It has come to my attention that some people believe I am being paid to write book reviews. While I’m quite flattered to know there are those who think my reviews are that good, the sad truth is that I don’t get paid for this. Not one half red cent in any currency. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nichts. Nada. Rien.

(If there are any newspapers or magazines or other parties interested in changing that, I’ll be happy to listen)

erm.. where was I?

Ah yes, reviews.

Probably most people reading don’t care one way or the other, but here’s how it came to be.

A long time ago (January or February 2008, I forget which), in a galaxy far away (Ann Aguirre’s blog) there was a drawing for an ARC of Grimspace. There was one requirement to enter: the winners had to be willing to write an honest review and post it somewhere around the date of the book’s release. (Emphasis on the honest bit.) Later, in another far away planet (Lisabea’s blog) there was another giveaway at which I got a book and which started a weird chain reaction in which I got a bunch of free books from bloggers and authors.

Most of the authors, and certainly all the bloggers, have simply sent the book with a “hope you enjoy” and left it at that. And here I was, with a number of books I wanted to read, books that I hadn’t paid a cent for.

I wanted to do something in return for those bloggers and those authors.

So I thought about it.

And thought some more.

And then I just stopped thinking and decided that, since word of mouth is such a powerful marketing tool, and since I participate in a number of readers’ blogs, boards and online forums, and since at all of those forums a lot of people had been so receptive to my review of Grimspace, I would write and post honest reviews for each and every book I got as a giveaway.

Things seemed to avalanche from there, because I am still getting books as prizes/giveaways at readers’ and authors’ blogs, plus a few ARCs directly from authors who want honest reviews of their work.

So, to make it crystal clear: as I write this (July 1st 2008, for those keeping track) I get no monetary or material compensation for any of the book reviews I write.

(K: Erm, and I’m certainly not paying her, she does it all for luuurve! and because I can’t be arsed)