Book Reviewing: A Master Class - syndicated from @eThrillerWriter & @PureJonel
the CULL
by Eric J. Gates
Cover links
to Amazon.com
We all know that the writing business is changing. Certain aspects of the journey of a novel from the initial idea, through the writer's craft, to the finished article nestling in the readers' hands have grown in importance as this evolution progresses. One of these is book reviews. However, as all writers know, many people have little or no idea how to review a book so that their conclusions are useful to both the author and potential readers. That is not the case with this week's guest. She is an experienced, insightful reviewer who graces us today with a Master Class in how to produce a useful book review.
Ladies and Gentlemen...
Jonel Boyko
Book Reviewing
- a Master Class
As a species, humans tend to find ways to
escape the reality that they live in. The western world tends to turn to movies, malls, and that sort of
thing. A select few of us still turn to
books in order to escape reality. We find
ourselves lost in a world that the author creates for us. For a while we are amongst the characters
that these authors so tactfully put on the pages of the book. They pour their souls into the pages of the
book to provide us with our escape. What
do they get in return? A pay check? Eventually, they’ll see some return. The ability to affect others through their
words? Most likely, but how do they know
this? Praise? Possibly, depending on reviews that people
write.
For the most part, when we read a book we
don’t think about the author. All that we are looking for is an escape from
reality. At times, however there is a
book that catches us (or definitely does not spark anything in us) and we have
something to say about it. This is when
people tend to write reviews. They
either loved or hated what they had just read. Simply stating that you liked or hated a book
or regurgitating what happened throughout is not a real review.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s back up a bit and take a look at reviewing
and why it’s not about the reader, but rather a reciprocal relationship with
the author. The reader provides you with
your escape from reality and you provide them with feedback about this world via
your review.
The most important thing to think about
before writing a review is why. Why are you writing a review about the
book? If it was phenomenal or absolutely
horrendous, you’re right, you probably want to write and post a review
somewhere. This is a good starting point
for a review but it should be just that, a starting point. There should be more to it than that to come
up with anything of substance. A review
shouldn’t be tearing a book apart or saying how horrendous it is. It needs substance and explanation. I’ll get into this further in a moment.
If
you are writing a review simply because you wanted a free book, please stop for
a moment and think about it. Who are you
helping other than yourself? If this is
the only reason that you are writing a review then it will probably lack any benefit
to the author. An author will at times
provide free copies of their books in order to gain reviews for various
websites to increase their sales. To do
this, they need you to put the who, what, where, why, when, and how into your review. This also has an added benefit for the
author. If you format your review in
such a way you provide the author with constructive criticism that will help
them with their future writing. Point
being, if an author provides you with a free book, make sure that you are
giving them some valid points, this is the value that they are getting from
their gift to you, and yes, it is a
GIFT. If you are simply writing random
words so that people continue to give you free stuff, then you are stomping on
the gift so generously given to you.
My
reasons for reviewing do combine a bit of both of
the above (I’d be crazy to turn down a free book, now wouldn’t I?); however, it
goes much deeper than that. By reviewing
a book, not only do I tell the author how I felt about the book, but I also
help other readers choose their next escape from reality. Above all, I review for a rather selfish
reason. Writing a review allows me to
get my thoughts about a book in order. I
have a reason to sit down and figure out why I loved (or hated) it so much,
which character I was able to relate to the most, and if I could picture myself
in that world. If I’m setting this up
for myself, sharing it with other readers and letting the author know what I
think is just a natural next step.
That said, how do I write a review? If
I know that I’m going to review a book, I’ll take notes while reading it. It’s nothing in depth. I simply jot down anything that caught my
attention. It might be something unique,
something that doesn’t quite make sense, or something that was phenomenal. Basically anything that I feel is worth
noting. When I sit down to write a
review the first thing that I put down on paper is what I thought or felt about
the book and why. Keep in mind that the
why is just as important as the what here. I also try to mention the descriptions,
settings, and character development in each review. They are all important aspects of a novel and
deserve to be mentioned in your review. When
writing your review keep in mind that there is always something good in a book,
regardless of how horrendous you found the writing. There is also always something that you’d
change with a phenomenal book. Keep in
mind that you are not the author and would therefore write it differently than
they would.
Bio:
I am currently living the life in a mid-sized town in Ontario, Canada. I have my BSc as a double major in Biology and Classics with an emphasis in marine ecology, as well as my MA(H) in history with an emphasis in medieval religious persecution. While not working in a geochemical laboratory I enjoy spending time outside with my dogs. I also have a horse that I ride both recreationally and competitively.
The main love of my life is reading. It’s been this way as long as I can remember. Via my blog, Pure Jonel, I get to share my love of the written word with others. It’s been a phenomenal experience and I hope that it remains that way for a very long time.
Links:
Blog: http://purejonel.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15432163-jonel-boyko
Email: jonelboyko@gmail.com
Check out some of Jonel's reviews on Goodreads and her blog.
If you are an author, send this post to your fans, so they can help you with their reviews.
If you are a reader, re-read this post before you write your next review. You owe it to yourself... and the author.
