Why All Writers Should Do Book Reviews
I never gave much thought to book reviews until I became a writer. Recently, a chance encounter on Goodreads made me reflect on the topic more deeply.
I clicked through to the blog “Supposedly Fun – for the love of a good book” and ran across a post entitled “On Ethics and Book Reviewing (No Sock Puppets!)” The author focused on what I’ll call “soft sock puppetry,” where he suggests that bloggers who have a relationship with a publishing company will be more likely to write positive reviews. He'd surveyed the Amazon discussions boards and came to the conclusion that bloggers would “rather not post a review than post a bad one.”
I am one of those people.
That realization made me think about book reviews and why I do them at all.
It’s Karma, Baby
Reviews on Amazon are the currency of social proof for potential book buyers. It tells your customers that others have taken the plunge with this piece of work and the water’s fine.
As a writer, I ask for reviews all the time. In the back of all my books, I ask my readers to visit Amazon and leave a review. If someone emails me with something nice to say about one of my stories, I ask them to leave a review. I’ve contacted a slew of book bloggers with queries and gotten into their review queues.
But here’s the thing: if I’m going to ask for something from the readers/reviewers out there, I feel like it’s my obligation to give something back to that same community.
I didn’t always have this attitude. Before I became a professional writer, I had a Goodreads account and did the odd review as a way to (1) keep track of what I had read and (2) show how smart I was as a discerning reader. It wasn’t until I started asking for reviews that I realized the great imbalance that exists between books and reviewers.
An imbalance that I can do something about.
It’s Networking for Writers
Writing is a lonely business. The amount of positive reinforcement that comes your way before, during, and after the birthing of your novel is pretty scarce. And that’s just the beginning of your journey. Once that baby is released into the world you need to market it, and to market your book you need reviews.
As I’ve done with other writerly problems, I pondered this question while wearing my business hat. What do business professionals do when they’re stuck or need support? They reach out to their network.
Try this experiment: buy an indie author’s book, read it and post an honest review on your website. Then email the author and tell them the good news. I can almost guarantee you will get a message back from the author.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Aim for a newer author. If you are the 1000th reviewer of WOOL, does your review really move the needle for anyone? (Although, for the record, I did review one of Hugh Howey’s short stories in an anthology and got a personal thank you from him!)
- This is not a quid pro quo arrangement. Do the review as an act of generosity, without any expectation of gain.
- Only post a positive review if you really liked the book. Otherwise, you’re no better than a sock puppet.
It Makes Me a Better Writer
You’ve heard the old saw: if you want to be a better writer, be a better reader. It reminds us to seek out new voices as we sharpen our own craft. James Scott Bell had a great post on The Kill Zone blog last week in which he applied some basketball wisdom from coach Bobby Knight: “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Writing a book review requires you to articulate why you enjoyed the book, and in doing so you will add to your understanding of the craft.
Please Don’t Send Me Your Book
After all this thoughtful commentary on book reviews, you might be tempted to send me your book.
Don’t. I am not a book reviewer.
I read because I love to read and I want to improve my craft as a writer. If a book review shows up on my website, it’s because I liked the book and I want you to hear about it.
But let's get back to where this all started. Yes, I am one of those people who would rather not leave a review than leave a bad one. Does that come from some deep sense of altruism toward my fellow writers?
No, the reason why I don’t post negative reviews is because if I don't like a book, I don't finish it. I'm not about to write a review on a book I didn't read.
David Bruns is the creator of the sci-fi series The Dream Guild Chronicles, and one half of the Two Navy Guys and a Novel blog series about co-writing the military thriller, Weapons of Mass Deception. Check out his website for a free sample of his work.