By Linda Simoni-Wastila
Despite the tanking economy, publishers are still churning out reams of new books. Add on the thousands of self-pubbed stories, and the possibilities for the next great read can overwhelm.
But after you wade through the tangle of titles and discover an exceptional book, the experience is over. Right? Not necessarily. If you blog, and your blog has anything to do with the writing business, then I challenge you to share your reading discovery with the world.
Blog it.
Reviews help readers. Admit it—reading just one book is as tough as stopping after one chip. Books are addictive. Thoughtful reviews guide readers through their gazillion options.
Writing reviews is better than botox. If you’re a writer/agent/editor, critically considering and articulating a book’s strengths and weaknesses makes you a better writer/agent/editor. And all that thinking keeps those synapses snapping.
Reviews promote your colleagues. Just as we are what we eat, we writers are what we read. Books are our food, what we consume to create. But in this surreal economy, the likelihood of publication has exponentially shrunk with the DOW, especially for debut authors whose last name isn’t Hilton. Purchase—and review— the books of the writers you most admire. Every little bit helps keep Your favorite writers’ books on the shelves—and dinner on their tables.
Reviews are good karma. ‘nuf said.
There are no rules – you can review any book any way you want. But good reviews share commonalities: they summarize the story without spoilers, concisely highlight strengths and weaknesses, provide biography on the author, and tell you where to find the book. If your blog has a niche, select books which align with your message.
There are as many blogs that review books as there are books to review. In addition to sites like Short Stack, Book Slut, and Goodreads, I scout a few lesser-known cyberspots:
Writers In Profile Literary fiction and small press offerings. Especially nice is the emphasis on short story collections.
The Millions Exceptional source of info on books and culture since 2000, this site provides a thorough survey of the publishing landscape.
The Book Book Communal blog of self-proclaimed geek reviewers, all writers and editors, with a tremendous diversity of fiction and non-fiction books. The comments are as revealing as the posts.
Emerging Writers Network Run by Dan Wickett of Dzanc Books, EWN focuses on small press literary fiction and poetry. The links alone… priceless.
Three Guys One Book A misnomer—really four guys and one book. Smart, irreverent guys chatting about smart, irreverent books with a male ennui edge.
Walk the talk. I put my money where my mouth is. Once a month I buy a book from a local Indy book store by a debut author, preferably published by a small press. After I read the book, I review it on my blog. My selections reflect my blog and writing niche—the confluence of unquiet minds and restive hearts.
Why the criteria? Because new authors and small publishers take inordinate risks without the resources granted established authors by the big houses. Every bit of promo helps the little guys. As a pre-pubbed author, I hope colleagues grant me the same attention when my novel hits the market.
Blog about the books that move you—and shout your enthusiasm to the world.
During the day, Linda Simoni-Wastila plays a professor. But when darkness falls, she writes: novels, micro-fiction, and poetry. She muses on the intersection of writing and mental health at leftbrainwrite. Drop by for March’s debut selection Still Alice by Lisa Genova, the self-pubbed book still riding The New York Times Bestseller List.
Flickr photo by nycnikonian007
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
great advice for writers…I started doing this about two years ago and just love it. One tip, don’t let the review books squander your writing time. It can be tough to find a balance.
I’ve started adding more poets to my review list since I write poetry and want to support my colleagues.
Nice piece, Linda. I think what you’re doing is fantastic. Good karma indeed. And thanks for the list to other interesting web sites. I’ll be sure to check them out.
~jon
This is good advice! Thank you. Reading and writing reviews may help me to expand past what books I’d normally choose to read to try out different genres as well as think more critically about the book as I read it.
I started reviewing on my blog back in the fall and I quite enjoy it. I’ve met some interesting people through their books and learned a bit more about writing. And it’s fun.
Well said, Linda. I particularly like the part about authors supporting each other. Your monthly indy-purchase is admirable, and in the end what does it cost? A couple cups of coffee, maybe? (Okay four for a hardback).
On a side note, I wonder if you (and others) also paste and post your reviews in other venues (B&N or Amazon, for example) where they might enjoy an even broader audience. If you included a link back to your blog, that would have the potential of increasing your own readership.
–John
Good advice, and admittedly that aside from brief “Should I read this?” commentaries on Shelfari I haven’t been doing much reviewing. I spend all my time reading incoming submissions and going over my own work, so my personal reading time is somewhat limited. Thanks for pointing out why this is worth MAKING time!
Linda, I admire how you walk the talk. This is a great idea for my own blog and a terrific excuse to visit my local indie bookstore.
Great post. I had been thinking about doing this and I definitely will now. Thank you.
So very cool. I absolutely believe that you get in return what you put out there. Ok, I am inspired. Off to find an indy new author book.
Cheers!
George
Hey Maria, THANK YOU for letting me pontificate about a subject I’m pretty passionate about. And thanks to all of you who are inspired to buy and review books. As writers, we need to remember to support each other in this tough publishing climate. Serena, I’m thinking about starting a whole new blog featuring poetry and some of my favorite poets. Maybe this summer… John, great idea about cross-posting in Amazon. I don’t but I should. Lisa, it IS a tough balance between reading/critting and writing, but I am selfish – every bit of reading and reviewing makes me a better writer because these acts make me more aware of what works – and what doesn’t.
Peace, Linda