3 Top Reasons to Write a Book Review
Introduction My name is Patricia Altner and I am a freelance writer, bibliographer, and researcher.
I am also a book reviewer and would like to introduce you to the pleasures and rewards of this pastime.
What give me the credentials to offer this report on book reviewing? Try this experiment.
Google my name.
Go ahead.
Search Patricia Altner.
You will see that most entries are either linked to my book, Vampire Readings, or to reviews I have posted online.
My Background As a reference librarian my greatest joy was finding information for people, and when working in a public library it was always great fun to advise customers on books they might like to read.
This allowed me to guiltlessly indulge my love for reading since without reading a variety of novel, biographies, popular history, and on and on, I would not be able to do my job.
Usually when recommending books it entailed giving a brief verbal review although since I was making a recommendation these reviews were usually of the positive variety.
From time to time I found it necessary to steer a reader away from a particular book because there might be something offense for that particular person like graphic sex and/or violence.
Not everyone has the same taste, as I quickly found out.
I enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, but an elderly friend thought they were too violent.
To each his own.
Reason #1 Name Recognition Do you yearn to see your name in print? Or would you like to see it more often? Write for name recognition! I have always loved to read, but the idea of putting my thoughts about a book on paper never occurred to me until I came across a professional journal that sought reviewers for historical fiction.
There was no compensation except for a brief byline and, depending upon the generosity of the publisher, a copy of the book.
I began doing this several years ago when uncorrected proofs consisted of loose, legal size pages.
This left huge margin for notes, but the sheets were a bit unwieldy.
The point is my name appeared regularly in print, something I loved to see.
It was a fun and easy way to let others know my opinion besides the ego trip.
I found that after publishing many reviews, it actually led to other writing assignments - and not just reviewing.
Some of articles paid real money.
Don't get me wrong book reviewing will not make you rich, still it may generate some income.
What it will definitely do is get your name into the public sphere which, besides bringing self-satisfaction, it can bring you to the attention of those who would be interested in your expertise Reason #2 Knowledge Increase your knowledge and those of others If you are an eclectic reader who enjoys readinga variety of material then you are the perfect person to work in the reader's advisory role which is really a good definition of a book reviewer.
Should you ever need the excuse to read a nonfiction book that is way out of your knowledge base - for me it might be A History of Time by Stephen Hawking - but you wonder, "Should I take time out of my very busy schedule for this?" The answer is, of course! You are a reviewer.
You will be putting whatever knowledge you have gained to use by imparting it to others.
You will recommend this book, or not, based on how well the author imparted the information, and you will make sure that you have an understanding of the subject in order to intelligently explain it to your audience.
If you regularly review for a publication an editor will often assign a book to you.
It has been in this way that I have been exposed to authors I might never have known about.
Years ago I became aware of P.
N Elrod's Vampire Files series and have been a fan ever since.
More recently I was assigned Dead Until Dawn by Charlaine Harris and have not missed one book of her entertaining Southern Vampire Mysteries.
(It's obvious in which genre I prefer to read!) Reason # 3 Improve Writing Improve Your Writing Skills In order to be a good writer you have to read, so why not jot down your thoughts about that most recent book you have finished.
Then do your editing and polishing.
Make it ready for publication.
Then publish or not.
It's completely up to you.
if you decide these jottings are for your eyes only your time has not been wasted.
Every writer's advice article or book tells budding authors to write every day and at every chance.
And what happens when your mind is as blank as a new document form? Get beyond that horrid writer's block and spell out in vivid detail why you loved every word of Ann Lamott or despised the syrupy sweetness of Barbara Cartland.
It's cathartic and you filled up a lot of white space with something meaningful.
Much of the time you read what you are passionate about.
So for me that means sitting down next to my ever growing pile of vampire fiction and vampire lore, and spending an enjoyable few hours with the undead.
OK.
It's not for everyone.
Go with whatever subject sparks your enthusiasm.
An added bonus for all of us who are compelled to write something about our reading material is that it creates a personal reader's journal.
Too often have had a vague memory of something I've read and am driven crazy until I remember the title.
Now that I keep my own private reading journal I'm able to keep my sanity.
Also from time to time I like to peruse the entries and savor the memory of an enjoyable book.
I am also a book reviewer and would like to introduce you to the pleasures and rewards of this pastime.
What give me the credentials to offer this report on book reviewing? Try this experiment.
Google my name.
Go ahead.
Search Patricia Altner.
You will see that most entries are either linked to my book, Vampire Readings, or to reviews I have posted online.
My Background As a reference librarian my greatest joy was finding information for people, and when working in a public library it was always great fun to advise customers on books they might like to read.
This allowed me to guiltlessly indulge my love for reading since without reading a variety of novel, biographies, popular history, and on and on, I would not be able to do my job.
Usually when recommending books it entailed giving a brief verbal review although since I was making a recommendation these reviews were usually of the positive variety.
From time to time I found it necessary to steer a reader away from a particular book because there might be something offense for that particular person like graphic sex and/or violence.
Not everyone has the same taste, as I quickly found out.
I enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, but an elderly friend thought they were too violent.
To each his own.
Reason #1 Name Recognition Do you yearn to see your name in print? Or would you like to see it more often? Write for name recognition! I have always loved to read, but the idea of putting my thoughts about a book on paper never occurred to me until I came across a professional journal that sought reviewers for historical fiction.
There was no compensation except for a brief byline and, depending upon the generosity of the publisher, a copy of the book.
I began doing this several years ago when uncorrected proofs consisted of loose, legal size pages.
This left huge margin for notes, but the sheets were a bit unwieldy.
The point is my name appeared regularly in print, something I loved to see.
It was a fun and easy way to let others know my opinion besides the ego trip.
I found that after publishing many reviews, it actually led to other writing assignments - and not just reviewing.
Some of articles paid real money.
Don't get me wrong book reviewing will not make you rich, still it may generate some income.
What it will definitely do is get your name into the public sphere which, besides bringing self-satisfaction, it can bring you to the attention of those who would be interested in your expertise Reason #2 Knowledge Increase your knowledge and those of others If you are an eclectic reader who enjoys readinga variety of material then you are the perfect person to work in the reader's advisory role which is really a good definition of a book reviewer.
Should you ever need the excuse to read a nonfiction book that is way out of your knowledge base - for me it might be A History of Time by Stephen Hawking - but you wonder, "Should I take time out of my very busy schedule for this?" The answer is, of course! You are a reviewer.
You will be putting whatever knowledge you have gained to use by imparting it to others.
You will recommend this book, or not, based on how well the author imparted the information, and you will make sure that you have an understanding of the subject in order to intelligently explain it to your audience.
If you regularly review for a publication an editor will often assign a book to you.
It has been in this way that I have been exposed to authors I might never have known about.
Years ago I became aware of P.
N Elrod's Vampire Files series and have been a fan ever since.
More recently I was assigned Dead Until Dawn by Charlaine Harris and have not missed one book of her entertaining Southern Vampire Mysteries.
(It's obvious in which genre I prefer to read!) Reason # 3 Improve Writing Improve Your Writing Skills In order to be a good writer you have to read, so why not jot down your thoughts about that most recent book you have finished.
Then do your editing and polishing.
Make it ready for publication.
Then publish or not.
It's completely up to you.
if you decide these jottings are for your eyes only your time has not been wasted.
Every writer's advice article or book tells budding authors to write every day and at every chance.
And what happens when your mind is as blank as a new document form? Get beyond that horrid writer's block and spell out in vivid detail why you loved every word of Ann Lamott or despised the syrupy sweetness of Barbara Cartland.
It's cathartic and you filled up a lot of white space with something meaningful.
Much of the time you read what you are passionate about.
So for me that means sitting down next to my ever growing pile of vampire fiction and vampire lore, and spending an enjoyable few hours with the undead.
OK.
It's not for everyone.
Go with whatever subject sparks your enthusiasm.
An added bonus for all of us who are compelled to write something about our reading material is that it creates a personal reader's journal.
Too often have had a vague memory of something I've read and am driven crazy until I remember the title.
Now that I keep my own private reading journal I'm able to keep my sanity.
Also from time to time I like to peruse the entries and savor the memory of an enjoyable book.
