Reviewing an ARC

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Reviewing an ARC

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1techeditor
Mar 28, 2011, 8:50 am

I hope this question is appropriate for this group.

Not long ago I won an ARC. I started reading it immediately, but it's taking forever for me to finish it because it's so tedious and boring.

You never know--it may get better towards the end, but what if it doesn't? I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth (as my mother would say), but should my review of this book be honest?

I resent dishonest book reviews, and I've read many. I hate to be one of those, but I feel uneasy about honesty in this case.

2lilithcat
Mar 28, 2011, 8:56 am

Your reviews should always be honest.

Why do you feel uneasy about being so in this case?

3DevourerOfBooks
Mar 28, 2011, 10:42 am

The book was given to you in exchange for an honest review, so that is all you owe. I would agree with lilithcat that your review should always be honest, but shouldn't that be even easier if you won the ARC rather than being asked by the author to review it?

4LivelyLady
Mar 28, 2011, 12:32 pm

I always think an honest review shows that you read and thought critically about the book, be it fiction or non-fiction. I don't even look at other reviews until after I post my review. I believe that I even did have a post that I just could not finish the book. We all have different taste in books....thank God:) That is what makes reading so interest!

5techeditor
Mar 28, 2011, 2:30 pm

Thanks so much for your advice to be honest about my review of this ARC. I felt uneasy because the book was given to me. It's easiest to be honest, except, as DevourerOfBooks says, when I'm asked by the author to review their book.

61dragones
Mar 28, 2011, 5:02 pm

Publishers give ARCs for review. An honest publisher will not expect a positive review unless you can honestly say something postive about the book. If you dislike the book, and say so, that does not make the review dishonest... Always, always give your true opinion...

When I promise to review a book, I never promise what the review will contain, other than that I will say what I think about the book. That may mean the book will get 5 stars, or I might give a book one star, if that's what I feel it deserves... or anywhere between the two. I've also been known to not finish reading a book and then review it based on the partial reading. When I do this, I say the review is based on a partial reading, and I don't often write reviews based on partial readings... but in some cases, my feelings about a book are strong enough to do so.

7DevourerOfBooks
Mar 28, 2011, 10:01 pm

>5 techeditor:,
Of course I'm not advocating being dishonest just because the author sent the book to you, I'm just acknowledging that if you are inclined to feel guilt over a negative review, the ones where you have a personal connection are the most difficult.

If you are not honest in your reviews and just give out positive reviews to anyone who sends you a book, no readers will trust your reviews, which is probably a surer-fire way never to get more review copies than giving fair negative reviews is.