You’ve joined (or rejoined) Cannonball Read this year and are all set to write a review. But wait, what are the rules, where do I start? This diversion helps answer your review writing questions.
First, the two most important rules:
- Book reviews should be a minimum of 250 words.
- You do not have to review everything you read.
My personal tip is to pick and choose which books you write reviews for. I read 100 books a year. When I joined Cannonball, I knew I wouldn’t have the time to write 100 reviews a year. I decided to only review books that were off the beaten path (books you wouldn’t normally hear about), books that just blew me away (I just had to share the joy I got from this book), or books that I thought were horrible (especially, if the rest of the world was heaping praise on it).
Try and make each review you write something that you have fun with. Be you – write what you want! Be unconventional – nobody is grading your writing!
Here are some review writing tips from other Cannonballers:
Emmalita asks herself these 5 questions to get rolling:
- Why did I choose to read this book? Author? Cover? Blurb? Book group? Recommendation? Found at a bus stop?
- What did I think of the book? Did it give me the experience or information I was hoping for? Why or why not?
- What is the book about, briefly?
- What particularly stuck out to me? Did the author do something interesting with a theme or trope? Was there a passage I particularly liked or hated?
- Who would I recommend this to? Or suggest stay away?
ASKReviews created her own formula for reviewing:
- Best for:
- In a nutshell:
- Worth quoting:
- Why I chose it:
- Review:
- What’s next for this book: Keep? Donate? Pass on? Trash?
faintingviolet has these tips:
- Most importantly, be yourself, don’t worry about being “good enough”. Cannonballers are interested in your unique thoughts and feelings about what you read.
- Say why you read the book: the cover caught your eye, someone else reviewed it, a friend or family member pushed it on you. It’s usually a good way to talk about expectations.
- Make yourself a little ritual for writing or pick a time you can put aside.
- Make sure to say what does or does not work for you personally about the book, that will likely help someone else decide if the book is for them.
MsWas’ tips for review writing
I hope that some of our tips help you with your review writing.
What are your tips for writing reviews? Do you have further questions? Post in the comments below to get or give help.
