GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandido
LadyHawk
BlueRoses Consulting
New York City
How to Write a Decent Book Review
(and how to begin reviewing, should you so desire)
I have been reviewing books for twenty-nine years and counting — I wrote my first book review for the November 1973 issue of Library Journal. I reviewed for LJ for 19 years, until I became editor of Wilson Library Bulletin. I currently review children’s books for Kirkus Reviews and children’s and adult books for Booklist. I have also reviewed for other publications, most notably The New York Times Book Review (1983-84). Here are some thoughts on what I have learned.
1. Read the whole book. That is the very least you owe the author. You can’t make a judgment on what they have done until you know all of it.
2. Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish they had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
3. Don’t review in genres with which you are uncomfortable. There is no point in having a science fiction hater review sf, or someone who doesn’t read romances review them.
5. If possible, compare the book to others in the genre or field of study. That helps any reader.
6. Criticize clearly and specifically but gently. A bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and each book is somone’s baby. But a reviewer is charged to make a critical judgment, and fails if s/he does not do so.
7. Know the guidelines of your reviewing medium. Some don’t want plot summaries at all; some insist on them. Some want you to say outright if you are recommending a book, others don’t.
8. Be precise in your language. If this is the best book you have ever read, say so, and say why. If it is yet another nice little book on a nice little topic, say that, too. Find the words to say what you mean: the author did, and so should you.
9. Don’t be cowed by a famous name. Even famous writers sometimes do mediocre books.
10. Don’t review books by people you know, or love, or hate. It isn’t fair. Only review a book once; do not review the same title for more than one venue. This ensures that people who are looking for multiple reviews with multiple opinions will actually get them.
Enjoy! Reviewing is great fun, and deeply rewarding. It puts another spin on always having your nose in a book. And it is a kick to see a quote from your review on the back of the paperback.
So you want to be a book reviewer? About once a
month, someone sends me a plaintive email, telling me that they have found this
page, and they love books and reading, and they would like to be a book reviewer,
too. They ask, how to begin? This is what I tell them.
Start by doing. Write book reviews for your library newsletter, or your local
newspaper. If those publications don't have a book review section, start one. Review books in your blog or on your web site.
When you have some experience (or even before), write to Library Journal
or School Library Journal and ask to apply to be one of their volunteer
reviewers.
If you have a specialty — romances, mysteries, dark fantasy — cultivate it.
Then, you become an expert.
Try writing short reviews first. Short reviews are much harder than longer ones.
Once you have that down, you can handle anything.
No one can make a living writing book reviews.
Good luck!
copyright 1998, 2008 GraceAnne A. DeCandido
GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandidoladyhawk AT well DOT com
written June 1998
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