January 3, 2012
Sitting here
with nothing to do … and if you believe that, I have some swampland to sell
you. I was actually winding up several hours of work putting together book
reviews for my blog and I began thinking that the process might make a great
story – well an okay story at least.
Most of us
who have blogs are also writers – published and non-published – so we all know
that writing is a process and takes time – lots of time. I admire those who
have managed to string together enough words to make a book and then to go
through the publishing process. Then, once the book is published, book reviews
are needed. That is where I (and others) come in.
When I receive
a book for review, before I even sit down to read the book, I will spend at
least an hour on the computer researching the author and previous books written
by them. I then begin putting together my book review material and setting up
my document sections so that when I complete the book, I can sit down and
concentrate on writing my review. I find a picture of the book (not always
provided), the date published (not always provided), author information and
picture (again, not always provided), where the book is being sold, and the
book blurb.
Once I have
my information ready, I begin reading the book. Reading a book can take
anywhere from 6-8, and sometimes more, hours to read. Add to that, the time needed
for writing notes for the review. Using my Kindle comes in handy for this part.
It is easy to mark passages that I want to quote in my review as I read, as
opposed to having a gazillion pieces of paper sticking out of a book.
When I finish
reading a book, I begin my writing process. I will bring up all of the passages
on my Kindle that I highlighted during the course of reading and decide which
quotes I think will draw the reader in or make them laugh, etc. Sometimes I will
try to use just a little bit of a quote to throw the potential reader off and to
make them think, “I really need to read this book.”
It is at
this point, if the author and I have not already agreed on a Q@A or guest post,
I will contact the author and request one or the other. I will also set up a
giveaway of their book to go along with the review. I will try to find out the
sites where the book will be for sale (not always provided) so I can post my
completed review on those sites. I also encourage the author to tweet the review
and stop by for a visit and comment. The readers like the personal attention
that authors give to the review.
Waiting for
information from the author sometimes takes a while, depending on how busy they
are. While waiting, I begin the process of posting my reviews on the different
sites (sometimes 4 to 5 sites). This process can take upwards of two hours,
depending on the number of sites. As I post, I also add the book to my blog’s
sidebar to be permanently displayed – example: Shelfari, Goodreads.
Once the
author returns the guest post or Q@A information, and I add it to my review,
the post goes live on my blog. I take the time each day to tweet and post the
review to face book and other sites for exposure. I belong to one website that
thousands of other book reviewers belong to, which means I have access to
thousands of other bloggers. I am a member of twenty groups on this site and I
promote the books I review on each group’s page. What this means to an author,
is I promote their book to thousands of potential buyers on this one site. I have
memberships on several different websites, and I spend a lot of time promoting
books.
I think most
authors appreciate the work we do, and the exposure that book review blogs can offer.
I am not sure, however, how many realize the time and effort some of us put
into the review process. That is the reason I decided to write about the book
review process. I spend an average of eight to ten hours on each book I agree
to read and review.
So…no I
have no swampland to sell – wouldn’t have the time if I did – I’m reviewing
your book. I would love to hear feedback from authors and book reviewers on
this topic.
Donna
Posts
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Wow, Donna, I already knew from BookBlogs that you are a serious, thoughtful reviewer, but this really shows what goes into it. I hope I can send you a copy of my novel when it comes out :) I promise not to make you have to track down associated materials :)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly sounds like you put a lot of thought and effort into your reviews. I'm sure it shows in the final product, too
ReplyDeleteWow! You are certainly thorough and do an excellent job. I never stopped to think about how much time and effort goes into a book review. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the first blogs I joined when I started blogging last year, and it's obvious that you review with care and attention to detail. I don't always comment, but I do spend a lot of time reading blogs, and it shows when someone goes the extra mile. I, for one, appreciate it, both as a writer and a reader :)
ReplyDeleteDonna, I was so pleased to read your blog, and I'd like to use it as a learning point for authors, so they can realize and recognize what goes into a serious book review. You are a professional reviewer, who I have found to be thorough and thoughtful with your verbage. As you know, I think the world of reviewers, and I hope your post will help spread that respect to many others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your world of reviewing with us.
xo,
Melissa
Very few reviewers take this amount of time. I'm sure the authors who are lucky enough to get their books reviewed on your blog must appreciate all the work.
ReplyDeleteJudy, South Africa