Tag Archives: Reading

Amazon, My book reviews, Sharon C. Williams

My reviews on Amazon

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2013-08-12 08.28.43

 

When I do a review for a book I place it on eight sites. I don’t get paid to do this, I just do it. Getting a recent email from Amazon I discovered I had reviewed 133 books for them. That number blew my mind. I’m not even sure when I first started to do it, but it sure has added up.

But in the email they sent me was an interesting fact. Customers have found your reviews helpful 123 times. Say what? That blew my mind again. When I did the math, if it can be done this way mind you, that gives me a rating of over 92%. I think this is pretty neat.

I don’t place reviews with any ulterior motive. As a reviewer for Booksneeze I am required to place a review on a commercial site. Being so use to doing this I now review books that are asked of me from fellow writers and books I just read for fun.

Reviewing not only helps the author and the readers, it helps me as well. It homes in on my skills as an author when I critique other people’s works and when I am going over mine. That is something that you can’t learn in a class. It is perfected by doing actual reviews and doing them over and over again.

But the fact that 123 customers have found my review helpful makes me smile.

Author, Book Reviewer

Book Reviewer

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indexI’ve been a book reviewer since 2010 when I started with Booksneeze. The way it works is simple. I receive a book for free in exchange for two honest reviews. One of which I place on a blog the other on a commercial site. This relationship has worked well for me over the years. I get a free book and as an avid reader this is just so full of win. From that came authors asking for me to review their books.

I am not sure how the word got out but people keep me busy with their request. However I have slowed down since my own book was released in September of this year. Time has not been my friend since then. But I know now after all these years I can’t just say out loud, “ Does anyone have a book they like me to review,” and not expect it to bite me in the butt. I did that this past July and ended up with nine request which was a lot prior to my book coming out. Lesson learned. I had broken my rule of thumb which was never go over five books at a time on my list. Though that number might need to be adjusted and lowered. There is just too much going on right now.

There are so many authors needing their books to be read and reviewed. I am one of them now, a member of this collective. I need to toss my hat into the ring and have people do this for me as well. That is a daunting task for me. But with all of this I miss reviewing books.

So I made my way to Booksneeze and snagged A.L. Shields new book, “The Church Builder” and am thoroughly enjoying it. While I am an author I started off as a reader, a fanatic one at that since the age of six. May I never lose sight of that. I love it too much.

Author, Book Reviewer

Book Reviewer and Author

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I been a book reviewer for Booksneeze since 2010. Since then I have recently joined Crazy for Books as one of their reviewers. Along the way word has gotten out and now author will contact me if I would review their books. I always give them the link to how I go about reviewing novels. I don’t stray from the rules for after this length of time this is what works for me. Even though I don’t get paid I take this job very seriously.

As an author reviewing books has been a bonus for me. I get to read different genres apart from the one I write in or read as well. It helps me to be more careful and to take my time in not rushing through a submission. Any review I put up there will affect the person who wrote the book. So hence the time I take in reading each book to the end. I also will always find something positive to say about the book. Especially in the ones that is truly not well written or got me sleeping midway. I see no point in bashing the writer from start to finish. There is always a gem in each book I read always.

It is not always easy for no matter how you try to do a good job there will be those who are not happy with you. I reviewed one book and rated it a four. The author said to me well if that is all you are going to give me I will take it. I have had another author tell me AFTER I read the book if I can’t give it more than a three to not bother reviewing it. That was how I was going to rate it , a three. After those two incidents I came up with my “rules” in how I review a book and I don’t stray from that ever.

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This helps me be a better critiquer for my writing groups. It has shown me to not rush through a piece, to say something constructive and positive about the novel. All this helps me with my own writing and others I edit. It is hard when I edit or critique someone I personally know for it is only natural to want to say something nice and rate them a five-star. But that is not doing them any favor at all. If one is polite and point the good and bad I think job well done. That is what every author should hope for. Someone who doesn’t gush over stories, unless of course it is awesome, just due to familiarity with the reviewer.

I just hope when it is time for people to review my own book they follow a similar way of doing it like I do.