One way you can support other writers as an aspiring author, is to write book reviews! Maybe it’s a quick tweet, or a full review on Goodreads or a note of praise on Audible. Regardless, there are writing skills to be sharpened from reviewing books. Not only are you reading, but in writing a review, you hone your critical eye for what readers enjoy. Then you can learn how to apply similar traits to your own work-in-progress to make it shine and someday receive 5 star reviews!
I’m on a journey to find the perfect comp (comparable) titles. (For the reasons why comp titles are important… check out this link from agent, Carly Watters.) So far, my best advice is to START EARLY! It’s shocking how much time goes into researching similar books, acquiring those books, reading them, and then writing summaries for novels that may compare to mine. No doubt, as a writer and reader, immersing myself in books is a-bucket-load of fun… but it sure is time consuming.
While searching for comp titles, here are a few simple rules to follow:
- Your comps should be in the same category as your novel (middle grade, YA or adult)
- And be in the same genre (fantasy, commercial fiction, mystery)
- Ideally the comp should have been published in the last five years
- The novel shouldn’t be a total blockbuster or too obscure (aim for amazon or goodreads reviews in the range of >5000 and <100,000)
- Finally, you should be able to succinctly summarize why your novel is similar (POV, tone, setting, pace, plot or character)
While you’re at it, why not write a review to support the author?
Writing a review may encourage networking with other authors, and will most certainly help to provide the bonus of becoming well read in your genre. It also gives you the excellent excuse to indulge in reading.
So, what makes a good book review? Ultimately, the best review is a personal, unprompted, recommendation from someone whose opinion you respect. Regardless, when someone loves a book so much that they can’t help raving about it, their recommendation holds power.
It’s a good idea to build yourself a template for your own reviews. Break it into easy to digest bits. Write it from your own voice and personalize it, because in the end, it is your opinion.
Remember your review is about the book and not the author.
This is my BOOK REVIEW outline (which I suspect will evolve over time).
THE BOOK – Summary sentence (with the name of the book, name of the author and year published) which describes the basic plot of the book. Be sure not to be a spoiler – or if you must – warn the reader. Keep your summary of the book’s plot brief.
BALANCED OPINIONS with SPECIFICS – Share what and why you enjoyed the writing, the prose, the pacing, the characters, the themes and what the book may have taught you. Explain why you can’t stop thinking about it and what you took away from the reading journey. This may include any direct quotes from the novel.
Do your best to keep your review balanced. Include examples of things you liked and examples of things that may not have been to your liking, but again, be specific and be clear that these are your personal opinions.
GIVE IT A RATING – This is your way of sharing how highly you would recommend the book. Design and set your own system. I have started my own ‘FIVE PAW’ rating system.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION – Make a concluding statement to summarize your overall opinion.
As an example: here are the reviews for my most recent reads.
In LILY AND THE OCTOPUS by Steven Rowley (2016), the overwhelming power of the bond between man and his canine best friend helps Ted to embrace change and demand the happiness he deserves. The prose is breath taking and yet at times, so raw that I had to pause to allow my heart to breathe. The main character, Ted, was so real that I wanted to call him up to go for lunch. His loss was devastating and yet worth the journey. Experienced in audible form, I perhaps would have explored another voice for the dog, as I found the actor’s interpretation of Lily’s voice to be annoying, however, I’m sure the author had no control over this and it was so minor and likely I’m alone in this opinion. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 PAWS. Barking mad but worth the listen!
/5
TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE by Kelly Ohlert (2022) is an endearing romance about a woman who rescues a chicken crossing a busy road and meets a guy. But by bringing home the chicken, she gets evicted. Thankfully, she finds a room to rent with a gruff exterior guy who has a squishy-soft interior. Ohlert balances the push and pull of this budding friendship and rewardingly brings them together while sharing in the joys and challenges of caring for an injured pet chicken. Not only do you want the chicken to make it to the other side, but you can’t help cheering for this lovely couple. I give it a 4 out of 5 PAWS. Such a unique meet-cute!
/5
