The second in a series of articles on writing online book reviews. Click here for Part 1. Today’s article includes further options for getting started with book reviews, even if you don’t have your own blog….yet.

Now that you are excited about reviewing books online - and who wouldn’t be? Free review copies! - here is a book reviewing opportunity for you that is independent of having your own blog.

Christian Review of Books publishes book reviews online, and is dependent upon their volunteer reviewers to generate these reviews. Working with a review website like this is excellent - they are Christian focused, so the titles available for review are faith-based, and there is an ongoing list of books available for review to choose from. Christian fiction, as well as non-fiction titles are available to review.

The Christian Review of Books is an all volunteer organization so we recieve many more requests for reviews than we have reviewers who can write reviews.

They are looking for volunteer reviewers, and you can find the reviewer sign up form here. You do not need an existing blog or website to sign up to write reviews, but if you do have some existing reviews written (as mentioned in Part 1) that you can offer to send by email or by referencing the reviews available on your blog, it will only serve to increase your credibility. If you are accepted and you do have a site, they are happy to see the reviews you write for them posted to your own blog, as well as submitting your review to Amazon, Christian Book Distributors etc. Your review will also be sent to the publicist/publisher should they wish to use it in their promotional efforts.

Don’t worry too much about filling out the books you’d like to review, or the ISBN’s for request (unless you do have specific titles in mind already). When accepted as a reviewer you will receive a link to a page that lists the titles that are currently available for review, as well as publishers they work with in case you are interested in viewing their offerings and requesting a title from them to review.

My communications with Roseanna White, Senior Reviewer of Christian Review of Books have been delightful. She is happy to answer any questions of new reviewers to get them started reviewing. Here is what she had to share with readers who are interested in reviewing books:

Reviewing is a great way to get your name into the world if you’re an aspiring writer, and it’s also a great way to network with other readers. If you’re just getting started, begin by reading a handful of other reviews. Which ones do you like? Which ones don’t you like? Try to identify the differences between those. Personally, I preferred reviews that gave the reviewer’s gut reaction as well reasons for it. Always, always be honest.

If you like a book, tell your readers what captured you. If you didn’t like it, try to figure out why. Was it poor characterization? Plot holes? The writing style? Usually there is something redeeming in the book–be sure and give credit for that. For instance, I’ve read many books that simply weren’t my kind of story, but I know the author has an extensive reader base. So in those cases I point out what reader it will appeal to and balance my reaction with that.

The most important thing you can do as a reviewer is gain your readers’ trust. Readers look for reviewers whose taste they share, so by being frank and honest in your reviewers, your readers will know which books you really liked and hence which ones they probably will–and those will be the books they spend their hard-earned money on.

My first review copy is in the mail from Christian Review of Books, and I look forward to a lengthy reviewing relationship with them!

Please sign up for updates to the blog (in the upper right hand corner) to read the rest of this upcoming series, featuring interviews with established online book reviewers, more opportunities to review books online (both with and without a blog) and advice for new reviewers.