Every time I sit down to write a review, I’m reminded of “The Book Report” from the musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.”
review. Fantastic resource!). I had written a few reviews here or there on Amazon, but only if a book really moved me. Since May, however, I’ve been introduced to a whole new world of book reviews meant for publishers to use, ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), launches, and everything else that makes an author’s world go ‘round. With everything I’ve learned (and am still learning), two things have consistently stood out.
1) There are many types of book reviews out there, and
2) Not all book reviews are equal.
What do I mean by those statements? Quite simply, authors need reviews to promote their books. Independent authors are essentially small businesses, and they need the support to succeed. A few reviews can make the difference between languishing in nowhere land and being included on “suggested reading” lists, garnering further recognition. While some authors value quantity over quality reviews, there are more who appreciate what I call “helpful reviews.” A helpful review is one that is generally positive in tone, acknowledges a few highlights, and influences potential readers to take a look for themselves. I have found that striking this perfect balance is not as easy as it may seem.
Every time I sit down to write a review, I’m reminded of “The Book Report” from the musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” If you haven’t ever heard it, I highly recommend heading to YouTube to give it a listen. You can do it now, this column will be here when you get back (and it will probably make more sense after you listen, anyway).
heading to YouTube to give it a listen. You can do it now, this column will be here when you get back (and it will probably make more sense after you listen, anyway).
So why do I think of this song? Because every character has a different approach to their homework assignment: a book report on “Peter Rabbit.” Let us take a look at the Peanuts gang, their approaches to writing their book reports, and then adapt those to book reviewing.
The Lucy: This type of reviewer writes what I call a “book report” review. They’re the ones who essentially recount the entire plot and then say “I liked it” at the end. In the song, Lucy uses a lot of adjectives to pad her word count, but has virtually no substance about the book itself. Lucy Reviewers are the same way. Retelling a plot is not reviewing it, and it doesn’t help a reader decide whether or not they want to read the book. In fact, it may turn a reader off and deter them from buying the book, because the plot has already been revealed.
The Schroeder: This reviewer starts off with a review of a particular book, but then starts comparing it to other books and gets so wrapped up in the comparisons that the thread of the original subject is completely lost. Schroeder apparently loves Robin Hood. He has a hard time describing Peter Rabbit, and after many starts and stops, he starts to describe Robin Hood instead. He has a hard time reeling himself in, and in the end has to say that Peter “did sort of that kind of thing too.” Obviously, this reviewer has either had a difficult time with the original book, or can’t separate one book from another. This is especially found in people who review many of the same types of books all of the time (i.e. cozy mysteries, romances, etc.). This type of review also does not give a potential reader a good sense of a book. On the other hand, they may get recommendations for other books from the review.
a hard time reeling himself in, and in the end has to say that Peter “did sort of that kind of thing too.” Obviously, this reviewer has either had a difficult time with the original book, or can’t separate one book from another. This is especially found in people who review many of the same types of books all of the time (i.e. cozy mysteries, romances, etc.). This type of review also does not give a potential reader a good sense of a book. On the other hand, they may get recommendations for other books from the review.