How to Write a Book Review by Eileen O'Finlan

 

Click here for purchase information

Book reviews are very important for authors, especially those of us who are not household names. Not only do they help potential readers decide if a book might be to their taste, they also have an effect on the algorithms. The more reviews, the more a site promotes it.

One of the most common reasons readers don't leave reviews is because they have the mistaken idea that they are expected to write it as though they are a professional literary critic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To write a book review, the reader only needs to keep three questions in mind:

1. Did you like the book?

2. What was your favorite part? (no spoilers!)

3. Would you recommend this book to others and why?

Putting the answers to these questions into a coherent paragraph is all an amateur reviewer needs to do. Failing that, at least leave a star rating. Even a review that consists only of "I really liked this book" is better than no review at all.

Another reason some might not leave reviews is because they are intimidated by the technology and don't know how to do it. It's actually very easy. Here is a Youtube video explaining step-by-step how to leave a review on Amazon. The steps for leaving reviews on other sites are similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXrmVZv21w

Happy reading and reviewing!

The Importance of Book Reviews for Readers and Writers by J.Q. Rose

Arranging a Dream: a Memoir by J.Q. Rose

Official Book Launch January 1, 2021

Available for pre-order

Click here to discover more books by JQ Rose at the BWL Publishing JQRose Author's Page

Hello and welcome to the BWL Publishing Insiders Blog! I am J.Q. Rose whose purpose is to Focus on Story in my writing. In other words, I am a storyteller. 

I am also an avid reader. I have been all my life. If you are a reader like me, do you appreciate it when your friends suggest a book they loved? I do. That's exactly how book reviews on a digital bookseller's site work. Reviewers want to spread the word about good books so other readers can decide if that book would be the one for them. Read on to discover how important these reviews are for readers and authors and how to write one. 

Book Reviews: Their Importance and
How to Write Them

The Importance of  Book Reviews for Readers and Writers

Book Reviews. Oh, the pressure of reading the required book, and then writing the review brings back the picture of my sixth-grade teacher hovering over me. Don't even go there about her criticism about the grammar and spelling or even neat handwriting. Visions of the red ink-covered page come to mind when Miss Oldaker noted every error. And then, the command to "re-write" the entire review.

Okay, relax. You can breathe now. We are not talking about a sixth-grade book report. Far from it. I'm discussing online book reviews, a kinder, gentler exercise written because you want to share the great book you read with other readers so they can enjoy the experience as much as you did.

Word-of-mouth is the best advertising when one receives information about a product or service from a friend, neighbor, or family member. Online book reviews work in a similar fashion. Do you read product reviews online to help you decide whether to purchase? Click here for a study showing that 85 percent of people trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations. Book reviews can make a difference in influencing readers to buy a book.

Book publishing has changed the way it does business. Authors and small presses can publish their books with easy access to readers instead of having to go through only the elite few of big-city publishers. The advent of super booksellers online allows readers to share their opinion about the books they read to help readers find a book as well as authors to get noticed.

No longer is a book published, then off the shelves after a few months. Instead, the book is available for a long time on virtual shelves, and its popularity can grow through time. Sales can occur throughout its lifetime rather than a flush of sales when first released. 

Readers and their reviews drive this new model and mindset in book publishing.

If you're a writer, be prepared to market your book forever! Just because your book is a year old or two years old or more, celebrate each birthday and in between with fresh new ideas on promoting it.

Tips on Writing a Book Review

Tips on Writing a Book Review
Consider these tips when writing a book review.
* Go to the page where you bought the book and near the book review comments area, you will find a place to click that says "Write a Review."
* Rate the book using the bookseller's ratings e.g. 1-5 stars. A 5-star rating means you really really loved the book, 1 star is you didn't like the book. 
* Because you are on the book's sales page, you do not need to explain the whole plot of the book because it is on the sales page.
* Don't worry about a title for the review yet. Write the review first, then pick out a phrase you used in the review as the title.
* You need not write a long review. Three sentences or more are fine as long as the reader understands if you liked the book or not and why e.g. I liked the book because I really identified with the main character or I liked the way the author described the setting of the book.
*Write as if you are talking to a friend on the phone or at a coffee shop. Keep it casual and write how you talk. 
* Compare it to another book you liked and why this book reminded you of the other book.
* If you feel you'd like to read another book by the author, say so.
* Recommend it to readers of the genre such as cozy mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, etc. If you received the book as a gift from the author or publisher, amazon requires you to divulge this. Just say you are voluntarily leaving a book review. 
*You'll receive an email from the bookseller allowing you to read through the review and make changes if needed.
* You can leave your book review at goodreads, amazon, kobo, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and booksellers where you have an account.

****

The information in the diyMFA newsletter by Gabriella Pereira inspired this blog post. 

Thank you for stopping in. Happy reading AND wishing you success in leaving book reviews!!

Author JQ Rose

Click here to connect online with JQ Rose.