good fit:

  • I'm open to many genres, though not every genre. More on this below.

  • Drop me a line on my Contact page. Be sure to include the book jacket synopsis so I can make an informed decision on whether we're a good fit. You can also email me at mandyshunnarahATgmailDOTcom. Be sure to put "Book Review Request" in the subject line so I don't miss it. Please also attach an image of your book jacket and link to your author website if you have one. It makes my life easier.

  • If I determine we're a good fit, I'll send you my address so you can send me a copy of your book if you prefer to send a physical copy. I don’t have an e-reader and reading on my laptop is an uncomfortable experience. Plus, if I have a physical copy of the book, I can bookstagram it, which means more promotion for you!

  • I will review self-published books, but only those that have a clear narrative arc and have had a professional editor edit them. I’m a developmental editor, so if this is an issue and you’re looking to hire an editor, please reach out and I’ll be happy to discuss your project and send my editing rates. I’m unable to give free writing/editing advice, act as a beta reader, or do manuscript trades.

  • I'll accept books from any publisher, though I give preference to indie publishers who are stretching the boundaries of genre and champion works that are artistically superb, but that traditional publishers might not be willing to take a chance on.

Feel free to check out the posts tagged "Hot Off the Shelf" for my reviews and to get a sense of what I like.

Please note that I reserve the right to decline to read, review, or do author interviews for any book. In being true to myself and the Off the Beaten Shelf brand, I cannot in good faith feature a book I don't wholeheartedly believe in. I want to recommend books to my readers that I thoroughly enjoyed reading myself. 

I read widely, so I'm interested in a multitude of genres. However, I will not accept books from the following genres:

  • Religion (though spirituality is fine)

  • Christian fiction

  • Politics (politicians, campaigns, etc.; political issues are fine)

  • Legal

  • Investing/Stock Market/Finance

  • Sports

  • Philosophy

  • Self-Help

  • Children's/Baby

  • Cookbooks (though essays about food are fine)

  • Books about cancer or where dealing with/healing from cancer is a central theme of the book

  • Books about writing


I am unlikely to accept books from the following genres, but have been known to make exceptions:

  • Horror (examples of horror novels I like are Mexican Gothic, A Cosmology of Monsters, and those by Grady Hendrix)

  • Science fiction (it must be feminist for me to read it; if your book could be described as anything like Heinlein’s, it’s not a good fit for me)

  • Thriller/Suspense

  • Mystery (if it’s set in/around a bookstore and/or there are cats, PLEASE reach out! I love that!)

  • Biography (unless it’s about a fascinating woman or a trans or nonbinary person)


I am most likely to accept books in the following genres:

  • Fiction (including romance, literary fiction, historical fiction, and more)

  • Poetry (preferably free verse)

  • Essay collections (as long as there’s a clear thread that ties the essays together)

  • Memoir

  • History (the weirder the better!)

  • Science (for a general audience)

  • Nonfiction with a particularly unique or riveting story (think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)

  • Anything with an art heist (I love those!)

I'm a proponent of diversity in books and showcasing voices from historically marginalized people. I am more likely to review books by women, people of color, and books in translation. If you or your book fit one or more of these designations, feel free to let me know.

A few very important notes:

  • If you want me to promote your book but are unwilling to send me a free copy of it, this isn't the place for you. I can't review something I haven't read.

  • I only review whole, complete books. I will not review a single essay or a handful of chapters.

  • If I have agreed to review your book, do not send me a guest post, essay, book excerpt, etc. that you do not want posted online. Obviously, I'm not going to post your book online, but it's common practice for authors to publish an excerpt of the book for promotional purposes. If you’re fine with having a chapter published as a sample, let me know. If you are opposed to this, do not send me supplemental materials beyond the review copy, cover photo, and purchasing information. If you send supplemental materials, I will assume these are fine to use as promotional materials. If I post these materials on this blog, the items will NOT be removed because it messes up my editorial calendar. No exceptions.

  • If you haven’t heard from me within a month, feel free to follow up once, but please, no more than that. If I don’t respond to your request it’s not because I’m heartless and uncaring––it’s because I’ve spent a lot of time over the years kindly and gently telling authors why I’m not able to review their books, only to have them reply to let me know how stupid I am for not seeing their brilliance and how heartless I am for not caring about the plight of struggling authors and offering to write the review themselves if I’ll only publish it. As you can imagine, this is extremely uncomfortable and unproductive, nor is it a conversation I care to engage in. As such, I don’t reply if it’s a no. I appreciate your understanding.

 

If you have any questions, direct them to me via my Contact page. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!