All Writers Can Benefit By Writing Book Reviews PT1

Websites that publish book reviews have a voracious appetite. Good book reviewers, those who review books quickly, and submit regularly, are hard to find. The publishers never have enough people to write reviews.


1) Self-Esteem

I started writing book reviews six years ago for my website. The only reason I started writing book reviews was for the free books.

The first time a real galley arrived was a benchmark day in my writing career. I still remember reading the photocopied, scribbled on pages. It was a monumental moment for me.

This link to the publishing world fed my self-esteem at a time when my husband was not too supportive. It is hard to explain to a non-writer why a writing course is worth hundreds of dollars, or why anyone would choose to sit at the computer in August and write instead of going on vacation.

2) Surviving Rejection

I found the submission and rejection process devastating. My emotions ran the gambit from high to depressed, every week. I can honestly claim that I might have quit, if real publishers had not trusted me to review their books.

Every time the insecurity and doubt crept in, another book arrived in the mail. Knowing that a new author, just like me, wrote each one was proof that my goals were realistic and attainable.

I wish someone had told me to cherish those early years. I enjoyed reading those books. They taught more about the craft of writing, and what publishers want, than a dozen courses, workshops, and ‘how to’ books could have.

3) Learn

Reviewing books taught me about the publishing industry. It did not matter whether the book came from a small or large publisher; there were consistencies in the character growth, plot development, and types of heroes.

At first, I considered this a type of formula writing, but as my experience grew, I realized this was actually considered meeting reader demands.

I started analyzing books like a reader, not a writer. I learned that every genre promises a certain type of entertainment or escapism. Each genre’s readers demanded different personality and character types in their heroes. Because readers gravitate to genres that share their moral and social standards, book sales indicate what conflicts and resolutions the reader want in their books.

4) Fewer Rejection Letters

When I started writing a book that met reader’s demands, the number of rejections I received started to dwindle. This revealed a truth I had not considered before. Publishers are in the business of making money. This money comes from sales, and these sales come from the book buying public.

I did not learn what the current publishing trends from a book or course; I learned by writing book reviews.

Reviewing books can teach more about the current trends in fiction, and in my genre, than I learned in courses. Most writing course content is evergreen. It offers general information that relates to all genres. While this information is vital to everyone’s growth as a writer, it does not reveal the current publishing trends.

Reviewing books reveals the insider secrets of a particular genre, by giving the writer a chance to see what several publishers’ had just released, and comparing dozens of new releases in a particular genre.

5) Career Choice?

Some writers find their niche’ as reviewers. They never give stop writing fiction, but they learn to write reviews that sell books. Some even develop fan-based networks, and publish book review websites that attract advertisers and offer an alternative source of income.








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