Author, Reviewer, Superhero in Disguise - Mayra Calvani

Today, on my blog, I'm posting to announce that it is officially Mayra Calvani day. So, I'll spare you my babbling, and just say - I have a bunch of goodies from her today for your reading pleasure... (okay, I lied, I am going to babble) See, Mayra Calvani is a superhero in disguise, she has something no other author has. She has...

The Ten Commandments of Book Reviewing

By Mayra Calvani

1. Thou shall have no other gods before the reader.

The review is not about the author, nor the publisher, and especially, not about you, the reviewer. Reviews are all about the reader. Don’t try to impress with pompous words in an attempt to glorify yourself or appear scholarly. Give readers simplicity and clarity. They’ll appreciate it. If they want verbose and fancy, they can read Shakespeare.
2. Thou shall not lie.

Honesty is what defines your trade. Without it, you’re nothing but sell copy. When you give facile praise or sugar-coat a book, sooner or later readers will take you for what you are: a phony. Furthermore, if you give facile praise to a poorly written book, you are perpetuating a bad writer's career, lowering the chances that a good writer may be published instead.

3. Thou shall not offend the author.

Just as honesty is important, so is tact. There’s no need to be harsh or mean. A tactfully written, well-meant negative review should offer the author insight into what is wrong with the book. Instead of saying, “This is a terrible novel!” say, “This book didn’t work for me for the following reasons…”

4. Thou shall not eat the evaluation.

Some fledgling reviewers write a long blurb of the book and leave out the evaluation. The evaluation is the most important part of a review. A summary of the plot is not an evaluation. Saying, “I really liked this book” is not an evaluation. The evaluation tells the reader what is good and bad about the book, and whether or not it is worth buying.

5. Thou shall not reveal spoilers.

Nobody likes to be told the ending of a movie before having watched it. The same thing is valid for a book. If you give spoilers in your review, not only do you lessen the reader’s reading experience but you also risk being sued by the publisher or author.

6. Thou shall honor grammar, syntax and punctuation.

Don’t be one of those reviewers who are more in love with the idea of seeing their name online than making sure their reviews are well written and thorough. Your reviews may hang around on the internet for years to come and will reflect on your level as a writer. Run a spell check, edit, revise and polish your review as if you were posting a short story. Get a good book on grammar and punctuation, take an online course or listen regularly to podcasts such as The Grammar Girl (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com).

7. Thou shall honor deadlines.

If you join a review site where the turnaround for reviews is 3 weeks, then you should respect that agreement. If you promise the author to have the review ready in two months, you should honor this too. Be honest and straight forward from the beginning. If you’re so busy your turnaround is six months, make sure to let the person know. If for any reasons you cannot meet the deadline, contact the person and let him know. It’s your responsibility to maintain a doable schedule.

8. Thou shall not be prejudiced against thy neighbor.

Don't assume that a self-published or small press book is poorly written. Give it a fair chance and let it speak for itself. Likewise, never assume a book published by a major NY house has to be good. You'd be surprised by the high quality of some small press books by unknown authors as opposed to those written by big name authors whose titles are often in the bestseller lists. In general, most subsidy books are mediocre, but there are always exceptions. If you've had bad experiences with subsidy books, then don't request them nor accept them for review. If you decide to review one, though, don't be biased and give it a fair chance.

9. Thou shall not become an RC addict

RC stands for Review Copy. Requesting RCs can get out of control. In fact, it can become addictive. You should be realistic about how many books you can review. If you don’t, pretty soon you’ll be drowning in more RCs that you can handle. When this happens, reading and reviewing can change from a fun, pleasurable experience into a stressful one. If you’re feeling frazzled because you have a tower of books waiting to be reviewed, learn to say NO when someone approaches you for a review and stop requesting RCs for a while. Unless you’re being paid as a staff reviewer for a newspaper or magazine, reviewing shouldn’t get in the way of your daily life.

10. Thou shall not steal.

Remember that the books you request are being sent to you in exchange for a review. Requesting review copies and not writing the reviews is, in one word: stealing. You'd be surprised at the number of 'reviewers' who, after having requested several books, suddenly 'disappear.' These people are not legitimate; they're crooks, plain and simple. If you have a valid reason for not reviewing a book, let the review site editor, author, publisher or publicist know.

The same goes for piracy. Do not risk being fined for posting a full ebook you have received on any site whether for free downloads or resale. This is theft and the law is quite specific. When you receive an ebook it is meant to give you the right to read it only, but it does not imply that you have the right to rob the author of future sales by your actions. This labels you as a thief. Using electronic transmission is only another way to send a book, like getting one in the mail which would not give you the right to reprint it for sale or distribution.

Integrity is part of the code of honor of a legitimate reviewer.



© Copyright 2011 Mayra Calvani.

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her nonfiction work, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing was a ForeWord Best Book of the Year Award winner. She’s had over 300 stories, articles, interviews and reviews published. She reviews for SimplySharly.com and is co-editor of Voice in the Dark Ezine. She also offers book reviewing workshops online. Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com. For her children’s books, visit www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com. You can find Voice in the Dark at http://voice-in-the-dark.com/.


See? Told you she's a superhero. This article proves it. Now, I've read her book The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing and I'm proud to post my review - which, I must admit, I was a little nervous to write since if I didn't get it right I would be in big trouble since I just finished reading a book that shows you exactly how to write a professional review. Anyways, here it is:

The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing

By Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards
Twilight Times Books
ISBN: 1-933353-22-8
Copyright 2008
Paperback, 190 Pages, $16.95
Non-Fiction/Reference/Writing

Do you lack reviewing skills, but love to let others know what you think? Are you a seasoned reviewer, but would like a quick refresher and trusty reference? Inside, you’ll find how to write a review for many different kinds of books and articles, how to start your own review website, how to avoid over-criticizing or sugarcoating your reviews, and everything in between.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the number one reviewer on Amazon, for instance,” Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards writes, “But if your reviews become ‘generic’ and begin to sound the same, then maybe you should pause and consider the following: what is more important—quantity or quality?”
The authors clearly show you what to avoid and what to aim for with actual examples of what the reviews should look like. There are plenty of explanations to keep you out of the dark, and even shows you the difference between reviews, press releases, book reports, and critiques. Everything on the subject is simplified and well-explained in this 190 page book. Great for those who are entirely new to “professional” reviewing. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by H.C.Paye


And there you have it. So, since it's Mayra Calvani day, go to her website - http://www.mayracalvani.com/ - and find out a little more about her. See what she's done... what she's created... whom she's saved.

*shuts down computer*

I've done research. I'm telling you, she's a superhero.

*walks out of room*

You know I'm right.

*flicks off light*