Helpful Reviews
So last week we talked a little bit about what makes a review helpful. After all, people differ wildly in their opinions, and just because the reviewer liked a book doesn't mean you will. But there are lots of different ways for a reader to use a review when it comes to deciding whether or not a book appeals to them, or even just bringing new books up on their radar.
So what makes a helpful review? A few of you had ideas last week. These are the things I look for in a review, listed in no specific order.
1- Don't just tell me whether or not you liked the book. Tell me why, and when possible provide examples. What rocks your socks might not be my cup of tea, and providing examples is a great way for me to distinguish whether a book's tics or prose will lure me in or drive me batty.
2- If possible, tell me about both the good and bad in a book. It's really easy to get caught up in talking about all the niggly things the author did you wish they hadn't, but then people start to wonder why you said you enjoyed this book in the first place. Nearly every book has something it did right as well as something that bugged you, so show us both sides.
3- If you're going to give out spoilers, give a warning! Sometimes in order to fully discuss why a book did or didn't work for you, you've got to talk about a plot twist or even the way the book ended. And some people aren't bothered at all by spoilers, but let's face it, if you go into a book already knowing what happens in it, it changes your reading experience. You don't always have to "hide" the text that contains the spoilers, but if you're going to be talking about specifics in the book, a spoiler warning is always highly appreciated.
4- Tell me what the book is about! You don't have to give me a five-page synopsis or anything, but a quick paragraph telling me about the premise of the story goes a long way to telling me whether or not I'm interested int his sort of story. If you don't want to write one yourself (and I sympathize, it's not easy to do), you can just use the summary on the back of the book. Or off Amazon. Or off Goodreads. Or the author's website. Sure, I could go and look those up myself after checking out your review, but odds are unless I already know the book, I'm not interested enough to go looking up more information, and that kind of defeats the purpose of your review, doesn't it?
5- Include a picture of the book cover. It doesn't have to be huge, and you don't have to mention it as part of the review at all. But most people are visual creatures, and pretty cover art lures us in until we find ourselves trapped in your sinister review scheme. Or something. If nothing else, it gives readers a visual shorthand for the next time they're in the bookstore. "Oh hey, I saw this book reviewed online. They said it was pretty good. Guess I'll take it home and read it!" Everyone wins.
6- Use a rating system so I can see at a glance whether you liked the book or not. Sometimes I don't have time to read the entire review, but I do like to make a mental note of what you thought of the book, especially if it's something I've been thinking about picking up. Some reviewers use a scale from 1-10, others rate in stars (or pints of blood, or other symbols)or use letter grades, and still others have a looser system. calico_reaction, for example, has a rating system with categories she's devised based on how she felt about the book and sums up her reasons for rating the book with a few lines, and janicu gives a short paragraph at the end of her review summing up her overall reaction to the book for those of us reading reviews on the go.
7- Have fun and sound like yourself. You don't have to be a carbon copy of the most popular blogger out there. People already read their reviews. We know what they think; we want to know what you think.
8- Most importantly, be honest. It sounds simple, but when you've been offered an ARC you wind up really hating, or you review a book written by someone you know, it can be tempting to pull your punches. Your honest thoughts are what make you valuable as a reviewer, though. Readers can't trust your reviews if you're not going to tell the truth about your own opinions, and then what's the point in reading the review at all?
So did I miss anything important? Do you look for something totally different when you read reviews? Or do you find my list totally nonsensical and missing the point? Let me know!
So what makes a helpful review? A few of you had ideas last week. These are the things I look for in a review, listed in no specific order.
1- Don't just tell me whether or not you liked the book. Tell me why, and when possible provide examples. What rocks your socks might not be my cup of tea, and providing examples is a great way for me to distinguish whether a book's tics or prose will lure me in or drive me batty.
2- If possible, tell me about both the good and bad in a book. It's really easy to get caught up in talking about all the niggly things the author did you wish they hadn't, but then people start to wonder why you said you enjoyed this book in the first place. Nearly every book has something it did right as well as something that bugged you, so show us both sides.
3- If you're going to give out spoilers, give a warning! Sometimes in order to fully discuss why a book did or didn't work for you, you've got to talk about a plot twist or even the way the book ended. And some people aren't bothered at all by spoilers, but let's face it, if you go into a book already knowing what happens in it, it changes your reading experience. You don't always have to "hide" the text that contains the spoilers, but if you're going to be talking about specifics in the book, a spoiler warning is always highly appreciated.
4- Tell me what the book is about! You don't have to give me a five-page synopsis or anything, but a quick paragraph telling me about the premise of the story goes a long way to telling me whether or not I'm interested int his sort of story. If you don't want to write one yourself (and I sympathize, it's not easy to do), you can just use the summary on the back of the book. Or off Amazon. Or off Goodreads. Or the author's website. Sure, I could go and look those up myself after checking out your review, but odds are unless I already know the book, I'm not interested enough to go looking up more information, and that kind of defeats the purpose of your review, doesn't it?
5- Include a picture of the book cover. It doesn't have to be huge, and you don't have to mention it as part of the review at all. But most people are visual creatures, and pretty cover art lures us in until we find ourselves trapped in your sinister review scheme. Or something. If nothing else, it gives readers a visual shorthand for the next time they're in the bookstore. "Oh hey, I saw this book reviewed online. They said it was pretty good. Guess I'll take it home and read it!" Everyone wins.
6- Use a rating system so I can see at a glance whether you liked the book or not. Sometimes I don't have time to read the entire review, but I do like to make a mental note of what you thought of the book, especially if it's something I've been thinking about picking up. Some reviewers use a scale from 1-10, others rate in stars (or pints of blood, or other symbols)or use letter grades, and still others have a looser system. calico_reaction, for example, has a rating system with categories she's devised based on how she felt about the book and sums up her reasons for rating the book with a few lines, and janicu gives a short paragraph at the end of her review summing up her overall reaction to the book for those of us reading reviews on the go.
7- Have fun and sound like yourself. You don't have to be a carbon copy of the most popular blogger out there. People already read their reviews. We know what they think; we want to know what you think.
8- Most importantly, be honest. It sounds simple, but when you've been offered an ARC you wind up really hating, or you review a book written by someone you know, it can be tempting to pull your punches. Your honest thoughts are what make you valuable as a reviewer, though. Readers can't trust your reviews if you're not going to tell the truth about your own opinions, and then what's the point in reading the review at all?
So did I miss anything important? Do you look for something totally different when you read reviews? Or do you find my list totally nonsensical and missing the point? Let me know!