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Before I begin, I’d just like to say that I am really sick and tired of this cold weather! This whole month has seen NYC turn into a total ice box, and I cannot take it anymore! I know the Farmer’s Almanac predicted a very cold winter, but I didn’t realize how painfully cold it would be. It makes me long for those sticky hot summer days. Oh wait…
OK, onto today’s topic. I am an author. I wrote a book and I published it, albeit all on my own. I know firsthand how hard it is to develop characters and a storyline, convey emotion, a vivid setting while using the loveliest prose I can. It is not easy, and it is hard work and deep concentration.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
So, does that mean I should change my approach to reviewing other authors’ books?
Before I published my book, I read and reviewed books like any other reader. But since becoming an author myself, I’ve been questioning how I should review books. I know how hard it is to write a story, so shouldn’t I be more lenient on flaws? And also, if I’m a writer too, then I am on the same level as any other writer, which means I am a peer.
I feel nervous when I review books, which is why I’ve only reviewed two books since publishing The Dark Proposal. Part of me fears that I would be a hypocrite to point out flaws in books that may also exist in mine. I mean, should I really say something about a flaw in the plot, writing or development when someone might think my book was equally flawed? Who would I be to complain then?
And how critical should I be? If I am gentle, am I sugarcoating? Or if I give a thorough review, am I being too harsh? What if my review sounds like I think the author wrote their book wrong, and I’m hinting at how I would’ve wrote it?
I have just always felt that as an author, my approach to reviewing cannot be the same as any other reader. I also feel that my reviews may be seen with a more critical eye given that I wrote a book myself. Plus, I have no author clout now, so I definitely don’t have any authority on what is a great book and what isn’t.
So how should I review books for now on? I get the impression that they should be like a peer to peer review. But how do I do that? Do I do it like one of my writer critique groups, where we point out the positives and negatives of each others’ work? Do I use a tone used in college papers for English lit courses?
I’m going to find out what is the best way to approach reviewing now. I’ve seen some authors reviewing other authors’ books as if they are ordinary readers, and I can’t help but think that is not the right angle. I’ve also noticed some hypocrisy like pointing out poor editing when these authors have the same problem in their books. Things like that that makes me think authors of any level should be aware that once they release a book, they can’t take off their writer hats so easily.
How about you? Has being an author changed how you review books? Or do you feel you can still review like any other reader?
Megan Cashman 
I read and review a lot. Because I know how important reviews are to indie authors, my policy now is not to review an indie work unless I can give it at least three stars, and usually four. Fortunately that hasn’t usually been an issue for me.
But I do wonder about my standards and how being a writer conflicts with being a reader. As writers we’ve been taught to pay attention to continuity, make sure our plots are tight and above all develop our characters really well, because they *are* the story. But readers? They- we- want to be swept away without having something that makes their critical brain scream “BS!” when they’re in the middle of a story. Everything we’re doing as writers should be to make sure that doesn’t happen.
I read a book last week that I’d been putting off for months. Mermaids, which aren’t usually my thing. It wasn’t perfect at all- the writer made up things as she went along, some of the characterizations were hokey and there were some inconsistencies with spelling, etc- but I found myself rooting for the heroine and hero and their love story. I checked the reviews- almost 300, and the majority were in the 4 and 5 range. Clearly, this story did *something* for a number of people, and it made me wonder whether my criticisms really mattered.
I think you should review books if you really want to, but you’re right to be aware that you’re going to be looking at things differently than others.
I find my inner author coming out a lot when I read, which can get frustrating when I’m trying to enjoy a book. But if it pops out now and then, I think that’s OK as long as it goes away and I can go back being an average reader.
Mermaids? Sounds interesting! I don’t think there are too many books about them. I gotta go find them!
The target audience for the review is critical here. If the review is meant for readers, then discussing craft issues should be omitted. The few reviews I’ve written have been grounded in what I’m looking for in a story. I’m currently writing three reviews on books from different genres than I write. This is more difficult than I thought it would be. I have to set aside the fact that I don’t necessarily like the genre to begin with and focus on things the average reader of that genre might be interested in. Being too harsh can actually reduce the impact of the review because the reader might see it as axe grinding.
Yep, I agree that discussing craft issues if the review is meant for readers and not fellow authors is not necessary, especially if that review will go on Goodreads and Amazon.
I’m not technically an “author,” since I have no published novel. However, I’ve written two full-length manuscripts and piles of short stories, and I am a paid writer in the corporate world, so I know writing pretty well. I refrain from reviewing books for many of the reasons you mentioned. I know the effort that goes into the craft, and I doubt any writer sets out to write a bad book, so who am I to pick it apart?
In a sense, though, I’m being unfair to the author by not sharing an informed opinion, since my words could help a potential reader make a buying decision. Either way, I think it is important to review a work for what it is. If I don’t like vampire stories, for example, it would be inappropriate for me to give it one star and say, “It’s well-written, but I can’t stand vampire stories. This would be much better if it were about Irish immgrants struggle with prejudice in the 1920s.” Movie critics bug me in that way, because they will often trash horror movies for being horror movies. Is it scary, intense, well directed within the genre, and well paced? Then it’s a good horror movie. It might be a bad arthouse drama, but the potential horror viewer probably doesn’t care about that.
I review a lot of books, but usually only the ones I enjoy, or at least got something out of. I’m a writer, but I’m also a reader and I like to share my thoughts on books.
I like to share them too, because its fun, basically 🙂
If I love the book, I’ll let the author know by leaving them a good review. If I find issues that bug me, I’ll tell the author privately (if possible). Otherwise, I typically stay out of the review ring.
I still review books, even though I am a self published author. Nothing changed about the way I go about reviewing something. I’ve been reviewing books for a long time and I won’t stop just because I’m a writer. I’m sure famous authors review books too, it’s just something instinctive, and impossible to stop. I really feel the need to express my opinion on the books I’ve read, and I never really bashed an independent author for bad editing, unless it was really bad and detracted from the flow of the read. As hard as I worked on editing my own book, I won’t rip an author if I see typos. I know how hard and costly it can be to find editors
If I read a book with typos, I won’t complain about it in a review because my book had typos before it was re-edited. That would be hypocrisy for me right there.
Debut novels are usually rushed into publication. I admit, I did the same with mine. So yeah, it would be hypocrisy !