PURPOSE: One purpose of a book review is to help readers learn a little about a book so they may make informed choices when selecting books to read. Book reviews also help writers better understand their readers’ expectations.
WHO CAN BE A YARNSWOGGLE REVIEWER?: Anyone who enjoys reading and the art of writing can be a reviewer. You must be a YarnSwoggle member to open the pages that allow you to submit a review of a book you’ve read.
OUR EXPECTATIONS: When you choose to read and review a book selected from the “Books Awaiting Review” page, you are expected to read, write, and submit a thoughtful review of 250 words or fewer within seven days. If you are a published author, you must NEVER agree to exchange a review with another published author. This policy means “writing a review of another author’s book in exchange for receiving a review of your book written by that author.”
Amazon.com (and other publishers) are strict about their review policies and may have different rules, too. For example, at Amazon.com, reviewers must have an active Amazon account and spend at least $50 there over the past 12 months before customers can submit a review (including book reviews). We understand that Amazon could close your account if they detect that you’re exchanging reviews.
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE STARTING YOUR REVIEW: A good book review gives readers a sneak peek of what a book is like and whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it. A review does not spoil the read for others by giving away the ending. Planning can capture the essence of the story and how you felt about it in just 250 words or less. Many reviewers limit themselves to discussing only the first couple of chapters or just to a point where the tension or action begins to soar.
As you read a book, ask yourself these questions. Does the narrative adequately reach the intended audience? Did you empathize with the protagonist or other main characters? Does the setting make you feel that you were there? Does the dialogue seem natural and unforced? What parts of the story worked well for you, and what parts didn’t? Could you identify a connecting theme that tied all the story parts together? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional level? It is a good idea to jot down answers to these questions before writing.
Below are some tips for writing an excellent book review. Please keep your thoughts under 250 words (the maximum length suggested by Amazon).
DESCRIBE THE PLOT, BUT AVOID SPOILERS: Most fiction books have a plot, but not all are composed along a plot line. If the book you are reviewing has a strong plot, a short plot description is where you might start. You’ll want the readers to know what the book is about without giving away too much, and you never want to ruin the experience for the reader. Below are three examples of how a book review might start.
(1) The book is about a young girl taken to a parallel world by a white rabbit. In this world, she has adventures, meets exciting characters, and learns important life lessons. The book also reflects social issues such as classism and sexism.
(2) The book follows a young girl’s journey as she is taken to a faraway land by a magical creature. Along the way, she learns about herself and the world around her.
(3) This book is a dark and suspenseful tale about a young girl taken to a remote island by her father after her mother’s death. The island is home to a mysterious creature the girl believes is her mother.
CONSIDER CONTENT WARNINGS: Content warnings can help readers avoid book elements that could trigger traumatic memories, cause anxiety, or are generally upsetting. This provision gives readers a heads-up about what they’re in for so they can make a healthy and informed choice about whether or not they want to read the book.
PROVIDE YOUR OPINIONS: Sometimes, a reviewer may get caught up in describing the plot and forget to offer insights. We recommend making your opinion clear as early as possible in the review. As you describe the plot, share your opinion on the things that worked or didn’t regarding the book’s writing, characters, and events. Tell readers why they should (or shouldn’t) pick up this book.
It’s important to explain both your praise and critiques of a book. For example, don’t just say that the book has great characters – explain what makes them great. Don’t tell readers the book was boring – explain which elements failed to capture your attention. This approach will help readers understand your point of view and decide for themselves whether or not this is a book they might enjoy. Thoughtful praise and critique can often be a great starting point for continuing a book conversation.
CAREFULLY PROOFREAD YOUR REVIEW BEFORE SUBMITTING: The most dramatic way to lose credibility with your readers and authors is to leave a typo-laden review. Give your entire review a thorough read before uploading so you can catch spelling or grammar errors, including checking facts, the spelling of author and character names, and any quotes you use. Ask someone else to check your work if you are uncomfortable self-proofing. We recommend adding Grammarly to your word processor to help you find the little mistakes that are easy to miss.
SUBMITTING A REVIEW: Member-written reviews are submitted to the editors for moderation by clicking POST TO THE COMMUNITY on the second menu bar and filling out a form. Once your review is submitted here at YarnSwoggle, our editors will moderate it before posting it on our site (on THE COMMUNITY page). Moderation could take a couple of days. You may always contact us at editors@yarnswoggle.com if you have questions.
Of course, good reviews posted on Amazon and other platforms are precious to Indie writers, and we encourage you to post your reviews elsewhere. Any good review is helpful, but verified purchase reviews are golden. If you want to submit a verified purchase review for an author, follow the steps below.
VERIFIED PURCHASE REVIEWS: If you purchased a book at Amazon, read the book, and write a review, then you are ready to submit the review to Amazon for approval. Follow the steps below to help provide the best chance that your review is accepted at Amazon as a Verified Purchase. See how to submit a Kindle Unlimited review (non-verified purchase) farther down this page.
Go to Amazon.com, and in the top-right corner, click Returns & Orders.
You are transferred to a new page.
Click on Digital Orders on the banner.
Scroll down to the book you purchased and are reviewing, then click on “Write a product review.)
That’s where you’ll submit your prewritten review. Please send us a note at editor@yarnswoggle.com to let us know you’ve uploaded your review to Amazon.com. It may take a few days for Amazon to approve the review.
KINDLE UNLIMITED REVIEWS: If you read a book as part of the Kindle Unlimited Program and write a review, it will not be considered a verified purchase review by Amazon, but non-verified reviews are valuable, too. To upload your review for Kindle Unlimited Books, do this:
Log into your Amazon account.
In the Amazon.com search bar, type in the book’s title and the author’s name.
You should see the book at the top of the search results. Click on the Kindle version of the book to get to the book’s product page.
Scroll down the page, looking on the left-hand side until you see Customer Reviews.
Click on “Write a customer review” and enter your review.