Because book reviews are seldom paid for and often assigned to school-age children as writing projects, they may seem unworthy of a professional writer’s attention. However, writing book reviews provides more perks than just free books; it can also help writers track market trends, improve their craft, and catch an editor’s eye.
Book Reviewers Get Free Books
Reviewers write book reviews because they love reading and want to tell others about the great book they just finished. C. Hope Clark, author of the ebook Get Paid To Write Book Reviews, says, “Book reviewers are avid readers, the main reason they accept review assignments. Books are expensive. To receive free books for entertaining reading is nice if your hobby is reading.”
While there are some paying markets for reviews, as Clark lists in her ebook, most publications only provide free copies of the book to be reviewed. Often, reviewers get advance copies of the book—an “enormous fringe benefit of the job,” according to reviewer Andrea Hoag, who says she “could never be too jaded to appreciate . . . receiving advance copies of books months before they hit stores” (“Review This: Critics Roundtable” by Will Allison, 2007 Writer’s Market, Writer’s Digest Books, 2006).
Many publishers, such as Thomas Nelson, provide reviewers with copies of recently published books in exchange for reviews posted on the reviewer’s blog and retail websites such as Amazon.com. Watch publishers’ websites and author’s blogs for invitations to review advance copies.
Book Reviewers Know What Sells
For the writer, book reviews provide a way to stay on top of market trends. As Glynis Belec says in her article “Write a Sparkling Book Review (And Get Paid)” (FellowScript, May 2008), “When we read, we discover what is current. We find out what the issues and the interests are; what’s selling and what isn’t.” Writers trying to break into the publishing industry can glimpse what publishers are publishing and what they may be looking for by reviewing their latest releases.
Book Reviewers Learn by Reviewing
Reviewing books is a great way for writers to learn. First, writers often need to research what they are writing about. Second, writers should read writer’s books to better their craft. Third, fiction writers should be reading the best fiction they can get their hands on. Reviewing all these books is a way of “reading books one would love to read anyway, and getting recognized for spending the time to do it” (Clark).
Writers can apply what they’ve learned from reading to their writing, whether it’s book reviews or short stories or nonfiction articles. One book reviewer told Belec that "she found herself reviewing books as a means of figuring out what makes good fiction." A writer could share some tips in a review of a book on writing, then apply those tips to her own work.
As a reviewer, a writer may also read books that he would not otherwise pick up, especially if an editor requests such a review. This in turn expands the reviewer’s reading tastes and influences their writing. Hoag advises book reviewers to “keep an open mind about all genres of books, from deeply literary novels to decidedly commercial fare.” Belec quotes book reviewer Carolyn Wilker, who says, "Reviewing gives me a chance to sample a wide variety of books."
Book Reviewers Attract an Editor’s Attention
Reviewing books can be a way to break into a market. By providing well-written book reviews in a timely fashion, reviewers build a relationship with the editor that could lead to sales of other articles. Hoag recommends a writer “send her sample reviews and published clips to editors, starting with local papers and working her way up from there.”
Writing book reviews is thus not only a lot of fun, but also provides good experience for the writer.
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