Guest Post: RRBC “Spotlight Author” ELIZABETH N. LOVE talks about Book Reviews

Today I am honored to have Elizabeth N. Love, author of Call of the Goddess and fellow RRBC member, as a guest on my blog. An avid reader and frequent reviewer of other authors’ books, Elizabeth shares her thoughts about writing book reviews.

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Reviews are an important part of being a writer. We want to hear feedback a) so we can feel good about our accomplishments, b) so we can share the good news with others, and c) we want to know how to be better at what we do.

I started a review blog last year in order to help Indie Authors get more feedback on their work. It’s an important service that so many are looking for in the writing world. Of course, now I have enough books to last me a year.

After I post my own review, I take a quick look at other reviews for the same title, looking for any interesting insights I might have missed. There has been more than one occasion where I seemed to have an anomalous opinion, but it is my absolute honest opinion. Integrity is very important to me when I formulate my reviews.

Writing a Book Review

1. Read the book: It seems like this should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many reviews are written from the blurb. Before I write any kind of review, I use the product first. The same goes with a book. Read it. Use it. Then decide what to say about it.
2. Be complimentary: Most writers do at least one thing well. Point out a character that you found appealing or a particular part of the story line you thought held the book together. “I found the main character to be very realistic, and I could clearly picture her in my mind.” “[The author] does a superb job of creating easy going dialogue.”
3. Be constructive: This sounds like any English class where peers are asked to read and review the writing of their classmates, but it is very important. If there is something you didn’t like that you think could be improved, say so in as positive a way as possible. Instead of writing “the plot was terrible,” be specific. “The plot veered in too many directions and became confusing when…” or “The scene about [fill in the blank] seemed out of place with the rest of the story.”
4. Be honest: Simple. You aren’t doing the author nor yourself any favor by creating a false review.
5. If you received the book as part of a promotion or for review purposes, make sure to state so somewhere in the review. “*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.”

~Elizabeth N. Love

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Read and Review Call of the Goddess by Elizabeth N. Love by downloading from Amazon.com: http://goo.gl/8pPUmR

About the Book:

On the faraway planet of Bona Dea, in a society forged by ancient settlers, trouble is brewing. Young psychic Axandra, never comfortable with her gift, is being forced to use it for the benefit of her people as ruling matriarch of the entire world and host to a powerful entity known only as the Goddess. Struggling with her fate, used as a pawn between warring factions, life for Axandra is almost too much to bear. Even the ministrations of her beloved companion, Quinn, may not prove powerful enough to overcome the stress threatening to destroy Axandra’s fragile soul.

About the Author:

Elizabeth N. Love currently lives near Kansas City with her family. When not writing, she is usually chauffeuring two children to various activities, gardening, or walking through nature. She is currently working on two more books to publish within the next year.

Connect with Elizabeth!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-N-Love-Author/586497788065264
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bee_writerbee
Amazon Author: www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-N.-Love/e/B00JRM567O
Blog: http://writerbeeblog.wordpress.com/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/beelove