When you decide to be a book reviewer you need to realize how important what you are doing is. Once you realize how important your job is you will realize that you need a code of conduct (COC) for book reviewing. A COC not only keeps you honest, but protects you as well. There are many people who get themselves into hot water because they don’t have a COC. This will help you be an honest and respected book reviewer who, over time, becomes very popular with readers and authors.
To be a book reviewer in the long term you need to be an honest reviewer. Reviewing a book is not only giving your opinion of it. It is also a signal to readers to buy or to not buy. You help choose what books become best sellers and which books become flops. You need to realize this and you need to make sure you write like you know this. If you don’t understand the power of your writing, you are bound to get into trouble at some point.
A COC protects you from readers and authors. It shows everyone how you review and as long as you agree to what your COC says you will be a book reviewer who is respected instead of shunned. As long as the readers know how you come to your decision in the book review, they cannot be upset. The same goes for authors when they submit a book to you. They know that you will be honest and give a good quality response to their book.
Nothing is worse than getting grilled by readers and authors because their expectations were different than your writing led them to believe. You need to write so they really understand your opinion and can relate to it or not relate to it. Some won’t agree, but at least they understand enough to come to that conclusion.
They next part of being a book reviewer is keeping it interesting. I basically told you to keep it boring and lame, but you can’t do that and build a readership. You still need to put emotion and draw a picture for your readers. Write like you mean it and write really well. Maybe stepping on some toes is better than being boring. So try different styles and levels of emotion.
A good COC for a book reviewer includes: how you review, what you review, why you give bad reviews, why you give good reviews, what you like in a book, and the worst case scenario.
Now that you have a COC you can be a book reviewer that is honest. Now start reading, writing and promoting. You have lots of work ahead of you in order to be a book reviewer everyone knows and loves. Good luck and keep writing.
Mark Canvassa is a description writer and book reviewer for Bookkus Publishing. He chose to be a book reviewer because he enjoyed writing and was always reviewing books in his mind anyways. It was better to be a book reviewer who received credit rather than a reviewer speaking only in one’s mind. These days Mark writes his book reviews on his blog and on good reads. He is always convincing his friends to be book reviewers due to the great benefits as well.
Mark Canvasse is currently working on his novel and plans to publishing in the next few years.
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