Panick Attacks for first reviews?

[hkachelmeier]

I haven't chosen my first book yet to review but reading these comments are helping give me an idea on what to expect when I get to that point.

[moderntimes]

Just take your time with the reading and the review, and be fair. You'll be fine.

[Anki_Real_Reviews]

I have received a good amount of rejections, but I am not giving up. With a little effort, we can - eventually - grasp the concept of grammar; problem arises when we do not know what to write. At least, I believe every word that I just wrote. I use grammarly to correct most obvious mistakes, but advanced issues of my sentences still remain in my content.

All said and done, I am not an expert. I am trying to learn, though. Good luck in your quest to success.

[moderntimes]

First of all, yes, your reviews, just like all other writing which you submit, must be perfect, clean and free from errors of any kind. Some may accept a minor glitch but it behooves the author to ensure that there are zero mechanical and grammatical errors.

But, and I am saying this with the kindest criticism, is it possible that your reviews are a bit too "amateurish", Anki, and this is the reason they are being rejected (I don't know to whom you are submitting them)?

By "amateurish" I mean what a joking call "high school" reviews. These are the sort of reviews which "gush" about a liked book, overuse of "wonderful" and "glorious" adjectives without saying WHY the book is good.

This sort of review also seems to follow a standardized path: The review summarized the plot, then says that the reviewer liked or disliked the book. But it never says WHY in any detail which helps the prospective purchaser decide.

And there are other aspects to a review than just the plot, and "high school" amateurish reviews only seem to mention the plot. But a book has style, coherent narrative, dialogue which is realistic and meaningful, a rhythm which provides exciting sections and then more sedate expository sections, a feel for the language, all sorts of things which make up a good (or bad) novel besides the plot.

So a good review should point out all the aspects of a book, not just the plot, which lets review readers decide better whether to buy the book. For example, the plot may be a bit thin or tenuous, but the dialogues may be smart and brilliant, the descriptions of scenes and person in the novel be sharp and intelligent, and so on.

So for a newbie reviewer, from someone with 120+ reviews, I recommend 1) ensure that there are zero mechanical and grammatical errors, and 2) write a fully and entertaining review, one that's a sort of "essay" on the book, that discusses ALL the aspects, both good and bad, of the novel under review. Imagine you're telling a friend about the book, discussing that the dialogue was fun to read, the story line sagged a bit but the descriptions of the scenery and characters was very entertaining, etc.

And good luck!

[Anki_Real_Reviews]

First of all, yes, your reviews, just like all other writing which you submit, must be perfect, clean and free from errors of any kind. Some may accept a minor glitch but it behooves the author to ensure that there are zero mechanical and grammatical errors.

But, and I am saying this with the kindest criticism, is it possible that your reviews are a bit too "amateurish", Anki, and this is the reason they are being rejected (I don't know to whom you are submitting them)?

By "amateurish" I mean what a joking call "high school" reviews. These are the sort of reviews which "gush" about a liked book, overuse of "wonderful" and "glorious" adjectives without saying WHY the book is good.

This sort of review also seems to follow a standardized path: The review summarized the plot, then says that the reviewer liked or disliked the book. But it never says WHY in any detail which helps the prospective purchaser decide.

And there are other aspects to a review than just the plot, and "high school" amateurish reviews only seem to mention the plot. But a book has style, coherent narrative, dialogue which is realistic and meaningful, a rhythm which provides exciting sections and then more sedate expository sections, a feel for the language, all sorts of things which make up a good (or bad) novel besides the plot.

So a good review should point out all the aspects of a book, not just the plot, which lets review readers decide better whether to buy the book. For example, the plot may be a bit thin or tenuous, but the dialogues may be smart and brilliant, the descriptions of scenes and person in the novel be sharp and intelligent, and so on.

So for a newbie reviewer, from someone with 120+ reviews, I recommend 1) ensure that there are zero mechanical and grammatical errors, and 2) write a fully and entertaining review, one that's a sort of "essay" on the book, that discusses ALL the aspects, both good and bad, of the novel under review. Imagine you're telling a friend about the book, discussing that the dialogue was fun to read, the story line sagged a bit but the descriptions of the scenery and characters was very entertaining, etc.

And good luck!

Thanks moderntimes! I really appreciate your detailed advice. I shall keep it in mind.

[charysma_lilly]

I am as well a little scared it may not be an assesment towards the author, but I don't want to embarass myself either I try to appreciate all the reviews I read here, as it takes a lot to write one

[moderntimes]

Were I you, I'd migrate from being "scared" to being "concerned" -- the former only stifles you, but the latter provides incentive to do well and proceed further with better and better writing.

[Joyreader]

I think the biggest thing to remember, is that there are people on here that will help you to improve with every review you write. The comments that they give have helped me to see where I can improve my subsequent review each and every time. They take the time to help us see where we can shore up some weaknesses, but also give encouragement in our strengths. Just like anything else, you will get better with practice, so just start writing them and go from there! Don't forget to have fun too! You are doing the author a great service by reviewing their book. It is very cool!

Agreed

[Paliden]

I agree with everyone else. It's normal to be a little nervous about it. I still pause before pushing the button to commit and question if I am sure about reading this one. But after I start reading, it's fun! I feel you on the punctuation, though. I'm always questioning the commas and such. Don't let it worry you too much! Just have fun!

[moderntimes]

Agreed. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll do fine. Just be honest and fair.

[LiteratureUtopia]

I always feel that way. Either i've used the wrong terms or the wrong sentence to describe something. I'm hoping it gets easier the more I write.

[moderntimes]

The more you write, the better you get. Starting with a bit of talent, writing well is a learned skill. Which is why a few revisions are always helpful, to tweak the sentences into proper shape.

This afternoon I wrote my most recent review, a mystery "Pretty Girls" by the well known author Karin Slaughter. As I read the book, I was making mental notes and so when I started the review, it came quickly. That's what practice gets you. I've got about 150+ reviews under my belt now.

Nevertheless, I try to make each review different. I don't just summarize the plot -- that's "high school" (not to demean good young writers). I talk about the story, yes, but the character development, the themes that the author puts forth, the book's rhythm and how English is used to set tones and so forth.

I try to write my review as if I were describing the book to a friend.

[Goms]

Hi,
I guess it happens to all new writers. The fear of not doing a good job comes to us all. I'd say that you just write down what you have in mind, I mean what you think of the book, maybe go online to polish your punctuation skills. Please spellcheck your work before submitting and you are good to go. Remember 'practise makes perfect' and 'Rome was not built in a day.'
So don't expect to be an instant pro, but you will get better with time. I have just come out of my own 'jitters stage.'

Cheers

[moderntimes]

Good ideas. I think that it's essential to keep writing and keep perfecting the work. Everything takes time and nobody but prodigies can write well from the beginning. The vast majority of us start slow and work on getting better. I've got a fair amount of experience now, but like everyone else, I started out by feeling my way thru things.

[Booky_BettyC]

I'm kind of confused if a comma is needed and where, in a sentence that has phrasing of "although", "such as", "as it", "where as", etc. Also I really would like to thank everyone for their help. It's very comforting knowing that questions, even though they may seem quite basic, will be answered without judgement!