Book Reviewing; Why It's Important To Do!
Well, it's a drizzly day here in North Carolina. Like the third one in a row! Gettin' a little tired of that! But, it's good weather to read books in, as long as you don't do it outside and get them all wet! And speaking of reading books, one thing many writers seem to overlook is reviewing them.
Yes, reviewing books takes time, no doubt. One has to read the book, consider it carefully, and then take the time to write a review. And, more often than I'd like, many books I choose to read really don't commend themselves to great or even good reviews. And that makes for difficulties when writing such reviews. How to say, kindly, that a book just isn't very good in your estimation? It "ain't" easy!
Still, there are a number of good reasons for authors also to be book reviewers. First, as authors, we all need the advertisement boost that a good book review will bring. And the more the better! We also need to know what others like or don't like about our books. We need that input to make ourselves better at what we do. And who better to hear from then fellow authors? But if we, as writers, don't or just aren't willing to do book reviews for others, than the source of such reviews might dry up for us as well, or at least severely diminish. Or worse, you'll get people who don't know their ___ from a hole in the ground doing the reviews of our books instead of knowledgeable people! Now don't get me wrong; I'm not talking about readers. Readers who also do reviews are great! Who better to hear from as to whether they like our books or not, than readers themselves, except for maybe authors, as well -- two great groups!
But if we don't pitch in, in this department, we will only hear from readers, and not other professional writers. And, we will leave the field open for those with agendas to make the most of it! Are there such people? Oh, yes. And nature abhors a vacuum, so they will undoubtedly come out of the woodwork sooner or later. Some already have. First, there are some review sites, thankfully as yet very few in number, that will say anything is good just so they can get authors to advertise there and make money that way off them. As I've said, this is as yet uncommon, but I have a feeling, as with all things Internet, this could grow worse.
Then there are those who have an axe to grind, the ones with vendettas. I myself have twice been a victim of such a type of review, and by the same person(s), who shall be nameless. And, I'm betting it is going to happen again to me. As "they" say, "leopards don't change their spots." So, people with an axe to grind, people who are jealous of one's success, other writers who for some reason just don't want your work to succeed, perhaps because they have a grudge against the publishing firm involved -- who knows -- they could be the only ones left doing reviews if the rest of us won't. Sounds paranoid, but it happens more often than most of us might think! Whether it's a problem someone might have with you as a writer, your publishing house, or your genre, some won't give a good review no matter what. Fact. Real life, people -- it "ain't" always pleasant. But the good news is that there are ways around this sort of problem.
As authors, you should do Book Reviews! That's the answer. The more people who do book reviews, the better! With readers and authors all doing them, this greater number of reviewers effectively dilutes the few who aren't doing legitimate reviews. We need genuine input, not vituperative harangues. We need genuine input, not gilded-lily versions that are just to help someone else make advertising gains. We need genuine input from our fellow authors as well as our readers. Professional reviewers are great as well. They know their stuff, know how to write a good review (in the sense that it is "good" in enlightening everyone), and saying something in a polite yet honest way. The more reviews a book gets, the stronger the case can be made to a publisher that you are a good writer. And if the reviews aren't very good, then it tells you as the author that you need to change your approach, improve yourself in some way. The trick is, one review alone means little to an author, good or bad. It's the numbers that count. Comments or statements that are repeated by a number of reviewers will give an author a reliable indication of what is good or bad about their work. So, you see, the more reviews the better!
So, if you're bored, have nothing to do, and are tired of reviewing your own work, think about occasionally reviewing someone else's book. They'll appreciate it. And there are a lot of websites that one can join to do this. Coffee House Romances, Fallen Angels, NovelSpot, and others, all are book review sites that one can join. Some are specific genre oriented. Others are wide open. Some of them do have a screening process for new members though, but that is a good thing! So join in. Read a few books besides your own, and help us all better ourselves, and improve our chances of real success! And there is one last plus -- the more you review other books, the better you will become at knowing what is good and bad about your own work. It's true! In other words, my dear author friends, you'll get better at writing in the process. I know I have. Well, I hope I have... Ah yes, "hope springs eternal," as "they" say. So don't rain on my parade!
