Tips for writing an effective review
A product review is basically either a recommendation, a warning, or a little of both. It’s what a friend would tell a friend. When shopping on line, I depend on reviews to steer my purchase. What I’ve found about reviews is that most tend to omit a lot of things I would like to know in making a decision of whether or not to buy something. I look for friendly advice, not empirical judgement.
A review that is over-the-top with praise and effusive language loses credibility because I assume it was a review for hire rather than earned from a consumer. A review that is overly harsh is likewise not credible because it often reflects a uniquely bad experience that is often not related to the product itself - you know - arrived damaged or late or the customer had the misfortune of speaking to a snotty person on the phone and writing a bad review is their chance to get even.
Book reviews are more subjective than product reviews because no book is for everyone and most books are written to the narrow demographic that appreciates that particular brand of subject matter and the style of writing used for that demographic. Below are some ideas I have about writing a book review.
Number one: Be fair to the genre. If you hate romance, don’t review a romantic title. You’re going to hate it because you already dislike the genre. Read what you expect to like.
Number two: Check your mood. Books are intimate and may stir up emotions that you don’t know what to do with. Life is difficult and if you are going through a rough patch, you may be more likely to be sour and critical. Either way, don’t take it out on the author. If you cannot be objective, maybe you shouldn’t post a review just now.
Number three: Keep your review about the book itself. Don’t praise or denigrate the author. Praise or criticize that particular work of the author.
Number four: Make specific statements. “I loved it! Great book!” tells me nothing. “I hated it!” tells me even less. I don’t know you and don’t know what kinds of things appeal or don’t appeal to you. What were you hoping for when you picked up the book? How did it meet, exceed, or miss the mark of your expectations? What did you love? If you don’t have the time to write a useful review, please wait until you do. People want to hear what you have to say - that’s why they are reading your review. You get to be the expert on this book, so be the expert!
Number five: Tell us how it made you feel. Readers are looking for an emotional experience. They want to be taken away from reality, forget who they are, be intrigued, be frightened, be moved to tears, laugh, scream, fill in the blank. How did this book affect you? Did you think about it for days afterward? Did the characters become your friends? Or, was it meaningless, boring, and forgetful within minutes of its completion?
Number six: Did you really read it? Don’t close the cover after 20 pages and write a review. Don’t read it while distracted or during three minute intervals of free time over a six month period and write a review. Don’t speed read or skim it and write a review. If the writing is dismal, the text if rife with errors, the exposition is endless, the characters are listless, or the plot meanders, it is your duty to warn others and you shouldn’t have to finish reading a disaster. Know the difference between giving the work due diligence and shortchanging it.
If you like a book, tell others what you would need to hear to make you purchase a book and then dedicate hours for reading it.
If you struggled to read a book, tell others what you found difficult or not entertaining.
Be specific.
Be real.
