Odyssey Reviews is not a service to provide positive blurbs for the back of a book cover.
Odyssey Reviews is a review service for the people who buy self-published books.
Self-published books are significantly costlier than traditionally published books. We, as authors, have an obligation to our buyers and readers to make sure that what we are asking them to pay more money for is worth it. It is unprofessional and even an insult to expect a reader to pay good money for something that isn't up to par. There are a lot of bad books out there, and the Odyssey Reviewers are here to sift through them and review them for exactly what they are. If your book is good, it will stand up for itself, if it has flaws, we will point them out. We don't sugarcoat it, unless there is a good reason to.
If you are unhappy with your review, then we will keep it here on the site alone. We will most certainly not retract an honest review.. We only post on Amazon or other booksellers upon request of the author or if they are 5-medallion books. As of today, we will no longer edit our reviews once they've been posted. Our reviews are based on what we read, nothing more. We react to the book as any reader might. So, please keep that in mind before you submit. If you are seeking only raving reviews, you need to be sure that your book merits them; especially when submitting to Odyssey Reviews, because you can expect only honesty from us.
We don't ask for money for our reviews. We hold all authors to the same standards; and we all have similar expectations when we accept a book for review; 1) some effort to edit and prepare the work for general distribution; 2) a cohesive, decently written story; 3) a professional package (cover, content, etc). These are not unrealistic expectations; they are the same expectations any reader would have when they're looking for a book to buy. Those are the basic things any author should strive for.
An author should understand that submitting their work for review anywhere may expose their work to reactions that they may not expect. Getting negative reviews and comments is part and parcel of the publishing world. You either have to learn to take the criticism and grow from it as an author, or perhaps rethink exposing any more of your work in the public eye.
Thank you.
