Review Copies and the FTC

As many of you know/have guessed, Luke Reviews has worked in the past and continues to work still with a number of publishers and authors in reviewing books. This basically means that they send me review copies and I read and review them. Just recently, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced a new ruling: websites and blogs that review products (including books) must state if they received these products free of charge. This was done in an attempt to prevent the reviewer from taking a step over the ethical line and becoming an advertiser.


Luke Reviews strives for honest reviews of all books it reviews, be they ones that were sent to me or that I bought on my own. As that has always been my goal, I never took the step that many other sites already had to announce in each review if I had received the book for free. It was something I consider, but decided was unnecessary. However, with the FTC ruling, and my desire not to be fined, I will now provide with each review a brief statement saying from whom the book was sent, but only if it was a free review copy. Reviews appearing without this statement are books that were bought.

FORMAT: [Title of Book] was a free review copy provided to Luke Reviews by [Name of Publisher/Author].

EXAMPLE: Kell’s Legend was a free review copy provided to Luke Reviews by Angry Robot Books.

In an attempt to make a retro-effective stance on this, below is a list of books previously reviewed at Luke Reviews that were free review copies.

FROM PUBLISHERS:

Angry Robot Books

Kell’s Legend by Andy Remic

Book of Secrets by Chris Roberson

Slights by Kaaron Warren

Apex Publications

Prime by Nate Kenyon

Black Gate Magazine

Black Gate Spring 2009

Black Library

Ravenor by Dan Abnett

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade: Volume Two by Dan Abnett & Mike Lee

“Thunder from Fenris” by Nick Kyme

The Killing Ground by Graham McNeill

Courage and Honour by Graham McNeill

Sons of Dorn by Chris Roberson

Forged by Chaos by C. L. Werner

Emperor’s Mercy by Henry Zou

Fairwood Press

Across the Sky by Mark Rich

Long Walks, Last Flights & Other Strange Journeys by Ken Scholes

Harbinger by Jack Skillingstead

The Radio Magician & Other Stories by James Van Pelt

Galaxy Press

Hostage to Death by L. Ron Hubbard

When Shadows Fall by L. Ron Hubbard

Putnam

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan

The Hidden Man by David Ellis

Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson

FROM AUTHORS:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey

Storm Approaching by Brian Libby