The Writer's Code - Solar

How To Review A Book

Reviewing:
a formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary

It's a crucial part of writing; finish the first draft of a book, then go back and edit. Get reviews and constructive criticism, then improve those parts of your book. You might be asked to review someone else's work, or maybe you're on the lookout for someone to look over your story. If you are a reviewer, you'll most likely find that writing an honest, helpful review can be quite difficult; to help you with that, here are some clues as to what you should do when writing a review.

What To Do When Writing a Review

There are crucial steps in reviewing that many reviewers don't follow when writing. From reading through the entire book to using proper grammar and spelling, each of these tips are important and vital to writing a good review. 

Read Through The Whole Thing

Many reviewers don't read the entire book, probably because they think it's boring, or slow moving. But keep in mind that this is only the first draft; the first of many to come. I myself am a writer, and I understand how much work goes into writing a book. Your primary job as a reviewer is to help the author improve their writing, and not knowing what you're reviewing isn't going to help. And even if the plot is slow, it could lead up to a great ending that you, as a reader, wouldn't want to miss out on.

When you signed on as a reviewer for this book, you agreed to read the entire book and write an honest review showcasing your thoughts on it. If you don't read the entire draft, you're not honoring your word, and authors are less likely to ask you to review their work in the future.

Specify which parts you enjoyed and which parts you didn't.

Always, always, always specify which parts of the book you enjoyed and which parts you disliked. Merely saying "I didn't like the book" causes extreme confusion, and we don't want that. When you include an exact example in your review, you're letting the author know what specific part to change. Don't be afraid to write down each detail, as long as it is a key component in the story or makes up part of the plot.

Use proper grammar and spelling in your review.

I know what you're going to say; I'm not the author. But writing is all about professionalism, and if you don't maintain perfect grammar in your review, it won't seem genuine and heartfelt, and the author might not even understand what you're trying to convey. Your feedback as a reviewer is important when it comes to writing; you've got to be serious about it for your opinion to count. It's also good practice for if/when you write, because no one likes a story without good grammar.