Michelle Pillow Review Team

Want a free book early, in exchange for an honest review?

The Review Team is a small, dedicated group of readers who get advance reading copies (ARCs) of Michelle M. Pillow books before publication. Your job is simple: read the book, leave an honest review at Amazon and Goodreads (and any other retailer you can), and help other readers find their next favorite.

ARC stands for Advance Reading Copy. That means pre-final-edits and pre-publication. Typos and rough edges are part of the deal.

You must be 18 or older to join. International readers are welcome. You do not have to be in the US.

By joining the Review Team you are a volunteer reader. You are not an editor, an employee, or otherwise working for Michelle M. Pillow or The Raven Books LLC.

Complimentary Reviewer Checklist

Download the free checklist

A printable book-by-book tracking checklist with columns for Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Goodreads, Bookbub, “post on social,” and notes. Check off where you’ve left a review for each title.

How to apply

Applications go through Booksprout. Make sure you can use Booksprout, and that your Booksprout profile shows previous reviews so we can see your reading history.

  1. Send a request through Booksprout.
  2. Make sure your profile has previous reviews listed so we can see your reading taste.
  3. Wait. There is usually a waitlist, and we work through it as space opens up.

Want to improve your odds? Even if you’re not yet on the official team, some books are publicly offered through Booksprout. The best way to interview for the team is to review Michelle’s books you have already read. When backlist is offered, you can also link past reviews into your Booksprout dashboard so we can see them.

If you need to reach out about anything else, use the contact button inside Booksprout. Their messaging system helps us track review emails and lets us escalate issues to the Booksprout team if there is anything we cannot solve directly.

The agreement, plain English

When you join the team, you are agreeing to a few things. None of them are scary. They are how the team stays small, kind, and useful to other readers.

  1. Free books for honest reviews. Each ARC is yours to keep. We only ask that you leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads, and ideally Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Bookbub when you can.
  2. ARCs are not guaranteed. Availability depends on the author’s release schedule, contracts, and how many copies are allocated to the team. Series may not be offered in reading order. Backlist can be offered, but with such a large backlist we do not take requests.
  3. No spoilers in reviews. Let other readers experience the story for the first time. If you spot a typo in an ARC, send it to the team so it can be fixed before publication. Do not mention typos in the review. The final published version goes through more rounds of edits after the ARC.
  4. Do not share the ARC files. ARCs are individually watermarked. We can trace any file that gets shared. If you love a book, point friends to the retailer link instead of forwarding the file. Sharing leads to removal from the team.
  5. One download window per book. ARCs are delivered via Booksprout for a limited time and a limited number of download attempts. If you miss the window, wait for the next book.
  6. Be kind to the Michelle Pillow Team. They work hard to keep everything running.
  7. You can skip any book. If a genre or title is not for you, just don’t download it. We will see who took the book and who didn’t. Better to skip than to force a review.
  8. The team can change. We reserve the right to pause, change, or end the team at any time, and to remove inactive members or anyone who breaks the agreement.

Vendor terms of service always apply when leaving reviews on retailer pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy the books too?

Verified reviews on Amazon hold extra weight, so consider buying a copy of the final book for your collection if you loved it. Amazon’s TOS must always be followed.

How many books will I get?

That depends on the author’s release schedule and contract terms. ARCs are not guaranteed and availability varies from book to book.

Will I get all the new releases? Will I get the backlist?

No. ARC slots are limited per book and are usually filled on a first-come basis. Some books, especially trad-published titles, are not distributed through the review team. Backlist can be offered, but with such a large backlist we do not take book requests.

Can I choose my books or genres?

Yes, but only out of what is offered. If a genre or title isn’t for you, just don’t download it. Better to skip than to force yourself through a book.

I got it for free. Can I share it?

No. ARC files are watermarked, so any shared file is traceable to the reader who received it. Sharing leads to removal from the team. If you love a book, point friends to the retailer link instead of forwarding the file.

What if I find a typo in the ARC?

ARCs go to the team before the final round of edits, so typos happen. Please send any typo you spot to the Michelle Pillow Team so we can pass it to the author. In the review itself, please review the story rather than the editing. The published version will have gone through more rounds of edits after the ARC.

I signed up. Why haven’t I heard back?

Space on the team is limited and there is usually a waitlist. We also check each application to make sure it is a real reader, which takes time. We look at your Booksprout profile, Goodreads, Facebook, or anywhere else your reading history shows up. The more reviewing history you share with your application, the better.

What if I don’t have time to review a particular book?

That’s fine. Just skip the download. Downloads are tracked so we’ll know who took which book. If you can’t keep up at all, let us know through Booksprout and we will either pause your spot or open it for someone on the waitlist.

What if I review a Michelle book that wasn’t on the team list?

Wonderful. We would love to know. Michelle often pulls review-team quotes for marketing, so use the team submission form for any review you write, not only the ones on the official ARC list.

Does Michelle do anything with the review quotes?

Yes. Review-team quotes show up regularly on Michelle’s ads, book pages, social posts, and the website. She loves that you take the time to review and loves sharing them.

Where should I post the reviews?

Anywhere readers go to find their next book. Amazon and Goodreads do the most for an author. Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and Bookbub help too. Then take it to social media: post about the book on Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, or wherever you hang out, and tag Michelle so she can like, share, and repost.

Where to tag Michelle when you post

When you share or post about a book on social, tag her so she sees it and can boost the post:

Posting reviews and helpful links

Reviews are turned in through a Google Form. The link goes out with each book.

A few helpful links:

For ARC download issues, Booksprout has built-in help inside the app.

Just want to hang out without the review commitment?

The Pillow Fighter Fan Club is a free Facebook group for any reader of Michelle’s books. No reviews required, no commitment, just a place to chat with Michelle and other readers about the books.