✨ A Gathering Place for Magical Readers and Writers ✨

Review Guidelines

Musing Mystic is dedicated to exploring alternative spiritualities, practical magic, spiritual alignment with the cosmos and nature, and social actions to co-create new paradigms that foster equality, justice, and sustainability. We cover topics on wellness, spirituality, philosophy, psychology, artwork, travel, social justice, environmentalism and cultural consciousness. For an idea of what we’ve reviewed in the past, please see our Reviews section.

While we mostly review books, we also cover audio and video media, as well as rune sets, tarot and oracle decks, and spiritual products. I’m also interested in reviews or essays on cultural events where alternative spirituality, magic and activism intersect. (For articles and essays, see our general submission guidelines.)

We also LOVE to review self-published material, as we are dedicated to supporting independent creators.

Publishers & authors

Please inquire for the address to send catalogues and review material at musingmystic@gmail.com. We will give you the address of the reviewer assigned to the material.

Due to the volume of review material we receive, we cannot guarantee that all material will be read or reviewed, though we will do our best.

Join our freelance review team

Most of our reviews come from a few regular contributors, but Musing Mystic is always looking for new reviewers. If you’re interested in writing or reviewing for the site, it’s a good idea to sign up for our community newsletter to get an idea of the kind of book reviews Musing Mystic publishes.

Review Style and Considerations

Consider the book’s intended scope and audience. You may not be the target audience, but in knowing who the book was written for, whether it’s an introductory book for a novice on a topic you’re adept at, or an academic work in a field you’re less familiar with, you can construct your review with this in mind.

Give the reader a sense of what’s covered in the book. If it’s a beginner’s guide, does it have enough information to get the reader started? If it’s aimed at experts, does new information, or present a novel take?

And, please, review — don’t just summarize. Have an opinion and justify it. If an author has contributed something insightful or novel, say so, with examples. Give the reader a reason why they should care about this book. If misinformation abounds, cite examples and correct them. Opinion alone is not enough.

This goes for nonfiction reviewing as well. Review in the context of all literature on the subject. If you’re not familiar with the subject matter, review it in the context of what you do know. Comparisons to other books on similar topics can be helpful to readers, though this isn’t necessary in all cases.

Take notes as you read. Write what you think of passages as you read them, note interesting points, passages you agree or disagree with, what inspired you, what annoyed you. Try the exercises. Test the recipes. Record your results.

If you do this the review tends to write itself. You won’t necessarily include everything you’ve noted, but you will have a better understanding of your overall impression of the book.

Oracle Kit & Tarot Deck Reviews

Most tarot, rune sets, and oracle decks come as kits: cards or stones with an accompanying book that explains the origins of the system and its symbolism.

The review should give a sense of the oracle: what it’s like, the artwork, how well the symbolism tracks with what you know, how the author presents it, etc. As well as a sense of the accompanying book: what covers, how well it works with the images, how easy it is to use; and so on.

Play with the oracle, give the reader a sense of what it’s like to use it in its intended way, and as you feel inspired to do (meditation, etc.). Share what it felt like in your hands, your head, and how it resonates with you. Bonus if you do a reading with it and describe the energy of the cards and what the qurent felt about the deck!

How does it compare with others of its kind? If it’s a tarot deck, is the imagery derived from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, or does it focus on the Thoth Tarot, or the Marseilles?

With each oracle different elements may be more important, and your review will want to focus on what strikes you as the most significant factors.

Images

Images are typically sourced by the editor, and won’t be the writer’s responsibility.

Links

If you have a link you’d like to include, place it between square brackets before the text you’d like to link, e.g. [http://www.link.com].

Length

Reviews should be between 800 to 1,000 words in length, but we will happily publish reviews in excess of 1,400 words when the reviewer gets deep into a text.

Disclosures

If you are familiar with the author(s) or artist(s) in some way, please disclose the relationship in your review, and you must let your editor know prior to requesting the item for review.

It’s generally best not to review the works of friends or family. If you really want to see this book reviewed, it might be best if it’s assigned to another reviewer who can give a more impartial consideration of the text.

Editing

Editing is a collaborative process, and there are usually a few questions and sometimes minor rewriting.

Rights & copyright

For new material, Indie Mystic asks for first internet rights for the first 12 months, after which you can republish it elsewhere, with a note indicating it was first published with Musing Mystic. Your review may also be shared on publishers’ and authors’ newsletter, websites, and social media. Copyright remains with the author of the piece.

Compensation

Musing Mystic does not offer compensation for review articles as we are seeking an honest opinion of the material.

Here are some reasons why we still hope you’ll read, review, and contribute:

✨You’ll be able to keep the books, decks, and products you receive for review.

✨Reviews are immensely helpful to authors and creators promoting their work.

✨Your article can help others decide if the book, deck, or product is right for them.

✨It’s creative and fun to share your thoughts and knowledge of the topic.

✨You can showcase it on your resume and professional sites and expand your experience as a published writer + reviewer.

✨You’ll be supported by our wonderful team here at Indie Mystic Magazine. Our editors, social media creator, and a team of experienced professional writers will help you get noticed by a wide-variety of people to expand your horizons and open new possibilities.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact the editor, Alanna Kali, with any questions you may have.