Seven Ideas for Crafting Creative Book Reviews

*Pin Credit: Caroline Flory*

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I've been really blessed with some fantastic readers! I don't catch all the blog reviews that readers post about my books, but when one comes to my attention, I try to add it to an ongoing list on my Books Page.

So far readers have written over 40 blog reviews for A Noble Groom (and if I've missed your review, PLEASE let me know!) A BIG thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write something up! I appreciate it SO much!

From a reader's perspective, I appreciate the wide variety of types of reviews.

The least helpful to me personally are the book reviews that simply give an overview of the plot. Usually I can get that kind of summary by reading the book description or back cover blurb. The exception is when I'm reading reviews on books that my kids want to read. Then as a mom, I appreciate a longer, more detailed summary of what's in the book.

The most helpful types of reviews are those that offer personal impressions, in particular what the reader really enjoyed about the book and then perhaps what didn't resonate (if anything). I really like when readers break down the review into smaller sub-sections like "What I Liked" and "What I Didn't Care For" or categories like Plot, Characters, and Writing Style similar to what Kathi O. Peterson did in her review of A Noble Groom.

From an author's perspective, I appreciate any review or mention of my book no matter how big or small and no matter how it's organized! Lately in particular, I've noticed that some reviewers have been thinking outside the box and offering their reviews in various formats.

Here are just a few of the creative types of reviews that readers have done with my latest book A Noble Groom: 

1. Spotlighting the main characters in a movie star format. Rel Mollet does a great job at this, and here's her Character Spotlight for Carl and Annalisa the main characters in A Noble Groom. She describes the character's physical appearance, what movie star they resemble, quirks, and strengths and weaknesses.

2. Chatting with the main characters in an interview format. Karlene Jacobsen made herself the interviewer and asked questions of both Carl and Annalisa like how they met, whether it was love at first sight, why he decided to stay and help Annalisa on her farm, etc.

3. Sharing the writing lessons learned from the book. Amanda Barratt picked five writing lessons she learned from reading A Noble Groom including lessons about similes and metaphors, conflict, descriptions, making likable characters, and romantic tension.

4. Making a video review of the book. JoJo Sutis from JoJo's Corner does a variety of video book reviews and recently did one for A Noble Groom. She starts by giving a basic description of what the book is about and then ends with her specific impressions of the characters, themes, etc.

Here's an idea of what she does:




5. Making Pinterest pins out of quotes from the book. Caroline Flory made pins out of quotes that were meaningful to her from the book. She pinned them onto Pinterest, used them in her review, and also sent them to me so that I could use them too. (The top picture of this post is one of her pins!)

6. Sharing the review in a party format. Jill Kemerer does a fantastic job celebrating releases and supporting author friends. For every one of my releases, she's thrown a party, had virtual food, invited friends to join in the fun, had giveaways, and celebrated the milestone.

7. Writing a short story or poem to highlight the author or review. Lisa Bartelt did a great job with this, basing her review off the book series by Laura Numeroff’s brilliant “If You Give a …” series of books. To give you an idea of what she did, here's her review:

If you give me a book by Jody Hedlund, I will want to start reading it right away.

If I start reading it right away, I will let the children play anywhere in the house.

If I let the children play anywhere in the house, the house will get messy.

I will feel guilty and want to clean.

I will help them pick up,

Make them dinner,

And put them in bed as early as possible so I can get back to my book.

If the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, I will keep reading.

I will stay up too late.

In the morning, I will need extra coffee to start my day.

If I’m drinking coffee, I will need a book to read.

So I’ll continue reading the new Jody Hedlund book.

One cup of coffee will turn to two.

And soon it’s midmorning and I haven’t washed a dish or folded a piece of laundry.

I will Tweet the author to tell her my house is being ignored because her book is so good.

She will have no sympathy and tell me I can clean later.

I will turn on cartoons so the kids will leave me alone to finish the book.

I will set the book down a dozen times near the end to wait on them.

When I read the last word, I will close the book,

And sigh.

I will plunge my hands in the dishwater and feel a sense of loss.

Because if I finish a Jody Hedlund book, chances are,

I’ll want to read another one. ~Lisa Bartelt

So what kind of reviews are most helpful to you? What kinds are the least helpful?

Theme: What is It? And How Do We Develop One?

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

In interview questions I'm often asked, "What is the message you'd like readers to take away from your book?" or "What is the theme of your book?"

Those kinds of questions are deep and aren't necessarily easy to answer.

What exactly is a theme? And how do we go about developing one?

In his book for screen writers, The Moral Premise, Stanley D. Williams gives an intense, very detailed look at message vs. theme vs. moral premise. He boils it down into an almost scientific distinction. And while I appreciate the breakdown, it's a little confusing and I'm not sure that we as writers need to get bogged down with trying to decipher between all the terms.

Whether we call it message, theme, or moral premise, the key is coming up with a universal truth that touches the heart of readers. Williams says, "Audiences come to stories looking for answers or hints about life's meaning. And when stories give them new insights, they're given fresh hope for a better future."

He defines this concept as "the dramatic heart" or the "practical lesson" of a story.

Ultimately a theme will be an over-arching and controlling idea that is woven throughout the story that teaches, inspires, or otherwise draws in a reader so that they can relate to the characters.

Perhaps our readers won't always be able to directly point out what the theme of the book is, but it will resonate with them and connect them to the story on a deeper level. In fact, a good storyteller should work at weaving in the theme so that readers don't see it. They just feel it.

What a theme is NOT:

–It is NOT preaching at our readers.

–It is NOT giving a political tirade.

–It is NOT using a story as our soap box.

–It is NOT badgering our readers into believing something.

Instead a theme is the whisper of a powerful and transcending truth that echoes deeply within the human soul. It's the aura and beauty that readers can cling to and remember long after they close the pages.

Themes will vary, but the more widely appealing we can make our themes, the broader audience we'll reach. Of course there will be writers who may hone in on narrower themes that will appeal to a niche audience. And that's oaky too. But writers need to recognize that the more universal the theme, the more readers will be able to relate.

So what are some common themes? Here are a few:

–Perseverance leads to growth.

–True love is difficult to vanquish.

–Letting go of bitterness and learning to forgive is freeing.

–Truthfulness leads to hope and life.

–Humility is the handmaiden of honor.

Obviously there are many, many more universal themes. Once we know the main theme of our book, then we're in a position to use that as a measuring stick that keeps our story moving forward with intentionality:

–Theme can be used in both the external and internal plot. Whatever the character is dealing with internally as a result of the theme can also show up in the external plot.

For example in A Noble Groom my hero is in the habit of running away from problems. He has to learn that running away leads to cowardice, but staying and fighting develops courage. He does this on two levels. Externally he physically turns himself around and races into the heart of a ferocious wild fire to fight to save the family he's come to love. And internally he has to stop running from his fear of marriage. The theme shows up both externally and internally.

–Theme can be used in symbols throughout our story. We can place strategic items within the lives of our characters that mirror the theme.

For example, in The Doctor's Lady my heroine has a cameo pin. The pin represents her ties to her family and all that's important to her. Throughout the book she's learning that letting go of prejudices leads to greater opportunities to love. She has to let go of her past expectations and the life she once knew. At the end of the book she fulfills the theme symbolically by giving her cameo pin to an Indian woman.

Besides plot and symbols, theme can show up in lots of other places throughout our books. We can weave it into character growth, setting, dialogue, backstory, etc. The trick is to do so invisibly so that reader doesn't know we're doing it. But in the end, the story resonates within them because the truth touches them deeply.

How much thought do you put into developing the themes of your books? Do you think it's necessary for a book to have a theme? Why or why not?

On Growing Older and Wiser . . .

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I wanted to take this chance to wish all the mothers reading this blog a happy Mother's Day!

I always chuckle when I see "mom-humor" pins and pictures because I've been there and done that plenty of times over the years.

Like most kids, when I was growing up I didn't appreciate all the hard work and sacrifices my mom made for me. Nor did I realize the incredible amount of time and effort she was continually pouring out.

But there's a funny thing that happens as you get older (especially when you have your own kids). And that's this: You begin to see your parents, particularly your mom, in a new light. As you raise your own kids and deal with struggles, you FINALLY empathize with what life was once like for her. And you realize she was a saint for putting up with you back when you were so awful.

I now realize that everything my mom did was because she loved me and wanted me to turn into a hard-working, well-functioning, wholesome adult. Not because she loved to torture me with chores or rules.

I have to remind my kids of these truths quite often. I'm not trying to make their lives miserable by making them work or limiting their screen time. Everything I do for them is out of a deep love–because I want them to be able to thrive when they grow up.

And while I get glimmers that they understand that concept from time to time, I have the feeling they won't be able to fully grasp it until they're adults, especially when they begin training their own children.

The growing older and wiser principle can apply to a lot of things in life, can't it?

When I think about the writing life, for example, I realize that growing older and wiser applies there too. Once upon a time, before I was published, I had certain expectations about what life was like for a published author. I believed that once I was published the road would be paved with roses and rainbows. And that every day would be filled with sunshine.

When I looked at other published authors, I only saw their success, smiles, and popularity. I thought that getting an agent, a book deal, and being a multi-published author would somehow catapult me to the "other side."

But now that I'm here, I realize there really is no "other side." I'm not all that different than I was before. I still have bad days. Things don't always go perfectly in my life. And some days the road is paved with dandelions and thunderstorms.

In looking back at the naive young writer I used to be, I see that I wasn't able to appreciate just how hard those more experienced authors worked day in and day out. I didn't understand the incredible amount of time and perseverance they'd put in to get where they're at. I didn't realize all the sweat and tears they'd shed to reach success.

But now that I'm more experienced myself, I can appreciate (just like in parenting!) those who've gone before me. I see them in a new light. I now realize what it takes. And I can look upon all of their accomplishments with more awe because finally I know first-hand just how hard it truly is.

Yes, growing older and wiser is a funny thing. We realize how foolish we once were and at the same time recognize how far we still have to go.

This Mother's Day I'm reminded of just how much I have to appreciate about my Mom and all she did for me. And I'm reminded to stay humble and not take for granted any of those who are ahead of me in this journey of life.

How about you? Are you doing anything special to celebrate Mother's Day? How have YOU grown older and wiser over the years?

Social Media for Writers: A Kool-Aid Drinking Cult?

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Last week I read an interesting article about social media called, "I Drank the Social Media Kool-Aid."

The article was written anonymously and compared social media (Twitter in particular) to a "junior high school clique, an impenetrable inner circle."

And as the title of the article implies, the author apparently feels he or she has been fooled by industry professionals into believing social media was "the answer" similar to those who join a kool-aid drinking cult believe whatever they're told.

Of course I had to smile at the comparisons. They're just slightly embellished to make a point. And the point is well-taken. Anywhere we go in life, there will always be those who are unfriendly and treat us like an outsider. And I'm sure there are groups, even among writers, who get cliquish.

But strangely, I've not had the same experience as Anonymous among the large online writing community. I've had an active social media presence over the past several years. And honestly, I can't remember a time when I was shunned, where I got the cold shoulder, or when more "popular" people refused to talk to me.

I've actually had the opposite experience. I've had published authors, agents, and editors stop by my blog or interact with me on Twitter. I've rubbed shoulders with a huge variety of industry professionals.

I've found the barriers that once separated people seem to fall away on social media.

But what about those who jump into social media because they're told they must build a platform, only to experience what Anonymous did in the article listed above, the cliques or the disillusioned cult-like feeling? Why do some people end up feeling that way?

Here are a few things Anonymous said along with my thoughts:

1. Regarding giving and taking: 

Anonymous said: "I frequently retweeted the postings of a number of writers, who never retweeted mine—even though our web sites served overlapping audiences . . . They (other writers) only posted their own work and that of a handful of online associates."

My response: I NEVER retweet anyone with the expectation that they must retweet me. Never. In fact, I never endorse, promote, or otherwise help another writer expecting they do something back for me. I give without any strings attached.

Moreover, when I tweet links, I do so because I think the information is something that will interest or benefit my followers. I don't pay attention to WHO wrote the article as much as WHAT the content is about and whether it will appeal to others.

Social media really works best when we aren't thinking about what we can get out of it for ourselves but rather with the mindset of what we can do for others. And usually in the process of blessing others, we're blessed in return.

2. Regarding interacting: 

Anonymous said: "These writers gave nothing away, no response of any kind, just a surrounding silence."

My response: I always interact with people who chat directly with me (unless they're spamming me). I never intentionally ignore a tweet or comment (although some may have slipped through the cracks).

On the flip side, I don't often make the time to watch my tweet or facebook streams and begin conversations anymore. For various reasons, I've cut back the amount of time I actually socialize on twitter or other sites.

All that to say, if any writer is hesitant or feels left out, the best thing to do is to start initiating the conversations. Don't sit on the sidelines and wait for others to notice you. Like any other social situation, we have to jump right in and start talking. As the saying goes, we have to be a friend to make a friend.

3. Regarding building a platform: 

Anonymous said: "We writers are told we must have a platform, if we want agents and publishers to even consider our work, and the major social media sites are critical elements of that platform."

My response: I've recently done a couple of blog posts about social media for novelists. In my post, "The Changing Nature of Blogging for Fiction Writers" I mentioned that my large social media platform has not helped me sell significantly more books. Sure, it's been helpful in other ways. But by and large, fiction writers will build their platform by writing one great book after another.

4. Regarding followers: 

Anonymous said: "Some writers who write about writing ask that you, “Follow me on Twitter." Then I go to their Twitter page and find they have say, 6,000 followers, but follow only a tenth that many."

My response: I've made it my personal policy never to solicit follows. I don't ask people to follow me on any of my social media sites. Of course I prominently display links to all my sites. But I never demand, coerce, bribe, or beg for more followers.

I want people to follow me because they want to. Plain and simple. I never promise to follow people back either, even though I do my best. I honestly can't keep up with returning follows on all my sites, especially because it's difficult to wade through who's legit and who's spamming.

All that to say, I try to connect as best I can on social media. I want to be available, real, and helpful to my readers and to fellow writers. I may not be perfect, but if I'm having problems with connecting, I usually lay the blame at my own feet first before pointing a finger at others.

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with Anonymous? Have you found social media to be full of cliques? Impenetrable? Frustrating? If not, what advice do you have to give those who do feel shunned?

Do Free Ebooks Really Hook New Readers?

*Image Source John Atkinson*

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Over the past couple of years with the rise of ereaders and ebooks, I've noticed an increasing trend in free ebooks. In fact, most online bookstores have a special place readers can go to browse free ebooks.

Usually authors and publishers offer those free ebooks for a limited time with one main rationale: to HOOK the reader. They want the reader to enjoy that book enough to take some kind of action including leaving a good review, talking about the book with others, and most importantly purchasing the author's already published and future books.

Over the past months, I've chatted with other authors and my publisher about the pros and cons of offering free ebooks. Whenever my publisher has offered my books or other Bethany House books for free, we usually see a short spike in the sales of that particular book after it resumes its cost. Apparently by making the higher end of free lists, the book hits the radars of new readers and draws interest.

However, I personally haven't noticed a spike in sales of my other books during a free promotion. Of course, over time the free ebook does hook some new readers (because fans have told me they read one of my books as a result of a free promotion and went on to purchase the others).

But . . . it's very difficult to breakdown how many sales result from such tactics, the same way it would be difficult to tell sales that result from someone reading my book free at the library and then going to purchase my other books.

The bottom line is that whether a reader gets a free ebook, free library read, or even a free ARC or influencer copy from a publisher, some become fans and some do not.

Even though readers can get free books from the library or through a publisher's review program, those kind of books come with strings attached. Obviously a library book must be returned on a deadline. And if a publisher or author gives ARCs or influencer copies, they usually expect the reader to make some promotional efforts as a result.

But when a reader downloads a free ebook, they have no obligations or deadlines. And I think it's the obligation-free aspect of a free ebook that may be troublesome in hooking new readers.

As I've analyzed my own habits regarding free ebooks, here are a few conclusions I've come to:

1. I always read the books I purchase. In fact, I make myself slog through it even if it's not especially engaging. I figure if I paid for it, I need to get my money's worth. This is usually true of ebooks that I purchase for as low as 99 cents, although I am more willing to give up halfway through on lower costing books.

2. I can download a free ebook and easily forget about it. For one thing, it's not physically staring me in the face like a paper book. But also because I didn't have to invest anything in the book, I have no motivation to actually read it. And with so many other books demanding my attention, it's all too easy to let the free books slide to the bottom of the stack that I'll read "some day."

3. I'm more willing to try debut authors if the book is free. While I may not always highly value a free ebook, I'm more apt to give a new author a try when I can read their book for free or at a low cost.

4. When I finally get around to reading a free ebook, the story has to WOW me in order for me to go over and purchase other books by that author. Once again, I have too many other books sitting around (particularly free books on my Kindle!). So if I'm going to actually purchase a book, I REALLY have to like the author.

In conclusion, free books haven't made me stop buying books of authors I love. I continue to do that. I'm not sitting around expecting to get all my books for free now. But free ebooks certainly don't have the hook power over me that publishers and authors hope for. And if that's true of me, I have to think that's true of other readers as well.

What do YOU think of free ebooks? Do free ebooks hook you into taking some kind of action like purchasing other books of an author or leaving a review? Do you value a free ebook as much as one you purchased? 

Why Writers Shouldn't Rush Into Publication

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Spring has arrived in central Michigan where I live. Finally! It's come with lots of storms and flooding. But interspersed between the rainy days are a few that are perfect and sunny.

When we have those one or two beautiful days, everyone heads outdoors to walk or run. It's actually rather comical. The sidewalks are full of people desperate for the first breath of warm air after months of being cooped up inside.

I exercise inside all winter by using a walking DVD, and I'm just as anxious as everyone else to finally be set free. But this spring, instead of walking, I decided to take up the challenge to run with one of my daughters.

So a couple of weeks ago, during one of the lulls of rain, we started running–or I should say, she started running. I merely tried to survive, panting and puffing alongside her in an elephant-like gait. Finally for the last block she left me in the dust as she sprinted home. Yes, sprinted. I on the other hand, with my gut ache, stinging lungs, and sweating face, could barely manage to walk the last distance.

This was the first time running for both of us. But the difference between the two of us (beside thirty years!), is that she is in shape and I apparently am not. Even though I walked during the winter, my level of workout was minimal compared to my daughter's, who lap swims through her synchro swim team.

The truth is there's an obvious difference in our endurance, strength, and speed. While neither of us are ready to enter any races or marathons, she's much closer than I am.

It's easy to admit to the realities of our physical limitations, isn't it? When we're beginning, we can readily acknowledge the work and training that lie ahead of us.

But it's so much harder for writers to accept the realities of where they're at in the spectrum of readiness for publication.

When I was a beginning writer, I didn't want to admit that my writing muscles were weak, that my endurance was low, and that I still had a long way to go. I wanted to believe that I could beat the odds, that my natural talent exceeded everyone else, and that I could somehow skip ahead and bypass the long waits and rejections.

But the truth is, there are very few writers who are born with natural writing genius who can write a salable, commercially viable book on the first try (just as there are very few beginning runners who will be ready to race even if they're in shape like my daughter). All writers have to take the time to strengthen their writing muscles, learn techniques, improve their skills, and increase their endurance.

As I'm improving in my running skills, my lungs burn, my body hurts in places I never knew existed, and I feel like giving up. But I force myself to keep going and to run consistently. I realize it will take days, weeks, and even months to build myself into a strong runner. I don't expect to be fast or fluid right away, and I have patience with myself.

And the same is true as writers. There will be plenty of days when we'll feel like giving up, when we'll hurt deep in our hearts. But the only way to get better is to keep going, to write consistently, and to have patience–knowing the process of improving will take days, weeks, and even months.

My agent, Rachelle Gardner said this in a recent post: In the fiction queries I receive, average or poor writing is the biggest reason for rejection. Some people have terrific ideas for stories that sound like they’re going to knock my socks off. But when I start to read, I realize they haven’t taken the time to develop their craft prior to submission. (This can be quite disappointing to me, because often the ideas are really good.)

I believe one of the top reasons for those rejections and the mediocre writing is because beginning writers want to rush the process, instead of doing the slow steady work of getting into shape for publication.

Improving in running and writing are a lot alike. Essentially, the best way to improve is to do it consistently, over time, with a dedication to learning the techniques.

What about you? Do you think enough writers these days are doing the work it takes to get into shape? Or are they expecting to reach publication without the necessary conditioning and training?

The Top 7 Reasons Why I Stop Reading a Novel

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I've noticed over the past couple of years that I've developed an especially bad habit–I'm having a harder and harder time finishing novels that I pick up.

I wasn't always so hard to please! There once was a time when I finished almost every book I started.

But these days, my shelves (both real and virtual) are overflowing. My audio book club points are waiting for me. And I also have books regularly coming in for influencer or endorsement purposes.

I have plenty to read. But not enough time.

And to be perfectly honest, the longer I write, the harder it gets to find books that I like. My internal editor often comes out in the middle of books and gets impatient or too picky.

If I had to list the top 7 reasons why I stop reading a book, here they are (in order from greatest to least):

1. Not enough conflict and tension. This is absolutely the number one reason why I put down a book. If the story doesn't introduce me to the central problem and the ensuing issues right away, I'm likely to get bored. Even if the conflict is introduced right away but is weak, contrived, or non-cohesive (ebbs and flows with nonessentials), I still might yawn. Every time I set a book down, I need a compelling plot line that makes me want to return.

2. The characters don't make me care. This is the second main reason why I put books down. If the characters are abrasive, boring, unheroic, or simply haven't done anything to make me like them, then I usually have a hard time staying tuned to the story.

3. Too slow moving. Even with good conflict and tension, and even with characters that I've grown to care about, if the story begins to slow down or the author slips in paragraphs/scenes that don't move the plot along, I often lose interest. This includes backstory dumping or internal narration with very little else going on.

4. Overwriting. If the writer describes too much, has verbose dialogue, has large paragraphs, is redundant, overuses adverbs or dialogue tags, or is just plain wordy, I usually start skimming. I like to get to the heart of the story and only need to know those things that truly add flavor and character.

5. Lack of depth. If a major part of the story happens at a very surface level or if the writer doesn't take me deeper into the passions and emotions of the characters, then it's harder for me to engage with the story. This is often connected with the development of the character and the lack of past pains and motivations that usually drive the emotional current of the story.

6. Subject matter doesn't appeal. Yes, sometimes, for whatever reason, the subject matter of the book or the themes don't hit me deeply enough. Or perhaps the character growth/issues seem superficial. Or the whole plot of the book centers around something that just doesn't hold my attention. As much as we want to give weight to all topics, subjects, and settings, there is some truth about universal commercial appeal and finding themes most people can relate to on some level.

7. Amateur writing. This could take on the form of a number of things including not writing by scenes, too much telling and not enough showing, underwriting (not giving me a sense of setting or character), over-dramatizing (so that the story isn't believable), or even making beginner mistakes (using clichés, stilted dialogue, too many characters, etc.).

So those are my top reasons for putting a book down and not picking it back up! On the other hand, I have to agree with Jane Austin, "If a book is well written, I always find it too short."

Now YOUR turn! What are the main reasons YOU put a book down? What kinds of issues make you give up on a story? Or do you always try to finish every book you start?