Book Reviews
Book reviews are still a viable way for an author to get noticed and launch his career. Marketing agencies that specialize in book publicity look at each new review as a potential piece of marketing gold. While many readers shy away from reading whole book reviews, they still put a lot of stock in what they see on a book's marketing copy. For a review to land there, it takes a combination of networking prowess and good writing. Not only can book reviews be beneficial to the career of a book author, but they can also elevate the reviewer's career in terms of finances and prestige.
Book reviews generally consist of a plot summary that will allow readers to know the gist of what the novel or non-fiction book is about. But more than a plot summary, the review should go beyond this and demonstrate some form of response from the critic. That response can be one to the emotional heart of the novel. It can assess, in both good and bad terms, how the theme, characterization, plotting, style and mechanics hold up throughout the pages. All these factors are areas of interest to a potential reader, and if a critic can make a thoughtful and well reasoned argument for or against the book, it can go a long way in pushing readers to pick up a book, or Hollywood to option the manuscript as a film.
Book reviews by themselves are not make or break for an author, but it behooves the writer and the publishing house to commit to quality before launching a mass effort toward critics. If some of the same complaints are turning up in each new review, then there could be a fundamental issue with the book that keeps it from catching on. On the flip side of the coin, authors who command largely favorable book reviews then have the opportunity to take that praise and plaster it all over the front and back covers. They can even include some inserts in the first few pages of the book before the manuscript begins that details all the positive things reviewers have had to say about it.
Customers who have never even heard of the source of a book review may feel compelled to buy based on a well written blurb. If a reviewer is established, then any favorable review may be enough motivation. Needless to say, book reviews are powerful. They can prepare readers for the experience they are about to enjoy or they can keep readers from wasting their time with releases unsuited for them. At bookmouth.com, readers have the opportunity to learn more about what goes in to a book review. Agents, marketing pros in publishing, and authors can also use bookmouth.com to increase the amount of book reviews they can get access to. If you're in publishing, drop by today.