There comes a time in every writer’s life when a fellow writer approaches and asks:
“Will you write a review for my book for my website or back cover?”
“Will you write a review for my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble?”
“Would you “like” my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble?”
“Would you “like” my book on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, et al?”
What do you do? On a number of online discussions, I’ve seen many requests for “likes” and many responses in both negative and positive. Here’s what I do.
First, I decide if I want to read the book or not. Except for rare cases (see below) I won’t write a review unless I’ve read the book. If I agree to read, it’s with the caveat that I will try to get to it as soon as I can, particularly if I’m reading another book and have a top ten list of books in line. If I don’t want to read it, however, I’ll be honest and say that I’m not the right person to write a review since I usually don’t read . . . name your genre: horror, sci fi, non-fiction, etc.
For those books I do wind up reading and don’t like, I think about the positives and begin with those:
“Great atmosphere”
“Spunky characters”
“Vivid setting”
“Provocative premise for the book.”
Every book has good qualities. Really. Find them. Give that writer positive, encouraging feedback.
If the writer asks you to post a review on Amazon and you seriously don’t like it, I would be honest and say I can only give it two stars because:
“The writing is inconsistent”
“The characters are rather wooden”
“The setting is hard to visualize”
This might open the door for more conversation about how to improve the book– in your opinion, of course, which could be a good thing for both parties. And, like in critique groups, both writers come away with something valuable.
I welcome your feedback.
It’s hard not to agree with your analysis of writing a ‘constructive review’. I for one do not ask a reviewer for a good review, only an honest one. Luckily (so far anyway) I have not received any negative reviews. I also don’t advise anyone to pay for a review because in my view that is not only dishonest but can also hurt the author if a major book site discovers (easily) that it is a paid review.
You are so right about paying for reviews. Feels dishonest.
It’s a good topic, Lynne, especially since few writers broach it. However, I think there could have been more meat on the bones. A lot of people don’t know what to say and never write a review. I’ve had people write to me about “Getting Rid of Ian” (as I am sure you have had with your books) and tell you how much they enjoyed it. “Write a review,” you plead but it’s beyond them. I’ve written over 100 reviews on Amazon though less since a stroke left me one-handed (I notice that several were removed by Amazon-another hazard,) but if you give more ideas of short reviews to follow, we might get more of a response. Good luck!
Good thought, Penelope. I probably could have included some examples of good reviews (and bad?) I’m trying to keep my blogs short so readers don’t get antsy, if you know what I mean.
Thanks for your comments!
I agree with most of this.
The reviews I don’t like are the “book report” or “synopsis” reviews. I don’t want a step-by-step accounting of all the events in the book. I want to know if it was a worthwhile read. Did the ending fit? Was the suspense intense? Is the story line worth the read?
Also, one thing I prefer to know about is if it has lots of editing issues. Some days, I can read past many problems and get through a book that has a great story line. Other days, I get upset that nobody has left feedback to warn me away from wasting my money and time on something I can’t appreciate.
Another thing is inconsistency. If things change in midstream – Days get switched up, eyes change color without any reason, trees disappear from the front lawn, things happen before they are supposed to, things come out of thin air and make no sense – then I probably don’t want to waste my money and there needs to be a mention of these type issues, because they can make people pretty mad.
Yes, DEFINITELY point out the positives, so I can decide whether I want to chance the issues for the story line. (Sometimes, I do.) There are ways to be constructive AND honest for the next reader’s benefit.
Very good points! Poor editing makes me crazy and I usually give up on the book immediately. But inconsistency is also key. So are POV changes. I address some of these issues in separate blogs because they warrant more than a paragraph. Thanks so much for your comments!