What do you like most about book reviewing?
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- tamara_mc41
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Re: What do you like most about book reviewing?
I love that in some cases I get to read a book before any one else. the fact that some one is trusting you with there hard work is such a boost for me. I like that I get to express my opinion of the book I read and be heard. weather it's positive or negative, I love that when I start a review I get to hear other peoples opinions on the book as well.
- Gravy
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I don't think I could ever review for this site (I'm far too picky and would probably never find a book to review ) but I praise everyone who can.
I just like supporting the authors who give me so much enjoyment! An honest review is the least I can do .
That and talking up the ones I really like!
What is grief, if not love persevering?
Grief is just love with no place to go.
- moderntimes
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A small side "wicked pleasure" to reviewing particularly bad books is that I can write a fairly snarky and sarcastic review, not be too rampant but still poke fun at a bad book and get a smile from the readers of the reviews accordingly.
But ya gotta be careful. I don't remember whether I mentioned this before, but some years ago when I was living in El Paso I wrote book & movie reviews for the El Paso Times. And I wrote a particularly sarcastic review of a particularly awful mystery book based in Dallas. When the author read the review he was so angry that he phoned the paper and threatened to fly down to El Paso and kick my tail!
My reaction was "Come on!" but my editor had a better grasp of things and got the author calmed down, finally persuading him that reacting angrily to bad reviews was not a good move, author-wise.
Incidentally, the book got similar other reviews and quickly tanked. It was awful, honest.
But my review got rave reviews, ha ha.
- gali
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As was said above, free books are just a nice side benefit. I review my own books as well.ALynnPowers wrote:Is anyone going to be honest and just say the real reason they like book reviewing? Free books? Anyone?
I tease...
Pronouns: She/Her
"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
- Gravy
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Isn't that self promotion?gali wrote:I review my own books as well.
I kid, I jest, I joke!
Sorry couldn't help it
What is grief, if not love persevering?
Grief is just love with no place to go.
- gali
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lolGraverobber wrote:Isn't that self promotion?gali wrote:I review my own books as well.
I kid, I jest, I joke!
Sorry couldn't help it
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"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
- moderntimes
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Well, reviewing your own book is a bit, er, self-aggrandizing and may involve navel-gazing and other personalized pursuits (ha ha)gali wrote: As was said above, free books are just a nice side benefit. I review my own books as well.
Incidentally, with my recently completed 3rd mystery novel, I "finished" the book in late March but spent until September "really finishing" it, endlessly tweaking for word choice and slight changes, and scouring for typos (tpyos?) and finally declared it "done" although I must admit I've restrained from self-reviewing.
Naturally, like any new author, I've fantasized about reviews from major sources, acclaim and awards and lotsa dough resulting from the terrific reception of this still-unsold novel. But hey, a guy can hope, eh?
- Syntheticaudio
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I really agree with this. It definitely helps my writing and especially my own criticism of other peoples work puts my own work in a different light, which is handy in so many ways.suegibson4 wrote:I learn a lot about writing while reviewing. While I'm dissecting another author's work, I can't help but think about my own work in progress. Many times while I'm pointing out how a particular area of an author's work affected me, I realize how I might improve my own.
Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.
|Kurt Vonnegut|
- LivreAmour217
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- gali
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I meant books that I have bought of course.moderntimes wrote:Well, reviewing your own book is a bit, er, self-aggrandizing and may involve navel-gazing and other personalized pursuits (ha ha)gali wrote: As was said above, free books are just a nice side benefit. I review my own books as well.
Incidentally, with my recently completed 3rd mystery novel, I "finished" the book in late March but spent until September "really finishing" it, endlessly tweaking for word choice and slight changes, and scouring for typos (tpyos?) and finally declared it "done" although I must admit I've restrained from self-reviewing.
Naturally, like any new author, I've fantasized about reviews from major sources, acclaim and awards and lotsa dough resulting from the terrific reception of this still-unsold novel. But hey, a guy can hope, eh?
To clarify further, I didn't write books nor do I plan to.
Good luck with your book!
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"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
- vadadagon
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Alynn - I have to agree. It is nice to get some feedback from someone who doesn't have a vested interest in a relationship with you. Someone you feel that can be honest and tell you their true opinion without them feeling they are letting you down or perhaps even overly criticizing your writing.ALynnPowers wrote:I like writing reviews for books that don't have a lot of reviews yet. From a writer's point of view, I know how exciting it is to get a review from a "stranger" as opposed to a family member or friend, so I love knowing that I am one of the first to help them out on their path to becoming a successful author.
I have to say that I enjoy several things about reviewing a book and some of them are not easy to enumerate. For example I enjoy the fact that I feel a type of communion with the author and although I don't feel compelled to like the work I do want the author to succeed. I also enjoy discovering new authors who I may have never heard of or even tried without reviewing.
Most of all I enjoy the stories and worlds that I get to discover as these writers put their ideas on paper and become friends with these characters I previously didn't even know.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
Mrs. Bennet
- Hadiqa
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- pretzelsnow
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- Skillian
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Then also it helps me in my own writing...seeing what other's do well and where they make mistakes. It also just gives me a better eye for change when going back over my work while rewriting.
Fundamentally though... I like getting a free book and finding new authors to follow. hehehe.
- ALynnPowers
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Can I just be lazy and ditto everything you said. Cuz it's all true, my friend!Skillian wrote:I like the mode my brain is in when I know I am reading a book for review. It makes it even more enjoyable because I tap into that engagement of details, etc. Versus just going into a relaxed easy reading mindset. It also gives the whole experience more purpose... like I can help readers and authors by giving constructive criticism when necessary, give the book more exposure, etc. I have found that no matter how positive or negative... a good reviewer ultimately brings more readers. I know I have read negative reviews only to find reasons to read it, because I know the things the reviewer doesn't like... I do like.
Then also it helps me in my own writing...seeing what other's do well and where they make mistakes. It also just gives me a better eye for change when going back over my work while rewriting.
Fundamentally though... I like getting a free book and finding new authors to follow. hehehe.