Let's Review

Opinions, Please

Authors love reviews and we never get enough of them, They help us learn what our readers like about our books and what we can improve on. They also help other readers decide if our book might be just what they want to read next.

Writing reviews is a simple task for me (and, yes, I leave a review on most of the books I read), but it is a dreaded task for some. I don't understand why, but I suspect that some readers feel inadequate when they are asked to write something that other people (gasp! even the author!) will read. Since I've developed a thick skin over the years, having been charred repeatedly over the fires of public opinion, this is not something that I avoid. As soon as I finish reading a book, I write a review. If I love the book, I usually write several sentences about it. If it's okay, I write a sentence or two.  If the book just wasn't my cup of tea, I usually say that or I don't leave a review at all because it wouldn't be fair. I mean, it's my fault if I pick up a book with certain expectations and then realize I was wrong. 

Let me give some pointers to you readers out there who don't know what authors are looking for when they ask you to write a review. We're not looking for high-minded, soul-stirring phrases (although those do make us squeal with glee and melt our tough, little hearts). Imagine that you're talking to your best friend about a book you just read. Try writing like that. It can be something simple like, "This book is typical of what this author usually writes and I enjoyed it. The hero is sexy and the heroine is kind-hearted and I really liked her. He's a rancher and she works in the hardware store in town. They meet at a church social when he buys the apple pie baked and she sees him feeding it to his horse! It had me turning the pages and I didn't want to put it down once I started it."

What an author will like about this is that there aren't any "spoilers" -- nothing that reveals major plot points to ruin other readers' enjoyment. Also, there are a few sentences about the story and the reader mentions that she liked both of the main characters. That's important to any author. It's imperative that readers like and/or identify with the hero and heroine.

Now here's an example of what you might write if you were lukewarm about the book. Maybe it didn't have the same spark that the author's other books had for you. "I usually love everything this author writes, but this one fell short for me because I didn't understand the heroine's behavior. She wanted the hero to pay attention to her and kiss her, but when he did, she pushed him away. Almost at the end of the book, we discover that she was emotionally abused in her last relationship. I wish I'd known that at the beginning, then I would have had sympathy for her."

Feedback like this is golden. An author will learn a valuable lesson from this reader. Also, the review isn't mean, but honest and helpful. It is criticism with a spoon of sugar.

Other helpful reviews point out typos or words that were used incorrectly or even misspelled consistently. Ouch! These hurt and embarrass us, but hey! We need to know this stuff. As long as it's helpful and not mean-spirited, we can take it. Just because you don't like a book doesn't mean you should tell others not to doesn't mean you should tell others not to purchase it.

Which brings me to a review posted for one of my books. The reader didn't like the book at all, but went one better by stating that, although the book received five stars and great praise, people shouldn't purchase it because she thought it was predictable and poorly plotted. Also, she hated the characters.

Let me point out that the review before this one was one of the best I've had and was left by someone who said she was a writer herself. That makes it even sweeter. I was soaring and giddy after reading that one. Of course, the next one sent me into a nosedive. That's how it goes sometimes. One review make you feel warm and fuzzy and the next one makes you wonder how you could offend someone so thoroughly. However, since I've been at this so many years, I know in my heart of hearts that I can write and tell a fine story.  I also know I can't please everyone, so I've learned not to worry too much about the readers who just don't care for what I dish out. It's okay. Go ahead and write a review, even if all you have to say about a book is, "I enjoyed this one, but not as much as I usually like her work." Something is better than nothing.

Think of reviews as your way of paying it forward. A writer has spent months writing a book and is eager to hear what readers think about it. Other readers will be interested in your opinion, too. Ten minutes of your time versus ten months or more of frantic typing and editing. It's not such a big ask, is it?