GUEST COLUMN Reviews Matter
on the website. These bookshelves list all the books that will be read.
What is a book review? A book review is the opinion of the reader who actually read the book. Some websites where books are sold or listed have a rating system. The rating system is usually one star, two stars, three stars, four stars, and five stars. A five-star rating is the highest rating, while a one star is the lowest. A review also gives information to the author.
How does one write a review? The most important thing before writing a review for a book title, is that you actually read the book. Authors, do not write a review for your own book or give it stars. If you have not read a book, and you are writing a review because you don’t like the genre of the book, don’t do that. If you don’t like a particular genre and you’re not going to read a book, then don’t write the review because you don’t like it. If you read a book in a genre that you don’t like, and you end up not liking it anyways don’t write a review.
by Amy Shannon
Who should give book reviews? Anyone who reads a book should write a review. If they bought the book from a website, they should leave a review on the website for that particular book. If the reader bought the book in a local store or a garage sale or even a secondhand shop, they should leave a review. If the book is listed on Amazon, it does not need to be purchased by a reader in order for a review to be written. Why do reviews matter? Reviews matter because they let the author know what people think about their work. Also, authors, publicists, publishers etc. can use positive reviews to promote the author’s work. Reviews also may help a reader decide whether or not they want to read this particular author’s book. Many times, before buying a product, a customer will read reviews of that product before buying. It is the same concept for book reviews as well. What is Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews? Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews is a review website where owner and operator, Amy Shannon, takes requests, reads the books, and then writes honest and unbiased reviews. There is no charge for this service. The reviews get posted on sites such as Amazon.com, Barnes and noble, goodreads.com, and other sites. Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews does have donation policies but doesn’t charge for writing a review. A video review can be purchased. Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews “library’s” bookshelves are transparent and listed 104 | UncagedBooks.com
To write a review, you think about what you like about the book and what you don’t like about the book. You go to the website and if they have an area where you can write a review, think about your rating and then write your review. It’s quite simple. How does an author find reviewers? One way an author can find reviewers, is to look up on Amazon.com books that are written in the genre that the author writes and read some of the reviews. Some of the reviewers listed on Amazon, are actually professional reviewers or reviewers that like books and like writing reviews. If you click on their username, it’ll bring you to their Amazon profile, and there may be contact information. Another way to look for reviewers, is to search for book reviewer directories. When you go to the directory, you want to read all the information that the site provides. Some directories allow you to subscribe. When looking for a reviewer, you want to find one that reads books in the genre that you write. I found a reviewer, now what? If you found a reviewer on a directory, make sure the link isn’t broken. If it is, report it to the directory in the contact me section (or whatever means they have to contact them). If you found a reviewer, and they have a website or blog, read the information on that website. What
