posted 8 years ago
Packt Publishing Book review guidelines for the reviewers
1. Writing the review
You have to keep in mind that the reader only has your review to read and not the whole book. So, the review should make everything about the book so obvious that when a reader buys the book he should find it comparable to the review.
If you are reviewing the new edition of an old book, remember to mention about the improvements and differences in the new book compared to the old one. You may not have the older edition of the book to compare. In that case, if you are willing to read the older book, we can send you a copy of it or else you can read through the review of the older book which can give you an idea about it.
Start your review with whether the title of the book is accurate. If the title claims that the book doesnt need a prior knowledge on the subject, is it justified or does the book need the reader to have some working background on the subject?
Write about the working experience required to use the book. Mention about who would find the book useful and what background they require to have in terms of work or education.
Mention if the book is technically correct.
Is the language reader friendly and interesting enough or too tough to follow and autocratic?
Are there enough examples and screenshots and do they explain the subject well?
Does the book have illustrations? If so, are they well executed?
Does the book come with code samples? If it does, how useful are they?
Is there anything you think is missing from the book or any subject not covered in enough detail, as you would have expected? Does it need some more information to be made available?
Is there an existing book in the market which covers the same subject in more, less or same depth of details?
What hardware and software does the book assume that the reader will be dealing with? What operating system and system configuration is required to use the software well?
Mention about your background in the subject you are reviewing. What are the other avenues available where readers can find the information about the subject under discussion?
Mention clearly about the target audience of the book and discuss the book in the same context. A book for newbies will be perceived differently by the experts.
2. Take the notes while reading the book and write the review in a reader friendly and interesting language.
3. Compare the book with other books available on the same subject and write if it met your expectations.
4. On first reference, use the complete title, well punctuated, as it appears on the book cover.
5. Include a link to the books page at www.PacktPub.com
6. Also, include the review on the books page on Amazon, so that other people also know about your efforts on the review.
