Submission Guidelines
The Book Smuggler’s Den is a place where people come together to share their passion for reading and writing. Anyone, of any age, from any location, can submit an original post (not previously published anywhere else, including your own site), with a bio, for inclusion on the blog.
What Makes For A Strong Book Review Post?
Book reviews that we are looking for have a brief explanation of what the book was about, what your thoughts were, and why you would recommend it (if at all). They don’t contain any “fluff” and draw the reader in. Blog posts for The Book Smuggler’s Den are about discovering new books or reviewing books on the bestseller list.
They go deeper than what the book was about. Posts show why you finished a book in a day or why you decided to not finish it at all. They are insightful and thought-provoking, that starts an educated conversation.
Why Contribute To The Book Smuggler’s Den?
- Your post will receive exposure, promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram combined.
- The Book Smuggler’s Den is working on building a community that is highly responsive through comments on the site and the social networking pages, creating a rewarding experience all around.
- Every post includes a bio with links back to your site, increasing traffic and subscribers to your blog.
- As a Book Smuggler’s Den contributor, you can update your bio at any time to promote products you may be launching. I am always looking to read books from authors starting out and am happy to feature your book here.
Guidelines
- Include a quote at the beginning of your post from the book that resonated with you. At the top of your post. Goodreads always has quotes available from each book if you are looking for one. Please avoid quotes from critics on Goodreads or anywhere else.
- Aim for a word count between 500 – 1,000 words.
- Offer insights from the book you are reviewing. It doesn’t need to be a numbered list, but the post needs to build to a clear message for readers.
- The Book Smuggler’s Den will not accept reviews from graphic novels, religion, politics, or sexuality.
- Please keep your post about the book and not about your blog or business. Save that information for the bio at the end of the post.
- Provide original, personal, and honest work. Original means your post has never before been published anywhere, including your own blog or sites like Goodreads.
- Keep paragraphs short, sweet, and to the point.
- Include a bio, sixty words or fewer, at the bottom of the post. You can include one link to your website or blog.
- Please note that links other than to Goodreads or the author’s site in the body of the post may be removed.
How To Submit
Send your post in a Microsoft Word document to booksmugglersden@gmail.com, with the title in the subject line. Please only send one submission per email.
Be sure to send along a photo of yourself, along with a brief bio. Please only submit posts that you have written. We are looking for originality and want to see your opinion on books that you yourself have read.
A Few More Things To Keep In Mind
If your post feels like a good fit for the blog at this time, you will receive a response within two weeks. If you don’t receive a response, please feel free to try again with a different post.
You may be asked to revise to make your post stronger or clearer, and your proposed title may be changed before the post goes live.
Your post may be edited for clarity, grammar, and overall style. If there are any major changes made, you will be asked to review and approve it first.
