What is a Book Review

A book review is a great marketing tool that equally helps authors build reputation and credibility for their published works as well as provides a potential reader with more information about the book they are considering buying, possibly even being the sole reason someone buys a book. By providing this valuable feedback of the reader's experience and thoughts about a book, customers looking for good books to read can get a better idea about what the book is like from a reader's point of view.

Unlike going through a book store where a book relies on the cover information to attract attention, an online review of a book will let searchers know what other readers think about the book before they actually look at it. This customer testimonial is more of a recommendation to read the book or a warning to not waste your time opening the book up.

So, what type of information does a person searching for a book expect when looking at a book review?

A book review is an analysis and evaluation of the book and the author, all wrapped up into a paragraph or two. It portrays what the reader liked or disliked about the book, from the characters to the scenes, or about the overall plot of the story. When I review a book, I have a checklist on the things I'm looking for in a book. Entertainment value is high on the list along with spelling and grammar errors, character likability, and story emersion (if I feel like I'm in the story or not witnessing what's going on).

Like I said before, a reviews are a marketing tool for writers too. If a book doesn't have any reviews or all negative reviews, it will have a negative effect on the sales of the book. But if a majority of the feedback is positive, the marketing value of the book goes way up. One of the top book selling websites on the Internet uses an algorithm to rank books based on number of daily sales. It also uses an extensive review system that readers can comment on so other readers can learn more about what the book is about and if it is worth reading.


Learn what book reviews are all about by exploring the elements of a book review.