This page exists so that you, the reader, know exactly what relationships exist between Late Nite Reader and the books, products, or services that get mentioned in posts. The short version is: we recommend things we actually like, we disclose when money changes hands, and we never let an affiliate relationship change what we say about a book.
Affiliate links
Some links on this site, particularly links to books on retailers like Bookshop.org or Amazon, are affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, Late Nite Reader may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. The commission, when there is one, is typically a few percent of the sale.
The presence of an affiliate link does not affect the price you pay. It does not affect the editorial position of the post in which it appears. Books that have been gently recommended in posts that contain affiliate links would, in every case, have been recommended just as gently in posts without them.
Where possible, we prefer to link to Bookshop.org, which directs a portion of every sale to independent bookstores.
Sponsored content
Late Nite Reader does not currently publish sponsored posts, paid reviews, or content commissioned by publishers, authors, or any third party. If this ever changes, sponsored content will be clearly and prominently labeled as such — at the top of the post, in plain language, with the relationship disclosed.
Review copies
Occasionally, publishers send unsolicited review copies of forthcoming books. We do not promise coverage in exchange for a review copy, and many of the books that arrive this way are never written about on the site. When a post does cover a book that arrived as a review copy, this is noted in the post.
Display advertising
Late Nite Reader may, in the future, display advertising served by third-party ad networks such as Google AdSense. When advertising is enabled, ads will appear in clearly demarcated areas of the site (typically between sections or in the sidebar) and will be visually distinguished from editorial content.
The presence of advertising does not influence the editorial content of the site. Posts are written first, ads are placed second, and the two are kept entirely separate. We do not allow advertisers to commission, edit, or preview posts.
For more on how advertising data is handled, see our privacy policy.
The newsletter
The Late Nite Reader email newsletter is free. It does not contain paid placements or sponsored content. It contains, on most weeks, a few paragraphs of original writing and links to a small number of recently published posts.
Personal connections
The author of Late Nite Reader is, like everyone in a small literary world, occasionally connected to writers and editors whose work appears on the site. Where a personal connection is relevant to a post — for example, where the author of a recommended book is a friend — that connection will be disclosed in the post.
Editorial independence
The single editorial commitment of this site, which all of the above is in service of, is that the writing should be honest. A book that is not very good will not be praised on this site no matter how many free copies the publisher sends or how good a friend the author is. A post that contains an affiliate link is not, for that reason, gentler than it would otherwise have been. The reader should be able to trust that what is written is what is meant. Nothing on this page is allowed to compromise that trust.
Questions
If you have a question about a specific link, post, or relationship, write to letters@latenitereader.com and we will answer plainly.