Writing book reviews can be both fun and profitable, though the latter is more difficult to come by. You need to first familiarize yourself with the industry. Book reviews can be found in newspapers, magazines, trade journals, and online. You should begin by reading previously published reviews and getting comfortable with the format. You’ll notice that almost all published reviews have the books’ facts written first: the title, author, publisher, release date, etc. The number of pages, the type of book, and its genre may be displayed as well.
Hook your audience with a great quote from the book or a compelling anecdote. Give some background information on the author, including his or her body of work and how the book you’re reviewing compares/contrasts. Summarize only briefly, highlighting the essentials without revealing too much. Think synopsis versus treatment. Then give your critique, and make sure to do so in the third person. Your critique should include opinions on the books’ thematic style, tone, and plot, again without spoiling anything.
When you’re ready to publish, you will need to locate publications that accept freelance reviews. The easiest way to find potential markets for your book review is to borrow a copy of Literary Marketplace from the local library or buy a Writer’s Market guide at the bookstore. These reference volumes have book review editors listed by name alongside their respective publications.
You can also conduct a search online, though you may have to wade through quite a lot of results to find anything substantial. Queries such as “freelance book reviewer” and “book review editors” tend to lead you on wild goose chase. There are several websites, however, that compile daily lists of requests for reviewers of all kinds. It may be possible to find a publication or website accepting freelance material there.
Once you find the publication you wish to submit to, check the guidelines for its specific requirements. Each publication varies; some may want a concise, 500 word snippet while others may need 10 reviews of 1,000 words each. Bear in mind that if you wish to publish a review of a book of your choosing, it is not advisable that you select a bestseller.
Most publications will have staff already assigned to reviewing bestsellers. You have a greater chance of success covering lesser-known novels. Any book you choose should still, however, be a compelling read. Book reviews aren’t like film reviews; no one cares about a boring novel by a writer no one’s ever heard of. That’s not to say there can’t be negative opinions of the book in question, but be wary of excessive slander.
As you should with anything you write, proofread and rewrite as necessary. Then send out your query letters and hope for the best. Once you’ve successfully published a few reviews, you may even want to consider writing book summaries. Some companies are known to hire freelance reviewers to write summaries for books, for which they will pay handsomely.
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