reviewsnthoughts

If you have surfed the Web on even a somewhat casual basis, you probably know that there are quite a few sites where non-professional reviewers (or, as many sites put it, consumer-reviewers) can write and publish reviews on just about anything - books, movies, baby food, diapers, video games and even, if one is gutsy enough, sex toys.

Some online stores (Amazon, Barnes and Noble) have consumer review sections in their product listings where anyone with a registered account can chime in on stuff they’ve bought.  This has its good and bad points (as does everything in life); beginner writers can get their “literary feet” wet by writing and submitting their honest opinions about products they’ve bought there without getting paid, thereby gaining exposure and experience while at the same time giving up their “work” with only a Top Reviewer badge for compensation. 

Okay, there are a few benefits to this technique of online reviewing.  First, if you have never written “in public” before, submitting reviews gratis at Amazon and B&N does teach you several things you will need if you want to write reviews at site that pay you with actual money.

1. Focused writing.  Although this might seem like a self-evident truth, a review that meanders in wide circles and wastes the reader’s time with trivialities before getting to the actual product description and its pros and cons is not a helpful one.  At Amazon, where writers are limited to 1,000 words, the newbie is forced to learn to walk a fine balance between the extremes of “this movie rox” and a tedious piece that reads like a doctoral dissertation on, say, the fine nuances of light and shadow in Schindler’s List.  You don’t want to make your reviews so short that the site administrators will hate you for wasting bandwith on them, but you also don’t want to put readers to sleep, either. Thus while at first the limit might seem restrictive, a good writer will learn to find that delicate balance between being informative/unique and being overly wordy.

Exposure has its rewards.  If you end up liking writing online reviews at sites such as Amazon and submit enough good ones that get positive feedback, chances are that you’ll earn a badge or ranking at the site.  The more prominent and popular your reviews get, the likelihood that a writer or other artist whose book or music CD might notice you and offer to send you an advance review copy of his or her next work.  At the very least, you’ll probably get some feedback via e-mail or online comment, but more than likely if you’re a Top 1000 or Top 500 Reviewer, the more likely scenario is that you’ll be asked if you want an ARC in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.  (It’s happened to me twice, and many of my fellow reviewers seem to receive samples from such companies as Crest, Procter & Gamble, and SJ Wax in exchange for reviews.)

Writing reviews for money:

However, as nice as popularity and exposure are to the casual writer, there comes a time when an online reviewer says “Okay, I’ve gotten as far as I possibly can with this ‘for free’ writing.  How do I make it pay?”

The first step, of course, is to do some research.  You might want to do a search for “review sites” on Google, Yahoo, MSN Live, Scour, or any of the major search engines first.   There will be lots of different sites listed, with some organized by categories, and others by their relative Internet presence.  The bigger their Alexa.com rating is, or the more established they are determines their prominence in the search results.

The next thing you must do is check out at least two or three sites and look at their FAQ section to see if they offer any monetary compensation for your reviews.  If they do offer money for your efforts, explore them further.  Read established members’ reviews in areas you might be interested and see which writers rise to the top (in both quality and reader popularity).  Study their styles.  Read analytically to determine why their reviews work and other members’ don’t.  (Do not, however, plagiarize from anyone.  Most sites have strict rules on plagiarism, especially those that pay out.  The last thing the owners want is legal hassles created by dishonest reviewers, so please don’t fall to the temptation to copy/paste your way out of writer’s block or to get reviews done quickly.)

Once you have found the right review site for your personality and writing styles, start writing! In some sites, you can write as much (or as little) as your schedule will allow.  Epinions, for instance, has no minimum quota of reviews if you are not very keen on getting a Top Reviewer badge or want the more lucrative but demanding “hats” of Advisor or Category Lead. Simply make sure you do log in at least once a month so your account is active, and only write reviews when the mood strikes you.  (Be sure, though, that you have a day job or various writing gigs going for you at once.  This casual approach will be easy on your nervous system but not, I’m afraid, very lucrative.)

Other sites, such as Viewpoints, require somewhat more of an effort from paid writers.  You must apply online, of course, and you’ll probably be given a phone interview and sent a contract to sign, as well as a 1099 form for independent contractors.  You get a certain amount for each submission and you have to write at least four per month, but if you have a PayPal account and write on a regular basis, you can supplement your income pretty nicely.

Review writing tips:

1. Focus on the topic. Don’t go on too many unnecessary tangents that are irrelevant. 

2. Be honest. Don’t write a review about something you’ve never used or experienced.

3. Be detailed.  Don’t say something along the lines of “WALL-E is the greatest movie ever” without backing it up with supporting details.  You don’t need to tell the reader how many animators worked on it or that George Lucas once owned Pixar in the 1980s, but you do need to say why the movie is funny or touching or whatever.

4. Be yourself. Don’t try to imitate the styles of the other writers - they are not you.  You’re writing from your perspective, regardless of whether it’s a work at home mom’s or a nerdy techno-geek’s.  Be witty, original, and passionate, but don’t try to parrot others on the site.

5. Be open-minded to feedback.  Most review sites will have options in which readers or other members can tell you (and the rest of the world) if they find your reviews helpful.  If you have never had to deal with negative feedback online, try writing at Amazon first.  The best way to develop a thick “reviewer’s hide” is to experience the Helpful/Not Helpful vote thing at a site where the stakes are a little lower.

5. Write with passion. Nothing in the world looks worse than a review where the writer is not letting readers know how he or she feels about a product, place, or service…..for good or ill.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS