by Jennifer Walker

Created on: July 11, 2010   Last Updated: December 02, 2010

Book reviews are an important marketing technique,but they must be written properly in order for them to serve both the writer and the reader. The book jacket or description of Amazon will only tell you so much, while a good book review will not only give a synopsis of the story, but will give the author’s opinion of the work as well.

If the story is good but poorly executed, has unexpected raunchy sex scenes, or was surprisingly good given the premise, these are all things the reader might want to know before purchasing the book. As the reviewer, it is your duty to help the reader make their decision, as well as to help the author promote their book.

Include a Synopsis in your Book Review

I like to start my book reviews with a synopsis. I put the story line in as exciting of terms as possible to entice the reader to keep going. The purpose of the synopsis is not to give away the ending or even the whole storyline—it is just to give the reader a good idea of what the book is about. In fact, it is vital to not give away the ending, because this will turn your reader off completely—they will have no reason to read the book since they know how it ends, and they will likely be angry with you for giving away the ending. They will probably not want to read your reviews again.

Reviewer’s Opinion of the Book

After the synopsis, I give my opinion of the book. I use the sandwich method of feedback: I start with all the positive aspects of the book—what the author did well, what I liked, what I think other people will enjoy. Next, if I have any criticism for the book, I explain it as gently as possible. After all, the author worked hard on the book and accomplished something the majority of people never do, so I don’t want to run them down too much.

I try to keep the criticism as factual as possible—what I didn’t like and why, so the reader can determine if they want to let that deter them from reading. The hardest thing to explain is if a funny book is just not funny or if the book is poorly written. In these cases, I try to be as objective as possible and put it in terms of how the author could have done better rather than simply saying, “this sucked.” However, you should be honest. If the book is not good, don't say it is.

Some book reviewers are much harsher than I am, gleefully tearing books to shreds in the name of honesty. However, this is not my personal style—I don’t like to write anything in a review that I wouldn’t say to the author’s face. It's hard enough to write a book and put it out for the public to read without having someone rip it apart.

After the criticism, I wrap up with another positive statement and conclude the review with a brief summary of my thoughts.

Writing book reviews is a way to offset the cost of reading if you are able to sell the review, but it also helps fellow readers find great books to read they might not have normally given a second look to, or avoid books that are not as good as they thought they would be. They also help the author by promoting the book. A win-win!

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