Reviews provide a supplemental success path that can, to a limited extent, do the same things that short stories do for your writing career.

It is very difficult to get good reviewing slots unless you are a good reviewer – interesting, literate, knowledgeable.

You submit reviews to newspapers and magazines just as you would short stories. HOWEVER, the review you submit is rarely accepted and published. What generally happens is that the review editor gives you assignments if he likes your work.

Top markets like The Washington Postpay quite well – three hundred and seventy five dollars for under two thousand words. Most others pay little (two or three cents a word) or nothing.

HOWEVER, you aren't in it for the money. You are in it to make a name for yourself, to become a well-known writer. Remember, novels are where the money is.

You should never describe the plot – tell what the book is about instead. ‘This is near-future science-fiction in which an army with intelligent machines fights a seemingly hopeless war in the Martian desert.’

Unless your review is very brief, you should never offer an opinion without explaining why you hold that opinion.

When space permits, quote the book to make your points. For example: if you say the book is clumsily written, give a telling instance of the clumsy writing in your review.

NEVER bias your review to use as a weapon in a feud.

NEVER make up things to make your review more entertaining.

NEVER say anything in your review that you would not tell the author face-to-face.

ALWAYS remember that reviewing is dangerous. You can easily hurt yourself far worse by reviewing than you can help yourself. If you are seen as a dishonest reviewer, you will make scores of influential enemies very, very quickly.