The first question for this wonderful Sunday is asked by H.B. Congrats H.B you won a $10 store credit for Loose Id

H.B: I know writing a large quantity of reviews can sometimes be overwhelming especially when a deadline is added on a book you decided to review. How do you handle that feeling (let’s call it reviewers block) when it hits you?

Jen B:

When this happens, I tend to start with the basics, recapping the story and going from there about what did or didn’t work for me.  I often find that sometimes the hardest ones to start end up being the best reviews.

Cinnamon:

Lol… I have a habit not to start a new book until my review is done. I don’t want to mix my feelings so I have to write my review first. I always take notes sometimes along the way and sometimes after. If I get stuck I go for a long walk to clear my mind and then think about the story I just read. I have the best ideas while walking… so I push through and do my review.

Marieke:

Um, I have it and have no clue how to get rid of it. Got any advise?

Caroline:

I walk away from my review books for a couple of days and read something I don’t need to worry about and can just get lost in.  It’s usually shifter books and generally it works every time. I have been known to plough through an entire series before returning to my scheduled review books.  Oddly, I never switch genre – even when I am reading just for me these days it is always MM.

Dani(elle):

I need to take a break at times just read for fun because that is immensely important in my opinion. You need to keep having fun in reading and reviewing it is a hobby not a chore. I like to go back to fanfiction on occasion for example

Alexander:

I only review one audiobookevery two weeks, writing the review is not a stressful activity for me but if I have listened tothe same narrator too often in a given period of time, I find it challenging to come up with fresh things to say

Sarina:

I usually write what I can and then walk away to do something else whether that be watching a show or reading another book.  Immersing myself in a familiar and/or favorite read allows me to spend time relaxing while my thoughts on the book I need to review continue to percolate.  Usually by the time I’ve finished, I’ve gotten my thoughts together enough to finish the pending review.

Pizzygirl:

This happens to me quite often for various reasons. Usually I need to determine the reason for my reviewer’s block before I can hope to find my way out of the slump and write a worthwhile review. Often this will end up with me rereading some old favorites to “reset my brain” or even with me reading outside the m/m world. Sometimes I have to stop reading all together for a few days. I try my hardest to ensure I don’t miss a deadline due to reviewer’s block, but I will not write a forced review because I believe it is not fair to the reader for me not to give my best effort, so if I need to, I will pass the book onto another reviewer who can meet the deadline or I will ask for an extension.

Becca:

For me I have to do someithing else for a bit to destress myself

Kat:

I have been on the receiving side of reviewer/writer’s block. In the beginning it was overwhelming and I was nerve-wracked. I have found that if I experience this now I have to walk away for a bit and let it sit and brew there. I have to say that those have been some of my best reviews, the one’s that have challenged me and allowed me to rise to the occasion. Sometimes the words just flow so easily and sometimes it’s a true struggle. It is what I imagine authors deal with also.

Tammy:

When I can’t think of anything to write I start and stop for several hours before i can get anything written that actually makes sense. Sometimes I have to reread the book and then the words normally start to flow. These are generally my short reviews.

Dan:

I’ve read and reviewed a lot of books over the last couple years and it can get overwhelming, especially when scheduled release dates move suddenly. That usually only happens on self-published books, but it is still a shock when one moves and you have to scramble to get the review done. It is funny, but I find it easiest to review the books I don’t like as much, rather than the ones I love. Sometimes I get blocked on writing the reviews on the phenomenal books because I want to tell everyone how wonderful it was and why, but not do spoilers! I usually go outside and do some yard work or something and then come back with a clear head.

Cindy:

I try to give myself as much time to write the review as I can and hope for the best. It can be hard coming up with things to say, and I find the 3 heart reviews to be the hardest. Really good stories and really bad stories are easy to write about. It’s the ones that run up the middle that cause problems for me. I sometimes talk about what I’m trying to say to a fellow reviewer or a friend and I find that helps a lot.

Donna:

Some books are just so hard to review. If you love them or hate them it’s easy, but the ones that are good but nothing stands out – that’s where I get stuck. We have a review template that we send to new reviewers who need help. I have resorted to referring to that on occasion for ideas.

Or reading other reviews on the book can also help. As long as you’re careful not to let those other reviews influence your opinion I tend to find inspiration arguing for points that I liked and other reviewers didn’t.

Roberta:

Ofcourse we are curious to hear what you think of the answers to this question

so let us know and have a chance to win an ebook out of the Extasy collection.