Yesterday, we talked about book reviews for fiction and what they mean. Why does one reviewer or reader praise a novel and another harshly slam it? What causes one reader to fall in love with your characters and another say they’re shallow? How can one reviewer give a book the ultimate 5-star rating and the next only one or two? Which reviews are valid and which ones are slanted?
Probably all reviews are slanted, depending on the reviewer’s mindset and life experiences. Think about it, we don’t all enjoy reading the same books. Most of us notice a shift in our taste in books over the years. As a young woman, I devoured romance novels. I went through a long nonfiction phase. I read only to learn and grow. Then I began reading for relaxation—light mysteries, true animal stories and fun adventure stories.
And I can tell you that a book I found delightful when I was twenty, might seem trite now. The books that held my interest in my forties, would bore me today. And even the books I currently read must meet my personal standards for readability and entertainment value.
We all have standards and pet peeves related to the types of books we read. And when we choose a book, we may also have expectations—that the book will make us smile, choke up, feel good, etc. If the story touches a raw nerve that may be unique to the individual, that reader might not be able to move beyond that issue and the entire story then becomes tainted for that reader. He or she can’t get past the fact that the couple took so long to fall in love, that the couple fell in love too fast, that one character uses swear words, that the animal isn’t active in every scene, that the crime was solved too early in the book, that the ending was predictable. And that one issue colors the reader’s view of the whole story, thus his or her review.
So what is the value of reader and reviewer opinions? Should you even get your book reviewed? Yes. Remember, you want as much exposure for your book as you can muster. You want reviews posted at Amazon and key blogs and websites. You want people talking about your story. You want to do signings, book festivals, presentations and more. You must get involved with social media. And, yes, you really should be soliciting book reviews. It’s all part of your quest for exposure. Without it, no one will know about your book and no one will buy it.
Now, let’s say that reviewers are all critiquing the same aspects of your book—it needs to be edited, the story is too grim for the category you’ve chosen, your story doesn’t flow, etc. If the majority of reviewers are making similar comments, consider this a welcome wake-up call. Perhaps your book has serious flaws and you should consider a rewrite. This time, work with a good book editor.
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