Review Writing Part 2 – Do it with style!
We all remember book reports from school. Most of us remember the 6 questions we were taught to use to write these reports – who, what, when, where, how and why. And most of us hurried through these boring and sometimes painful reports just to get them done. One page, hand written, scratched out on the bus before class just to have something to hand in.
I’ve seen reviews that mimic these reports. While the basics are there, there is no flair, no style and they are as boring as many of the reports I remember having to sit through and listen to in school. Very few were of any interest to any of us. After all, we all read the same book or books, and we were all bored to tears with the same report presented over and over again.
There is a key here to presenting a really good review. While it may have been the format required in school, it is not the preferred format for a review that the mass public wants to read. Rather, the public is looking for information, and they are looking for a presentation that keeps their interest whilst also entertaining while providing some much needed information.
I read the Books section of the Times each Sunday, and find myself looking forward to that section just to see what is new and exciting. While I may not read each and every book, I get a really good feel for the content, the author and the review writer as well. There are some reviews I read first, simply because the reviewer is one of my “preferred” writers.
Read through Amazon.com and you will find some very unique styles, some very humorous review writers and the usual assortment of three word reviews: “This book rocks!” and “This book sux!” reviews, which never seem to be anywhere near “helpful”. It’s a shame that there are so many of the three word reviews listed. However, there are some really powerful review writers on Amazon, and they are well worth your time if you are seriously considering a book they have reviewed. And they will also give you an idea of how to approach such writing. Read through the various reviews for a popular book and you will see all kinds of material presented.
There are the “fan reviews”. Anything the author writes is “great”, the review praises the author rather than examining the book and its content, and the review seems to lack substance, but apparently the fans love it as it receives more “helpful” votes than it deserves.
Then there are the “dust jacket” reviews. If you get a copy of the book, you will find there are reviewers who do nothing but copy the dust jacket blurb to the website. There are also those who do not read the book through all the way, and apparently decide from the opening chapters what the book is about. Unfortunately, it also shows in the review when the information is incorrect about main characters and the content of the book.
The other problem is finding the reviews by the good reviewers. A popular book will attract over 100 reviews, sometimes hundreds, and the good ones seem to get lost in the pile. While Amazon does do “featured reviews”, they base it on how many ‘helpful’ votes the review received. If the public did not agree with the reviewers take on the book, a possibly good “second opinion” gets lost in the plethora of three word reviews or fan reviews.
So, what do you want to include with a book review? A good review, in my opinion, discusses the book, gives an overview of the author and presents the facts or discusses the material presented in the book. While some people may see the need for a different approach to either fiction or non-fiction books, there are some basic elements that need to be discussed about both.
First, read the book. Do not shortcut the material you are about to review. Do some research about the material if it is required and look into the author if you are not familiar with him or her. If the book is non-fiction, be sure you are familiar with the material.
Assume that the audience knows nothing about the author or the book. You are going to “enlighten” them as to the overall package. You are going to give them a short, condensed bio to familiarize your readers with the author. If the author is pretty well known, reference their last book, or the genre that the author is most associated with. If the book is non-fiction, mention the author’s credentials. Validation is important in the non-fiction field, especially when you get into health books or technology books. You want your readers to know why you initially sought out the book by this particular author, and credentialing the author is a good way to start off.
While who, what, when, where, how and why are good guidelines, they are not the total review experience. I believe that “personal experience” adds so much to a review. How did you personally find the book? Did it grab your attention? Did you like the style? Do you find the material interesting from beginning to end? When dealing with a non-fiction book, have you had experiences with the topic, did you try the recipes, have you worked with the technology and how did it compare with the contents of the book? Use the basics, but add the personal touch.
Another point to make is the print job. Sorry, but I have bought $175 text books that have fallen apart before I finished the term with them. I have had art books that were just gorgeous to behold, and trade paper books that had cheap paper that yellowed quickly. Cover art can be a major attraction to the buyer but might not reflect the contents. Mention if the book is hard cover, soft cover, trade paper, paperback, glossy paper, color prints, b&w prints, photos and cover art if it is worth mentioning in any way.
Finally, check your spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. Typos and poor grammar will kill a review and send a reviewer to the bottom of the ranks. Re-read your review, edit it; modify it till you are happy with the content and style. Have someone else review it as well, and look for honest feedback.
Develop a style. Do the reading and the research. Add a piece of yourself to the review and make the review count. You will be very surprised how fast you will attract an audience.
[For another article about Review types, click HERE]
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I know this is really boring and you are skipping to the next comment, but I just wanted to throw you a big thanks – you cleared up some things for me!
Never boring and a big thank you for your recognition.
I wanted to thank you for this nice post. I definitely liked every little part of it. I have you bookmarked and will be reading more.
I see a great improvement in your writing, I’d love to get in touch. Keep up the great work! Your writing is very inspirational.
Ah, what a great article!
I have never been good with giving critique or in-depth reviews on anything, and found this article just after sending my review… and now I feel ashamed! xD I just wrote whatever came to my mind while reading the book, hoping I wasn’t revealing too much and yet that I would give enough information for the reader to be interested about the book… heh. Oh well, live and learn, eh? ^^
I hope next time I can do better.
Cheers!
Everyone has to start someplace. Believe me when I tell you my first attempts I have tried to hide! It is a learning process, you will develop your own style and learn by comments and suggestions.
If you like writing, continue. Do not give up. It takes practice. It is not an overnight process.
Boudica
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