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Tips for reviewers responding to collections on the tour

(6 posts) (3 voices)
  • Started 2 years ago by Dana Guthrie Martin
  • Latest reply from Dana Guthrie Martin

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  1. 1. Think about your approach. Will you write about how the book makes you feel as you read it? Will you engage with it on a theoretical level? Will you talk about it in a historical context? In the context of other books?

    2. Try to use quotes from the work to illustrate your points.

    3. Discuss your reaction -- overall and in detail. What strikes you as important about the work? Is the book effective in its goals?

    4. Remember to address positive aspects of the work as well as aspects you have arguments. Be precise.

    5. Would you recommend this book to your audience?

    6. If you point out things you don’t like or don’t understand, back up what you say and make sure you are discussing, not attacking, the work.

    6. Above all, simply talk about your response to the work. Your piece for the tour can be written as formally or casually as you like. You can take a scholarly tone, or you can talk about the book as if you are sitting in your living room discussing it with your a friend. We want to hear your voice come through. Your voice is what we appreciate about you in everything you write.

    Helpful links:

    How to Write a Book Review
    Write a Book Review

    Book Reviews

    Posted 2 years ago #
  2. Jill

    offline
    Member

    Dana,

    This is all very helpful! I started reading w/the notion of a straight through read first, notes later, but immediately had thoughts, so I am going to take notes as I read. First thought, best thought.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  3. Jill, I am so excited about everyone reading the collection. I like your approach of taking notes as you go.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  4. Oh, and Nathan wrote up the tips. :)

    Posted 2 years ago #
  5. emily

    offline
    Member

    I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I'm finding myself needing to print out the book before I can really process it. Though I don't feel like I have a problem *reading* things onscreen, I can't really *engage* with them unless they're physically in front of me and in touch with my pen and my fingers.

    As that has nothing whatsoever to do with the review, I don't know why I'm sharing it.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  6. Emily, we try to get printed review copies whenever possible, but with very small chapbook publishers, sometimes that is not possible.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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