part0022

Having your own grading system would help if you cannot make your mind up about what star to rate a book. The template makes it easier for you to look at and get an overall picture. It does make life simpler, but I am all for writing on the hoof and making a decision there and then. This template is only using basic examples. But you might have similar questions in each section, but reworded to explain the difference.

You could create your own list of standardised questions for different elements like plot, pace, characters, etc. That would make it easier and quicker to make a decision and write a review, especially as you will have the facts in front of you.

A nonfiction book, like this one, serves a different purpose from a fiction book, so there are different considerations to be taken into account when writing a nonfiction review. I quite like to read an autobiography, although they can sometimes read like fiction. I also read travel books and recipe books. It took me a while to get to grips with writing a review for a nonfiction book, and I think this was due to my attitude to reading them. They were purchased, not so much for entertainment or leisure, but for a purpose, therefore they were just doing what they were supposed to do. It was not until the Indie Author/self-publishing revolution, when the book market became awash with hundreds and thousands more recipe books and travel books etc., that I realised that the authors of these books warrant feedback as well. I came to this conclusion after encountering some really badly formatted books with errors in recipes and information.

My first thought was to get in touch with the authors to let them know, but then I also decided to write and leave a review to make sure that other readers were aware of the poor quality. One book that I read was so bad that I emailed the author first and suggested that maybe he should get the book re-edited and proofread and I prepared him for my 2-star review. The author asked me not to leave the review. He did not say he was going to make any changes or appear shocked at my email. As far as I am aware the book has never been changed or amended. That makes me angry, because other buyers are getting a poorly written book and readers deserve better. All the reviews before mine failed to mention mentioned the mistakes or the crude formatting, which makes me wonder how many were paid for or how many friends the author has.

Sometimes, when reading from my Kindle I use the Note facility to tag spelling and grammar issues. If it’s only one or two, then I don’t bother writing about them in the review, but if there are lots, then I mention it or email the author directly. There are usually contact details somewhere in the book. They have always appreciated my emails and thanked me. If it was my book, I would want to know if there was a mistake in it .

It actually happened to me a couple of months ago. I asked a Goodreads reviewer if she would review one of my books. I was horrified when she gave me heads up of the review she was about to post, telling me that it was full of grammatical and punctuation mistakes. I was even more upset to find out it was true. Even though it had received 10 5 star reviews, no one else had mentioned it. I pulled the book and sent it back to be re-edited. I was very grateful for the reviewer for pointing it out to me. And I employed a new editor.

Anyway, grumble over.

To review a nonfiction book you need to decide what the purpose of the book is. Did it serve that purpose? Was it full of techno babble? Could you actually read it without falling asleep? You also need to bear in mind that some nonfiction books are not meant to be read from front to back. They may be ‘dip-in-and-out’ books, like recipe books or business/PC help books, where you just look at the pages that you want at the time you need them. Even so, you can generally get a taste for the book and how it is written or formatted.

Using the same idea as for fiction books, start with a list of questions:

Did this book serve its purpose?

Did I learn anything?

Was the language appropriate?

Was it aimed at the correct level of intelligence as the blurb suggested?

Were there enough diagrams?

Were the sections or chapters too long?

Was it full of ‘waffle’ and short on facts?

Was it referenced correctly?

Did it leave me wanting more information or feeling let down?

They are just a few questions, but there could be lots more depending on the type of nonfiction book you are reading.

Using the answers from a few of the questions above is a good way to start writing the review, which is allowed to have more detail than a fiction book review. You don’t have to worry about revealing too much, or giving away the ending, because the authors want other readers to know what it contains, and there is no way you can reveal all the content.

Ask yourself why someone would want to buy that book. If it is a recipe book, then obviously it is important that the recipes, ingredients and method are easy to follow, as well as having decent images. You could start your review stating just that, or you can build on it if you want to leave a longer review.

This recipe book has some great recipes that are easy to follow, and having the images helps to know what you are aiming for. I particularly liked the step-by-step instructions and the helpful tips on where to get the best ingredients.

This recipe book has some great recipes that are easy to follow, and having the images helps to know what you are aiming for. As a novice cook, I particularly liked the step-by-step instructions and the helpful tips on where to get the best ingredients, although more experienced chefs might find it a little condescending. There some great web-links in the back for further free recipes by the author.

For any nonfiction or technical books you can leave a review without having to go into a lot of techno babble or detail.

Of course, just because it is a nonfiction book does not mean you cannot have a chatty style. A review is a review and the author should be grateful that you have taken the time to give feedback and help others decide.

I am glad that I bought this book. I only decided on this one because the cover looked professional and it showed images, but it was very well written and I could follow it easily. The pictures really helped and as I am only a novice gardener it gave me something to aim for and the diagrams helped me string up my beans. I recommend this book to all new gardeners.

There are of course more academic books used for study purposes that would probably encourage the reviewer to be bold enough to criticise the writer’s thoughts or theories and these too can be built up in the same way. However, to be taken seriously when reviewing an academic book, you really must check your spelling and grammar and support your statements or arguments. You may even end up writing your own book on the subject!

Use a star rating system similar to fiction books. Have your own grid of what you are looking for in a book. It really does help to keep your standards the same for every book.

A reviewer for one of my books goes to great lengths to praise the book and recommend it, but has only given 3 stars, as ‘GOOD’ on her rating system is 3 stars. I am happy with good and 3 stars. It just makes me wonder what I need to do to get 5 stars…there is always a goal to aim for!