Gimme A “Citizen Reader”

by Deena Rae

"What is a 'Citizen Reader'?" you ask. I am a citizen reader. I am not an editor, writer, aspiring author, or literary agent. I am just a normal Jane who reads for the escape and enjoyment. And I am your friend.

I am going to write a completely unbiased review. I am not going to pick the grammar to death (it would be hilarious if I did, as a friend — who often edits my blog posts so I don't embarrass myself —calls me a grammar vandal). I read for the joy of reading. I enjoy the story. I don't write a review as a favor. My reviews are not a matter of 'I will give you a good review if you give me a good one'. And I am not alone.

Yes, retail sites contain loads of reviews from other authors and literary folk who can break down manuscripts according to their technical and grammatical features, but we voracious readers - who read not because we are expected to but because we love the feel of a book in our hands, and characters' dialogue in our minds - are a useful barometer of a book's reader engagement.

Does your storyline grab me? Are your characters likeable, evil, lovable or sanctimonious? Is your action believable or straining the bounds of credibility? Citizen Readers will tell you.

A Citizen Reader won't tell you that your character was an archetype or that your story followed the traditional hero journey. Unless your grammar and spelling are worse than a three-year-old's, it probably won't be a major issue in a review of mine. Citizen Readers don't care about these things in books: they care about whether they are drawn in to the story, whether they connect with a character, whether they were able to escape their stress-filled lives for a period. A Citizen Reader won't offer technical critique, but will give something just as important - a reader's experience and perspective.

So, before you bombard all your author friends for a review, try to find Citizen Readers, tap into their opinions, actively search them out. ABOUT DEENA RAE Deena Rae was born and raised in Texas – home of bluebonnets, boots, beef and big hair – into a family that was in the printing and publishing industries.

With a total of 20 years in publishing, in 2010 she decided to branch out as eBookBuilders helping established & new authors, designing books, ebooks and websites.