5 Things People Who Hate Writing Reviews Can Do

There's a general consensus that reviews are the least liked posts in the blogosphere. They're the posts that people skip reading, the posts that generally take the longest to write, and they aren't just easily plucked out of thin air, I mean, you've actually got to do an entirely different activity before you can even write anything, unlike discussions posts such as this that can go from idea to words in a matter of seconds. In fact, I've been seeing a lot of the same phrases lately concerning book reviews:

• 'I'm never in the mood to write reviews.'
• 'I just can't bring myself to sit and write them.'
• 'I've got a backlog of reviews I just don't want to write'
• 'I don't read enough to be able to create constant review content.'
• 'Reviews are the least liked, so I like writing them least.'

The list could go on and on, but the general vibe is that reviews are demanding little buggers that want you to sit down and come up with fabulous words that will more than likely not encourage other people to read said book, because lets face it, if you haven't heard of the book, seen the book, or read the book, you probably won't be clicking that 'read more' button, will you?

But It's Not The End of the World!

Believe it or not, you don't HAVE to write reviews, not even for publishers. At least, not reviews in the way the blogosphere usually sees them, and I'm not talking 'book talks' or 'until it's here' posts that are basically reviews in a different format. No, what I'm saying is that you can actually do exactly what a review does, or in some cases, do better than a review, and still get your feelings about a book out there, without putting yourself in a downer about it. There are so many ways you can 'write a review' for a book without actually writing a review, and I thought I'd put some ideas out there for people struggling to share they're feelings, but wanting so much to do so.

Write a Letter to a Character

I've written two reviews, Deep Blue and The Rain, in the form of 'writing to the character' and they've been met with some pretty good reactions. Most people find that they can get a good sense of a character or a book through one of these types of posts because you're not looking for the next best word next to beautiful or horrific, you're just saying the words that come freely to you. Viewers find the interesting and much more honest and down-to-earth because what you've written is exactly how you feel, rather than tried to write a mature, concise, step-by-step review. Personally I can only really get my head around these types of post when I have serious issues with the main character and have a bone to pick, but I'd waver they'd be pretty good for contemporary reviews, since they are primarily character focused.

Write a Recommendations Post Ft. Recently Read Books

If you're a reader who doesn't like writing reviews but still wants to talk about the books you've read, recommendation posts are the best type of post to write. You can easily and quickly show off the books you've read lately with a short and snappy little piece about what you liked, what you didn't like, and what books you'd compare it to and tadah, you've got yourself a post with anywhere from 5 to 15 small but sweet review-like paragraphs that are actually quick to write, fun to do and will more than likely get your more views as the post in question will look more like a discussion than a review.

Make an Infographic or Image Review

Infographics and easily shareable images can get your content into nooks and crannies of the internet you'd never have considered before. They can shared much more easily on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and while they're a little more awkward when it comes to sharing your thoughts with publishers or authors, you can find ways to include links to your image, or you can use key word and hope for the best, but if you're much more creative and artistic than you are literate and eager to write, it's the perfect idea. There are plenty of websites you can use to create and make these infographics and collages for free, and they can definitely bring something new and exciting to your blog.

Pro and Con That Baby

You don't have to go into huge amount of detail in reviews. I do, I just have a lot to say and don't shut up, but you might have read something and just gone 'wow, I don't know what to say, but I disliked those things, and liked those things'. Well than just do exactly that, you really don't need to talk about the characters and their lack or great development, or pick apart the world and how it didn't feel it was just there in mind, just say:

• The ____ wasn't good, it was simple and boring.
• So and so was frustrating and I wanted to strangle them.
• What on earth was that plot twist? So not fair.

Just, go for it. Fire bullets through that post, be frank and honest. Don't faff with unnecessary words and paragraphs, don't feel as though you need to get into detail with everything, because you don't. Didn't like this? Say it. Absolutely loved that? Well than tell us. It's your review, do what you want.

Post That Review in a Giffy

If you like your gifs like you like your books, everywhere all at once and you can't get enough, then it's simple, just gif your way through that review. Bare in mind, some people might not particularly like this method, it can get a little, busy and take a while to load, but if it's what you want to do then do it, and sometimes, if you pick the right gifs, you can have a hilarious post at your fingertips without actually trying (although the time it would take to find the gifs could prove not worth the effort..)

The Possibilities Are Endless!

You don't have to write a review, you don't have to critic a book as everyone else does, in fact, if you do something different, you're bound to be noticed for that difference, and your idea might be so good, people will follow in footsteps. You don't have to write reviews, you should never feel obligated to write as other people do. Get creative, do something different, share your feelings in a way that works for you, and whatever you do, do not feel stuck doing something you don't enjoy.

Are you struggling to write reviews lately?

Have you been looking for any new ideas? How do you get your feelings and emotions out there?
What do you think of these ideas?