The basics of writing blog book reviews is to harnesses the power of a book and then boil it down to something special. Or at least a good book review does. As a writer of dozens of book reviews for newspapers and online media, I always find a bad taste in my mouth when I read a flawed book review on a blog (sometimes it’s mine). The writer either spent his money on a valuable book only to waste it by rushing the review, or he wasted a publisher’s time by writing a bad review, missing all the elements of a quality book review. The writer will get, perhaps, less books in the future and less readers of his blog. Poor book reviews happen. This isn’t writing a negative review; it’s actually just forgetting the basics behind any quality book review. I will boil down the basics of a book review here, and why blogging is so promising for publishing book reviews.
KISS:
Keep the book review short and simple. Actually, you can go against this in a way. One strategy many successful bloggers is to keep the reviews below 300 words, as after that, many blog readers start skimming. This doesn’t mean you write a short review. A successful blog needs lots of posts. You write a clear and simple review, from 300-800 words, and you post it in installments. One huge review would be pushing it. A bunch of 50 word posts and you’re getting carried away. A good blog post is 200-300 words. Keep each post short and simple. Your readers will thank you.
Popularity Contest:
Unfortunately, we will not be writing for the New York Times book review. Writing a good blog book review is bringing up something interesting. Yes, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald are masters, but there names get searched online, usually, less than the likes of Stephen King. Dean Koontz, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Robert Jordan. You don’t have to follow this formula, but consider what is popular on the internet currently and tap into it. Look to what is getting a lot of buzz on the top sites in terms of book reviews. A good list to keep in touch with is the “Locus” magazine bestsellers, which features top selling genre novels. Others are “The New York Times” and “Salon.” That’s how you get more readers.
Develop a Thesis:
What is the theme of this book? What does it new that highlights what it’s about? Try to master an argument you will make throughout the review with examples. For example, if you said “The Stand” by Stephen King had an interesting religious philosophy, you’re offering the reader a conclusion on whether or not it will appeal to them. Instead of just saying “This is bad and let me tell you why,” formulate something more concrete by applying examples. Another old writing truism is to “show don’t tell.”
What’s New Here?
A good way to show your expertise as a book reviewer is to apply what’s new in the text. Compared to the author’s first book, is this better or worse? That is just one example. It proves to the blog readers, short on time as they are, that this is a worthwhile site to come back to. This writer, they might say, provides a complete review.
Good Writing Wins Out:
Whatever topic you choose to write about, consistently go for quality writing, not rushed through just to post something. That’s obvious, but once your posts add up, and you get repeat visitors, your blog will turn into a success story.
The Good Side:
If you start up a successful book review blog, say getting 20-50 hits a day, you will begin to get offers from publishers to review their books. I have been offered everything from graphic novels to the latest from top novelists. In the meantime, you can always email publishers asking for books you think will work on the blog. For example, a horror blogger could write to the publishers of Stephen King and Clive Barker (as I did) asking for review copies.
There is also a profit in running the blog via paid posting sites like Pay Per Post. If you keep it up, you’ll get more than free books-you’ll earn an online income.
Tags: blog book review, writing reviews
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May 27th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Personally I do not think that there is much substantive difference in writing a book review in a traditonal medium versus a blog. The only difference lies in the ability to monetize the blog but content wise, good writing rules remain the same.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 am
yea, this is a good blog. lots of info. lol, he’s a smart man and everyone likes him. People that write like that should be hanged. a rushed review that gives no depth or info is a waste of bandwidth but at the same time, I don’t want to read a review that spoils the best parts. It’s why I don’t read anything related to Higurashi.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I agree with liowkc. Actually, this post is interesting. I do, in fact, search online for movie reviews, rather than reading them in magazines/newspapers. If you have a well-written, clear and concise review, I’m likely to go back from then on. These sorts of blogs often get me coming back as you know what content to expect and what sort of quality it will be. Unique and interesting perspectives are key, though… there are so many review sites online. If you have a sense of humour, I’m more likely to continue reading.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I agree that more and more people are reading reviews from the internet these days, instead of looking for the book review page in magazine or newspaper. Even some book and movie lovers who are busy, don’t have time to read the newspaper. I believe that practice is the key to getting a quality result. By learning from different resources, asking advice and with practice, we can deliver a good result.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I have never thought about reviewing books online as a source of income. This is a very informative and interesting article. It is something that I definitely want to learn more about and maybe do.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I read this article with movie reviews in mind, as this is what I write. I think it is very much on target for both media. I’m not sure I agree with splitting the review over a number of posts, though. I’d much rather read the review all in one sitting than have to move from post to post for it.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Well, it might depend on just how big a review you are writing. I don’t mind reading 2 or 3 paragraphs on something, but if I have to read a book just to review a movie or book, I’ll just go and decide for myself.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Blog book reviews are indeed a great way to have regular content on a blog. I agree that rushed reviews can be bad, however, it is possible to say a lot with a little words. Internet surfers have a very short attention span and it would be suicide to try to write a long review because you will probably lose your reader. If you are writing for the Internet you should focus on being able to say a lot with a few words.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Is this really a lucrative way of earning money on the internet? Blog reviews differ in what way then other methods of earning. I am not sure that I fully understand how you can make the money in this.Would you need to make them long or does keeping them short to the point better for the reader and the writer.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I am really getting an eye opener about blogging.
I think that you have to have some balance in the review you write. It shouldnt’ be too long or too short. It needs to be informative without rambling or giving away the whole thing. And it needs to be long enough to get the reader interested in it and to give them an idea of whether or not they truly want to check it out for themselves.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:19 am
I think the formula of KISS is very important. Also another important factor is BPL. Be brief,precise and lucid. That will add more taste to the contents. Because the readers may not be interested in reading long number of pages. It should not become boredom job for them.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I guess there is no perfect way to please every reader. Some want more info and some will want less. I think you just have to find the right balance. Yes, I think the BPL is a good idea. I want to use a lot of these idea’s on my own blogs.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Obviously if a reader is looking at a book review he wants info, an idea or a sort of a hint if the book’s worth buying. The last thing you want to see is a review giving the book away. A spoiler. But it also has to be more than what you get from the book’s back cover.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
These are some great ideas. The Kiss reminds me of a phrase that my uncle used to say, “Keep it like a mini skirt. Short enough to keep it interesting, but long enough to cover the bases.”
This is great information for someone who is thinking about writing book reviews. There are so many times online that I’ll read a review that is 2000 words long, and by the time I’m half way through it, I’m ready to go to sleep.