The Art & Science of Reviewing by Marie Wells Coutu

Marie Wells Coutu

Angie, here. Happy New Year! We're starting 2018 with our favorite posts of 2017. This ia a favorite of mine from September and, according to the numbers, it's one of your favorites, too. Writers depend on word-of-mouth to sell books and reviews are a great way to encourage an author. My friend, Marie Wells Coutu, has a few tips for writing a great review. 

As an author, I know the importance of reviews. As a reader, others’ reviews help me determine which books to spend my money and time on.

So I try to post reviews of the books I read, especially novels. Thanks to Amazon, if I’m reading on my Kindle, I get a reminder and it’s easy to write the review as soon as I’ve finished.

But here’s the thing: how good should a book be to rate five stars?

Does five mean I loved the book and found nothing wrong? Do three stars mean it was only “so-so”? Will I hurt the author if I give her book four stars? (This especially concerns me if she’s an acquaintance.) On the other hand, if all my reviews are 5 stars, do I lose credibility as a reviewer?

Recently, I finished a book that I really enjoyed and couldn’t put down. But there were a couple scenes where I was momentarily pulled out of the story. In one, for example, there was a severe thunderstorm and a car accident where the heroine was injured. Yet when the police and the hero arrived, everyone stood around talking while the victim was loaded into the ambulance—with no reference to rain, water, or the storm having passed. As a writer, I couldn’t help but notice the omission. But was it serious enough to downgrade my rating?

In the end, I asked myself the following questions before deciding on the rating I’d give:

• Did I enjoy reading the book in spite of the minor deficiencies?
• Are there similar deficiencies throughout the novel, or did they occur in only one or two spots?
• Would the average reader notice these weaknesses, or did it bother me because I’m also an author?
• Could I recommend the book to a friend (because, after all, that’s what a rating is—a recommendation)?
• With the exception of the “problem” spots, is the book well-written, are the characters well-developed and is the story believable?

Based on my answers to these questions, I chose to give the book a favorable review. Since I know the author, I could address my concerns with her privately, but I decided a public review is not the place to point out minor—some might say “petty”--weaknesses.

I’ve read other novels where there were so many “issues” that I could not enjoy the book and thus could not rate it higher than a 2. In those cases, I chose not to post a review. Mother taught me, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

But I’m curious. What’s your approach for reviews? How far do you go to provide an honest review without damaging the author’s overall rating, ego, and potentially your friendship?

The Secret Heart
by Marie Wells Coutu

About the Author

Marie Wells Coutu retired in 2013 from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. She now spends her time writing fiction—when she’s not busy having fun with her husband or with their four grandchildren. She has written three novels for Write Integrity Press, including the award-winning For Such a Moment and Thirsting for More. Her most recent book, The Secret Heart, released in February. She is working on a historical novel set in western Kentucky, near where she grew up.

Marie is a regular contributor to Seriously Write. For more posts by Marie, click here.

Reasons to Become a Book Reviewer by Annette M. Irby

Stack of books*

Hey everyone, Annette here. No doubt you've heard that good writers are readers. I recently participated in a blog tour for an historical author and was reminded that book reviewing is a great way to explore books both within and outside your genre, while you learn and grow as a writer. 

Let’s look at some of the other perks:

Free copies. Publishers and authors are desperate to get word-of-mouth marketing kicked off even before a book releases. They do that by providing copies of their books to reviewers. Just a couple of years ago, the only option (which was sometimes limiting for cost) was to send paperbacks. But now, publishers can send e-book and save the paper, ink, postage, and shelf space. Either in e-book or paperback format, publishers often send ARCs (advanced reader copies, which are pre-proof) and as a book reviewer, you get to read the novel or non-fiction before it’s even released, all in exchange for an unbiased review. 

Research. Reading an abundance of books in your genre can only help you as a writer. You’ll find (and honor) your own voice. You’ll see what publishers are looking for. You’ll watch publishing trends change. And, if you’re a bit of a grammarian, you’ll get a chance to practice editing. *wink*

Build a Platform. You need to focus your blog on something, right? Why not post book reviews? I started out posting them on my main blog, but then found I was so overwhelmed with books to read for review and reviews to post, that I decided to launch a separate blog. But even if you keep it all to one, you can mix things up and post reviews occasionally. Plus, all the while, you’re getting your name out there. 

Practice writing. Book review writing is different from book writing. Even if you normally pen non-fiction, you’re still in a different voice when book review writing. But, you can still let your voice shine through in those reviews. 

Making contacts. If you’re a Seriously Write reader/writer, I’m guess you love supporting Christian fiction. Me, too. So I work to encourage and promote writers, their books, Christian publishers, etc. That’s my motivation, and through those connections, in the spirit of promotion, I’ve made some great friends. You never know when your review might be the best part of some struggling writer’s day. The Christian publishing world is small. Keep that in mind as you share your opinions and make contacts. And focus on service. Then you can’t go wrong.

Those are just a few benefits of becoming a book reviewer. Can you think of others? Do you read for review? What kind of contacts have you made? How has reading in your genre helped you grow as a writer? 

Read on! 

Annette M. Irby

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Annette M. Irby has two published books and runs her own freelance editing business, AMI Editing. She recently signed a book contract for an upcoming e-book. She is also an acquisitions editor for Pelican Book Group. See her page here on Seriously Write for more information.
 

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*Photo Credit: Multicolored Stacked Book by antpkr