| |
There are two main reasons you may be interested
in this article:-
-
You are already a book reviewer and you want to
know a little bit more;
-
You are new to book reviews and you want to
know what is involved.
We hope the following hints and tips from one
of our professional prolific reviewer and writer will help. If you
want to contribute your own ideas for future updates, please
let us know. Thanks in advance.
The bad news
first - there is no magic formula that you can follow to become a
successful book reviewer in one day.
The good news
is that anyone can become a successful book reviewer or professional
writer - you need an absolute determination to succeed, the rest is
easy!
There are many questions
you should consider before jumping in to write your first book
review:-
-
Why do you want to write book reviews?
-
What are your subject or topic skills?
-
Have you polished up your writing skills?
-
Do you like editing your own work?
-
Are you a helpful sort of person?
-
Are you objective/fair minded?
-
Do you enjoy reading a lot?
-
Can you work under time pressure?
-
Are you always willing to learn?
You may well ask what the above points have to do
with reviewing books.
As we have said, there is no instant magic
formula. However, the hints and tips have been provided here by one of
our most prolific professional reviewers - his reviews have appeared in
some of the best known online and print magazines over many, many years.
His reviews are used by billion dollar corporations, universities,
professional and other organizations, academics, students and
professional people.
Write down your answers to all the above
questions - be honest! It will help you to become a better reviewer. And,
Yes, you can earn money from writing.
For instance, why do you want to write reviews:-
-
To see your name in print or on the Internet?
-
Because you have strong opinions about what you
read?
-
Because you have a special skill or talent?
-
Just as a hobby?
-
To earn money as a writer?
-
To help other people
Any of the above answers are fine. You may
have your own reasons and they are equally valid. Once you know why
you want to write book reviews, you are well on your way to success.
The most successful
reviewers/writers put the interests of their readers first and last.
If you look after your readers' interests, they have a reason to
trust you and to keep returning to you for advice.
If you don't have their interests at heart,
your readers will desert you.
Some reviewers simply copy publicity material
provided by the publishers or the author. That is not really a
review at all. Pathetic reviewers even copy whole sentences from the
front or the back of the book or from pages in between and they
don't even give proper credit.
Readers can even tell from reviews whether a
reviewer has really bothered reading the book at all.
What a reader expects from
a book review:-
-
A summary of what the book is all about
-
Does the reader fall within the target
readership?
-
Does the author deliver what he/she promises?
-
Why should the reader choose or not choose the
book in question?
-
Does the writer come across as an expert?
-
Did the reviewer enjoy reading the book, would
he or she really recommend it to the reader?
-
A good reviewer also bears in mind that when he
or she is trusted by readers, hundreds or thousands of them may go
out and purchase the book. It is therefore a heavy obligation that
professional reviewers always take seriously.
|
There is a huge difference
between those who become successful writers and earn money from their
writing than those who simply dream.
-
The successful
ones take active steps
to make their dreams come true.
-
They start learning from the best
and they keep on until they succeed.
-
They invest their
time and they attend writing schools or take distance courses to improve
their writing skills, to learn marketing skills and to start earning
money.
-
The dreamers keep on dreaming
- they don't even bother taking
the first step, they don't invest any time or money to learn the
writer's trade, they don't get published, and they never make any money.
Don't dream, change your
destiny today - take the first step and join the elite band of people
world wide who earn a living from their writing. |
If you would like to know
more or you wish to become a freelance correspondent or reviewer or
receive details of writing and earning opportunities, please apply
here for free information.
Further hints and tips are only available to
our community members who have joined our lists above, it's free to
join.
If you like this article,
please link to this page and please tell your
friends about it - in Internet Explorer, click mail on your Toolbar
and then Send Link. Thank You.
Full international copyright and all
rights legally protected.
|
