Do you rate or review books once you've read them?

I've been chatting to some friends about whether they ever leave book reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, and I was quite surprised to learn that most of them don't 🤯 The top three reasons seemed to be:

• It didn't occur to me
• I'm not a writer, so I'd have no idea what to write
• I got it from the library, so I'm not sure if I can (and yes, you can!)
  

I found this really interesting because what I've learnt in recent years is that authors really need our feedback. With self-publishing making book releases more common, there are so many new titles being published every day. That's wonderful for us readers, but not so good for the writers, as it means their titles can get lost in the pile. But the good news is, we can help them rise to the top 🥰

There are two main ways of giving feedback. 

The first is just giving it a star rating, which tends to range from ⭐ (oh dear, this didn't work for me!) through to ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (you have to read this!). The great news is that this alone can help raise the profile of the book 🎉 but rather than just rating it, how about reviewing as well?

Judging by my friends' faces when I suggested this, you might also have pure horror etched on yours right now but honestly, it's not difficult, so please bear with me a little longer!

There are two really good reasons for doing it. 

The first is that we all like honest reviews, it makes us feel informed and then we can 'risk' buying an unknown title or author (and book sales = happy writers!). 

The second is that most authors want feedback on their work so that they can improve their craft. I'll be asking all the writers in this blog about whether they read their reviews, so you'll be able to see their reactions for yourself - what fun! 

So what things should you put in there?

The good news is, it doesn't have to be ten thousand words, or using the latest buzz words, or anything technical or complicated. It just needs to reflect what you felt about the book - think of it as what you would tell your friends. You've probably read reviews in the past so you know what you like - that's what you should write. 

You can include a quick synopsis of the plot if you like but I'm always wary of putting in plot spoilers. If you absolutely must mention something key to the plot, then make sure it's clearly marked well in advance, so that the reader can leave beforehand. 

My own reviews tend to focus on whether it's a page-turner, whether I liked the main characters, did I find it a satisfying ending, do I want to read more by this author now, how I felt when I'd finished it, that type of thing. And then you get to deliver your verdict - would you recommend this book?

I think the best part of writing a review is that potential readers can understand why you gave it the stars you did. If it was only one star, be brave and say why. As long as it's honest and constructive, that's a great review. The same for a five-star - why did you love it so much? If your reason resonates with me, I should have the same response.

It really is the power of community - if enough of us do it, we could really make a difference and help great authors rise to the top of the bookshelf! Isn't it amazing to think that you can help guide all of us into making great buying decisions. It's exciting!

So if you've never done it before, give it a go. And if you're an avid review writer, give yourself a pat on the back 👏 You're already helping.

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