Committing your opinion to something in such a public forum can be scary. Thoughts of lengthy newspaper or television critiques come to mind. Palms start to sweat, panic sets in. Readers only think authors say reviews are easy because writing is what we do. Of course we'd think of it as a cake walk! We pull extraordinary words out of thin air everyday, just like magic!
While I hate to dispel the fantasy that authors are mythical creatures who summon forth words from the mystical realm in which they reside, the fear of reviews I'd like to squash.
After the cold sweats dissipate, you might be inclined to ask, "How can I help my favorite authors when even the thought of writing a review gives me the dry heaves?" Allow me to put your mind and tummy at ease. Here are a few things to consider that might make the task less frightful:
1. You don't have to write a synopsis about the book. I'd wager most other readers will skim past that part of your review anyway. The authors definitely will. We wrote the book, hopefully we already know what it's about. Rehashing the plot? Fahgettaboudit!
This type of review? Fahgettaboudit!
Honesty.
That's it.
That's all.
Your review could simply state, "I loved this book. It was well written and the characters were cool."
OR
The non-author-ego-stroking review is also acceptable
(although less popular)
"I didn't care for this book. It had too many Empire State Building references."