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Gail Pool, author of Faint Praise: The Plight of Book Reviewing In America, critiqued the institution -- and art -- of book reviewing at the NWU's evening on "Book Reviewing: How It Works, How It's Changing." Pool has been a book reviewer, columnist, and review editor for many years for the Christian Science Monitor, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Women's Review of Books.

Pool discussed the current battle between print reviewing (which is diminishing) and online reviewing (which is increasing). Pool believes that technology does not determine the quality or nature of reviews. Good reviewing can and does exist online, and authors should have their publishers send their books to good bloggers for review.

More highlights of Pool's remarks:

Since 150,000 books are published each year, clearly people are reading books. Yet editors aren't adventurous enough. The NY Times and the Globe, for instance, will review the same books. So many books are lost ("I'd like to see many more books covered"). Editors argue that they need to review books that readers will be asking about. That's why books from the most prestigious presses (Norton, Knopf, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux) are most liked to be reviewed. Editors consider only titles the receive as uncorrected galleys two months before publication, but smaller presses like Copper Canyon, Seal, and South End Press don't have the funds to send out many pre-pub galleys to all potential publications. So their titles too often don't get reviewed. Both American Book Review and Book Forum do review small press books. Local newspapers and magazines review books by local authors.

Advice to writers:

Q: What can writers do to improve their chances that agents, publishers, and reviewers will actually read their books?

A: A strong opening is very important. The writing style and the 'voice' on the first page of fiction tell me if this is a writer I want to read, to spend time with. Even then, the book will have to sustain its quality: if the book goes on getting weaker, those first few pages won't get the book reviewed, unless you're already a famous author. In non-fiction, a reviewer can tell from how the chapters are laid out if it's coherent -- if the arguments hold up.

Q: If an author isn't reviewed, what else gets word out to potential readers?

A:
1) A feature profile will most likely to be positive, which can be as good as a possibly negative review.
2) Get on TV and radio. If not on Oprah, then on local shows.
3) Get your book to a book columnist (eg Hallie Ephron, Boston Globe mystery columnist)
4) Send your book to bloggers (google "blog" & your topic). Some good review bloggers: www.bookslut.com (yes, that's not a typo), www.artsjournal.com/bookdaddy, and www.complete-review.com,
5) As for media kits: "I don't pay attention to them, but they do show that the publisher is pushing a book."
6) Respect the "firewall" between reviewers and authors. The editor, not the reviewer, decides what books will be reviewed. Do not ask a book reviewer to review your book.

Pool's advice to reviewers
1) A review should not be just your personal opinion: you should be able to describe it so that readers can figure out if they might like it, despite your caveats.
2) Sometimes the reader has no idea if the reviewer liked the book: that doesn't help, either.
3) It's important to be critical "or else it's kind of mush." However, "I don't trash first novels."
3) Avoid nastiness and over over-the-top praise.

[National Book Critics Circle posts tips for successful book reviewing; it also has a new blog, Critical Mass. Go to www.bookcritics.org.]