Open to all Chicago Writers Association members and Chicagoland authors and publishers, Windy City Reviews draws from volunteer CWA member reviewers. Windy City Reviews promises an objective review that will be posted to our website.

We will try to review all books submitted within 4-6 weeks from the time the reviewer receives the book. However, we cannot always guarantee a review and we cannot promise that the review will be completed in that timeframe.

The author must be affiliated with Chicago in some way, such as:

• A resident (past residents will be considered based on the length of time since living in the Chicago area)

• A CWA member (join here!)

• The work must be set in Chicagoland

The book must be professionally edited, in the English language, and have a publication date within the last twelve (12) months. We will also consider pre-publication reviews for books that already have a set publication date. "Professionally edited" means that the book has been proofed, evaluated, and assessed for proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and clarity by a qualified, experienced professional.  
We accept books in all categories, fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books, including self-published books. We do NOT review:

• Graphic pornographic material

• Racist themes

• Textbooks

In the past, we have accepted book reviews from publishers. Unfortunately, due to the sheer volume of requests, we will no longer allow publishers to submit review requests on behalf of their authors. If the author is willing to reach out to us on their own and is affiliated with Chicago in some way (see above), we would be more than happy to review their book.

We only accept one review request per author at a time. If you have more than one book you'd like for us to review, please only submit one inquiry at a time.

All reviews will include:
• A brief summary of the plot, theme, or contents of the book

• The good parts; what the reviewer especially liked/enjoyed

• Areas for improvement (if any)

• Any other reviewer commentary that they deemed should be included

Our editorial staff will be the final arbiter of a review. We don’t believe in scathing reviews or belittling authors. We will do our best to ensure that all reviews are honest but tactful. If the author is unhappy with their review, they are entitled to their opinion; however, if the author is to attack the integrity of the editorial staff in any way, they will not receive a response and any new review requests from that author will not be entertained.

If the reviewer finds little that warrants a positive review, then a brief note to this effect with some explanation for this assessment returned to the Editor may terminate the review process. When this happens:

• Authors may request short feedback in which the reviewer will write an assessment the length of the reviewer's choice

• A new reviewer can be found at the author's request

We look forward to reviewing your work! If you have any questions, please use our contact form.