The term Reader Form simply refers to the information we ask readers to fill out for each book that they are sent. They are primarily found on the Books You’re Reading section of the app, when you click the Review button, although you can also update it from the Completed Books section, in case you need to make changes or updates to a previously completed book.

Remember that the free ARCs we offer are provided by authors in the hopes of getting honest and voluntary reviews. So in most cases when you reserve and read a book, you will be leaving reviews and then adding them to our system so we can keep track of them for the author. Even when you decide not to leave a review, you still must enter your reason for not reviewing in this same section. And there is even a place to enter an optional comment to the author that will be sent to them directly, in case you have something to say that you didn’t add to your review.

Once your review is live on wherever you posted it, filling out the reader form is quick and easy. In most cases it’s just a matter of clicking a button or two, and each completed form earns HGB points and can improve your Gem Level!

Quick Tip: Even when an author is asking for reviews on multiple sites that you can review on, you only need to add a review on one of them.  However, if you leave reviews on more than one you will earn even more HGB points. So feel free to review on as many sites as you want per book. The author will greatly appreciate it!

Step 1: Write your Review

Once you’ve finished reading a book we’ve sent you, head over to one of the review sites available for that book and post your review. As a reminder, you will see an icon corresponding to each of the available sites in the Books You’re Reading section of the app, after clicking the Review button. They’ll be found directly below the text “Leave your review on one or more of these sites:”

If the icon exists, it means the author wants reviews on that site, and you have entered a profile for that review site in our system. If you haven’t already written your review, you can simply tap an icon and be taken directly to the book on that site so that you can leave your review.  If you aren’t logged in already, you may be required to login to that review site before leaving your review. Note that if the review site icon is greyed out, it means we don’t yet have the review link for the book to that site, but will add it as soon as we do.

Step 2a: Add Your Review to the reader form

Once your review has been approved and posted by the review site, you’re ready to add it to your reader form! To do so, simply click the Submit Review button, which will open up a list of all of the available review sites. Click the one that your review was posted on, and our system will go and find it for you.

Note that this process (of finding your review) can take up to 48 hours, and during that time you will see a message here that we’re looking for your review. But you can forget about it for now and move on to other books. If there is an issue with finding your review, we’ll send you an email and add a message to this section.

If we find your review and there are no other review sites for this book, the book will automatically move to your Completed Books section.

Adding further reviews, comments, and finishing up:

If there are other sites you can review this book on, you will still find the book in the Books You’re Reading section. You can either repeat the steps above to leave more reviews, or if you’re finished reviewing, simply click the red I’m Finished with This Book button.

If you click that button, you will be prompted to enter an optional comment to the author. You can either do so, or leave the field blank, then click the I’m Finished with This Book button on that form and the book will disappear from Books You’re Reading and move to Completed Books.

Quick Tip: The comment field is meant for readers to provide any additional feedback about the book that they didn’t include in their review, or thank the author, etc. These comments are completely anonymous, so please DO NOT leave any identifying information in this field as it will be removed (such as your email address, real name, etc).  This field should also not be used for issues you have with the ARC program or anything not specific to the book or author – please send anything like that to us directly.

Manually Adding a Review Link

If we cannot find your review (which can sometimes happen for a variety of reasons), you will see a message here stating so and asking whether you want us to look again, or (in some cases) if you want to enter it manually. If you click for us to look again, we will do so. Just ensure that your book is reviewed under the same profile we have on file for you for that review site, and that you reviewed the correct book.

If you select to enter the link manually, you will be prompted with a dialog to enter the review link. You must copy and paste the link to your review in that box, and then click the Submit button. Your review will then be validated immediately. If the review link is properly formed (not a link to something else) and verified, you’re all done. If not, you will see a message about what’s wrong.

Click here for more details on finding your review links. However, if you are still having issues adding them, please send us an email with your link and we can try and help.

Step 2b: If you are Unable to Review the book at all

It is understandable that there may occasionally be reasons why a reader cannot or chooses not to review a particular book. That’s fine, we aren’t going to force you to finish a book you didn’t like, for example. In those cases, instead of submitting your review you can tap the I’m Unable to Review This Book button.

Once you do, you’ll be presented with a variety of choices. Please select the one that most closely matches the reason you are not reviewing this book. Note that some of the reasons in that list are resolvable, and if you select those you will be shown a message on how to resolve the issue first so that you can hopefully still finish reading and/or leave your review.  In those cases, no reason for not reviewing will be added to your reader form.

Please only use this field if you will not be reviewing the book at all, It is NOT meant to simply let us know that your review is delayed. In those cases just leave the reader form blank and fill it in whenever you’re done. And feel free to contact us if you need help getting your issue resolved.

Remember that ARC readers are expected to fill out their reader form for each book they have been sent, it only takes a few seconds.