Genre clarification
Here at Mary Had a Little Book Blog, I primarily review young adult books and throw in some new adult and the very, very occasional middle grade. At the top of each review, I list the genre as well as other publication information and my rating. I also use labels at the bottom of each post to aid easy sorting. I do not use a young adult label because it is my default, but new adult and middle grade novels are labeled as such.
Review policies:
1. These reviews are my own opinions, my words.2. Paid or sponsored content will be labeled with a clear disclaimer.
3. The books that I review are obtained by the following methods:
-library copies
-personal copies that I have paid for myself
-personal copies that have been gifted by family or friends
-giveaway wins from another blogger, Goodreads, or an author (not in exchange for a review)
-review copies that have been given by an author or publisher in exchange for a review
4. I use the Goodreads rating system, which is as follows:
-1 star: did not like
-2 stars: it was okay
-3 stars: liked it
-4 stars: really liked it
-5 stars: ZOMG AWESOME MIND BLOWN
5. Don't expect less than 3 for a review on here. I'm not in the business of being negative. I may rate books with 1 or 2 stars but I'm not going to use my blog to tear down someone's hard work, even if it could be considered constructive criticism. Plus, I like to tell people what TO read, not what not to read. I never want to tell anyone ever to not read a book, even if I disliked it or even hated it. That's not what I'm about, and that's not why I started blogging. And for anyone who thinks I only rate positively, my Goodreads average is 3.65. If I don't like a book, I'm not going to waste my time reviewing it here when I could spend that time promoting books I enjoy.
Site policies:
Privacy:
This blog is hosted by Google so I, Mary, do not keep user information stored on any personal servers. You can find out more about how & why Google uses cookies and how to manage them here. I, Mary, only ask for private information (name, email, or address) in three instances:
1. to comment on posts
2. to subscribe to my email newsletter (which requires you to confirm your subscription after you register)
3. to enter a giveaway (and I will only ask for your address if you win)
At this time, I do not pre-moderate comments. I do, however read them. I reserve the right to delete any comments or turn on the comment moderation feature at any time. Please don't use comment section as an advertisement. Sharing a blog link to your personal blog or an interesting post is okay so long as it's sticking to the topic.
Photos:
All book covers included in review posts are copied from Goodreads and match the edition I read. Personal photos are copyright me. Other photos will have credits listed.
Giveaway Policies:
Unless stated, giveaways are run by me. Exceptions include tour-wide giveaways or copies gifted by an author or publisher. My giveaways will be run through Rafflecopter.Rules and Eligibility:
1. Entrants must be 13 years of age (with parent's permission) and legal resident of countries in which giveaway is available. Void where prohibited (if giveaway is prohibited in your country, you agree not to enter).
2. An email will be required to enter a giveaway, but only the winner will be asked to provide an address to ship physical prizes or an email to send digital prizes.
2. All entries WILL be verified, and I retain the right to disqualify anyone if an entry is proven false. False entries include: not following via email/Bloglovin/Twitter/etc if you check that entry, using the same tweet link to increase your entries, using multiple email accounts for multiple entries but not actually following using multiple accounts. THIS IS CHEATING. I DO moderate the entries, and I WILL disqualify you if I see these entries.
3. No giveaway-only accounts.
4. Winners will be chosen as soon as I am able after the end of giveaway period and contacted via email or announced on Twitter.
5. Winners have 48 hours to reply to email or an alternate winner will be chosen.
2. An email will be required to enter a giveaway, but only the winner will be asked to provide an address to ship physical prizes or an email to send digital prizes.
2. All entries WILL be verified, and I retain the right to disqualify anyone if an entry is proven false. False entries include: not following via email/Bloglovin/Twitter/etc if you check that entry, using the same tweet link to increase your entries, using multiple email accounts for multiple entries but not actually following using multiple accounts. THIS IS CHEATING. I DO moderate the entries, and I WILL disqualify you if I see these entries.
3. No giveaway-only accounts.
4. Winners will be chosen as soon as I am able after the end of giveaway period and contacted via email or announced on Twitter.
5. Winners have 48 hours to reply to email or an alternate winner will be chosen.
Disclosures:
1. No purchase necessary.
2. If I am hosting a giveaway for a third party such as a publisher or author (it will be stated explicitly in the giveaway details), I will pass along the winner's contact information and address to that person with the winner's written permission (see below for more details). I do NOT have any control over blog tour or blitz giveaways run by tour hosts.
3. Entries that fail to comply with rules, terms, and conditions will be deleted and disqualified.
4. The number of entries determines odds.
5. Winners will be chosen at random by rafflecopter.com, (for rafflecopter giveaways) or http://competitionagency.com/tweetdraw/, (for Twitter giveaways), or random.org for all other giveaways.
Prizes:
As I provide most prizes, some copies are used and obtained via Amazon, Book Outlet, or Half Price Books. I do my best to buy only nice or minimal wear copies, but some copies may have damage to cover or pages. If this is a problem...well, don't enter. I can't always guarantee a pristine copy, but as I give away a lot of signed books, you'll just have to decide if that perfect brand-new copy is better than a slightly well-loved signed copy. I'll make a note if it's a used copy.
Shipping:
I use USPS media mail for shipping. If your prize does not arrive within 2 weeks of shipment, please let me know. I will do what I can to find your package but no guarantees. Mary Had a Little Book Blog is not responsible for lost or damaged books.
Privacy:
I will never give out a winner's address or personal information to someone else, unless that person works at the post office and is helping me ship something to you OR if I am hosting a giveaway that is sponsored, in which case I will notify the winner to ask for written permission to send their address to the sponsor. I take my winners' privacy very seriously, and I will never share or sell your information.
On a personal note, I spend a LOT of money on hosting giveaways, both on the actual books and on shipping. It really upsets me when you try to cheat the system. Like I said above, if I find you're cheating, I will disqualify you from my giveaway. If I see it again, I will either automatically delete your entries or I will permanently block you from entering. Just be honest, guys. It isn't worth throwing your integrity away over a book, even if it's a great book.