One Thing about Reviewers

I'm working on a review of The Naked Duke by Sally MacKenzie, and thought people might be curious about what reviewers do when they come across a review of a book they haven't written about yet. I can't speak for all reviewers, of course, but here's what I do.

Occasionally I will read a review, then get the book in a review package. In this case, there's nothing I can do. I don't have a photographic memory, so usually I remember that I've read a review about it, but not much more. After I write my review, I go back and look at the other review to make sure I didn't unconsciously copy anything. So far, my written reviews have been pretty different even when the rating of the book is the same.

If I see a review and know that I am reviewing the same book, as is the case with The Naked Duke, I don't read it until I've finished my review. It just makes things easier. Once I've finished the review, I will read the other one. In this case, I'm not concerned with whether I've unconsciously copied any part of the review--you can't copy it if you haven't read it, after all--but if a reviewer uses an example that I want to use, I might change mine. It depends on whether I can make my point with a different example.

Alyssa