Book Reviews

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   Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years ago

   I was thinking about writing book reviews as an engine for writing.
   
   Does anyone do book reviews on HP? If so, how do you usually go about structuring them to meet HP's quality standards?

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   1. 78

      Natalie Frankposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      The guidelines for writing a hub fit for reviews as well.  Follow structural guidelines for format and SEO components (multiple capsules, subtitles, searchable keywords etc.)
      
      Then just making sure your content is original.  A very general format for book reviews would be summary of the story line (without spoilers), critical assessment of the work and a recommendation as to whether a particular audience would enjoy the book.

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      1. 64

         Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, ma'am. Thank you!

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         1. 78

            Natalie Frankposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            You're welcome.  Good luck.

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   2. 92

      Jean Bakulaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I used to write many book reviews. The problem I ran into is this. You probably want to title your book review as say-- The Shining by Stephen King. But then you have to compete with all the publishers and reviewers on Google, and there are pages of them. So it's very hard to get readers to pay attention to book reviews.
      
      I tried switching and putting the authors name first and then the book, and that worked a little better. So then it would have been Stephen King's The Shining. If you want to look around, many book reviews are on Owlcation.com, and you may be able to pick up some hints from them on how to get more traffic on book reviews.
      
      But first you have to write it and publish it on Hubpages before it's approved and Featured. Good luck.

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      1. 64

         Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the heads up, Jean.
         
         I plan on doing mostly non-fiction. I figured book reviews would be an excellent practice for learning, memory, and writing altogether.

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         1. 92

            Jean Bakulaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Hi Jessie,
            I think going with nonfiction is a better idea for a niche. People don't have the patience to read as much as they used to (unless they are readers, like us). Those who read nonfiction are more serious, and will be more inclined to read your hub before they buy the book.
            
            As far as writing it, I would just suggest go with your gut. You read the book, so you know how you feel about it and what you want to say. Since it's not a fictional story, you don't have to worry about letting spoilers slip. Also, many nonfiction books are so filled with background info, you have good background material which could even be a hub. Just the subject alone may even be eligible for Soapboxie, although you might want to avoid politics right now . It's sort of unavoidable, but there are many classics out there, or good books that will be classics one day.
            
            Also, relating 1984 to America today would be an interesting topic. Or are we headed towards Fahrenheit 451 as our First Amendment rights are disappearing? That sort of thing.

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            1. 64

               Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Those are all excellent ideas, Jean. Thanks again.
               
               I'm excited about the challenge of condensing complex concepts into digestible summaries. I think it will help make a better writer out of me.

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   3. 68

      chef-de-jourposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I offer some tentative advice. Do some research online and here at HP for possible best format making sure you comply with all the basics for a good quality hub.
      Experiment with one or two or three reviews of classic non-fiction which would become evergreen by default and see if you can get them 'niched' by HP.
      Always be original.
      If you're daunted by the competition for general reviews of a book why not focus on a specific theme/object/character/issue within that book and go into detail drilling down.

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      1. 64

         Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         +1

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2. 76

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 7 years ago

   I've not done book reviews, but what I've had some mild success with is biographies of authors, and articles about fictional characters. For instance, I've a page that has done okay, which is about Gandalf and Saruman, the two white wizards from the Tolkien legendarium.
   
   I've done short biographies of persons like Hemingway and Steinbeck. They don't get a huge lot of traffic, but they do get some steadily. Maybe they aren't really that good. But what I'm saying is they were not a waste of my time.

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   1. 64

      Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Right on. I'm a fan of Tolkien. I'll check those out.
      
      Thanks

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   2. 92

      Jean Bakulaposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I had a successful piece with Stephen King's Tower series. It was seven books long, but I like his writing and imaginative characters. Tolkien is a good idea. It makes me want to read the series again!
      
      Bios of authors is also a great idea. I always research my favorites and try to keep up with their lives, though I'm not a celebrity watcher. I did one series about celebrities, but an astrology one. I favor authors, musicians, and historical figures.

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      1. 76

         Wesman Todd Shawposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I think I've read LOTR at least 4 times now. It is definitely time well spent. I'm pretty sure I'll read it again sometime.
         
         What I think everyone should read, assuming they liked LOTR and The Hobbit, is The Silmarillion. THAT book is vastly under-appreciated.

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