Up to this point, I have usually focused my blogs on personal anecdotes, updates and tips for writers. However, writers are also readers, sometimes even exchanging stories with other writers; a beta reading swap, for any who are unfamiliar. You may also be picked as an ARC reader (Advance Review/Reading Copy). Now, ARCs were traditionally sent out prior to a release, but these copies are also used by self-pubbers to pass out to reviewers-- a free copy and crossing your fingers that they won't just run off, basically. The reason a lot of self-pubbers do this is because they don't have the money to shell out for copyright protection and there is automatic protection once published. Some don't shell out for professional editors or cover designers so they use other resources to try to get their work up to speed and noticed.
I won't go into the ongoing controversy that led to the inspiration for this post (I've brought it up in prior posts-- the tendency for bisexual women to be attacked for writing male/male romance), only that a fellow writer and published author, Sarah Beth James, ran into a legitimate concern with an ARC reader and it brought up some great points.
Writers are certainly not excluded from being diplomatic. When we seek out ARC/beta readers or reviewers, editors or cover designers, we certainly must observe simple rules of professionalism. We cannot demand performance, whether we pay or not. Before you go up in arms (but I paid to get these results!) understand that you do have a duty to research prior to this. You can't tie up a designer's time, scrapping all of their ideas just because their style doesn't match your vision. You have to look at the work or recommendations from former customers to see what you're getting into. There are reasonable expectations of professionalism on both sides.
I would be happy to go into the relationship for other writer/professional relationships, but for today. We're aiming at reviewers.
So how can you be an awesome reviewer?
1) You are a professional.
I don't care if you're a housewife from Vermont, you are a professional. If you are in any way an influencer or prolific reviewer, you are a professional. Don't use the excuse that you only do it on your free time or your spouse is the breadwinner. Even published writers have the tendency to downgrade their importance-- 'I'm just a writer, not a best seller.' I will not fault anyone for humility, but I don't ever want to hear it as a defense when you're challenged to explain quality. If you put yourself out there as a reviewer, you are expected to be professional. If not, you may get blacklisted by writers who see your work as damaging and unprofessional and the requests will stop coming in.
2) Don't make it about you.
When someone asks you to review their work, be careful that you aren't using their platform to self-promote. Don't go on and on about how you are the expert in a genre. In the reading/writing world, that's called gatekeeping. In fiction, you should understand that facts are often skewed to explore new ideas. Writers often delve into unexplored areas and are not making an attempt to tackle real-world issues. Fiction is largely the territory of escapism. You may very well find hidden agendas but I can assure you that there are just as many unconscious biases or intentional straying that is done as well. When in doubt, ask the writer. That being said, nonfiction writers ARE expecting to be challenged on their facts or opinions. Feel free to do so, but take it outside of a review. Give them the opportunity to elaborate and you may improve future editions.
Absolutely do NOT inject your political, social or religious agendas or virtue-signal that you are the righteous and the author is wrong. It is a guaranteed way to get yourself blacklisted. Authors talk to each other, share screenshots, provide proof and discuss. We generally know to avoid engaging with reviewers on review sites (at least publicly), but it doesn't mean we don't warn each other away from unprofessional betas/ARCs. You are also entitled to screenshot author harassment if you feel they are not being professional. Usually, it's better to move on, but there are exceptions, especially with multi-platform offenders.
Feel free to brag about your ARC experiences on your blog or website. That is certainly your platform and a good place to elaborate.
3) Offer a clear distinction between taste and technicality
I have mentioned before that my friend Joe Maley is extremely adept at this in his movie reviews. Not only is he able to tell you what he liked and didn't like, but he can compare it to other work and even recommend similar movies if you did like it and he didn't. What makes him so successful is the language he uses. Facts are often worded appropriately-- 'this is a movie about this and this.' Opinions are not disguised as fact 'I liked this character because...' It sounds simple but deceptively so because novices will often slip into unhelpful language, going so far as to assuming no one will like something because of their strong aversion to it, or even that it shouldn't exist at all. Those opinions are important but your feelings are not central to the intended audience and you must be aware of that. Once you've stated your tastes, remember to go back to reviewing the quality of the story, making it clear what audience it might appeal to. Even if you have to struggle with that part, it will make you a more intuitive reviewer if you offer that information.
4) Size matters
... and bigger is not always better. Yup, I said it. A well-thought out review shouldn't be a five paragraph essay and too much information may be tantamount to spoiling the content. Instead, start with a synopsis that states the facts. Help the audience find it-- genre, a couple of the main characters, the main plot and the tone/mood (dark, happy, etc). Follow it up with your strongest impressions, good and bad (I'm going into this more on the next point). Again, steer clear of spoilers like "I didn't like when the main villain turned out to be an ally." The same goes for trigger warnings. Take care that you aren't vague enough to create a bias or detailed enough to spoil. When in doubt, leave it out. As an ARC reader, you are invited to connect with the writer on these concerns before posting your review. Use the privilege.
5) Bullet point pros and cons
Formatting can be tricky on review sites so, as a reviewer, take the time to see what options are available to maximize the presentation. Gain basic knowledge of HTML, to start. Most form boxes on review sites use some variation of HTML. If at all possible, use the bullet point format to clean up your pros/cons section. If you don't already, you may want to develop an order or system. Your first point in pros and cons is for the characters, the second point is for the style, etc. There's no right format here, but this is a good way to offer a fair assessment on taste and technicality. 'This character was too whiny for me, but not for lack of being well-written' or 'I might have liked this character if the author had used them more like this.' Again, steer clear of spoilers.
6) Don't include remarks on errors
This goes double if you're reviewing an indie author. This isn't because you should let lower standards slide. Most indie authors want to be held to the same (or better) standards than traditional publishing. (Better, because you can't tell me Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey, or anything by Dan Brown was professionally edited.) The point here is that self-pubbers have full control at all times and they can correct grammatical or continuity errors any time they damn well please. Again, if you have the privilege to correspond with them privately, do it. As an ARC reader, you may not have time to point out every error or how you would fix it. Whether you can or will or not, you can be as vague as 'if you fix the grammatical errors in these stories/chapters, it would improve the star rating by one star.' That might sound like an ultimatum by itself, so maybe add that you can withhold the review as a courtesy until contacted about the change. A professional writer will not pitch a fit.
I'll give the reviewers this much-- some authors will not take criticism or pushback at all, but if you considered your position carefully and observed diplomacy, you don't lose points as an awesome reviewer. Being an awesome reviewer does not mean that you are passing out 4 and 5 star reviews. While that certainly helps, ARC reading is a good opportunity for both author and reviewer to educate the other and build a rapport. Become a valuable ARC and it may put you first on their list for secret promotions, future copies and other perks.
7) Your copy is for your use only
I've seen that there are people who believe that since they volunteered their precious time towards the task, they are entitled to give away or even sell hard copies to whoever they want. No. Just no. Not only is an ARC not the same as the final version in many cases, you are violating the confidence of the role and profiting from that. But it's the same as selling it to a used book store or giving it as a gift! Then why won't bookstores accept ARCs? Go ahead and try. And yes, internet piracy happens, but it's also highly frowned upon, especially for new authors. Being trusted with a free copy IS the reward, whether you like it or not. You can't eat free ice cream then return to the counter and say you didn't like it and you wanted a different flavor instead. You consumed and now you either delete it or destroy the copy. An ARC is a step above the average reader, given access to the author as well as the privilege. I don't say this from a position of entitlement; I don't feel as if an author's work, my own included, is above reproach. However, it is certainly my work and there are proper channels and expectations. As a side note, I have seen several groups on FB closed for violation of ARC use. If you are profiting on a large scale, you can incur much heavier legal penalties.
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I have to reiterate at this point that these ARE NOT RULES. You can be as blunt as you like, but you are going to lose opportunities to connect if you eschew diplomacy in order to sound 'real.' Don't know if you've noticed, but people are getting sick of 'real.' Value your opinions enough to communicate them well. Anyone can lay down a rant, so take the time to be the rebel that maximizes the efficacy of communication. You don't have to use big words (I know I tend to do that, but I have certain feelings about dumbing down, just as surely as thesaurus-hugging), just use plain language that shows a consideration for what you actually read. You may use your own voice, but how you do it will separate you from being a respected reviewer or a blow-hard.
Keep these things in mind and it will certainly benefit everyone's experience. Yes, you and the author are important cogs in the wheel, but the audience, the zeitgeist is tricky enough without interference. Be honest, be involved, but above all, be professional. You ARE a professional, even if it's your first ARC. Every résumé starts somewhere.
For the writers in the audience, keep it up and take precautions. Above all, enjoy your work. I hope readers and writers (and those who are both) build valuable relationships. As always, I'm here to help!
