How useful are book reviews?
I’ve
noticed writers in the writing community on Twitter often ask readers to submit
book reviews – sometimes with a discrete nudge, sometimes with a direct
request, occasionally with a blatant bribe. This has set me thinking about the
usefulness, the value and indeed the ethics of reviews. It’s
turned out to be a more interesting subject to consider than I expected. (I was
just planning to write a quick 5-minute blog!).
Most of the reviews I read are on commonly
accessed, online sites such as Amazon and Goodreads. When it comes to writing one, every
time I finish an ebook on Kindle I am asked to rate it on Amazon and a review is
requested. I often as not might press the rating stars but then ignore the
request for an actual review. Isn’t that what most people do? Of course it
might be different if I feel very strongly about the book. If I’ve read a paper copy, bought from a bookshop or
borrowed from the library, I’m more likely to rate it and maybe comment or
recommend on Goodreads, rather than on Amazon.
I realise there are many other online sites on which to post or read reviews and also a myriad of review magazines exist, ranging
from ‘The London Review of Books’ to ‘Book Club Bible’ and ‘Self-publishing
Review’. A review can be a literary analysis or a scholarly essay, a summary
review, an opinion piece or simply a comment based on personal taste. I imagine formats
used by the publishing industry might be different from those used by
the average readers.
So what makes me write a review? Sometimes
it could be a favour for a writing friend, or more often I will simply be
passing onto others a recommendation for a book I’ve loved reading. I’ve
often had the feeling when I’ve enjoyed a particular book, that I want friends
to enjoy it too - I want to be able to talk to them about it. Sometimes I
feel sad, even a little lost, when I’ve finished a special book and I want to
recall my own thoughts and feelings about it before I let go. Sometimes I genuinely
want the writer to know how much I’ve enjoyed their work, especially if I’ve
felt a special connection with their characters or subject matter. (I’ve looked
at the last twenty book reviews I’ve posted on Amazon and was surprised to note
that seven of the books I’ve responded to were actually written by friends).
In terms of the ethics of book review writing, I
think it is important to be honest but also kind – not every book deserves five
stars and not all genres or styles are to everyone’s taste but most books have
some merit that can be recognised. Good teachers always say it’s good to
balance any negative comments with positives – I suggest in book reviews always
look for the positives and handle negatives gently and with sensitivity. If the
writing is truly awful, I would consider avoiding doing a review at all. (If it
is offensive, pornographic, or downright rude, rather than reviewing it, I’d
say report it). In most cases I would acknowledge that the writer has worked
long and hard to create their 80,000+ word masterpiece. They probably have battled through umpteen
rejections before getting their book published, be it traditionally or
independently, so most will appreciate some consideration.
Having said all that, if any of you readers
out there have read and enjoyed reading ‘Lawn House Blues’ do feel free to
submit a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Please regard this as a gentle nudge,
as I’m not going to bribe you. Be assured it’s quite an easy and
straightforward process to write and post a brief review and you might well
make a writer’s day.
