“Therefore, even a negative review might turn out to be not so bad. Just keep it respectful.” That is an important line from the Introduction IMO. I regularly do negative reviews about books that others wouldn’t do for fear of insulting an author, but you know what: if something doesn’t resonate with you, say so. Respectfully. That flows nicely with:
“Not every author is going to be grateful for every review. Write the reviews anyway. Write your review knowing you meant each word. Be courteous and honest, because your integrity matters. Remember that a real human wrote what you read and had hoped it would impact you. Authors work hard and pour their souls onto the pages. No one knows that better than a fellow writer. Not everyone will share the opinions in your reviews, but if you mention how you arrived at your conclusion, and present it with respect, your reviews will hold more weight for others.”
If nothing else, this made me feel good about the how’s and why’s of my own review process.
The different approaches to reviewing has helped me to clear up my own process: sometimes I do the simple approach, sometimes I do the more “yes, this is great and you should read it for the following reasons” and sometimes I go a little crazy and tell you exactly what bothered me about the book – and that you can read about the good stuff in raving 5 star reviews. Maybe I’ll take a bit more time to get things in order in my head before putting it on page with this author’s easy techniques for writing each type of review.
I’ve read fiction from this author on several occasions and loved it! (So go check that out, too, if you like speculative fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat.)
This is a great resource to have and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to write reviews, has to write reviews and/or are curious about the basic framework of writing reviews.
Did I mention how much I like the cover? Well, now I have.
*Note, I got an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Author
patesden
3 years ago
WRITING BOOK REVIEWS AS AN AUTHOR is not only a great guide for authors, but it would also be fantastic for nonwriters interested in reviewing. It was very informative, easy to understand, and quick to read. One of the things I liked best was that the book was organized in a way that allowed me to skim over concepts I already was familiar with, and then slow down to take in new ideas in depth.
The book provided handy acronyms that make reviewing easier, as well as great suggestions and examples. I particularly liked how it mentioned things that shouldn’t be considered when rating a book, such as the book’s cover (which is most often out of the author’s control). It also covers a wide range of book categories, from reviewing nonfiction and adult fiction to children’s works.
Overall, a five-star must read for anyone interested in reviewing books.
By jlennidorner
“Therefore, even a negative review might turn out to be not so bad. Just keep it respectful.” That is an important line from the Introduction IMO. I regularly do negative reviews about books that others wouldn’t do for fear of insulting an author, but you know what: if something doesn’t resonate with you, say so. Respectfully. That flows nicely with:
“Not every author is going to be grateful for every review. Write the reviews anyway. Write your review knowing you meant each word. Be courteous and honest, because your integrity matters. Remember that a real human wrote what you read and had hoped it would impact you. Authors work hard and pour their souls onto the pages. No one knows that better than a fellow writer. Not everyone will share the opinions in your reviews, but if you mention how you arrived at your conclusion, and present it with respect, your reviews will hold more weight for others.”
If nothing else, this made me feel good about the how’s and why’s of my own review process.
The different approaches to reviewing has helped me to clear up my own process: sometimes I do the simple approach, sometimes I do the more “yes, this is great and you should read it for the following reasons” and sometimes I go a little crazy and tell you exactly what bothered me about the book – and that you can read about the good stuff in raving 5 star reviews. Maybe I’ll take a bit more time to get things in order in my head before putting it on page with this author’s easy techniques for writing each type of review.
I’ve read fiction from this author on several occasions and loved it! (So go check that out, too, if you like speculative fiction that keeps you on the edge of your seat.)
This is a great resource to have and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to write reviews, has to write reviews and/or are curious about the basic framework of writing reviews.
Did I mention how much I like the cover? Well, now I have.
*Note, I got an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.
WRITING BOOK REVIEWS AS AN AUTHOR is not only a great guide for authors, but it would also be fantastic for nonwriters interested in reviewing. It was very informative, easy to understand, and quick to read. One of the things I liked best was that the book was organized in a way that allowed me to skim over concepts I already was familiar with, and then slow down to take in new ideas in depth.
The book provided handy acronyms that make reviewing easier, as well as great suggestions and examples. I particularly liked how it mentioned things that shouldn’t be considered when rating a book, such as the book’s cover (which is most often out of the author’s control). It also covers a wide range of book categories, from reviewing nonfiction and adult fiction to children’s works.
Overall, a five-star must read for anyone interested in reviewing books.