Book Review Policy
Your honest opinion matters. Here’s how we handle reviews, free copies, and reader feedback.
Book Review Policy
Applies to books published under the author name David J. Carter
Effective date: November 1, 2026
01 Voluntary and honest reviews
Giving a review or rating is totally voluntary. We do welcome candid reviews and ratings based on each reader’s actual experience. Reviewing is entirely voluntary. Readers are free to express positive, mixed, or negative opinions, choose their own rating, or decline to review. We do not coerce reviewers, prescribe a rating, require favorable wording, or retaliate against readers for honest criticism.
02 No purchased reviews or review rewards
We do not pay for reader reviews or ratings or provide financial or in-kind rewards in exchange for them. This includes cash, gift cards, merchandise, refunds, services, prize entries, reciprocal reviews, and other benefits offered as a reward for posting, changing, or removing a review. We do not authorize anyone acting on our behalf to do so. Free reader copies are addressed separately below.
03 Free advance and review copies
We may provide a complimentary advance reader copy or review copy so that a reader can read the book. A review is never required in exchange, and no particular opinion or rating is requested or expected. Readers who choose to review a complimentary copy should clearly disclose that fact in or alongside the review, even when the review is entirely voluntary. A suitable disclosure is: “I received a free copy from the author. This review reflects my own opinions.”
04 Relationships and retailer rules
Reviewers should disclose relevant personal, family, employment, or business relationships when applicable. Disclosure does not override a retailer’s restrictions on who may review. Reviewers must follow the rules of the platform where they post; that platform decides whether a review is eligible and whether it remains published.
05 Authenticity and use of testimonials
We do not create or commission fabricated reader identities, invented reading experiences, or fake reviews, including reviews generated to impersonate readers. Reviews used in our marketing must reflect the reviewer’s actual experience and opinions. We do not materially change their meaning when quoting or shortening them, and we include relevant disclosures with the testimonial rather than relying solely on this policy. Promotional selections will be identified as selected testimonials and will not be presented as a complete or representative record of all reader feedback. If we host a review-submission feature, we may moderate spam, threats, unlawful content, personal information, and material unrelated to the book using consistent standards. We will not reject or remove a review merely because it is critical or has a low rating.
06 Questions or concerns
Please report suspected review manipulation involving our books to Contact Email. We will investigate reports and take appropriate steps concerning activity within our control. Independent reviewers speak for themselves; this policy states our practices and expectations and does not guarantee the accuracy of every review posted elsewhere.
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