Golden Box Book Publishing Winter Magazine for Readers and Authors | Page 8

We asked readers:
Why do readers shy away from
writing book reviews?
"I don't know what to write."
Write a few words about the story and about how it made you feel.
"By the time I finish the book, I forget where I got it from."
Great point! hopefully the feature "Rate this book" will be added to
ereader devices.
A few tips on writing reviews and rating books:
Reviews should include something about the story but some reviews
give out spoilers, and some even ruining the enjoyment for the next
reader by telling how the story ends.
A five-star review should be for a book that has everything: good
writing, good editing, and a story that makes you want to read it again
and tell your friends about. A book deserves a 1 or 2 star review if it’s
badly edited, the story doesn’t make sense, and the characters are flat.
If a book is well-written and well-edited, it shouldn't get less than a
three-star review. Opinions are subjective, and just because it didn’t
appeal to one reader, it doesn’t mean it won’t appeal to someone else.
Explain in your review why you didn’t like the story.
After you give potential readers a little insight into the plot, you can
add your personal thoughts which should be about the story, not the
reader. An example: “I hate romance novels.” Which begs the
question: why are you reading and reviewing a romance novel?
When a reviewer gives a one-star review and writes, "I couldn't
download the book." Or, "It took ten days for the book to arrive." The
review section is for writing opinions about the story. Technical
problems should be solved by calling tech support and not venting in
the review section.