Editorial Policy
How our book lists get made, and why you can trust them.
Who curates TheBookCue
TheBookCue is run by Chris Marmo, a Melbourne-based design researcher and lifelong reader. Every editorial standard on this site — what makes a list worth publishing, what gets a book removed, what tone the recommendations take — is set and reviewed by a human.
How lists are made (yes, with AI — here's exactly how)
We're transparent about this because most sites aren't: TheBookCue uses an AI research pipeline to draft collections at a scale one person couldn't. It works like an assistant, not an author of record:
- Sourcing: list ideas come from real reader signals — Reddit threads, Goodreads lists, award shortlists, book-club picks — not keyword tools.
- Drafting: the pipeline researches each book's actual content and writes editorial explaining why it belongs on the list.
- Quality review: before anything publishes, an independent review pass checks every book against the list's theme — books that don't genuinely fit get removed (rural noir doesn't survive on a Sydney list), and lists that can't be fixed don't publish at all.
- Human standards: Chris reviews the system's output and its standards, and is accountable for what appears here.
How we make money
Book links go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate earnings never influence which books appear on a list — the quality review doesn't know or care what anything pays. We don't accept payment for placement. If that ever changes, it will be disclosed on the collection itself.
Corrections
Spotted a book that doesn't belong, a factual error, or a broken link? Email hello@thebookcue.com and we'll review it — lists get fixed, not defended.