Sunday, March 24, 2013

Studying book reviews can improve your writing

By Dennis Mellersh

Whatever type of book you want to learn how to write, you can benefit from reading quality book reviews about the genre of writing that interests you.
 
If you want to write novels, for example, read book reviews about novels. I’m speaking here of book reviews in media recognized for their writing quality.
 
Although you can get some insights into people’s reactions to a particular novel, by reading reviews on Amazon.com, and similar venues, those reviews are generally not written by qualified professional review writers, and for the most part will not be as instructive for you in your educational process of becoming a writer.
 
On the other hand, book reviews associated with recognized professional newspapers magazines, and journals, and/or their web-based counterparts are generally written by knowledgeable writers, and you can learn from them.
 
Reading in-depth quality book reviews is a form of study; you should read these pieces with a pen/pencil and notebook handy so that you can take notes on what you find interesting and instructive.
 
Whether you are interested in becoming a novel writer, short story writer, or a writer of non-fiction books, there are many excellent reviews appearing continually in the quality media.
 
Many novels are reviewed as well as books about historical subjects, books on business, industry, science, and virtually every topic on which writers are completing and publishing books.
 
How can a quality book review help you? There are several ways. Quality book reviews:
  • Often compare the work under discussion to other similar books, which can be instructive
  • May compare the current book to previous work by the same book author
  • Non-fiction reviews often give background information on the broad subject matter of the book being reviewed
  • Shortcomings and strong points of the book under review will likely be examined
  • Will often recommend whether you should buy/read the book. Although, remember you can also learn from a not-so-good-book on how not to write
Here’s an example of the book reviews that appeared one particular Sunday in a major city newspaper:
 
  • A non-fiction book about bullying
  • A book on the 2008 financial crisis and its implications
  • A novel about a parental custody fight
  • A collection of satirical stories
  • A book discussing U.S./Iran foreign policy
  • A detailed examination of hearing loss
  • A novel about sibling rivalry
  • A collection of personal essays written by a poet
The review section also featured a list of hardcover best sellers and as well as a combined list of print and e-book best sellers divided equally into 15 fiction and 15 non-fiction titles.
 
Reviewing these best seller lists, in addition to the actual book reviews, can give you a good idea of what is trending in the world of published writing.

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