A book review is more than just a summary of the book. It’s a personal evaluation of the book’s usefulness or readability intended to help readers make informed decisions.
How to Get Started
Start with your own book collection. If you want to review primarily nonfiction, then choose one or two recent nonfiction titles and perhaps a couple of works you consider to be classics. If you prefer to review fiction, choose new titles.
Write your first few reviews using the guidelines below, then play with the format to develop a personal style. Remember that publishers are looking for solid reviews of their works, so some of the basic information must be included in every review.
Components of All Book Reviews
The Beginning – Start with the title, the author and the publisher in the first paragraph. Follow with a brief overview of the contents if you’re reviewing nonfiction, or a quick plot summary for fiction.
Evaluation – The key component to a good review is your personal reaction to the book. You may want to include your overall reaction, what worked or did not work, and how you felt after finishing the book.
Basic Format for Nonfiction Reviews
- Beginning
- List of topics, including all or part of the table of contents
- The intended purpose and audience for the book
- Your evaluation of whether the book fulfilled its stated purpose
- Your overall opinion of the book
Basic Format for Fiction Reviews
- Beginning
- Basic plot summary, but no spoilers
- Introduction the main characters
- Evaluation of the writing style, the plot and the characters
- Your overall opinion of the book
Where to Publish Book Reviews
Consider local newspapers or regional magazines if the books being reviewed are of interest to the general public. If the reviews are more specialized, consider review-oriented Web sites or your own blog. This will give you a wider audience and ready clips.
Requesting Books from Publishers
Approach publishers after you’ve published a few reviews. If your reviews are in print, make copies and send them along with your request. If you’re reviewing for an online venue, print copies or include links.
Most publishers want to see that you have a track record and an audience before they’ll send you books. Some will send catalogs; others will simply send books. Don’t forget electronic publishers. They are often eager for reviews, and you can receive and review e-books quickly.
Payment for Book Reviews
Some publications will offer only clips, which may be fine for beginning reviewers, but you’ll want to seek out paying markets. Pay-per-view sites generally don’t offer much, but will give you a venue for your initial efforts. A handful of e-zines may pay $10 to $25 for a review.
Newspapers and magazines may pay as much as $50 for a review, while others pay per word. Some print publications may offer you a weekly or monthly column.
Of course, one of the main perks of writing book reviews is the free books, often including signed galleys.
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