📖🔖📝💻 “What Goes into My Reviews …” (2022 Edition) 💻📝🔖📖
About my Reviews …
After a recent email from an author about one of my reviews; and trust me, it was a doozy of one – the email, not the review; I wanted to step aside and revisit how I write my reviews and where I get the ratings I do.
I previously discussed this in the following blogs:
https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html (this is always included with a review at the bottom so anyone reading the blog can see why I gave the rating I did)
As well as https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2021/03/how-i-write-my-book-reviews.html
There are times a negative experience can be a learning tool or point. This is one such moment. The email or the review? Both actually.
To understand my reviews. It should be asked:
Who is a review for? The reader? Potential reader? Authors & publishers?
Good question. This is up for a LOT of debate, and there is NO real answer to define it. This was an interesting topic on Library Thing a few months ago. Not a pleasant discussion at all. It started with an interesting question about what made a good review (especially to “win” books), I answered, and as usual – it went downhill from there. I left the chat and walked away.
For me – the review is for EVERYONE involved.
✳️ Myself – reviews are my personal take on the book, my experiences. Why did I choose it, what I liked/disliked about it, how much I enjoyed it, do I like the author’s work, will I keep reading their work – those things. It is a personal analysis based on an established criterion.
✳️ Potential readers – these are the people buying the books; they’re the potential audience as well. These are the people the author wrote the book for.
I keep potential readers in mind (even above myself) because so many bad reviews are due to triggers, content (language, intimacy, hot issues), as well as themes (religion being one of them). If a potential reader knows what the book contains, they’re making an informed decision to buy it or run away from it.
While no author wants to see someone run away from their book, would they prefer a bad review that everyone can see and share? One that might affect future sales? I don’t think they would. Reviews ensure that the book reaches the intended audience.
✳️ Authors & Publishers – both the author and publisher need positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. If I like a book – then myself, the author, and publisher are going to be pleased.
If I dislike a book, I will state why and what can be worked on from there for future books. I’ll provide photos, links, and references to steer the author in the right direction. They should want to know what their readers think and would like to see improved. This gives them and the publishers much needed feedback for future books.
Things I DON’T/ WON’T do in a review…
✳️ Disparage or tear an author down. I view this more or less as an attack on the author versus a critique of their work. It’s one thing to say the book is awful. If it is, it is. That’s NOT disparaging the author. It is a critique of the book. Now, saying the author is an awful person is NOT appropriate at all and definitely disparaging.
By the way, I earn nothing if an author succeeds. I earn nothing if an author fails. My review is simply unbiased feedback. As one person pointed out, most authors WANT honest feedback.
I’ll amend that – they SHOULD want honest feedback.
And, I NEVER tag an author in a negative review. If it is under 3-stars, I won’t even share on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
✳️ I won’t – even for a free copy – give a positive review where it isn’t warranted. That is just dishonest. I don’t throw out negative (1-star Goodreads or 2-star BookBub, Amazon, blog) ratings just because. I detail my reasons in the review and offer feedback to avoid the same issues. The lowest I’ve ever rated a book – 2-star Goodreads; 2-star BookBub.
Unlike some 2-5 sentence reviews, mine are lengthy as I feel everyone deserves an explanation. Just saying “bad grammar, inaccurate portrayals, implausible timeline, implausible plot” tells the reader of the review nothing. I know some people will argue and say “that is something”. Not to me. Tell me “why” that was said about the book. Give me examples and expand on them.
✳️ I won’t change a review because it wasn’t favorable. If I have facts and references to indicate why I stated what I did, let’s talk in a civil manner about it. It can be a learning moment.
I have clarified and even polished some reviews up based on inaccurate genre categorization or misinformation, which I am HAPPY to do. I’ve even deleted content as it spoiled the plot too much. This was after polite and wonderful talks. Then again, those were positive reviews already.
Why do I give the star rating I do?
Where do I get my “rating” system?
One of the places I review through has a “grading” scale. The goal is to benefit the reader and author and view the book with a critical perspective.
While this is mainly for Christian books, I have altered one item for non-Christian books. Each section has a maximum of 10 points, with the lowest of 0 – max points are 60 (5-star); lowest points 0 (1-star).
Everything is evaluated with this grading scale:
📖 Cover – while this seems superficial, a good cover grabs the reader’s attention. It is why they likely picked the book up to read the “back cover” or “blurb”. Something drew the reader to the book. The cover tells a bit of the story before the reader opens the book.
Some covers stand out. Case in point … here’s the cover of Tina Radcliffe’s upcoming Love Inspired Suspense debut – Sabotaged Mission:
Doesn’t that grab you? Definitely a 9-10 on the scale! I’m drawn right to it. What’s going on? Why is that van on the tracks? I can feel my heart racing just looking at the cover!
📖 Characters – these are the people you want the readers to care about; and one of the MOST IMPORTANT aspects.
After all, they’re going to be a part of the reader’s life for roughly 150-500 pages.
The characters, in my opinion, are the most important part of the story. Is there one POV (point of view), multiple? Whose story is this? Why should I care about these people? Were they realistic? Did they show growth and development? Were they horrible? Were they people you felt sorry for and have a connection to?
📖 Plot – even with great characters, they can be doomed because of the plot. Is it well structured – clean, developed, great progression. Does it have weak points? Does it have loose ends (and not part of a series)? Was it well researched? Does the plot grab and hold my attention? Yes, fiction books are “fiction”, but are they plausible?
📖 Style – this is where some authors might have an issue when it comes to the review. No one wants to have that red pen marking their paper as a failure. But, style is often a key factor in a review. It is well-written? Are there typos or inconsistencies? Does it fit with the genre? Is it in need of an editor? Is it a hot mess or dumpster fire? Are the chapters nearly a book long, or are they so short you’ve read half the book before you realized it? Does the story move naturally, speed through, or slog along?
📖 Addictiveness – This is often where a book can get a glowing review or a bad one. Is it a “stay up all night to read it” book? Very hard to put down? Is it okay, but not your cup of tea/coffee. Is it so bad you can’t finish it and it seems like a chore?
Funny note: I accidentally fell asleep reading a particular book. I forgot it was there, it made it through the night unscathed and had a funny note in the review as being that “addictive”.
📖 Content – For Christian books this scale can go as high as having a strong salvation and faith theme; characters attending faith services and having strong morals; or there is no discernible reason for it to be considered a Christian book except it is “clean”.
For non-Christian books – is it considered “clean and wholesome” (no Christian themes, just clean content); are there off page scenes but language is clean (sweet romance); does it have “barnyard” talk; is it almost or near smut; are there “s” bombs and “F” bombs throughout; is there blatant nudity and/or near “erotic” scenes?
Content can be a make or break a buyer’s decision to buy a book. So, it’s essential information to be included.
Most books, for me, land in the 4 & 5 star ratings. There have been the unusual 2-star reads. Some writers I’ve walked away from as a result. Others? I like their newer “sweet and clean” reads more than their older stuff.
When it comes to Goodreads – it is a different scale. But, it usually matches the grading scale I use. BookBub is different as well, so a star rating might be higher on BB than GR.
1 star – Did not like (have never given a book this rating)
2 stars – It was OK (about 25 or so books have been given this rating)
3 stars – Liked it
4 stars – Really liked it
5 stars – It was amazing!
1 star – Bad (have never given a book this rating)
2 stars – Disappointing (have given a few books this rating; less than 5)
3 stars – Okay (a GR 2-star; a little over 20 have this rating)
4 stars – Good
5 stars – Excellent
Amazon and Library Thing have NO rating guideline so they and my blog hover between GR and BB. Recently, I have being trying to match them to BB to be fair. I do note the GR rating though.
As a potential author, I know how much a BAD review can hurt. And, while the author used that against me in the email – my point was to convey how much I understand the process. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like to give low reviews and try to find SOMETHING redeeming about the book. Sometimes, no matter how hard one tries – the book is beyond salvaging.
Even with good characters and a good story, the book can be ruined by errors ranging from minor to almost unforgivably egregious. Minor usually get forgiven and a slight note.
Major? These are potentially devastating to the credibility of the book and ruins a potentially good story. The worse the error, the more it needs to be pointed out so any future books don’t suffer the same fate:
MAJOR errors usually fall under:
🕰️ Timeline/Continuity –
If your first book takes place in 2019 and is told over a 30-month period (2½ years) – that puts it ending in 2021 (January 2019 to July 2021).
Depending on when the book is set; it could even be into 2022.
So, if the second book picks up right after the first book (as in a few days/weeks later) – there is no way an event could occur six months later and be set a decade earlier (2011). If it is a typo (and printing has happened) – this is easily addressed by emailing or posting about it when sending books out to readers.
Note: an author publishing a series with a major company as well as novellas on her own (connected to the series) had an error about a character’s age when her mom died. I brought it to the author’s attention, who noted it in the published novella. A reader said not to mention it in a review, yet I did and NOTED the author owned up to it. The author had NO issues with how I “handled” it.
🩺 Medical Inaccuracies –
Too often some books take a soap opera turn with medical maladies. While a medical scare is great drama, there is a chance to accidentally wade into the implausible or inaccurate zone. This is remedied by talking with doctors or nurses. I don’t say this lightly, but I grew up around the medical field so there’s a lifetime of built-in knowledge right there (29 years).
My mom worked 4 years at hospitals in California (admitting and ER registration), took a break for 5 years, then worked 25 years at a hospital in Nevada as a Unit Clerk (ER department; outpatient clinic; medical/surgical floor).
Without going into details, you name it – she likely did it, even if it wasn’t her job. She also overheard a LIFETIME worth of stuff that anyone on the floor (or elevator) could’ve heard. Talk about potential stories. She even had trauma training and “ran” several traumas in the ER.
My own experiences range from being part of the medical explorers program to several stints as a volunteer in various areas (pediatrics, medical records, oncology, physician services). I also earned a diploma in Medical/Dental office assisting. I retained a LOT of knowledge from the experiences. Seeing inaccurate or unrealistic portrayals is a severe pet peeve.
🏛️️ Legal Inaccuracies –
This is perhaps my WORST PET PEEVE I’ll admit.
I absolutely love studying law and government, which I also excelled in. From March 2011 to October 2012, I was enrolled in college for a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice – concentrating in Forensic Psychology and Homeland Security.
I still have my textbooks right beside me: Criminal Justice Today (Schmalleger; 10th Edition, 2009); The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System (Meyer & Grant, 2003); and Criminal Investigation (Lyman, 5th Edition, 2008). While out of date – they’re better than nothing with regards to reference materials. I dislike bragging, but I am proud of the “A” grades I got in most of my classes. I wasn’t a mediocre student – I dove right in.
True, textbooks don’t have every state law, procedure, or penalty though – that’s what Penal Codes or statutes are for. I definitely got used to looking them up for school. Those are free and easy to access with the internet. Don’t even have to leave home. Remember the dreaded visit to the library with the lecture on “you can’t borrow reference materials and take them home”??
As a result, I use a plethora of tools for my review. If the review is favorable – that’s a bonus for all of us. If it isn’t – it should serve as an educational moment. That’s the goal – if it didn’t work, learn why it didn’t. If it is fixable – go forward with it, make note of it.
Not every writer is going to be an editor, proofreader, doctor, lawyer, or any other expert all in one. I’m not, so I don’t expect it of others. Not everyone can hire a “team” (or wants to) either. Reviews are pivotal in that regard.
Yes, fiction books are just that – fiction. Most writers make it a point to be as “spot-on” as possible to increase the believability of the book. Nothing ruins a book more than being “fake”.
Am I upset about the email? At first – yes. I was also shocked. Who wouldn’t be?
But … after some feedback (and a laugh from another author) – I feel better. Even someone who read the review said they loved it and my explanations for it – they didn’t see anything wrong with it. I’ve had people from different areas of the book industry lend positive support to me – a fellow reviewer, an author, and someone who deals with publicity.
My reviews are well researched and noted. And, for the most part ... been well received.
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