Review: The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing

A few months ago, I joined an online group called Blog Book Tours to learn how to plan and execute effective virtual tours for future books. From this group I not only learned what I’d hoped, but also learned how to effectively use social networks, how to create a blog site of my own and grow readership, and how to become a good host for other authors’ virtual tours. You, fair reader, are a vital part of the cyper-space tour, just as readers are a vital part of in-person author appearances. In a virtual tour, blog readers use the comments button at the bottom of the artical to submit questions. The authors check in throughout the day to look for and respond to your comments and questions. This is your opportunity to ask the authors anything, and you don’t have to stand in line to do it!

Today I’m pleased to announce my very first victims, I mean guests. Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards have bravely agreed to be the first to bring their tour to this site. Let’s use the comments to extend a warm welcome and ask many questions to keep them busy throughout the day.

Ms. Calvani and Ms. Edwards teamed up to create a much needed guide to writing book reviews. I used tips and suggestions from their book to write the following review.

The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing
Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards
Twilight Times Books
ISBN: 1-933-35322-8
Copyright 2008
Paperback, 186 pages, $16.95
Non-Fiction

Do you know the main difference between “reader reviews” and “professional reviews”? Do you know how to interpret the first sentence in professional reviews? As a reader, do you know how to determine if the review is a fair and critical review that you can comfortably use to make purchasing decisions? As a reviewer, do you know how to write negative reviews in a fair and constructive manner? Have you ever wished for a reference book that could help with these kinds of questions? If so, you wish has been granted.


Authors Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards, two professional reviewers with more than ten years experience between them have created a concise, helpful, and easy to use reference for both readers and reviewers at all levels. Ms. Calvani has a Bachelor's Degree in Literature/Creative Writing from the University of Bridgeport, CT. Her stories, articles, and book reviews have appeared in many online and print publications in the States, England and Puerto Rico, and she is co-editor of "Voice in the Dark" ezine, where she writes a monthly column. Ms. Edwards is an author, a voracious reader of mysteries and reviews books for All About Murder, Murder and Mayhem, and Reader to Reader.


The two define a well-written review and go on to say, “A well-written review may lure the reader into a new genre, thus opening a new market for that genre’s writers and giving the reader a set of new places to visit and new people to meet…Reviews that are well written offer much to the reading world, they carry information about the book, the author and the reviewer. A poorly-written review offers the same information, but may turn readers from exploring the book, future works of that author, or turn them against recommendations by the reviewer…”

The book is presented in three parts. Part One covers all topics related to writing the review itself – everything from how long different kinds of reviews (i.e. fiction, non-fiction, children’s) should be, what topics should be covered in each, how to write negative reviews in a professional manner, and even how to handle email/phone calls/letters from angry writers/editors/publishers/readers. It even provides tips on how to create your own review site. In Part Two, the authors discuss how reviews are used by different entities such as libraries, authors, book clubs, and readers. Part Three offers an extensive list of resources for anyone who wants to see their reviews published either on the world wide web or in print. Throughout the book, there are little gems of information that can keep reviewers or of trouble. For example, did you know that some electronic review sites have a policy that states if you post a review to that site, you give all rights to that review to the site, which means you no longer own your own work and may not post the same review to other sites. Would you know which popular book sites have policies similar to this?

Readers do not just receive the wisdom and views of the two authors. Other experts in the field (e.g. Maggie Ball, owner and book review editor of The compulsive Reader, and Alex Moore, Editor-in-Chief of Foreword Magazine) are effectively quoted. James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review wrote the extensive forward.

The book is filled with examples that clearly demonstrate how to implement the guidelines. The authors do not shy away from the tough questions, either, but tackle them head on in the same straightforward manner with which they address the fun topics. All reviewers and any reader who depends on reviews for purchasing decisions will find value in this book. I plan to keep The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing on my desk for handy reference. Highly Recommended.

You can find the complete tour schedule for The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing here.

Now it's your turn. Use the comments link below to ask your questions and check back later today for answers. I'll start.

The New and Improved Schedule

Now that Houston's Ike recovery is firmly under way and most of The Final Twisters are operating under their own power, it's time to get back to business here.

A Little Background (or a lot of background)
Near the end of July, I joined a Yahoo! Group called BlogBookTours. The purpose of the group is to teach authors how do conduct effective virtual tours. My purpose in joining the group was to learn to do just that.

It's been an interesting and enlightening two months.

You see, I joined BBT just in time to see Dani Greer's blog-a-day challenge. Dani, master of all that is BBT, suggested that learning by doing is the best way to go. She said we needed to learn to develop a blog following by making regular posts and that sticking to a daily regimen for 31 days would embed the lessons deep into our souls so we would remember always...or something to that effect. Sounded good to me. I accepted the challenge.

My first question - what is a blog, where is it, and how do I get permission to write to it. (Okay, take a minute to finish laughing, I'm sure Dani did. Or maybe she cried.)

Answer - you have to create your own blog.

Oh.

So the start was a bit rough. I scrambled, crammed, learned the answers to my questions, fell on my nose a few times and created this blog in time to join the challenge. (Not exactly what happened, but close enough.)

Then I blogged everyday in August (sort of). I watched with amazement as readership numbers climbed. Blogging started to get exciting. I checked in several times a day to see if I needed to reply to comments. I thought I was doing great.

Then the September critiques started. My fellow blog-a-day challengers came up with questions like:

• "Does the URL match the Blog Title?"
• "Does the content match the Title, do readers know what to expect when they take time to read your blog?"
• "Is there a way for readers to subscribe so new blogs are pushed to the reader instead of the reader having to check in periodically to look for new posts?"
• "Did you think to had your books so reader know they exist? Did you include a link to an on-line bookstore just in case anyone might like to buy your books?'

Okay, so my blog wasn't really in the same universe as 'good'. There was more than a little room for improvement. I started making lists. I ignored my blog. Readership fell. Fast.

I resolved to do better. Hurricane Ike resolved to make that a challenge.

Honestly, I was one of the lucky few who lived without electricity for only 24 hours. Most of the members of my writing group were not so lucky - and the group's blog was not available for weeks. This was a major issue because we have an anthology of mystery stories coming out October 10 and had planned to use the group blog site to showcase the authors during September and to get the word out about the launch party for A Death in Texas.

Solution - use this blog for The Final Twist blog posts. Simple, right? Try contacting sixteen people who have no, or unreliable, phone service, no electricity, and water that only trickles out of the faucet. And when you find them, ask if they wouldn't mind ignoring the tree in the living room for a little while longer so they could figure out how to email a blog post. (Okay, only one person had a tree in the living room - and it didn't crash through the roof, it pushed through the French doors without breaking any of the windows.)

Somehow, it all worked out. And now The Final Twisters all have electricity and the group site is back up. I've had plenty of time to procrastinate, er, I mean, plan, and I'm ready to try again.

The New and Improved Blog

The new and improved blog has a stated purpose and a schedule. The purpose is to share upbeat, positive information about books, writers, and the reading/writing universe in general.

Monday is for readers. Every Monday, I'll post a review about a book I enjoyed and feel good about recommending to others. When possible, I'll interview the author. Please use the comments link below to share any questions that you would like to ask the authors.

Wednesdays are for writers. The posts will be short and will include inspirational or entertaining writing quotes, links to helpful sites or handy information, or my own learning experiences. If there is a topic you would like to see addressed, please use the comments link below to share your suggestion/request.

Fridays are potluck. Whatever strikes my fancy.

That's the general schedule. In addition, I'll have guest bloggers from time to time and I'll be hosting book tours - something I'm really looking forward to doing.

The rest of the time is open to special requests.

We start Monday with a review of At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon.

Great Resources for Writers

Day 31 has arrived! I didn't think I'd make it, but I did! Thirty-one straight days of blogging from someone who couldn't imagine even creating a blog. I think I squeezed a year's worth of mistakes into a single month. Not a bad start.

I won't be blogging every day now that the challenge is over, but I'll be here several times a week bringing news of good books, writing techniques, etc. etc. If there is something in particular you'd like to read about, please use the comment link below to make a request.

I don't want to end the month without thanking Dani Greer and the other blog-a-dayers for this wonderful experience. Many of their blogs have landed in my list of favorite blogs.

Have you noticed my list of favorite blog sites off to the right? Ever wonder why they are my favorites? Many are in the list because they provide great advice and tips to authors.

Some, like Velda Brotherton offer great tips on the process of writing and tips to improve writing. Today's post is about including the senses in your scenes.

Teagan Oliver offers other views on writing. Recently she tooks us on a tour of the hero's journey.

LJ Sellers, who is a tallented writer and editor, offers tips on both writing and editing. Today she shares some simple edits that make for stronger, clearer storytelling.

Over at BlogBookTours, Dani Greer works hard to help us create and maintain effective blogs and to use those blogs to market our books.

Helen Ginger, besides having great taste in blog page designs, provides all sorts of tips from writing to marketing. She often hosts guest bloggers with expertise in specific areas.

Some sites are a mixed bag. Pauline Baird Jones has a blog and website that offer much helpful information for both readers and writers.

I learn something everytime I visit these sites. If you are interested in writing or the business of writing, you may want to check them out too.

I've learned quite a bit from the August blog-a-day challenge and plan to put much of it to work immediately. I'm a member of the Houston writing group, The Final Twist. We publish an annual anthology of mystery stories. This year's book, A Death in Texas, is due out October 10. To celebrate, the sixteen authors represented in A Death in Texas will use The Final Twist's group blog to showcase what the group has to offer. Every day in September a different author will blog about writing, the business of writing, or simply provide a sample story. (A blog a day - sound familiar?) This will all lead up to the official release party at Katy Budget Books in Houston on October 10, 2008.

Hope to see you at the blog and KBB.