On Being a Review Writer – Conclusion
I wanted to wrap this all up by putting together some thoughts and ideas. Personal experiences are peppered throughout the article but some final musings are called for.
I never thought in a million years that I would become a review writer. It was a need for some kind of “process” for a small portion of books that got me started. How do we know what is in the book, other than the blurb on the back of it? How good is the material? How well does the author write, research or develop the material? How do I tell others about a really good book I read?
With so many pagan books out there, it was almost impossible to know. And this after so many centuries of rare secret books and hidden writings. Go figure!
So, I took an interest. And it launched a couple of websites. This in turn got me involved, in a roundabout way, with Amazon and then Epinions and then so many others.
It’s been fun. I made lots of good friends, both authors and reviewers. I spread out into another small niche field that is hardly reviewed and received recognition for that as well. I enjoy a good working relationship with many publishing houses. And I have a library that has taken over my house.
It has, however, been a lot of hard work, it has required me to dedicate much of my non-working time to working on reviews and it has not been easy. I have gotten some complaints from authors, I have received praise from my respective communities for the work I’ve done. Some people might even call it “respect”. I just call it giving back to my community.
But for me, it has been fulfilling. Returning to college at my age has been a challenge, but much of my writing there has either been enhanced by my previous writing skills acquired through the review writing challenge, or my own skills have been vastly improved by the courses I have taken in college. And while I will graduate with a degree in IT, my writing skills are what got me my job to begin with, and in the end, will probably be the focus of my career.
So, the benefits, you ask? They are too numerous to mention. Yes, the books and music are nice, but at the end of the day, it is the joy of a finished written product. It has been sellable and provided me with income sometimes, along with opportunities to write professionally. And my community is happy to see someone pre-reading the material that is shoveled into their faces. It’s nice to see my work has helped many choose material that has helped them, rather than disappointed them.
As for ethical practices, I believe I have been fair over the years. I have praised new writers who have shown promise; I have slapped a few hands when needed. I have not been afraid to speak my mind, and that probably has added to my credibility.
I have put in my time as a review writer, and I look forward to graduation in a few months. At that time, I will go ahead and complete a book that has been sitting on the back burner, and see if I have the skill to compete in a market filled with thousands of wannabes and one hit wonders. I will probably never reach the level that some of our best known writers have come to enjoy, but I hope that somewhere along the line, the material will be a moderate success. I am not persuing a writing career in my own area of expertise, but rather in the fiction field, which I feel is a lot more fun to write.
And, occasionally, when I read a book that deserves a little praise, I will take up the keyboard and write out a review, just to keep my hand at it. After all, what if I prove to be just another hack writer trying to make it in the paperback novel trade? I guess I have something to fall back on? I will keep my day job, just in case. ;P
So, if you feel you have something to offer, or if you feel that a product or book has made a lasting impression, either good or bad, and you like to write, pick up a pencil and work out a review. Find a site like Amazon or Epinions and post your review. (Or, you know, get in touch and post it here on I.Q! – Ed.) As long as it does not say “This Book Rocks”, or “This Book Sux”, I may actually read it. And maybe even drop you a note.
Write something. It can be very fulfilling.
Boudica
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