Book
Review Guidelines
General Information
Although we offer guidelines, remember that as
a reviewer you are an individual with your own personality and writing
style. Don’t try to imitate other reviewers; allow readers to see the
uniqueness of your personality and words. Although we expect all our
independent reviewers to be honest, separate your personal reading
preferences from your professional evaluation of the book. You have a
responsibility to be fair to both the reader and the author. Constructive
criticism is appropriate, however, hatchet attacks are not. Mention good
points as well as what you feel the author might have done to make the book
better. Don’t make the mistake of pointing out typos, mistakes in
punctuation, or unimportant factual errors of the book unless they are
extremely excessive.
Length: Your
review should be between 500 and 1500 words. Proofread carefully for spelling and grammatical errors.
Quotes: Use
sparingly and supply page numbers. Example: Jaylene Coring
writes, “I believe that too much television has a negative impact on young
children.” (P.2.)
Format Suggestions
Publication Details:
Title, Author, Publisher, Binding (hardcover, paperback, etc.), number of
pages, retail price of book, and ISBN. Give the genre or category of the
book.
Introduction/Overview:
The reviewer should mention the author’s name and the title of the book.
One-half to two-thirds of the review should consist of a summary.
Evaluation: At
least one-third of the review should consist of an evaluation. In
evaluating the book ask yourself if the author has achieved his or her
goals. Is the book convincing and how does it compare with others written
on a similar subject? What do you feel was left out and what should have
been included? Reviewers are connections or bridges between authors and
readers. Describe, analyze, express and, if possible, entice your readers.
If you believe the book is interesting, instructive, or entertaining, tell
why. Who is the intended audience? If the book raises questions or issues,
explain the same. It is important to read the preface, foreword,
introduction and other front matter carefully. These pages can tell you
many important things about the author as well as his/her purpose for
writing the book.
Fiction Reviews
(Suggestions)
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Is the title appropriate? |
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Are the characters believable? |
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Do you see the author in the storyline of the book?
(Hopefully not!) |
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Does the plot gather momentum as the story moves
forward? |
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Does the book evoke emotions? |
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Is the storyline interesting and exciting? |
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Does the storyline of the book move at a satisfying
pace? |
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Does the book seem to be original . . . or perhaps a
bit too familiar? |
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Are there overall gaps that take away from the
storyline? |
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Are there intriguing twists and surprises? |
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Does the ending leave you satisfied? |
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Don’t tell too much of the story; authors and
publishers want readers to buy it! |
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Does the title for the book seem appropriate? |
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Is the book easy to read? |
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Is the book informative without being too technical? |
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Does the information appear to be well researched? |
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Is the information useful? |
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Are there examples and illustrations that are easily
understood? |
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What is the depth of specialized training/education
needed for one to benefit from the book? |
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What is missing from the book? |
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Is the book up-to-date? If so, will it age
gracefully or soon contain obsolete information? |
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If the book is a revised edition, do the revisions
add value to the original edition? |
Important: Read every
page of every book; you are a professional!
Copyright Matters
Reviewers retain the copyrights to the reviews they
write; however, authors have the right to use the reviews in any way deemed
appropriate to promote and sell their books. Reviewers may publish their
reviews elsewhere only after receiving permission from the authors of the
books they have reviewed through IPR (Independent Professional Reviewers).
Note to
Reviewers: Please notify the administration when your mailing address,
telephone number, or e-mail address, etc. changes. Thank you.
