If you write, you must also read. My favorite quote from Stephen King is, “If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” Any writer worthy of the title will agree with that statement, but you shouldn’t stop there. You should also review what you read.
Reviews benefit the following people:
1. Authors
2. Readers
3. Writers
Reviews benefit the authors:
1. A good review gives the author a huge shot of energy to keep doing whatever it is she’s doing. Writing an entire book is not easy. Taking the crummy first draft and turning it into a polished manuscript is really hard work. Many books take years to write, more years to edit, and even more years to find the right agent, the right publisher, and the many other things that must happen between the end of the writing process to the publication date. Good reviews give the author enough energy to keep going—someone appreciates the hard work.
2. Each good review is one more argument convincing the next person looking at the book to take the next step and buy the book.
3. Good reviews often open other doors for authors. Bookbub, for example, requires a certain number of five-star reviews before allowing an author to pay for a slot in their listing. The existence of five-star reviews is a requirement for many awards, mentions by bloggers, and entry into other venues to spread the word about the book. Without reviews, books languish in the dust with little or no hope of discovery.
Reviews benefit readers:
1. Reader reviews reassure other readers that they are spending their money on something they will like.
2. Reviews often clarify genre for readers.
3. Reviews help separate the wheat from the chaff among the over two million books published in the U.S. each year.
Reviewing is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1. Start with a sentence or two describing the book. It’s a good idea to read the Amazon book description before writing your own. You don’t want to duplicate what the author said, nor do you want to include spoilers. This part can be more an extension of the description than a summary. Perhaps a remark about the world building, or something about the main character’s motivation.
2. The second step is your evaluation. It doesn’t have to be complicated—just a few sentences about why you like the book. Was the plot twisty or thick with sub-plots? Were the characters quirky or lovable? Was the setting realistic or beautifully drawn? Did you feel like you were there?
3. The last section is your recommendation. This is the easiest of all. A single sentence is fine. “I highly recommend this action-packed adventure novel” or “I recommend this great romance to fans of Nora Roberts”
The greatest benefit of all might accrue to you as a writer:
1. Writing a review helps you think beyond the entertainment value of having read the book. Think of why you liked that book, then analyze what the author did so the readers would react as you did.
o Did you like the characters? Why? What did the author do to make those characters likable? Can you incorporate any of that into your own writing?
o How did the author hold your attention as you read? Pacing? Setting?
Characters? Snappy dialogue?o Do you write in the same genre? Did you see genre specific things you admired? How was this book better than others of the same type? The more you look into the nitty-gritty of why you liked this book, the more you learn about writing.
2. Look at the author’s website. If you write in the same genre, follow the author. Learn how the author handles social media, the general look of the website, etc. In short, what makes that author popular in the genre. Learn not just writing, but how the fan base acts and reacts. If you share a target audience, look into the author’s platform. YA uses TikToc, cozy mysteries may do better with Facebook.
3. Some day when your next book is ready, you can ask for an endorsement from the author with a letter that begins, “I have been reading and reviewing your books for years…” This may be the start of something. Remember, other authors are colleagues and mutual support is common in today’s crowded marketplace.
Thank you for this column. I have friends who think calling me to tell me how much they liked my book is equivalent to a review. Some are leery of writing reviews because they think back to Book Reports in school or Critical Reviews in college. Of course, a review that says more than, "I really like this book because..." is wonderful, and counts, but one that discusses what you said, is Icing on the Cake! Amazon has even made it easier, if you can't push yourself to write a few words, you can just rate it with stars. Even that is better than nothing. And one thing to never, ever, do in a review: Do not state that you are a personal friend of the author!! That totally negates your review before it is even read.