BOOK REVIEW 101 : How to Write Book Reviews and Why They’re Important
by KB Meniado (PBBY Sectoral Representative for Book Reviewers)
Photo by KB Meniado
If you have ever talked about something you enjoyed or loved, then reviewing books shouldn’t be that different.
But first, what does “reviewing books” mean?
Reviewing books means expressing your thoughts and feelings about what you read.
Who can review books?
Any willing reader! If you want to talk about a story you read, then you can make book reviews.
In some cases, reviewing books is a job. Skilled and experienced readers can get paid for picking up and finishing a book.
Why review books?
There are plenty of reasons why you should consider reviewing books.
One is for yourself, when you want to keep track of your reading lists, interests, and habits.
Another is for your friends, when you want to encourage them to pick up a book you enjoyed or loved, or share a book that you think will resonate with them.
You can also review books for your fellow readers, even those that you do not personally know. Most of the time, readers rely on one another’s reviews when it comes to choosing which book is the best fit for a particular someone.
There are times that you can review books for publishers—even authors—by way of requests or exchange deals. But always remember that even when asked or paid for to do this, your book reviews should always reflect honest and respectful opinions.
Book discussion by Silent Book Club Manila and Bookbed
How to review books?
The first important step is to read the entire book. Habitual readers take notes as they do so, making it easier to express their thoughts and feelings about the story when the time to make a review comes.
Photo by Agnes Manalo for Bookbed
A book review can be a conversation, a writeup, an illustration, a comic, a journal page, a social media post, a vlog, or any other creative form it can take. There are reviews that feature a reader’s interest, such as fashion, food, and more! A book review can be as long as a newspaper clipping, or as concise as a star rating.
Photo by Elaine Zapanta for Facebookit on Bookbed
Many reviews include basic book information, such as cover, publication date, publisher, and blurb; others exercise their freedom to experiment by incorporating fun details or sections.
Art and photo by Mikki Shiu for Bookbed
Given all these, keep in mind that a credible book review is one that covers the strong and weak points of a story. You must also be able to convince a fellow reader why such a book is worth picking up or otherwise.
Where and when to share book reviews?
Book reviews can be posted, submitted, or shared anywhere, be that online or in real life. You can go the traditional way by sending it to broadsheets and magazines, or upload it to your blog or social media. Other readers prefer sharing their reviews on book community websites or in reading club sessions, like Goodreads, Storygraph, and Discord communities.
Posting book reviews can be done anytime, unless you have a deadline. Lots of books are timeless, so it’s always a happy moment whenever a reader and a book find their way to each other at any given time because of a review.
Reviewing books does require time, effort, honesty, and respect, but the most important thing is that it should be fun! After all, you’re talking about something that touched you in some way, and you’re excited to share it to the world. #
