“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast.”
– Ephesians 2:8-9
Review Requests at Words of Hope and Optimism
At Words of Hope and Optimism, we believe in stories as potent tools to inspire, uplift, and change lives. Our free book review service is dedicated to sharing the voices of authors who offer something hopeful and positive. Whether you’re a debut indie author or a seasoned writer, you’re welcome to request a review—no hidden conditions, just a passion for great stories.
What We Offer
- Free Book Reviews: No fees—just a commitment to highlighting great stories.
- Genuine Interest: Our reviewers have the freedom to choose books that resonate with them, ensuring thoughtful and authentic reviews.
- Broad Reach: To give every author a fair chance, we limit reviews to one per book, one book per author, and one author per publisher/company/organization.
- Notifications: Stay updated on your review status through our social media and newsletter platforms.
Review Policy
Rating Threshold
- From 2025 onwards, we will only publish reviews for books that receive a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
- Books not reaching this threshold will not have a review published or receive feedback.
Award Consideration
- Among the books we rate perfectly, we also select a few exceptional ones as winners of our Uplifting Lit Award.
- More details about this award can be found on the Uplifting Lit Award page.
Wait Time
- Review waiting periods range from 1 week to 12 months.
- If your book is not reviewed within 12 months, it means no reviewer selected it, but you are always welcome to resubmit for another chance.
Private Feedback
- We do not provide private feedback for books that do not achieve a 5-star rating.
- For detailed feedback, consider services like The Chrysalis BREW Project, which offers free and paid options. Use code HOPE10 for a 10% discount on paid services. The platform also provides a comprehensive list of book review blogs for additional opportunities.
No Fees
- Our review service is completely free and will remain so for all current and future submissions, as long as we can sustain it through our collective efforts. While we welcome any form of support for our platform, it is entirely optional and not required in any way.
Submission Guidelines
How to Submit
- Authors can submit their books through our designated form.
- Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on whether or not a review has been published for your book.
Criteria for Review Selection
We prioritize books that:
- Inspire Hope and Optimism: Central themes should uplift and encourage readers.
- Resonate with Universal Values: Whereas a considerable number of reviews focus on Catholic and Christian books, we also welcome and review broader stories of hope and optimism, provided they reflect values such as the following:
- Kindness (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:32, Proverbs 31:26)
- Compassion (Colossians 3:12, Matthew 9:36, Luke 10:25-37)
- Mercy (Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:7, Luke 6:36, Matthew 25:31-46)
The ultimate decision to review a book rests with the prospective reader and may not depend solely on the criteria mentioned above. Other factors, such as personal preferences, circumstances, constraints, and availability, can also play a role.
If we are unable to accommodate your review request on our platform, we will leverage our network of readers to find someone interested in reviewing your book—also at no cost to you. Should a reader from another platform decide to review your book, their write-up will be published on their chosen platform. We will notify you once the review is live.
In the rare event that we cannot find a reader for your book within 12 months, you are welcome to submit another free review request.
Building a Community of Hope
At Words of Hope and Optimism, we are dedicated to creating a community where every hopeful story has the chance to shine and touch lives. We look forward to reading yours.
IMPORTANT: This free service is sponsored by Store with a Heart, made possible by The Chrysalis BREW Project, and facilitated by OneTribune. If we cannot find a reviewer for your book in this platform, we will submit it for consideration of our other participating platforms’ reviewers also at no cost to you. Kindly note that, for us to help as many deserving authors as possible, we limit our free service to a maximum of 1 review per book across all our participating platforms, 1 book per author, and 1 author per publisher/organization/company. Thus, if you already requested a free service from us before, please do not submit another request as your new request will be automatically cancelled. However, if your previous request was made more than 12 months ago and we have not published a review of your book, please feel free to lodge a new request.
Review Request Step 1
Subscribe to our free newsletter. Be the first to know what’s new, including if and when a review has been published for your book.
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