A Word on Book Reviews…

I love almost all genres of books. An avid reader, writer, editor, I believe strongly in helping young writers. They are the future. That said, reviews are so important, but they must be honest. You’re not helping a friend or family member if you either over-rate or under-rate a book. Over-rating a book that needs work or editing prevents the author from developing his/her potential with a false sense of security. If you under-rate a book to make it sell less because you’ve written something in a similar genre, you aren’t helping your own book–you’re hurting the craft and industry of professional writers. Quality, clarity, accuracy, creativity are the four things I look for in a book I will treasure always. Even if the genre isn’t my cup-of-tea, good writing is always appreciated, always stands out. Make sure your research is solid and your plot believable. Writers are readers, and readers in many cases could be writers, but sometimes you just want to relax and enjoy a good book, getting lost in the beauty of language and the thrill of discovery.

A book without reviews is like a blank page
A book without reviews is like a blank page

17 thoughts on “A Word on Book Reviews…”

  1. So true, Deborah. Though, if I really don’t like the book, I can’t find it in myself to leave a review. I guess, I just don’t like giving those 1 and 2 stars : )

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    1. Donna, you have to finish the book to review it…at least that’s my philosophy. Some books, I never finish. Therefore, I give very few 1-star ratings. I do try to contact the author, however, and let them know their book needs work if it’s unreadable from an editorial standpoint. If the book offends me, I stop reading. Just as I would get up and walk out of a movie that was offensive. Good point you brought up!

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  4. Your thoughts are spot on. I agree with your wise assessment. I’ve only read a few books that I would rate a 3 or less. I also look for the creativity and how the book makes me feel. I guess I’m an empathic reader! It’s all about where the story takes me. I seldom criticize an author’s writing choices. If we all wrote the same way what fun would it be? ❤️

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  5. I agree with your comments here, Deborah. When I review a book, I look for the best in it to highlight as, indeed, not all books are one’s favourite genre. I like books about people’s lives best but I do also review other kinds of books. I also mention an issue such as poor editing or language but state whether it detracted from the storyline or not.

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    1. Yes, Robbie, I do the same thing. If the book and story are good, but editing poor, I weigh the plot against the distraction of errors. I definitely cut one of more stars for multiple errors because that shows it wasn’t proofread; if the problem is excessive grammar mistakes, disregard for rules of punctuation, misspelling, awkward syntax and phrasing, the book hasn’t been edited, and that is unforgivable, but I’m an editor. My mission in life is to help authors be their very best. I really have trouble and probably won’t even finish a book with inconsistencies, discrepancies, confusing plot filled with mistakes in logic and realism–a poor writer who really doesn’t have a story. Not everyone should be writing books. I always try to be supportive, helpful, and caring in my review statements. A review is not a vehicle for complaints. Contact the author directly if it’s really bad and they’re in the wrong profession. No sense putting that out in public unless it’s purposely gross, vile, and degrading to other writers.

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    1. Let me look at your article and then respond more fully. Since I am an editor as well as an author, if an author has potential, but needs direction, I would contact the writer directly and possibly forego the review. They do come back to haunt you, but they also keep you humble. Depends on the issue.

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    1. So nice to meet you too. Just went to your blog. Wonderful “about” page and so many beautiful books! The Ivory Elephant caught my eye. I have hundreds of elephants from all over the world. I collect them. They are amazing, loving creatures, and they truly never forget. Thanks for stopping by my humble postings.

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      1. Thank you, Deborah. We have elephant figurines all over our house too. Love them! The trunk up means good luck. The one on the cover was the only one we had that was ivory looking for the book. There is a story behind the elephant that I created for the book. Thanks for stopping by.

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      2. Well, at some point we’ll have to share elephant stories. Yes, I know about the upward trunk being good luck and point his head toward the doorway for Fen Shui balance as well. I have an antique, hand-carved ivory and silver brooch of an elephant. I honor his life, which was probably taken, to produce it. It’s about 100 years old. Surprisingly, I haven’t used an elephant as a character in one of my books yet. I’ll just have to buy and review yours! I have used my 17-year-old Angora cat, Molly, in my teen/YA series: Delilah, Astral Investigator Infinity Series. 2nd book due out in February. I can get lost in your beautiful books. I am an avid collector of classics and soon-to-be classics.

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      3. I have always loved elephants. Sad to think that they are killed for their ivory. I will check out your book too. What name do you write under? Is it available on Kindle? Best wishes! Nice to meet you and chat. 😃

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