Reviewing Books Makes You a Better Writer
By Renee Kirchner
I have a suggestion for all of the unpublished or little published writers our there. If you want to improve your writing skills, read more books and get writing credits, you might want to apply to be a children's book reviewer. I decided to become a book reviewer over a year ago and it has helped me in many ways.
FREE BOOKS
I knew this would get your attention. Did you know that book reviewers receive FREE BOOKS in the mail? It's true. The publication that you work for will send you a list of books that need reviewing every month or quarter. You then choose books that look interesting and after the publication gets feedback from all of their reviewers, they mail books to each of you. The first time I got home and found a Federal Express envelope on my doorstep with a free book inside, my heart beat a little faster. Most months I receive 2 or 3 children's books that need reviewing. The books are usually hardcover, but not always. They are also new books and you will get to read them before the general public. I don't know about you, but that is exciting to me.
CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEWERS ARE IN DEMAND
We all have one thing in common: we love children's books. We wouldn't be trying to write for children if we didn't. Most book reviewers are in this business for the free books, but most of them want to read adult fiction. I like adult fiction, but my skills were needed on the children's side. The publishers get too many volunteers to review adult fiction.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Getting started is surprisingly easy. I write reviews for both Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com. I originally queried on the Internet to find companies that review books. You might want to start with an online review service and later offer your skills to a print newspaper or magazine. The online review services provide reviewers with free books, but generally do not pay them. Later you could become a paid reviewer when you have clips of your reviews to send to a magazine or newspaper. I wrote a sample review for a middle grade novel I had read. I sent the sample review to several on line review services and I was accepted as a reviewer soon after that.
MEETING DEADLINES
I have learned valuable time management skills as a reviewer. With each book that I receive, I get a review deadline. I usually have about one month to read and write my review of each book, but it is sometimes shorter. This has sharpened my time management skills and it has made me a faster reader. Writing reviews also forces you to cut through the book and write a tight summary. This skill could come in handy if you ever need to write a query letter or a synopsis of a novel.
READERS MAKE BETTER WRITERS
Every writer has heard that you won't have the skills to write unless you read. I now read at least thirty-six children's novels each year in order to write my reviews. Most of the books I have reviewed have been quite good. I have had the thrill of being one of the first to read new books by Patricia Reilly Giff and Walter Dean Myers.
If you like to read children's books as much as I do, I think you might enjoy being a book reviewer. It forces you to read and write on schedule. You will be surprised that when your writing life becomes more structured, you will be a much more productive writer. Good luck and happy reading!
Renee Kirchner is a parent, educator, and freelance writer who specializes in writing for children and parents. Visit her fun and informational blog for parents and their kids at www.family-friend.blogspot.com and find out more about Rneee's writing services offered at www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com or email her at renee.kirchner@usa.net to discuss possible writing projects.
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