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Book Reviews

Unwind During the Holidays with a Good Book
 Unwind During the Holidays with a Good Book 1024 576 Reader Views
We like to think that reading happens on a chair next to a window on a rainy day. Or maybe on our bed before we go to sleep. But the truth is that any time is a good time to pause and decompress through a good book. read more
The DO’s and DON’Ts of Submitting to Book Reviewers
 The DO’s and DON’Ts of Submitting to Book Reviewers 1024 576 Reader Views
Book reviews are a great tool to encourage people to buy your book. The best way to get reviews is to roll up your sleeves and look for reviewers online that look professional and reliable. But before you send your books in, you must make sure you follow their guidelines. Yes, this means you must visit their website and find out everything you can about them. What genre they prefer, submission guidelines… etc.; and read a few reviews to see if they sound professional. read more
Diversity in Children’s Books
 Diversity in Children’s Books 1024 576 Reader Views
As I often mention, I am a strong proponent of diverse, inclusive books that act as mirrors and windows for children. So, I naturally gravitate to diverse books where I can learn about people with customs and life experiences that differ from mine. Unfortunately, however, it seems many children’s books with diverse characters focus mainly on the struggles caused by their diversity. read more
So a Reviewer Said Yes. Now what?!
 So a Reviewer Said Yes. Now what?! 1024 576 Reader Views
Here are a few ideas to dress up a review copy. They will do big things for your submission. They make it easier for your reviewer to get the information she needs for her review, including metadata. read more
“How to Handle Book Bigotry”
 “How to Handle Book Bigotry” 1024 576 Reader Views
I believe—know—that attitudes toward self- and indie-publishers have become more accepted over the decades. When my first novel was published, any book published by anything other than university presses and New York’s Big Five were derisively called “vanity publishers.” Still, book bigotry or its near cousins hasn’t disappeared entirely. read more
How Book Review Strategies Prepared Me for College
 How Book Review Strategies Prepared Me for College 1024 576 Reader Views
Many of the skills I developed as a book reviewer have actually been very helpful in my college reading. There are two main strategies I employ while reading a book for review. read more
Long Books vs. Short Books
 Long Books vs. Short Books 1024 576 Reader Views
As a kid, I took a lot of pride in reading big books. Most of my favorites were absolutely massive tomes, and I could finish them within a few days. As an adult, the amount of time I’m able to spend reading has definitely been cut down, but I still really enjoy long books. read more
Bringing It All Together: Reviewing Short Story Collections
 Bringing It All Together: Reviewing Short Story Collections 1024 576 Reader Views
I love short story collections. They are compulsively easy to read, far more so than novels. I also like to think of them as introductions to authors I haven’t read before. Short stories are a great way to sample a writer’s style. Anthologies of short stories can be tricky to get right. Some are straight forward collections of a single author’s work. I tend to only buy these if I’m already familiar with the author through their other work, whether that be a novel or a separate short story that I read and enjoyed. read more
Literary Awards and Book Reviews to Build your Author Platform
 Literary Awards and Book Reviews to Build your Author Platform 1024 576 Reader Views
We all know that readers check the reviews before deciding on a book, so no wonder most authors rush out to get book review requests even before the launch of their new title. But are reviews and literary awards relevant to building your author platform and boosting sales? read more
Things to Avoid When Writing a Book Review
 Things to Avoid When Writing a Book Review 1024 576 Reader Views
This past week, I received feedback from an author on our last editorial, Book Reviews – An Author’s Best Friend (Even When Not-So-Positive), where he shared his “most extreme hostile review.” This author forwarded to us a review of his book which basically comprised of everything reviewers should avoid when reviewing. I decided to address this through today’s editorial for two reasons: read more