Submission Guidelines: Book Reviews

At this time, Literary Mama is closed for submissions.

We seek reviews exploring literary work that reflects a wide-ranging understanding of motherhood as experienced through multiple lenses and bodies. We review both newly-released work and older books that we consider to be important to the genre.

[Note we are closed for submissions.] Please send a query first. Tell us why you’re the person who should be reviewing this book and why Literary Mama readers should be interested in it. Be sure to include “Reviews Submission” in the subject line of the email.

After we have approved your query, please send submissions as an attached Word document, and be sure to include the words “Reviews Submission” in the subject line.

Try to give us a reasoned, fair, well-balanced and supported critique of the work, offered in a positive tone. If you include a summary, please be sure it serves a purpose in illustrating a point or reinforcing a thesis rather than giving away the plot.

Do not attack the author; please restrict your critique to the author’s craft, ideas, execution, arguments, etc.

We publish reviews that help us understand how a book adds to the conversation about motherhood. If you cannot recommend a book, we prefer not to review it.

We’d like to see reviews that consider craft as well as content. For example, you may want to comment on literary style; use of literary elements such as metaphor, symbolism, narrative structure, narrative flow, cohesion, and development; use of example and illustration; and appeal to the intended audience.

Format: Specify title, author, publisher, publication date, price, and ISBN at the top. 12-point type; left justified; one space between paragraphs.

Genre: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young adult, etc.

Length: 800-1500 words.

If you do not receive a response from us within three months, please feel free to reach out again. 

Review our General Submission Guidelines and check out this blog post for more tips. Here are a few great examples: poetry, fiction, nonfiction.