Every author, no matter whether she
is new or established, CRAVES reviews. Even if the reviews are not all 5-star having
a number of reviews indicates that there is a book worth reading. It’s been suggested
that one way to get reviews is to review other books; however remember that
some review sites (Amazon…) do not make a habit of posting reviews if they
believe there is any relationship to the author.
Reviewing books is a good way for
an author to help get his own name out there. Bloggers can post reviews on
personal blogs, sites such as GoodReads, and online retailers. So what goes
into writing a good review? A book REVIEW is different from the school-age book
report where we demonstrated that we read the book (or at least the Cliff
Notes) by relating the events of the story and sometimes included what the
author was trying to say.
In a book review we need to start
by saying what the book is about in genre specific terms — for example: A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero is a
love story about second chances and selfless sacrifice. The follow it with
a teaser: Newly widowed Samantha and private
investigator Ben are brought back into each other’s lives by a twist of fate.
They struggle with the memory of the love they once shared, Ben’s anger at
being abandoned, Samantha’s guilt at hurting him and the secret that made her
leave. Depending on how long a review you are writing may determine how
much of the story you allude to, but please, never ever include spoilers (that
twist in the story that no one saw coming) even if you include a ***SPOILER
ALERT***. Don’t ruin the story for readers and don’t disrespect the author’s
hard work.
Include YOUR emotional reaction to
the book. Were you able to relate to the characters? Did you feel that the
story was believable? If the book was set in a specific time period or
location, did you feel it was authentic? What did you like AND dislike about
the book? Be honest but be kind; there are some reviewers who like to criticize
simply because they can. Let the readers know if you felt compelled to keep
turning the pages. Without giving away the ending state if the end was
satisfying or lacking — did the author indicate there would be a sequel and did
this story intrigue you enough to be anxious for the continued story? If there
were typos or grammatical errors did they detract from your pleasure at reading
the book? How about the overall presentation of the book (or e-book), was the
cover attractive or misleading? Did the book’s appearance make it easy or
difficult to read?
Again honesty is crucial because
potential readers might read this book based on your review and you don’t want
them to feel as if they’ve been conned; however all authors do put a huge
effort into what they produce so please be sure to note all positives as well.
Remember that it is NOT the
reviewer’s job to sell books but it is appreciated to hear your recommendations
as to who would enjoy reading this story, not everybody enjoys the same style
books. If there was explicit sex or graphic violence it might be helpful to
give a gentle warning and in your likes and dislikes you might include whether
you felt it was necessary to the story or not. Did the book have a special
message and did the author succeed in delivering it? An optional note to
include is whether you were familiar with this author’s other works and was
this consistent with her style?
Writing Exercise:
Choose up to ten books you’ve recently read. For each book list what the
book is about (in one or two words), the genre, sub-genre, and the audience
each book is best suited for.
Writing Prompt: In
recent years list the books (title and author if possible) books you would NOT
recommend to your friends.
Challenge Assignment:
Review a book and post it one your own blog, GoodReads, and or an online
book retailer.
