I wonder if people are reticent about doing reviews because they think they have to be lengthy? A mutual friend of ours has often said a 3 line review is fine
...as a compulsive reviewer.
Reviews are lifeblood to an Indie. Not so much to Patterson or McDermid, but to an indie starting out on the journey, a review is essential to accelerate credibility.
And not necessarily 5* reviews either. ANY number of stars will do*.
So. Here's a quick and easy guide to commenting and reviewing in three or four lines.
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1) Title
Amazon ask you for a title. If you can't think of anything clever, write ONE word which sums up your feelings.
Brilliant. Crap. SoSo. Spellbinding (I like that one). Hypnotic. Unputdownable. Disgrace. Rubbish. Give the review reader a one word picture of your opinions.
2) Story
How was the story? Did you enjoy it? Start off with a summary sentence: "I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot of fun to read and I was engrossed in the story." is fine.
3) Characters
Did you enjoy the characters the author has created? Were they believable? Could you picture them sitting in your living room enjoying a cup of tea? Or did all the characters merge into one? Who was your favourite character and why?
4) Favourite scene
Did you have a favourite scene in the novel? What was it? " The scene in the orchard thrilled me." "I could picture Dennis in the kitchen at the moment of Freda's murder."
5) Writing
Was it well written? Good grammar and formatting? Original and witty? Bland and uninspired? Did the writing grab you? Inspire you? Or did you think - "I can write better than this".
Always let the writer know about the writing. It's like complimenting a therapist on the quality of her advice, or the electrician on the finish of his conduit.
Finally...
6) Would you recommend this book to a friend/buy another book by this author?
A simple sentence. No explanation necessary.
So, a short review of, say, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, as written by someone who doesn't normally review books, might say.
Brilliant Vampire Tale.
"This was a great story. I was engrossed. Dracula himself was scary and I also really liked Jonathan Harker. My favourite scene was where Dracula disembarked the death ship on Whitby Docks - fantastic. It's beautifully written and perfectly formatted, so I could lose myself in the story. I would have no hesitation in buying another Bram Stoker".
Download Dracula by Bram Stoker to your Kindle FREE here...Project Gutenburg
3 lines on Amazon. 6 sentences. 76 words.
Okay, its not Brian Sewell, but readers who don't review don't want to be a critic - they want to read books.
And I, for one, as a writer of Indie fiction, would prefer a review as basic - but fundamentally warm - as this, than a no show.
Wiz
PS: For me, you can even get away with a one line review for a book you loved...
e.g.**
Could not put it down!
By
X - Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Wrong Place Wrong Time (Kindle Edition)
I'm a True Crime fan for sure. Not sure this book falls in that category but took the chance and clicked on it. Loved it.
Lame,
By Y - Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Wrong Place Wrong Time (Kindle Edition)
A total and completely waste of time. The writing sucks and the story is even worse...don't bother and save your money
** These are two LIVE reviews taken at random from Amazon
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