Lets welcome authors Anne K. Edwards and Mayra Calvani as they speak to the book reviewers in all of us.
The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing
Author: Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards
Author: Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-933353-22-7
Genre: Reference/Writing
Format: Trade paperback
Price: $16.95 print, $4.99 ebook
Pages: 180
ISBN: 978-1-933353-22-7
Genre: Reference/Writing
Format: Trade paperback
Price: $16.95 print, $4.99 ebook
Pages: 180
Chapter excerpt:
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/SlipperyArt_ch1.html
Description:
Are you passionate about books? Do you have the desire to
share your thoughts about a book with readers, yet are unsure about what makes
a good review? Are you curious about the influence reviews have on readers,
booksellers, and librarians?
If you’re an experienced reviewer, The Slippery Art of
Book Reviewing will serve as an excellent reference tool and amalgam of
resources. If you’re a beginner, this book will show you how to write a
well-written, honest, objective and professional book review. It will also
teach you:
- How to read critically
- How to differentiate the various types of reviews
- How to rate books
- How to prevent amateurish mistakes
- How to deal with the ethics and legalities of reviewing
- How to tell the difference between a review, a book report, and a critique
- How to start your own review site
- How to publish your reviews on dozens of sites and even make money while you’re at it, and much more
If you’re an author, publisher, publicist, bookseller,
librarian, or reader, this book will also bring to light the importance and
influence of book reviews within a wider spectrum.
Practical Advice to Remember When Reviewing
By
Mayra Calvani
• Keep your
writing style concise, direct and reader-friendly. Don’t try to impress readers
with fancy words.
• Whenever
possible, try to specify the intended readership. Some books are specialized
and appeal to only one group of people.
• Stay away
from clichés like “A real page-turner!” “Un-put-down-able!” It’s a pity, but
even big newspaper reviewers sometimes use these expressions. You see them on
the back of paperbacks all the time.
• Don’t let
a few typos affect your review if the book is good. Even books published by
major houses sometimes have small errors.
• Be
advised that the most commonly preferred tense when writing a review is the
present.
• Read
different types of reviews to get a feel of what a review should be like. Soon
you’ll be able to differentiate the well-written reviews from the mediocre.
• Try not
to review books from family members, friends or people you know. The less you
know about the author or publisher, the less chance of conflict of interest and
the more freedom you have to be honest.
• If you
read all kinds of books, then review all kinds of books, but if you mostly read
books in one genre, then it’s more sensible to only review books in that genre.
Your reviews will have more insight, more ‘meat’ when you’re familiar with
other authors and books in that particular genre.
• Try to
review books in the order in which you receive them. This will help in keeping
up with deadlines and is only fair to the person who submitted it.
• If you
plan to review books in all categories, make sure you understand the various
types of genres and subgenres. It’s embarrassing to complain in your review
that a story has highly improbably situations if the story in question happens
to be a parody!
• Don’t be
prejudiced. Don’t assume that a self-published or small press book will be
poorly written. Give it a fair chance and let it speak for itself. Likewise,
never assume a book published by a major NY house has to be good.
What reviewers are saying…
“There’s not a reviewer out there that wouldn’t benefit from
this review of reviewing… this is a great reference book for libraries…”
–Heather Shaw, Editor-in-Chief, ForeWord
Magazine
“This book from Mayra
Calvani and Anne K. Edwards is the first ‘Reviewer’s Desk Reference’ for book
reviewers at all levels.”
–Reviewed by Ernest Dempsey, The World Audience
“As an experienced reviewer I learned that I do not know it
all and will keep my copy of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing for
reference. It is not a book I will loan out because it won’t be returned…If you
want to break into book reviewing, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing is
a must-have reference. Heed the author’s advice and you can write reviews that
will get you and the books you review noticed.”
–Reviewed by Sharon Broom, Armchair Interviews.
–Reviewed by Sharon Broom, Armchair Interviews.
“The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing is a useful took
for both amateur and professional book reviewers, as well as book review
editors. There should be no doubt that the good tips, thoughtful perspective
and resource information can be of considerable value to anyone wishing to
practice this art.”
–Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Allbooks Reviews.
–Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Allbooks Reviews.
“I do recommend The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing as
a must-have resource guide. Calvani and Edwards present a well-written
gold-mine to potential reviewers as well as a source of information for
experienced reviewers and authors.”
–Reviewed by Irene Watson, Reader Views.
–Reviewed by Irene Watson, Reader Views.
“The Slippery Art… is an invaluable resource for anyone
interested in book reviews – writers, reviewers, publishers, publicists,
librarians, booksellers and readers.”
– Reviewed by Francine Silverman, Editor of The Book Promotion Newsletter
– Reviewed by Francine Silverman, Editor of The Book Promotion Newsletter
Awards:
ForeWord Best Book of the Year Award Winner under the
Writing Category!
2011 Global Ebooks Awards Winner for Nonfiction/Reference!
*US Book News National Best Book Award Finalist!
*Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist!
*EPPIE Award Finalist!
*Used for reviewing course at 3 US universities and 1
university in the Netherlands.
For more information, visit Amazon or Twilight Times
Books.
Authors’ bios:
Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and
adults. She’s had over 300 stories, articles, interviews and reviews
published both online and in print, in publications such as The Writer,
Writer's Journal, Acentos Review, Bloomsbury Review, Mosaic, and Multicultural
Review, among many others. A reviewer for more than a decade, she now offers
numerous book reviewing workshops online. She also offers workshops on the art
of picture book writing. She's represented by Mansion Street Literary and Savvy
Literary.
Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com
Anne K. Edwards is an award-winning multi-genre author,
reviewer and editor of Voice in the Dark Ezine. Her latest novel is the
suspense thriller, Shadows Over Paradise, published by Twilight Times Books.
Visit her website at www.AnneKEdwards.com
1 comment:
Thank you so much for dropping by and sharing your great book!
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