You hear it all the time, the importance of reviews for selling your books. You work hard lining up colleagues, friends, even family members to read your book and leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads.
But have you ever considered how important it is for you to write book reviews? Posting book reviews on any of the sites mentioned above is a great and inexpensive way to get your own writing recognized. Moreover, learning how to produce a professional book review can help improve your own writing.
Let's take that last sentence first.
Reviews written by casual readers are usually quite simple. "I liked it a lot!" "Couldn't put it down." "Exciting, rip-roaring read!" What's usually missing is any explanation of why the book was enjoyable.
As a writer, you are not a casual reader. Any time you read a book, you should be taking it apart piece by piece. What is the plot, conflict, and theme? How well developed are the characters? How is the book structured? What is the pacing? What did the author do (or not do) to make the book stand out?
Researching the author can add to your insight. One of my favorite authors, thriller writer David Morrell, lost his father in WWII, had a bad relationship with his step-father, and later lost a young son to cancer. Father and son relationships are a recurring theme in many of his books. I recently read Karl Marlantes Vietnam novel Matterhorn. Looking up his biography showed his novel was based largely on his own experiences as a Marine Corps infantry officer in that war, particularly a battle in which he earned the Navy Cross for heroism. It took Marlantes 30 years to write the novel, probably as a way to exorcise old ghosts.
Analyzing a book this way does two things: it gives a greater understanding of what the author did (or didn't do) to make the book a success or failure; and understanding this will help you improve your own work.