What is a Book Review, and How Important are They?

What is a book review, is a question I never gave much thought to until I started writing seriously. The importance of book reviews, particulalry if you are a fledgling author, has since become apparent.

• It is a pleasant feeling when someone says they enjoyed your book.
• It is OK if they say, it isn’t bad, but I didn’t like this or that.
• But it is hard to take if they say it is a load of rubbish.

Definition of a Book Review

A book review is an independent comment about an author’s work that affects the sale of the book and probably other author’s books. To understand the importance of book reviews, ask an author whose book on Amazon has none. Authors need them to create awareness and a better chance of getting sales.

So, the definition of a book review is that it should be a constructive comment where the book’s content is analysed for the value and authenticity it brings to the reader. The length may vary from a paragraph to a wordy article. The average length of reviews for genre fiction novels on Amazon is between 50 and 250 words. The reviews are usually written based on personal taste and a desire to thank or berate the author. Sometimes reviewers take the opportunity to voice their own opinion or ideas on the subject matter of the work.

There are different types of book review covering such things as;

• Advocacy – a recommendation to read.
• Commercial – business, marketing, promoting financial gain.  
• Reader –  primarily personal views on fiction books
• Editorial – critiques and opinions voiced by trade professionals, such as editors and publishers.

It is important to note that any one of these reviews can help your book become a success but a combination of all four will give you the best chances.

There are also journals on and offline that produce book reviews, and promote good books, such as Book Bub and Kirkus Reviews. For more on this go to my article – How to find the right book…

Getting a Reaction

What matters most is that I am read, that my readers benefit from the reading, and we have connected. If I have evoked or aroused feelings of sadness, joy or laughter I am happy. When a reader learns something they didn’t know before then I have added value. If I make them angry, I am sorry. Knowing how long it can take to write a first novel and get it to market, I appreciate every reader and their book reviews

Making a Living as an Author

Few authors make much money from writing fiction. And for most authors, writing is a passion which may turn into a profession. We are all entitled to offer our work to readers, wheteher you work for the big publishing houses or are dedicated enough to publish yourself. But as I explain in this post, don’t get into a spin.

Many highly skilled professional authors are now choosing the latter, preferring to control their businesses, and if successful make more money in doing so.

The Importance of Book Reviews to Authors

If you want to know how important book reviews are, ask an author whose book has been published on Amazon and sitting on Goodreads for a year and hasn’t got any reviews.

Authors need book reviews as an endorsement from readers to potential readers and to create greater awareness and a better chance of being discovered.

In short, book reviews increase sales.

On platforms like Amazon, books with loads of good reviews will be given more exposure in preference to books with only a few reviews.

It’s all logical but a bit of a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. Which comes first?

The Value of Book Reviews

A Fiction Book Review, if it is to have any value, should be a serious, critical and constructive appraisal of the book. It should add a dimension and summarise the work, to help a prospective reader and the author. It should not be abusive, taken lightly or frivolously, and above all, it must be sincere.

If it meets those criteria it will add value to readers and authors alike. And reviews help other people discover books, and get more exposure when retailers like Amazon promote them.

Honest Reviews Benefit Everyone.

One-liners, although they may have some value, are not strictly reviews. They are a quick comment on whether or not the reader liked it.

By way of example, I bought a novel, ‘Lionel Asbo’ by the very successful, Martin Amis, whom I had never read. There are five ‘one-liners’ on the front and back covers. here are two.

• ‘Gloriously funny and incisive’ – Sunday Telegraph.
• ‘Terrific, both funny and serious…’ Guardian.

I didn’t have time to read a chapter so I bought it on spec. – not something I usually do.

After all, I thought, it’s Martin Amis and the book is dedicated to a legend, Christopher Hitchens, so it must be good. I ploughed through half of it and could not manage any more. I didn’t enjoy it one little bit. It wasn’t for me.

We all have different tastes, and this one didn’t taste good to me. So please don’t let that put you off.

You may love it.

Book Reviews Blogs and Book Review Sites

We are all entitled to our opinions, but if I see ill-informed, malevolent and destructive criticism, I have to question the critic’s motive. It is good to see more book review blogs and book review sites online now.

It indicates that more and more readers are keen to share  polite, honest opinions to help other readers, and authors alike.

What is the Value in these Reviews?

I thought it would be interesting to consider the value of two critical reviews as an example. I have taken two posted on Amazon, of a book by a famous author, Dan Brown.

80% of the 20k+ reviews of Origin are 4 or 5 Star so we can probably assume Dan Brown is not that concerned that 8% are 2 and 1 Star, and will find zero value in them. I would be surprised if he ever reads them, anyway.

But, let’s look at them from a readers perspective and imagine we are new authors, not Dan Brown.

Review 1

Disappointed… wish Brown would find a new model.

I wish I could give this 3.5 stars, but it doesn’t warrant 4 in my opinion. I love Dan Brown’s novels, his writing style, and his extensive use of history/tech in most of them, and I always learn something when I read his books. Robert Langdon is one of my favorite fictional characters.

However, as this series moves on, it’s more of the same. Brown has a plug and play format that he follows, and as I read this book, it’s basically Robert Langdon at some educational/art venue where a friend/colleague, etc. asks for his presence only to witness a murder or event that threatens the world. < insert new villain here that is on a mission from God because his/her family was wronged>. Run to this historical place, find something they were looking for, find it quickly and then all is right again.

There was supposed suspense, in that you want to find out what in the world Langdon’s friend had to say before his murder–and of course, you have to wait until the end to find out. But I skimmed a lot of it because it was just more of the same. By the end of the book, I wasn’t particularly enlightened by the so-called “discovery that would change the world.” And, the side plot (that actually seems like part of the larger plot) of the Prince and Bishop was a distraction.

The only part that was remotely interesting was the use of “Winston” in the novel. I was hoping for something more original from Dan Brown, especially after paying $15.00. I wish he’d return to the days of Digital Fortress. He’s such a talented writer, but if this is his whole mantra for novel writing, I’m not sure I’ll buy the next one.

As a New Author – How Does it Help Me?

Here are a few points that are helpful and would make me think. (See highlighted text)

• The reviewer thinks I’m a talented writer, enjoys my books and learns from them. That’s a good start. – I’m entertaining my customer.
• I need to think about keeping the reader focused. Seems like a sub-plot takes readers on a detour and doesn’t move the story forward. – Watch out for this in future.
• Price seems to be an issue. I’m giving value, but is it value for money?
• The reviewer seems a bit confused. On the one hand saying, ‘…it’s more of the same.’ Then saying, ‘I wish he’d return to the days of Digital Fortress.’ – This doesn’t help me and I have no intention of writing two books with different names that are the same. I’ll ignore it.

As a Reader – How Does it Help Me?

• It looks like the author’s work is worth reading.
• The negative comments seem to be more opinion and personal preferences.
• On balance, I’ll put this author and the book on my to read list.

Review 2

Very poor book

This is a really bad book. It is boring, there’s no payoff at the end, it’s just terrible. The story is attenuated and not well thought out, and the ending is not worth the waste of time. Brown is not a great writer, and some of his stories are good, but this is just awful.

As a New Author – How does Review 2 Help Me?

This review is a destructive, opinionated rant which offers no help to me as an author whatsoever. I don’t understand what the reviewer was thinking or why he wrote it. This is not a review.

As a Reader – How does it Help Me?

This is not a review. Just the rantings of a man who got out of the wrong side of the bed and wanted to take it out on someone. How did he think he was helping anyone? It only reflects badly on the writer of the review, not the author.

Treat Book Reviews with Care and be Selective.

So be careful. While Reviews can be helpful, many of them are of little or no value. Read them but don’t place too much reliance on them.

I remember one of the best books I have read had 5% of 80,000 Amazon Reviews as 1 Star and they are scathing. I couldn’t resist buying it. I’ve read it twice and watched the movie. I enjoyed both immensely.

So, The Girl on the Train comes highly recommended by me but not by everybody.

Decide for yourself.

I decide whether or not to read a book by reading a sample first. I don’t need book reviews or one-liners to make my decisions, but I do find some of them helpful. It is also interesting to read the opinions of others occasionally. I like to trust my own judgement and the integrity of the author in deciding what to read.

However, as an author, I value every reader’s opinion, when the purpose of a book review is to help other readers. And I am thrilled when one of them appreciates my books enough to take the time to write a review.

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Updated April 2024