The Rat of Approval
Congratulations! If you arrived here, you probably saw the official Rat of Approval™ on some web page that linked to this page.
This is the official home of the Smashed-Rat-on-Press Rat of Approval™ logo program.
Here's how it works. Oh, wait. First, if you're not an author of a self-published book or books, you can be pleased to exit through the side door, because this is an Indie author exclusive program.
Still with us?
Ahem. Here's how it works:
- You figure out how to e-mail the rodent at Smashed-Rat-on-Press.
- You point us to an existing preview page for your published book or books.
- We look at the preview or previews, but...
- We won't consider fanfic at all, even if it contains a zillion shades of gray, chartreuse, or any other color.
- Nor do we read work that seems to contain a lot of zombies, vampires, paranormal babes, or frolicking unicorns. Sorry, they're just not our thing.
- If we can't make it through the preview for one reason or another, we're unlikely to go further.
- We mainly check out the grammar, punctuation, formatting, general coherence; then give you a non-refundable grade for each.
- If the preview passes with a B-average or better, we might put your name and a pointer to your site on this page, but don't quit your day job in anticipation.
- If we get through the process and we reply to you, you can pick one of the official Rat of Approval™ logos below and proudly display it on your site.
- If you don't hear back from us, sorry but: c'est la vie.
- No money changes hands, only the karmic balance of the universe is affected.
In general: don't call us, we'll call you. We more often engage in drive-by awarding. That's where...
- We stumble over a book we happen to like the look of, and sniff it over. Or we actually read it.
- If it meets with our approval, we may add the author's name to the list. There's no going back.
- You'll probably never hear about it and your life will be completely unaffected.
Warnings and Caveats: This offer void where taxed or prohibited by law. We reserve the right to ignore the universe, refuse service, and to discontinue this program at any time for any reason or no reason, for example if it gets tedious to keep posting links for the thousands of authors clamoring for our attention. Or if nobody raises their hand. We only evaluate books in English, or books purporting to be in English. The list is kept in order of addition (most recent on the bottom). And just because a name is on the list doesn't necessarily mean we "like" the author's work, just that it seems OK to us.
The Rat of Approval™ Logos
240 by 95 pixels: 
72 by 72 pixels: 
and the 114 by 60 stamp:
List of Authors Who are Officially Pronounced "Okay" by The Rodent
| Indie Authors | Cutesie Quotes, If Any |
| Amanda Jayne MacLachlan |
 Oh! I'm pleased to be the first. Thank you, Mr Rodent! |
| Jacqueline Patricks | Can someone please call a paramedic for this rodent? |
| Ke-Yana Drake | |
| Jim Cliff | |
| Catherine V. Tucker |
 Our first perfect score for editing, and
our first Golden Rodent award winner! |
| Sophia Martin | |
| Lon Ryden | First comic-book writer/illustrator to make the grade... |
| Angelles LaVeau | Still underground, emerging someday... |
| Linda Banana | |
| Haleigh Cookson Clark | |
| Sherri Fulmer Moorer | |
| Vickie Britton | |
| I. J. Parker | |
| Roger Herst | Three cheers for Rabbi Gabrielle... Two demerits for the copy-editor, but overall, yeah... |
| Barbara G. Tarn |
Welcome, Silver Rodent award winner... |
| Amy Parker |
Welcome to the bug house, Golden Rodent award winner... |
| Victoria Grefer | |
| Adrian J. Smith | |
| Safie Maken-Finlay |
You had me at granny was a wannabe Opera Singer. Really. |
| Zen Cho |
|
| Lisa Shea | Handfasting rocks. |
| Gregor Xane | (Normally we don't read or review "horror" but the
sample was better than OK.) |
| Joe Donohue | |
| Mary R. Woldering | |
| Arabella Thorne | |
| Karen GoatKeeper | |
| Amber Foxx | |
| Renée Swann | |
| P J O'Brien |  |
| Stan Morris | |
| Kari Aguila | |
| R F G Cameron | |
| Annette Drake | |
| Rowena Wiseman | |
| R. A. White | |
| Sharon E. Cathcart | |
| D.C. Williams | |
| Dylan White | |
| Pearl A. Gardner | |
| Emma Iadanza | |
| M. D. Meyer | |
| Wren Figueiro | |
| Kyra Halland | |
| E. J. Valson | |
| Dina Roberts | |
| Lexi Dare | |
| Clive S. Johnson | |
| Beth Camp | |
| Bridget Allison | |
| Lucie Novak | |
| J. L. Simpson | |
| Shari Sakurai | |
| Jason Patrick Crawford | |
| Mary J. Carter | |
| Abigail Hilton |
For Embers |
| Sarina Dorie | |
| Allan Jones | |
| Roslyn Woods | |
| Diana Xarissa | |
| J. A. Lang | |
| Carrie Cross | For
Mystery of Shadow Hills, nearly golden... |
| Toby Neal | For
Blood Orchids, nearly golden... |
| J. A. Howard | |
| T. J. Brown | |
| L. B. Hathaway | For
Murder at Maypole Manner |
| Ksenia Anske | For
Rosehead |
| Tiffany Pitts | |
| Susan Hunter | For
Dangerous Places |
| Kirryn Lia Todd | |
| Miranda MacLeod | For Holme for the Holidays |
| T. B. Markinson | For the Girl Love Happens series |
| Emily Organ | For Limelight |
| Susannah Nix | For Intermediate Thermodynamics |
| Gillian Polack | For Lange[dot]doc 1305 |
| Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt | |
| Blythe Baker | |
| Nicolette Dane | |
| Ellie Spark | |
| Sara Lorelei Jackson | |
| Katherine Luck | For The Drowned Town |
| Jacquelyn Heat | For Kat & Mouse |
| Ellen Behrens | For Yuma Baby |
| Kat Bellemore | For Dead Before Dinner |
| Susan Kaye Quinn | For Nothing is Promisedseries |
| Sarah Bell | For The Murder Next Door |
| Arden Powell | For A Novel Arrangement |
| Rachel Lacey | For Don't Cry for Me |
| Persia Walker | For Black Orchid Blues |
The
coveted Golden Rodent Award is given to those elite authors who have produced at least one
book which (a) we have read and (b) in which we did not find even a single
typographical error or any other fox paws worth mentioning.
The
Silver Rodent Award is given to those authors who have produced at least one
book which (a) we have read and (b) in which we found a handful (5) or fewer
trivial typographical errors, and no other fox paws worth mentioning.
The
Rainbow Rodent Award is given posthumously to those authors who are among the most
unique of the unique, and have passed over the rainbow.
The
mysterious Great Golden Rodent of Shangri La, long considered a mythical creature, is so incredibly rare
it is almost never spotted in the wild.