After I posted an article about the coincidental ways in which several ostensibly disparate elements came together on the Easter weekend, a couple of people told me they couldn’t open the link to my easy guide for reviewing my book Blood on Their Hands. That’s because the link — really just a Word file address — had to be copied and pasted into a browser, such as Google Chrome, for it to open. I neglected to mention that. Thus, the easy guide wasn’t easy to access.
I am hereby rectifying that oversight by placing the guide in even plainer view than Poe’s Purloined Letter. Herewith:
An Easy Guide to Reviewing Blood on Their Hands
Authors depend on readers to review their books, so others will know whether to buy them. It takes only a few minutes, and is easy to do. Just three or four sentences are enough, although you certainly can go longer if you choose.
Here are some points to consider in evaluating the book:
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Did you like the book? Why or why not?
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What did you like the most about it?
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What did you like the least?
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Was it engrossing, enthralling, compelling (choose the word)? Was it entertaining? Did it hold your interest?
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Was it suspenseful?
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Blood on Their Hands is basically a thriller. Were there twists and turns in the plot that kept you guessing, or were the things that happened predictable?
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Did you find anything humorous in it?
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The characters are an important part of a novel. Did the characters seem real, or couldn’t you picture them?
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How about the dialogue? Did the speech of the characters seem true to life, or did the talking seem unreal?
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What about the quality of the writing? Was it easy to understand, or were the sentences and phrases badly constructed, making the message unclear?
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How about the ending? Did you find it satisfying, or were you disappointed?
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Do you recommend the book?
Edgar Allan Poe
You may want to write something about all of these points, or maybe just a few. Choose whatever you’re comfortable with and have the time for. And don’t feel limited by these suggestions; it’s your review, and you may want to ignore them and just write what you think and feel. Also, don’t worry about grammar, etc. One more thing: If you received a free copy of the book, Amazon requires you to say so (I received a complimentary copy for review.).
After you’re done writing the review, copy and paste it on the book’s page on Amazon. Just Google Amazon, type the book’s title and my author name, Bob Brink, in the little horizontal window that says All. Click on the book cover. Click on 35 ratings (or whatever the number). Scroll down to where, on the left, it says: Review this product. Don’t forget to give the book a star rating – from 1 to 5. A 5-star rating doesn’t have to mean the book is perfect; it simply means that you liked it.
For a review title, write your overall opinion in 10 words or less. You might want to check some of the reviews already there for ideas. You can give your name, or remain anonymous with a name such as Book Lover, or Ardent Reader – whatever you want.
Thanks a million!!! Wait – in today’s world, make that a billion. Trillion?