NOTE that I am not currently accepting any reviews. The combination of work and life means I don’t have the spare time to write reviews for things right now. That might change, but you’d be better off looking elsewhere until this page is edited again.

What will I review?

My name is James Kemp and I endorse this product. (Photo: James Kemp)

I will accept products for review if they are the sort of thing that I might have chosen to buy. You can get a feel for this by browsing the review category, or by my Amazon(UK) wish list.

Broadly I read both fiction and non-fiction. This includes military history, science fiction, urban fantasy, detective stories and business (mainly popular economics, leadership and culture, especially psychology).

I’m a professional member of the British Computer Society, something of a geek and regular linux user. My house has more computing devices than is strictly necessary. Roleplaying, board and war games are popular here too. I enjoy time with my children and taking them outdoors, and I’m actively involved in scouting as a leader. There is a wide range of things I could be interested in reviewing.

What I won’t review

  • romance
  • erotica
  • diet supplements
  • mobile phone accessories (although if you are offering me an actual smartphone I might make an exception, and I’m over-due an upgrade right now).
  • video games (takes too long).

See also some views on getting historical fiction right, and ditto on AF world-building.

Alternatives to a Review

Most of the review requests that I receive aren’t entirely appropriate for me. Sometimes even the ones that are I don’t have time to review. I used to host guest posts, and also author interviews but don’t currently have the bandwidth to do so at the moment.

Guest posts must be written specifically for Themself (otherwise it clobbers SEO). It’s also best if they have a relevance to the topics I usually write about, either writing, publishing or reading books or aspects of family life.

Suggesting a Product for Review

If you think I would like something then please use the contact form below to tell me about it. I’m more likely to say yes if I think you have read this and thought about it. Preference will be given to those offering to ship a physical product. If only because it shows some level of discrimination in asking for me to spend my time reviewing your product.

Publishing a Review

If I like what is provided then I will write a review and post it on this blog, for books I will also post the review to Goodreads and Amazon (UK).

If I am not happy with the product I won’t post a negative review, instead I will send you an email explaining why I did not like the product. You can either delete this or use it as helpful feedback to improve as you choose.