Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Sherrey Meyer/@Sherrey_Meyer
“A good, sympathetic review is always a wonderful surprise.”
I am very pleased to feature Memoir Writer Sherrey Meyer in this guest post about writing book reviews. I met Sherrey through her blog when I became intrigued with her “Letters to Mama” series. We have been online friends ever since. I am so impressed with her ability to write insightful, thought-provoking book reviews, I asked her to share her wisdom with us.
Welcome , Sherrey!
Loving books and reading them has been a part of who I am since childhood. The only thing that has changed is that now I review books.
When Kathy invited me to talk about how to review a book, I mentally stopped in my tracks.
How does one explain the process of reviewing a book?
There are many online sites where you can review books — on a blog, at Amazon, Goodreads and other book outlets.
Recently, author Jody Hedlund shared some “creative” reviews of her book, Noble Groom. Take time to look at these – they are interesting and unique. Although I tend to stick to standard reviews, you may find something that is a perfect fit with your blog or a book you’re reading. And one day I may step outside the box and try a new method. For today, however, I’ll just stick with explaining my standard method.
HOW TO REVIEW A BOOK IN EIGHT EASY STEPS:
- You’ve turned the last page, and the story or narrative has come to an end. Now, it’s time to share your reading experience with not only other readers but also the author and publisher. The reader of your review is entitled to a short summary of the book’s content, what you believe the author’s intent to be in writing it, and your opinion of the author’s success in conveying that intent or communicating the purpose.
- A strong lead-in sentence in the first paragraph is essential to grab your reader’s attention. You want the reader to want to read your review. A powerful first sentence draws the reader in.If reading nonfiction, think about any provocative words or statements describing the tone of the book. Don’t hesitate to refer to them in this opening sentence and paragraph. If reading a novel, poetry or short stories, describe for your reader why the book or collection is unique and worthy of special note and take care to describe what makes the material so.
- Next it’s time to introduce your reader to the author or editor of the work. A short introduction is all that is necessary here (we’ll talk more later about this). This is also an excellent place to include a brief narrative about the work and whether you feel the author or editor has told the story well or completed the theme of a collection as intended.
- One of the most important elements in your review is supporting your assessment of the work. Use any arguments you may have in your storehouse and explain why your comments and/or criticisms are credible. Were the characters developed fully, or were you left to wonder about the actions of one? Did the story line move fluidly and cohesively to its ending? Are there any holes in the plot? Did certain matters remain unresolved that bothered you? Is there something that seemed lacking in the book’s organization?
- If the book includes graphics, maps, sidebars of commentary, tables, charts, photographs, i.e. elements to support the book, include your opinion on their placement, use and effectiveness.
- Offer a restatement of your general impression of the work, including a precise statement of recommendation, endorsement or rejection of the book. If you are careful to choose books which are in genre you enjoy, hopefully you will never feel the need to reject anyone’s book. However, there are times when we, the reviewers, are disappointed. When that is the case, carefully state the reason for disappointment and what troubled you. Using a respectful tone here is important. As an example, read my review of Impossible Odds. Following this review, I exchange emails with the authors’ agent and enjoyed a pleasant discussion of why the book ended as it did
- I do not use star ratings on my book blog because I find them confusing from site to site with Amazon, Goodreads and all the rest having different definitions for the number of stars.
- If you choose to use star ratings, be clear in your definitions for the number of stars given and attempt to be consistent in your ratings.
- Of course, Amazon, Goodreads and others use a star system for you to rate the book, but you have the right to rate or not on your blog.
- Finally, introduce the author or editor of the book or collection in greater detail here using a bio from the writer or publisher’s site. Include a photo of the author or editor. Supply links to the writer’s website, social media links or any other information that will allow your reader to learn more.
- Additionally, the FTC requires anyone who has received a book, video, or other published material to clearly state in their review how they acquired said materials and for what exchange or compensation. Example: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
REMEMBER, as a reviewer, it is your job to be reasonable and honest. Try to remain impartial and allow that partiality to show through especially if you’re reviewing a book by a favorite author or if you’re reading a book and find yourself disagreeing with the author’s politics or philosophy. Book reviewers are here not to champion or chastise any author but to give an honest assessment of the merits of the author’s work.
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Sherrey’s Bio and Contact Information:
A retired legal secretary, Sherrey Meyer grew tired of drafting and revising pleadings and legal documents. She had always dreamed of writing something else, anything else! Once she retired she couldn’t stay away from the computer, and so she began to write. Among her projects is a memoir of her “life with mama,” an intriguing Southern tale of matriarchal power and control displayed in verbal and emotional abuse. Sherrey is married and lives with husband Bob in Milwaukie, OR. They have three grown children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Their tuxedo cat, Maggie, rules the roost.
Visit Sherrey on her websites: Healing by Writing, Found Between the Covers; or connect with her on Twitter @Sherrey Meyer, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Guest Posts
“My Love Affair with Writing Tools,” guest post on Philadelphia Writing Examiner, 11/08/12
“Blanketed in Grace,” contribution to One Woman’s Day Blog for Story Circle Network, 09/19/12
“CHANGE means . . . moving on,” guest post on My Rite of Passage, 9/21/12
“A Trick or Treat Bag of Fear,” memoir contest winner (honorable mention), Women’s Memoirs, 5/31/12
“Memoir Writing + ? = Healing, guest post on Women’s Memoirs, 12/11/11
“Then Why Do You Do It?,” guest post on (in)courage, 12/24/10
Contributions to Anthologies
“The Crumb Gatherer,” Loving for Crumbs: An Anthology of Moving On, edited by Jonna Ivins, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 13, 2012)
“Mama and Her Arsenal,” “My Gutsy Story” Anthology, Third Edition, compiled by Sonia Marsh (2012)
Publications
“Blanketed in Grace,” Story Circle Journal, Vol. 16, No. 4, December 2012.
Thank you ,Sherrey, for sharing these helpful tips on how to write effective book reviews. In addition to influencing readers, one the best ways we can support one another as authors is to take the time to post honest reviews of each other’s works. I appreciate your suggestions for handling unfavorable reviews, always” maintaining a respectful tone.”
How about you? Do you have any tips to share on writing book reviews? How are you influenced by book reviews?
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations, Diana Cruze! Your name was selected in a random drawing of commenters to receive Sheila K. Collin’s memoir,Warrior Mother: Fierce Love, Unbearable Loss, Rituals that Heal.
Please Note: For the next two weeks, I will be offline. I will be posting previous posts during this time:.
9/9: “Finding the Target Audience for Your Memoir”
9/16 “Remembering Kindergarten Wisdom
I’ll be back 9/23 with new stories!
Dear Sherrey and Kathy,
It’s great having two of my favorite networkers on one page. When I read this post, I wasn’t surprised at all by the thoughtful way in which you approach book reviews, Sherrey. I’ve come to know that you’re caring, responsible and professional in all your endeavors.
As an author, I appreciate all reviews, no matter how long or short or whether they contain (respectful) criticism. What I do mind are spoilers, and I’m often surprised to see them appear, though I usually ‘forgive’ the transgression because I realize that, mostly, those readers/reviewers don’t know better. Having said that, even a review with a spoiler is worth more than the absence of reviews.
In my short career as a published author, I’ve been disappointed in the lack of reviews commensurate with the number of book giveaways. To me, it validates the entitled aspect of a ‘freebie culture’ that I find difficult to understand, let alone support. And surely it doesn’t bode well for the future of books?
Again, networkers / writing peers of your calibre are invaluable – I’m glad to have both of you on my planet.
Hugs, and happy Labor Day.
Thanks Belinda. It’s great having one of my favorite networkers be the first to jump into the conversation:-) I agree , Sherrey sets the bar for all of us with her thoughtful reviews. I don’t think people realize how important honest reviews are. If they are written as insightfully as Sherrey’s , they can entice readers to decide about a book. And let me echo your supportive cheers–I’m glad you are on my planet. We have a great group. Hugs and Happy Labor Day to you as well. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Belinda, welcome to the gathering! As Kathy said, it’s heartwarming when one of our favorite networkers is the first to comment. Thank you for your comments regarding spoilers. They are a nuisance and usually committed unconsciously or through inexperience in reviewing. I hope in the near future to speak to the need for commensurate reviews during giveaways and also to the need for support for our authors, especially Indie authors.
Sherrey’s list is exhaustive and really doesn’t beg for addition, yet I want to add one habit which both readers and reviewers may consider. I always think better with a pen or pencil in hand as I read. If it’s my own book, I’ll underline or dog-ear special passages. If it’s a library book, I used colored sticky notes. (Usually!)
I like to see reviews peppered with a few choice phrases from the text to illustrate a point. I think it adds authenticity and may even entice readers to read the book. These days I use such tidbits for the monthly “Purple Passages” posts on my blog.
Welcome, Marian! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your insights. I’m happy you enjoyed Sherrey’s post. I agree, she has offered many valuable tips for all of us. I do the same thing as far as jotting down notes or highlighting text in ebooks while I’m reading. I also like your suggestion to “pepper the review with a few key phrases.” I’m intrigued by your “Purple Passages” Can you post the link to your blog?
I’ll be happy to:
http://plainandfancygirl.wordpress.com/purple-passages/
and
http://plainandfancygirl.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/purple-passages-ii/
Once a month I devote one post to gleanings from my journals featuring quotes from books I’ve read over the years. It’s a work in progress as I’ve just begun transferring jottings from journals-to-blog in July. The challenge is to group quotes on similar themes together. Last month I added photos.
You are invited to check out my compilation and suggest some of your own. Like you, I love hearing from the other side of the screen!
Oh, thank you , Marian. Your site is a treasure. I love quotes! I hope everyone checks it out. Thanks for sharing.
Marian, I’m so glad to see you here. I too use pencilled notes in my own books and the sticky notes for library or borrowed books. One beautiful feature of Kindle is the ability to highlight passages and/or make notes. There are so many good tips coming in — it would have taken a book to cover everything, I think! Marian, thanks for posting your links and thanks to Kathy for requesting them.
So many readers seem intimidated by writing reviews–let’s hope Sherrey’s simple checklist helps them write more of them!
Welcome, Candace! It’s nice to “meet” you! You’ve made a valid point and , I agree, I hope Sherrey’s 8 easy steps will encourage others to write reviews. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Hello, Candace! I see you and Kathy have met “officially,” and I’m so glad.
Candace, thanks for being a cheerleader for readers leaving reviews for hardworking authors! We need more of that happening for sure.
Dear Kathy and Sherrey, This is a wonderful post and invaluable to those thinking of writing reviews. As Sherrey said, a lifelong love affair with books is surely a way to make the transition to reviewer with thoughtfulness and integrity. Reviews and capable reviewers are essential to an author’s “success” in the “sea” of books out there swamping Amazon. Mostly, tho, knowing we touched even one reader is a tremendous uplift to an author. When a reviewer sees your story clearly, that is a gift. Both of you evince this in your book reviews.
Thanks, Susan. You’ve captured the essence of the importance of a book review “when a reviewer sees your story clearly, that is a gift.” So true. I appreciate, as always, you stopping by and sharing your seasoned perspective. 🙂
Susan, I love your words, “When a reviewer sees your story clearly, that is a gift.” That is what I always hope to be able to do. I recently had an author thank me for stating her story with clarity and, in turn, she recommended my reviewing skills to another author. Our community is one of support, and with our target market being our readers, we rely on them to help spread the word about our books. Thanks for your encouragement and kind words.
Thank you for this wonderful summary. Your bio lists your background in the legal profession. I think that shows in your analysis of how to proceed in an orderly fashion. I’ve been struggling with my own reviews, which I want to post after reading a book. Somehow I felt they never did justice to the author. I believe that following your outline will allow me to write better reviews.
Now I’m going to go back over all those sadly lacking reviews I’ve done and make them more interesting!
Welcome, Katy! Nice to “meet ” you. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. I’m happy Sherrey’s guidelines have inspired you to move forward with your own reviews. Best wishes!
Katy, thanks for stopping by and it’s so nice to meet you. Yes, suffering through . . . I mean surviving the legal profession certainly equips one with an eye for detail and analysis. I hadn’t realized I’d been relying on those skills from my legal days until you mentioned it.
As you move forward with your reviews, please feel free to call on me for assistance in any way you deem necessary. I’d be glad to have another reviewer reviewing books.
Katy, don’t be shy about writing short reviews.Every author TREASURES delicious well-thought-out reviews such as Sherrey writes, and writing them is likely to garner invitations from other authors to review their books.
But short ones count too. Only the first four or so show on the main Amazon page, so people look at the total numbers and average star rating without knowing how long or short the others are. Those later reviews add to the numbers, but are less likely to be read. So if all you are up to is a quick paragraph as a sort of public thank you note to the author, go for it!
BTW, Sherrey did not mention this, but once you make the effort to write and post a review, do everyone a favor (including yourself) and post links on Facebook, G+, and Twitter.
Boy, was this timely Sherrey & Kathy. Thanks for all the insight into in the book reviewing side of the business. Once I clearly understand how Goodreads works, I will put your tips into action. Thanks!
Pat, thanks for stopping by and reading. Glad you found some helpful insights into reviewing a book. Happy to hear you’re going to put them into action!
Thanks,Pat. Sherrey did give us all so many practical tips to put into action. Good luck!
Creating a well written review is no easy matter. Having a list like this to check against is helpful. Since I mainly post my reviews on Amazon & Goodreads – where many others have summarized the book – I am prone to skipping your point about summarizing the plot. However, putting the summary in the context of the author’s intent is another way to think about that. Back to the drawing board on the review I’m currently writing! Thanks, Sherrey!
Thanks for stopping by,Carol! I like your emphasis on “putting the summary in the context of the author’s intent.” I appreciate your comments and am happy you enjoyed Sherrey’s post.
Carol, I share Kathy’s happiness at your finding something useful in this post. There are some finite differences between reviewing on a blog and on Amazon and/orGoodReads or others, but using the summary in the context of addressing the writer’s intent is quite a nifty tool. Let me know how it works for you!
Sherry, thanks for this informative post. Like Carol Bodensteiner, I only do reviews for Amazon and Goodreads. And yes, also agreeing with Carol, good reviews are tough–and time consuming–to write. Your post is one of the best ones I’ve read on writing the review: I’ve learned a lot, so thanks tons. If I may add, when I do a review I also ask authors to provide key words that might help SEO, or I identify them and put them in my review.
Key words? That sounds like a great idea, Mary from a SEO-savvy person 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your perspective on Sherrey’s informative post. Thanks for all your support on Twitter, too!
Mary, so nice to meet you! As I mentioned in my response to Carol, there is a difference between the reviews I write for Amazon or Goodreads and the ones I post to my book blog. However, all of our reviews aim to do one thing: highlight the writer’s effort to tell us a story, fictional or nonfictional, and finding that writer’s intent in telling his/her story is key to your review, wherever you might post it.
I appreciate your point on requesting keywords from the author for SEO or finding them yourself. This is one I’m working on myself as SEO is quite the mystical operation on the Internet. Thanks for sharing!
thanks for a great post, Sherrey and Kathy. I have felt so inept at writing book reviews and your excellent coverage of this topic helps a lot.
Hi Joan, I’m so glad you found Sherrey’s post helpful. I agree, she did a great job showing us how it should be done. Thanks for stopping by and best wishes on tackling those reviews!
Joan, thanks for stopping by and I’m so glad you’ve found my post helpful.
There are legion of wonderful book bloggers out there who do a wonderful job when writing reviews, there are also a few who don’t. But I think we could all learn a lot form this post about exactly what should be included and how to be fair. X
Welcome, Shah!Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your comment about Sherrey’s post being informative. I agree, we can all learn a lot from her tips.
Shah, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yes, sorting out the good from the bad among book bloggers is an unending task. That’s why I give such special attention to what I leave for my readers on my blog. I don’t want to ever fall into the “bad” category! Thanks for pointing out this demarcation in the reviewer community.
Kathy and Sherrey, thanks for this timely and informative interview. As a school-aged child, I hated book reviews (and it seemed as if we did a MILLION of them!). Now, it’s obvious — with so many books available — that reviews by people we trust can be an invaluable aid in choosing (and an invaluable help to an author). What interesting suggestions you’ve given, Sherrey!
It is interesting ,Debbie, how the meaning of a book review changes when one begins to write. What one used to view as a drudgery (those dreaded high school assignments) now becomes invaluable to us as readers and writers. Thanks, as always,for stopping by and sharing your insights!
Debbie, thanks for stopping by! Nice to meet you here. Your words about those school days book reviews stopped me in my tracks. I hated those too, but mostly because we had to stand in front of the entire class. 🙂 Yes, today there is a barrage of new books coming out each week, and someone has to market them. More and more in the age of the Internet, so much is done digitally that book reviewers, other than those who are paid reviewers in glitzy mags, are very important to the self-published writer. We want to do all we can to help them push that book forward, especially when it’s a really great one!
Kathy, thank you so much for sharing your space with me today. I hope to return the favor in the near future. You are a beacon among those of us writing today. Your hard work and commitment to your projects and your blog provide others of us with a mentoring persona to follow.
Sherrey, It is my pleasure to feature you. As you can see , your words of wisdom have resonated for many today. I appreciate your kind comments and will echo them right back to you. The appreciation and admiration for all you do are mutual!
Thanks so much for this wonderful post. I received a book in a drawing on Goodreads and, while the author didn’t say a review was necessary, it seemed only polite, at the least, to provide one. However, I had only the basic notions of how to do that. Now I have a much better idea, thanks to you. I’m about a third of the way through the book and now I have confidence that when I finish it, I’ll be able to give it the review it deserves.
What a wonderful testimony to the power of Sherry’s words, Sam. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing how the information helped you. Good Luck on your review!
Sam, your generous comments validate the message I was hoping to bring to the digital page here. Thank you so much for coming by and leaving your encouragement.
Sherrey, your advice is spot on! You offer guidance in such a clear, reader-friendly way. We can hope that all our reviewers are as careful. I love that respect and kindness have a large role to play in reviewing AND that our judgment of degree of excellence in the work should not be compromised by it.
Excellent summary of the important elements of book reviews,Shirley–respect,kindness and commitment to excellence. I agree, Sherrey has provided us all with many valuable tips.Thanks, as always for stopping by and sharing your perspective.
Shirley, thanks for stopping by and leaving such gracious comments. Respect and kindness are key to making anything work and, yes, our judgment of excellence in the work should never be compromised by it. I do like the way you stated this premise.
Great article Sherrey and Kathy! I enjoyed all the tips you give here. I don’t usually summarize the whole story if there are a lot of other reviews already posted-I figure the reader is intelligent enough to understand from the other reviews. So when I review, I usually write why I enjoyed the book. I’ve reviewed for Amazon for years now (under S.E. Rowland) and I find the star rating difficult to continue using. I give a lot of 5 stars and a few 4’s. 🙂 If I have major criticisms and something really bothers me about a book, I usually don’t review it-especially if I “know” the author. Also, if a book is in a genre I don’t often read, then I am guilty of ignoring it or I pass it along to someone is who is fluent in that particular category. In short, I want to keep it positive as much as possible. Writing reviews is fun.
Thanks, Sue. You’ve brought up some interesting points about reviewing outside your preferred genre and handling negative reviews. Then there’s that star system which is challenging. If I give 4-5 stars I try to make sure I provide a justification, otherwise those stars are meaningless. I agree, Sherrey has provided us with lots of valuable tips about the art and craft of writing reviews. Thanks for stopping by!
Hello, Susan! I appreciate the additional tips you covered in your comment. Like you, I am not going to post a negative review. That is not the purpose in reviewing a book. If I’m really troubled by multiple things in a book, I email the writer and vet those with him/her. I think it only fair to say why I didn’t review it. Likewise, if I agree to read a book and then get into it and it’s just not working for me, I send an email saying I can’t afford to spend time on something I’m not enjoying. Another good reason not to review a book.