“Hey-ho, all! Will Scarlet, here, luminous fan-favorite* from the lately released Robin Hood fantasy, ‘The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale (The Outlaws of Avalon, Book 1)’. If you’ve chanced to purchase the e-book edition (as opposed to the also-available paperback), maybe you’ll have come across the following message from the author, tucked away at the back.”
Thank you so much for reading my book! I hope you loved it. If you did (or, hey, even on the off chance you didn’t), would you please do me the invaluable favor of leaving a review on your online retailer(s) of choice?
You may or may not be aware of this, but just a few publicly posted sentences of feedback from a reader are a huge deal to the author. So if you’ve got an honest opinion and a handful of minutes, that is all I ask you share with the world. It will be much appreciated.
Thanks once again, and happy reading!
~ Danielle
“And if you’re a reader on the receiving end of that sort of authorial plea, you may have responded with something like this.”
Oh, but I’m no good at writing reviews.
“And hey, for all I know, that’s just the plain truth. After all, you’re not the writer here – just a regular person who read a book.
“But guess what, gorgeous? That’s all you need to be! Because your book review doesn’t have to be brilliant; it just has to be honest.**
“Even so, I know consolidating your genuine opinions into a basically coherent review can feel intimidating. That’s where this blog post comes in. A few of my Merry Men friends and I are going to break down the process and show you just how supremely simple writing a book review can be!”
Step 1: Ask yourself, Did I like [insert whatever book title here]?
Marion Hood, adopting the role of Hypothetical Reader A, says, “I absolutely loved it!”
Allyn-a-Dale, as Hypothetical Reader B, says, “I didn’t enjoy it.”
Little John, Hypothetical Reader C, says, “I have mixed feelings.”
“Great,” Will Scarlet replies to all. “Write that down.”
Step 2: See if you can pinpoint any reasons why.
“Reasons?!” cries HRA Marion. “It was just… gaaaauuugh, SO GOOD. So practically flawless! I loved everything!”
An unimpressed HRB Allyn says, “I thought the writing quality was poor. The characters all annoyed me, and the story just felt so… done to death.”
HRC Little John shrugs. “It was interesting to a point, but then dragged too long and got boring. Fun sidekick, though.”
“Fair,” says Will, nodding. “Write that down.”
Step 3: Would you recommend that others read this book?
“READ IT,” Marion demands. “Everybody read it, and somebody make it a movie!”
“If you liked [ostensibly similar book / movie / Broadway show],” Allyn says dubiously, “maybe this book will entertain you. Otherwise, I’d skip it.”
“Fairly sure I’m not this book’s intended audience,” says Little John. “Your mileage may vary.”
“Write that last bit down,” Will Scarlet directs. “And BOOM: You’ve each got yourself a book review!”
Step 4: Post what you’ve got on book review sites (like Goodreads) and dot-coms where the book is available for sale (like Amazon and Barnes & Noble) for the benefit of the author and your fellow bookworms alike!
I absolutely loved it! It was just… gaaaauuugh, SO GOOD. So practically flawless! I loved everything! READ IT. Everybody read it, and somebody make it a movie!
*
I didn’t enjoy it. I thought the writing quality was poor. The characters all annoyed me, and the story just felt so… done to death. If you liked [ostensibly similar book / movie / Broadway show], maybe this book will entertain you. Otherwise, I’d skip it.
*
I have mixed feelings. It was interesting to a point, but then dragged too long and got boring. Fun sidekick, though. Fairly sure I’m not this book’s intended audience. Your mileage may vary.
Will Scarlet grins. “See what I’m talking about? No university-level thesis paper required. Just a few sentences outlining your impression of the book, then choose how you many stars you wish to award. Other valid, even simpler reviews could include:
Super fun. Would definitely recommend.
*
A new favorite. Can’t wait to see what [author name] does next.
*
Reminded me of [some other story]. I really liked it.
“Piece of cake, right? So if you haven’t yet, why don’t you give it a try? For ‘The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale’, another Danielle E. Shipley title, and/or any novel, novella, or short story collection that’s had the honor of your readership. Even if you don’t fancy yourself any kind of writer, believe me, friend: Your words have power.”
* “Heck yes, I copped that description of me from a review! ;D”
** “Or, I mean, you could lie, but I’m not sure who that’d be helping, in the end.”
Ever On Word 