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Friday, May 20, 2016

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REVIEW A BOOK

OOH! I'M A NOOK BOOK, TOO!


Why do authors want you to review their books so badly?

Think Lightning Rod

Over and over you hear that success in book sales is elusive.  It comes when it will ... like lightning.

With Amazon Kindle books, you can draw the lightning with reviews.

These figures are what the conventional wisdom say is true about reviews and Amazon:

1.) Around 20-25 reviews

Amazon starts including the book in “also bought” and “you might like” lists. 

This increases your chances of someone finding your title.


2.) Around 50-70 reviews
Amazon looks at your book for spotlight positions and their newsletter. 

This is HUGE.
This is my personal goal.  Of course another personal goal is to get a date with Cate Blanchett, too. 

3.) Number of reviews may affect Amazon sales ranking. 

(I have no actual proof of it.)  

Amazon Sales Ranking is so arcane that killing a butterfly in South America could affect it!

4.) Some websites will not consider or promote your book unless you have a number of reviews on the page

Interested in writing a review for a friend's book? 

Here's how you can do it painlessly:


A.) JUST 20 WORDS!

That's all you have to write.  

You highlight the number of stars you want to tag the book with and write a mere 20 words. 

 Think TV GUIDE summary.  

Think what you would want to hear about you were considering to buy and write that.

B.) SAY SOMETHING YOU LIKED ABOUT IT:





Say something you liked about it. 

Things that you could focus on could include 

the plot, a particular scene, characters, how things changed during the course of the story, etc.

If a bit of dialogue tickled you, say so. 
Do not give away all the punchlines. 

But one is allowable and give the prospective reader an idea of what to expect.
If the short chapters helped you in reading the novel, say that. 

If the humor was just your cup of tea, say so as well.
If there was a moment or character that personally impacted you in some way, don’t be afraid to say so.

Put yourself in the review.

Authors love to know their readers and I know that I’m always moved when I can tell someone made a personal connection with something I wrote.

C.) DON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING:

If you're reviewing the book, SIXTH SENSE, do NOT write:
"I couldn't believe at the end when you saw the psychologist was really a ghost!"
You're not being graded for this review. 

Have fun with it. 

Relate how you felt during the read and afterwards as well.

D.) I HATE THIS BOOK. SHOULD I WRITE A REVIEW?
That is up to you. 
I file such a book under the heading, LIFE IS TOO SHORT.
 You know when your mother told you:
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"
  There is wisdom to those words for reviews.

What I find to be negative, others do not.

If I cannot find enough merit in a book to recommend it, 

I remain silent, reluctant to harm another's dream. 

Pinpointing areas needing improvement is for critique partners.  

Life truly is too short for me to spend valuable time being negative. 
If an error is glaring enough but the majority of the writing sound,
I write the author a polite, hopefully helpful, email that does not blare to the entire internet community what I believe to need fixing.

Ever stand in a store and witness a child being publicly chastised in front of the whole place? 

Negative reviews to me are like that.  They call it the WORLD WIDE net for a reason.
You may think differently.  Many believe in negative reviews.

E.) BE SPECIFIC ... 

AND READ THE BOOK BEFORE YOU WRITE THE REVIEW

If you decide to write a negative review, be specific and give a way to improve the flaw in the writing.
Being specific will help the author know where to start. 

Being specific helps the prospective reader decide if those details that bothered you would bother him/her.
Not reading the book but slamming it because of the genre, the title, the cover, or the sex of the author
while making it plain that the novel was not read is sure to get your review disregarded.
{Gwen Perkins wrote the excellent post that provided the skeleton around which I wrote this post: http://gwenperkins.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/qa-why-write-amazon-reviews/



8 comments:

  1. I disagree with negative reviews as well, and I really dislike even reading those in which the reviewer sets themselves up as an expert to critique the writer's style, which I've also seen done. A review, IMO, gives a detail or two about the story, the setting and characters (enough to whet the appetite for readers), gives a recommendation to who might like the book, and does NOT HAVE SPOILERS. If you have spoilers, it's not a review. Additional info about the author, and other books they have written is helpful. I have discussed this on other blogs as there seems to be a misunderstanding by many of the difference between a critique and a review. Excellent points Roland by you and the blog that inspired you.

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    1. I was trying to be helpful to my friends ... and to me, too. :-)

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  2. It sounds easy enough. For me, it's a matter of timing. I think of it when I'm not online. When I am online, I'm reading blogs...

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    1. Just 20 words, Liz. :-) But I have the same problem with the battery in my dead watch! I never think of it when I am in Wal-Mart.

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  3. Hi Roland ... the most important thing is not to be negative - as that's unfair and unnecessary - someone has put a lot of work into their book: just don't put a review in if you don't like it.

    Also - I need to read the books to be able to review them - not good in that direction ...

    But I will get there - my summertime goal ...

    Take care - cheers Hilary

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    1. There are stunted souls out there who delight in darting out of the cyber shadows to say hurtful things with impunity and scurry away feeling the better for it. Sad.

      There is so much to do in people's lives. I understand how hard it is to find time to read much less to submit a review.

      May the challenges ahead of you be solved and fast put behind you. :-)

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  4. I swear, I feel like all I ever do is beg for reviews and it gets very discouraging at times. I used to get lots of them but not these days--it's like pulling teeth.

    @Kathleen01930 Blog

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  5. Kathleen:
    I have given away hundreds of dollars away to get reviews. I would hold a contest for autographs of Stephen King, Laurel Hamiltion, Dean Koontz, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury Robert Downey, Jr. and Michael Whelan (the artist). At the 10th review, I would draw from the names of the reviewers.

    Wouldn't you review a book for a 1 in 10 chance to win one of their autographs?

    I got weary of it fizzling. I got 10 reviews sometimes, other times not.

    I have given up on getting reviews. If I ever get popular, I will get reviews ... but not until then. :-(

    Give me the name of the title you would like reviewed. I will buy it, read it, and post a review for you. :-)

    Being a rare blood courier, I am not a fast reader these days!

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