What is a book review? The definition

According to study.com, "A book review is an analysis of a book that includes its subject, strengths, weaknesses, and context.” As per Wikipedia, A book review is alternately called a book report or book critique too.

Reviews are indexed in a database like the Book Review Index or the Kirkus Reviews.

Writing a book review is summarizing, analyzing, and presenting a critical discussion of the book. Your analysis and opinion need to come out clearly with confidence without letting go of your personal touch and taste.

This is not an opportunity to brag about your intelligence or authority on writing skills. You have to express your reactions to whether the book achieved what it set out to do. You may agree or disagree with the author, but your discussion needs to be around what was written, not what you wanted to be written by the author.

Book review vs. Book summary

A book summary is the general description of the context of a book. It gives an overview of the story for the reader of what is expected in the story highlighting only the main points. There are no opinions or "I think" or "I love" here. It is never long.

A book review may consist of a book summary or synopsis and commentary of the book. It includes the reviewer's opinions analysis and critiques. It is meant to be lengthy, but a review beyond 1000 words is rare.

Why Book reviews? Are they Important?

Book reviews give books visibility. That, in turn, improves its chances of being found by readers. So as a book reviewer you become a guide for readers.

Book critiques are essential to authors, publishers, and readers.

For an author, a book is a business, and they need reviews for their product to establish credibility and popularity.

Reviews are so much more important to new authors/self-published authors because they're writing is yet unknown. Feedback about their writing is essential to new writers and old. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but you might be the one to have found the next new J.K.Rowling!

For publishers, book reviews give them easy marketing of the book they think has potential.

Readers having no knowledge of a book or its plot or author select a book based on its reviews. Reviews give the reader the push they need to purchase a book.

Audiobooks have become a rage. 

So what genres are making it big? Interestingly Poetry and Non-fiction are making headlines.

Self-Publishing is here in a big way.

So what, you say? Well, the trends we see today will dictate what jobs succeed tomorrow.

With an increasing number of books, whether self-published or commercially published, whether ebooks or Audio or paperbacks, whether fiction or poetry or non-fiction will need publicity and hence Reviews. That's where book reviewers come in. Got it!

In the US alone 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published every year. Imagine the choices for you as book reviewers. Impressed!

If you ask me, I picked up book reviewing because it gives me so many free books to read. Yay!

Convinced? So how do you become a book reviewer?

How to become a book reviewer?

1. First and foremost, read.

Tons and tons of books. As a reviewer being well-read is your essential qualification.

Also, you might have to work on deadlines. So until you master the art of reading like crazy, read. Your experience as a reader should come through your reviews. Reading many books also has the advantages of making you write better.

You could read bestsellers in your genre first to try and give you an idea as to what a book in your genre can be like. This may help you while reviewing other books in the same genre.

2. Specialize.

You may sharpen your focus to a particular genre or pick 2/3 to keep it interesting for you. I love the crime/thriller/mystery genre, the romance genre, and the self-help genre. I usually accept books in these genres alternately so that my reading doesn't get dull by reading three or four self-help books in a row.

3. Start reviewing books for free

Sites like Amazon or Goodreads make it so easy. Create a login account and review away. ( Amazon I think has a condition where you can write reviews if you've shopped on Amazon for at least $50 ) They are hugely popular among the bookworm community. And the reviews here don't have to be lengthy. Short 5 line reviews are most helpful. It will also give you good practice to be precise and concise.

Additionally, you could get chatty on Goodreads and join your favorite author's group or a group about your favorite genre. You also have the opportunity to look at other people's reviews and writing.

Did you know lately, social media fans even post book reviews to Instagram and Youtube? You post a picture of the book and the review in the caption area with the hashtag #bookstagram, and you are a bookstagrammer.

Or even more impressive, you record a video as you review your book and show it off and post the video to Youtube and hey, you are a BookTuber! More on BookTube and Bookstagram coming up later in this article. Keep reading.

4. Next, start looking for paid review opportunities

Kirkus reviews, OnlineBookClub.org, Publisher's weekly are places where you could get a small token for your services rendered along with a free book. But keep in mind that all of these sites have a guidelines system. Follow the guidelines to a 'T,' and you could see a small but regular income from these sites. I have also listed several websites that offer review opportunities paid and unpaid further in the article.

Imagine applying for a paid position and telling the employer to go through 5 sites to sample your work. You don't want that. Start a book blog. It's easy, and if you join places like WordPress.com or Tumblr, it's free. Share just one link, and your entire portfolio is at one place to see.

6. Prepare a packet of your best work.

If you aim to join the big 5's in publishing as a reviewer, you will have to sample your best work, maybe one in each of your genres, and create a file that represents you to the best of your abilities. You may even add samples of indie book reviews to convince your employers of your taste for variety. Then you have to pitch into these publishers, and follow-up, politely. They may be getting hundreds of such emails. So be patient and positive. Once you've landed an excellent opportunity, make sure you sample this new work in your portfolio before pitching into more unique avenues.

7. Keep track of the upcoming

Keep abreast of the latest releases, the upcoming releases, and books that sell like hotcakes locally. Publishers usually have a catalog of their upcoming titles. Subscribe to it.

Did you know there is also a book critics community? National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and encourages reading, criticism, and literature and has been in existence in 1974. The membership is $50 a year. If you can, subscribe to them. It reflects well on your portfolio, not to forget the immense amount of information and contacts you can get through this subscription.

Be persistent. Keep reading, and keep reviewing. Keep honing your skills. Opportunity is bound to knock your door sooner rather than later.

Fine, I convinced you the opportunity does have some merits right? But how do I go about writing the perfect analytical book review?

How to write a compelling book review?

Frankly, no set format needs to be followed. The writing needs to flow freely and should represent your view of the book. But for those who go by the book, I do share the steps.

The model also ensures I don't miss the must-haves in a review.

Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to write a detailed book review that matters.

1. Select a story book

If it's your first time as a reviewer, I would recommend picking a book from your favorite genre. This will ensure the reviewing doesn't seem like a task. Your text will be easier to write when it’s fun. Psst… my favorites are in the Romance and Thriller genres. But I do love self-help books too.

Second, try to pick a shorter book. So you can spend more time working on the review. It's just a suggestion. Some readers would disagree, saying a lengthier book helps me write more about it. Whatever works for you? So, let's say you've picked that book!

2. Read the entire book

That's a no-brainer. But honestly, carefully and in full details. Even the part about the author. It may tell you about their background, where they live, what they do, and if it's their first book. It helps you understand their writing style.

Read the book twice if time permits. Because the second read often exposes us to aspects of the characters or story we missed the first time. Or even any grammar, typos or punctuation we may have missed the first time. Noting grammar is not necessary.

3. Take notes while reading

Notes help keep track of the characters, highlight essential messages in the story, or maintain the book's chronology. I even highlight quote-worthy sentences that inspire or motivate me.

Make notes of any grammatical errors you find along the way, typos, punctuation mistakes, or wrongly named characters. If you do find these, try sharing them with the author. He/She would be thankful for your considerable effort.

And just to emphasize once more, absolutely make sure you read the entire book. It's absolutely unfair and morally wrong if you tell an author you will review their writing and not even manage to read it.

4. Start writing your review

Once you finish reading the book, get to write the review ASAP. That way, all the aspects of the story are still fresh in your mind. And you are aware of your general reaction after finishing the book. Do you feel happy, sad, calm, motivated, inspired, or just dissatisfied? It's just more comfortable when you still have the book in mind before moving on to other chores you may have.

You may start to write in Microsoft Word. Prepare a draft using these guidelines. Or the approach I use is to type first all that comes to mind regarding the book. Then on the second read, correct your review based on the format and fill any missing gaps.

To write a review in less than 500 words keep the summary restricted to 150 words. Enlist your analysis in the next 250 words. Conclude with a paragraph providing a rating and recommendations in under 150 words.

5. Recheck your draft

After you finish writing a draft, read it, reread it. Sleep over it and read again to fine-tune your writing.

Correct the grammar, punctuation, or errors, if any. Your review must be free of any errors. This is vital. You do not want your readers to get lost in typos. Incorrect grammar reflects poorly on your brand. Use Microsoft Words' spellcheck. Or an editor like Grammarly. I use both. Just to be extra sure. Or you could even hire an editor.

6. Publish

Publishers may have specific requirements regarding word count or adding a rating. Make sure you have taken care of the requirements.

And there, you have a book review ready to publish. Done.

To make sure your criticism is compelling, I have 7 tips as a bonus for you.

Seven tips for writing a compelling and concise book review.

Book review checklist

• Write short sentences about 12-15 words.

• Write short paragraphs about 2 – 3 lines.

• Use simple and casual language. A fifth-grader should be able to understand what you mean. Write as if you were talking to your friend.

• Try and use the title of the book and the author's name at least once in your review. You can link these to your affiliate links or the author's website. It also keeps the writing focused and relevant.

• The total review must be must not be longer than 1000 words. That's just too much information. Most reviews are never more than 500 words.

• Even if you didn't like the book, make sure you read and try and point out the positives in the book first.

• If you loved the book, say so. If you hated it, say so. Your strong opinion gives a personal touch and makes it more relatable and realistic.

How not to write a book review

• Don't be mean. Or Rude. Or sarcastic. Or snide. The author probably spent years doing their research and then writing the book. Even if you don’t like the book be respectful. Give respect and earn respect.
• Don't compare titles with similar plots. It confuses the reader.
• Do not plagiarize. Do not just copy paragraphs from the books. It's ok to quote sentences. Do not copy content from other book reviewer's blogs.
• Do not give away spoilers.
• Don’t be personal. Be considerate to the author.
•  Don’t forget to edit out the grammar and punctuation. Abuse of the English language is disliked everywhere. Proofread.

How to write a negative book review

• First, state something positive you thought about the book, like if you picked it because you liked the cover or for the title or read other good books from this author.
• Clearly state the reasons you could not finish the book or were struggling through it. Give examples, justify why you think this book doesn’t deserve your recommendations.
• Avoid harsh words – Instead of “I hate the book,” try, “I found myself pushing hard to get through the book. I wasn’t hooked. I wouldn’t recommend this one because…”
• Don’t get personal. Your readers want to know if you recommend the book or not. Consider the perspective of the author.
• Don’t give away the ending. However bad you think the novel is some of your readers may still want to read it. So don’t say why you didn’t like how the hero was killed.
• Share a tip or two for the author that you as a reader think might make the book more interesting. Don’t completely change the plot. Just some tweaks. More engaging dialogues between the characters would’ve enhanced my reading experience.
• Consider a different audience for the book. The writing style of the story might better engage young readers than adults. 
 Remember – be honest. But polite about it. There’s no fear in saying what you think about the book.

Book review template 

To make things easy for the beginners, I have a word template here that you can download. It has all the sectional headings of a review pre-filled. You need to enter your review as per the book you have selected. This template will ensure you do not miss anything critical in a book review. Once you get habituated to writing a review, you may no longer need to use the template. Download it at the end of this article.

Book review examples

To compare your reviews to other concise, precise, and compelling reviews, I have compiled a PDF that you can download to see how an actual review is written from some of the best in the industry. The links where you can find these reviews are also provided below the review. Download it at the end of this article.

Book review ideas

Who said book reviews have to be dull prose. If you have a book blog where you would like to get creative once in a while, you could follow these ideas for book reviews to make them attractive. But remember, doing too much of the different is also not a great idea.

• Create a vlog; instead of typing your review, record it as a video while showing off your bookish accessories. Post that video to Youtube and hashtag it as #booktube. BookTube is a collection of Youtube channels dedicated to talking about books and bookish things. That's the latest in the world of book reviewing. Try it.
• If you think you are shy in front of a camera, record your review in your voice and publish it as a podcast. Podcasts are popular too.
• If you still love the typing but want to write a short review, take a picture of the book and post both of them to Instagram. Hashtag as #bookstagram. Did you know this hashtag has 4 million followers? You might also get some other ideas to get creative with your books here. Trust me; it's a whole new world of beautiful books.
• Get Giffy. Use gifs to share your opinions of the book. Create a Gif story. It's fun to do one in a while. Create your gifs using Giphy.
• A table of pros and cons for the book as an idea for a review. When you just can't decide if you loved the book or hated it. List the plus’s and minus’s in a tabular format. Makes for an informative read.

•  Or you could create a list of reactions you had when reading a book. Important: Remember to take detailed notes while reading for this kind of post. Might work well on fiction books.

FAQs or Frequently asked questions about book critiques

Q. Where do I write book reviews? Book review sites.

Thankfully, there are plenty of avenues available.

For beginners, I suggest you create a profile on Amazon and Goodreads.

Once you've read a book, practice writing a review for them using the guidelines. But reviews on these sites are meant to be short. So try and squeeze your opinions to about 100 to 200 words.

Once you've gained enough confidence, you can start reviewing for other websites. All of the below sites offer a free book in return for your honest review. These free books are usually the coveted ARCs (Advanced reader copies).

Like I already mentioned. If you already have books, you can also write book reviews at -

Instagram

Youtube

Once you've established yourself as a reviewer, you can apply to some websites where they offer paid opportunities as a reviewer. More on this in the next section. 

Q. Book Review jobs - Can I get paid to write book reviews? 

Short answer – Yes. How long does it take? Well, practice makes a man/woman perfect. Practice on easy sites. Once you get indications that you are doing well, progress to bigger avenues.

Five websites that pay to write book reviews.

OnlineBookClub - Online Book Club focuses on new authors who need exposure for themselves and their books. It pays $5 to $60 per review, depending on length, depth, and reviewer's expertise, so you'll likely be reading a lot from new authors.

Kirkus Reviews - Kirkus looks for freelancers to review its English and Spanish book titles for its book review section.It allows a review of up to 350 words and allows reviewers two weeks to submit it. Books are available in print and digital format.

Any Subject Books - Any Subject Books looks for book reviewers who are skilled in critical thinking and honest. If you're become a reviewer here, you'll get periodic suggestions for reviews from the website and can choose whether to accept it.

Women's Review of books - Wellesley College's Women's Review of Books focuses on books that are written by, and about, women. The website accepts book reviews of women's publications.

Publisher's Weekly - Publisher's Weekly is a print and digital magazine dedicated to authors, publishers, and other writers. On its career page, the magazine will sometimes list openings for reviewers to review books for future issues.

Q. What are Other means to earn money by reading books?

If you have a book review blog, you could monetize it by signing up for Amazon Affiliate Program.

For every book that a reader buys on Amazon through clicking links on your website, you earn a commission. Even if you have a YouTube channel or are a social media influencer, you can monetize these marketing channels.

Sign up for freelance services of book reviewing through portals like Fiverr and Upwork. Create a reviewing gig on Fiverr and start connecting with prospective clients. Or apply to gigs on Upwork, which are like bids and submit necessary details like the cover page and answer questions by the client and earn a gig.

Tip: You can even apply or create gigs like designing book covers and editing and proofreading content for blogs.

Apply for book jobs through websites like BookJobs.com. The site hosts all types of jobs for book lovers around the world, even review jobs.

You can also find a lot of jobs for online book reviewers on this website https://jooble.org/jobs-online-book-reviewer. 

With the advent of Audio Books, if you have a rich voice and are fluent in English speaking, you can get paid to narrate Audio Books. Again try Fiverr or Upwork for selling these skills.

Q. Where do I found Bestselling books for free to review?

You don't have to buy books if you don't want to. You may already have some books lying around in your house. Reread them, now with writing a review in mind. Or borrow books from your friends or a neighbor. Or subscribe to a public book library near. These are inexpensive ways to get your hands on some good books. Other than that here’s a list of websites that offer books. But some of them only offer certain books for free for a certain period.

Google's eBookstore

Project Gutenberg – is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online.they also have an extensive catalog to help you easily find your pick.

Open Library - is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Read, borrow, and discover more than 3M books.

Free Ebooks.net - is the internet's #1 source for free eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors. Read & download eBooks for Free: anytime!

Netgalley - is a site where book reviewers and other professional readers can read books before they are published, in e-galley or digital galley form.

OnlineBookClub – awesome site for readers. Get a book free in return for a review. The site is known for promoting indie authors.

Kindle Unlimited – Amazon’s subscription for milions of books that comes with a membership fee.

Storytel – Monthly Audio books subscription. You can read as many as you love and whatever’s available on their platform.

Q. What are some Book review apps

Apps that let you read and review books from your phone.

Amazon

Buy books, read them, and review them. All in one place. Download the Kindle app for free and read so many titles for free.

Goodreads

If you are a book enthusiast, you know what Goodreads is. Just download the app for free, start adding books to your shelf, and discuss them with your friends.

Instagram

Of course, you can't download or buy books here. But you can find what you want to read next. Buy it on Amazon or at your local bookstore. Click a picture and start writing away. Use Bookish hashtags, and you're good to go.

Project Gutenberg

Q. How did I write a review for Amazon or Goodreads?

For very short book critiques you can skip the summary altogether.

For example, for book reviews for sites like Amazon or Goodreads, the summary can be skipped because the synopsis or blurb is already displayed along with the book cover on the site.

Enter an interesting short title for your review that makes the reader want to go on reading. Directly write your first reaction to the book. Did you love it or hate it and why? Express your recommendations, enter your rating and done. 

Q. How did I write a review for the first chapter or the sample of a book I read?

Again, this one falls in the short review category. There doesn’t need to be a summary of the book. Here you are trying to answer the question. After reading the first chapter, do I buy the book?

Mention what attracted you to the book. The cover or the title or the summary or some other review you read. What did you like best about the part you read? Did it seem professionally well-written?

And of course, your final take, will you but it or not?

About two paragraphs in 80 to 100 words should be enough.

Q. Is writing reviews for different genres different?

Q. How did I write a review for an audiobook?

The basic guidelines for writing the review remain the same. The extra element here is your review for the narrator of the book. There must be a separate paragraph in your review dedicated to the narrator. You need to write if you enjoyed listening to the book in their voice. Were they able to differentiate between the voices of different characters? Were they able to capture the right mood/theme of the book?

That’s it from me.

Although long, I hope this article has managed to answer all your questions regarding book reviews. In case you have any more questions regarding book reviews, please leave a comment or send me an email detailing your queries. I assure you, if not anything I will at least point you in the right direction.

If I have missed anything, your comments and queries will help me make this article more comprehensive and detailed and truly helpful to others. I will add in information that I think is truly important and reliable with due credits.

Happy reading & Reviewing!