Book Reviews: Why and How To Write Them
Why should anybody write a book review? Why do so many good
writers mess them up when they try?
The reasons for writing them are easy.
You publish a book that gets good reviews--or practically none. You
make trips all over the country promoting it. It's not exactly crashing
the bestseller list--what can you do to move some more copies? If you
get a chance to review a book on the same subject yours covers, or
one close to it, do it. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to get asked to
review one that's clearly going places; do it. That puts your name in
front of readers, and usually the name of your book as well. Any
publicity is good publicity.
Or you read a book you like so well you want to spread the word
about it. Review it somewhere, maybe in more than one place.
Or you want to make a buck or two--not usually very much--so offer
to review for or sub a review to one of the paying venues; there are a
few on the Web. If somebody sends you a book for review, when the
work is done you can sell the book to a second-hand shop.
Or you've never published anything in your life, and you'd like to see
your words in print or online somewhere.
But how will you write a review worth publishing?
Remember that it's your review. Don't hesitate to make yourself
visible, for readers need to see you in action in order to know whether
they should trust your verdict on the quality of the work under
review. Stay loose--this is not a final exam. On the other hand,
remember that the review is not about you, it's about the book.
Some publications, like Gayle Surette's SFRevu, have a
template--fairly detailed instructions on exactly what they want.
Follow those instructions. Most publications tell you how many words
they want--come close to that
Suppose there's no template. Read reviews in famous publications
like the New York Times or Washington Post. Then read ten of
those in your target publication; that will tell you what the editors
like.
Usually, a review tells readers what the book is about--what the
author is trying to do. It's your job to discuss how well that job is
done. Be fair; don't complain because the author didn't write the
book you wanted to read. But if you think the book is a failure, don't
hesitate to say so and give your reasons for that verdict.
If it's fiction, discuss the style, the quality of the writing. Don't write
a spoiler, but give readers some idea of the plot. What are the
characters like, and how does the writer handle them? Does the
setting matter, and is it shown well? Did you like the book so well you
hated for it to end, or did it leave you unsatisfied in some way? Take
notes when you find quotes you'd like to use--a few quotes in a review
perk it up. Tell your readers something about the author, if you can.
If it's non-fiction, most of the same things apply, but such books
usually contain opinions, decisions on what's important and what's
not. Does the author give enough evidence to justify those
conclusions, prove those arguments? What are the writer's
qualifications for taking on that particular subject?
Finally, accept that the editors may want more from you, or may ask
for various changes. Try to give them what they want. Editors have
their own views on usage, punctuation, spelling, and style; unless you
think those changes will make you look bad, or somehow damage the
review, go along. Editors can help you, and some will be glad to do it.
Incidentally, don't wait until you're asked. Submit your review to a
place you'd like to see it published. It may be rejected more than
once, but finally somebody may be glad to get it.
In case this doesn't answer all your questions, the Web is full of tips
on writing reviews. Do a search.
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3 comments:
Why should we follow a template? We are not writing for magazines. Blogs are a much more free form style of writing. Both content and editing are a personal choice.
People are not looking for writers digest, they are looking for the personal experience of the writer in a blog. It is expected that you include personal insights into what you are writing about that you would not normally see in a magazine.
Standard form is for places which are losing subscriptions. There is a drop in readership from formal writing places.
To answer your first question, if you the piece to be published in that specific publication, you'll follow their guidelines. Take five minutes to read any publishing related article or blog and you'll find someone griping about prospective writers not following simple guidelines, and subsequently being deleted from consideration.
The big difference between online and print mags is that print mags must, must, must pay attention to inches. So word count is important. "Drop in readership" or not, print mags are still, by and large, seen as more 'legitimate' than online publications (yes, there are a few exceptions). And they tend to pay much more often than online only outlets.
But hey, if you're only interested in hearing yourself type, feel free to express anyway you'd like on your own blog. Just don't expect any editor to come beating down your door with a big fat check.
Book Calendar has a blog--so does everybody else in the world. If
you hunt hard, you can find comments on various books here and
there in the blogosphere, but suppose you want to keep up with the spate of new books that comes out every day, to have some idea
of what other people are reading, see books you might not have heard of anywhere else? You won't go to
a blog; you'll read the NY Times Book Review every week, or the Washington Post's Book World, or you'll read Salon religiously--and all of them are online. It's true that print media are losing circulation, but that's because the functions they serve are being taken over by the Web. Newspapers are on Death Row, but the "formal" book review will stay healthy.
Not everybody wants to know what some obscure librarian has to say about books--some would prefer to hear a more authoritative voice. That won't change.
Blogs don't pay writers. With a few notable exceptions, any blog has only a handful of readers. I had to hunt hard to find Book Calendar's blog, and once there I didn't see anything that would keep me coming back. Solid book reviews by people with credentials attract my attention I'd advise anybody who wants to be read by a large audience to find a site that either has or is going to develop a wide reader base. And that means something run by editors who can give serious readers what they want.
As for word counts, Siren Cristy is right about the print media, but online pubs also have to keep things at a reasonable length. Most people will read a thousand words
about a book that might interest them, but even they have limits. Smart editors know that, whether they're online or running a print medium, so you'll find word limits in the guidelines of serious review sites, online or in print.
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