Effective Tips: How To Write A Book Summary

People often search for queries like “how to write a summary”, or “how to write a winning book review that can win people’s hearts”. Are you also in the same boat? Do you also like to pen down your thoughts about your latest read? Do you feel like writing a book summary on appealing novels every time you read one? Whether you want to write a book summary for your academic, or you want to head into the professional book marketing services to promote and market certain books, it is essential to keep in mind important tips and tricks. Everyone can write a book summary, however, to master the art it is important to have an in-depth knowledge of summary writing.

Before we delve into how to write a book summary, let’s first explore what is a book summary and its significance.

What Is a Book Summary?

A book summary as the term implies refers to a form of literary analysis in which a book is defined or analyzed based on its material, style, merit, and more. It might also include its characters, their traits, personalities, and more. A sophisticated analysis of the plot, the structure, and the storyline the book was based on is referred to as a book review.

A book summary may be an opinion piece, a primary source, a scholarly review, or a summary review. When writing a book review everyone has their unique styles and approaches. Based on an individual’s approaches and way of writing, you may observe different analyses of the same book. It all depends on how we see the book, how we consume the story, or perhaps how deeply we indulge in the characters of the book.

However, a perfect and a standard book review must address below mentioned three essential issues:

Content or material – what is said in the book.
Style – in which the book is written – or how it is said or written.
Analysis – assessment or critical analysis of how significant the book is.

Significance of a Book Summary

Likewise, the internet and Google, book marketing, and book publishing are huge marketplaces comprised of countless books. Thus finding the right book as per your interest becomes a daunting task. In addition, you cannot judge a book just by its cover. As sometimes a book will click your eye, you will open it to read its first page. You will see that it doesn’t reflect its title. You may think by a glimpse at the title that this book will best meet your interests. However, in reality, you will shortly lose interest in it after finding out that it is not appealing content to read.

A book summary or a book review available online can give you an insight into the book. It will also include how the book is written, its characters, storyline, and more. A book review in a nutshell will tell you if the book is good to read or not. Or perhaps, if you should read this book or may switch to another one. Book reviews and summaries by unbiased writers will serve as a guide to help potential readers make decisions about whether they should read it or not.

Book reviews can make any form.
They can be written by anyone – a reader, or a professional review writer.
Book reviews can be written formally and informally.
They can critique or summarize the book as a whole.

What Should Be Included in Writing a Killer Book Summary?

When writing a book summary, you cannot write it out of a thin air. You must organize a proper structure to make it a winning one. When writing a book summary, you can break the manuscript into three major parts as mentioned below:

1. Main Characters

A book or a story always has multiple characters. However, you must differentiate the main character that is an engaging protagonist and portray him/her as an individual different from others. Your book summary must describe and showcase the demonstrated qualities and traits of the protagonist’s individuality. Make sure that your readers must be able to relate to the character through a few traits, peculiarities, goals, or others.

2. Plot

Remember that the key is to “entice” but not to “reveal” everything. Keep the suspense of the readers alive. Structure the plot in a way that can grab the readers’ attention but doesn’t make them lose their interest due to revealing everything about the book.

3. Tone

One of the crucial parts of writing a book summary that you can never neglect. Keep the tonality of the summary similar to the original book. If the book is written in a humorous way keep the tonality the same to reflect the essence of the book in your review. Or perhaps, maybe the book is written full of suspense and surprises, then make sure to keep it likewise to best portray your review.

Effective Tips On How to Write a Winning Book Review

So you have a clear understanding of what is a book review and its importance, let’s explore effective tips to skyrocket a book review.

1. Read Carefully

When writing a book review, it is essential to first read, understand and review the whole book. If you are a great reader, then it is not an issue. Don’t you like reading enough books and have to write a book review for your academic? Or for any other purpose? Or perhaps you are a seasonal book reviewer who just has to write a book review? Let’s first understand that book review writing would only be done greatly if you are interested in it. Or perhaps, only if you like to read books on different niches.

Nevertheless, if you like reading and reviewing the book, then just read the book carefully. Make sure you have understood the gist of the storyline. Now you are all set to write a review based on your understanding.

2. Find The Central Idea

What if a book is large? What if it depends on thousands of pages? Would you be able to write a book review covering each and every point? Of course, it seems impossible or you will run out of thoughts, ideas, and words ultimately. Hence, read the whole book and then pick up the most crucial point that you want to discuss in your review.

Make sure that it is the essence of the book and that the whole story revolves around it to make your review a successful one. Moreover, you may also pick a few of the major points that you want to communicate to the readers. However, don’t make the content boring, and try to avoid using clichés in your content. Keep the sentences limited and craft them wisely and precisely. You may also take down a few notes to help outline your thoughts to make them an organized shape.

3. Highlight and Take Notes

You might think that it will slow you down. However, it will help you organize and streamline every point that you feel is important in the book. In addition, it will help save you heaps of time in a long-term period. you can do it in a few ways mentioned below:

You may take notes in a separate notebook.
In addition, you may use stickies to mark essential points or pages and takes notes.
Or perhaps, highlight the important points in the book and take notes in the margins.

You can go any way you feel is easy and convenient for you. Make sure that you don’t miss any core points.

4. Make an Outline

Are you a novice and want to write a wonderful book review to start off your career in book writing? Don’t panic. First and foremost, make an outline of what you are going to include in your review of that particular book. Make a rough outline including each point that crosses your mind. This rough draft will help you streamline each of the points that you are likely to make in your review making it one of your successful reviews of yours.

5. Avoid Being Judgmental

Writing a book review on fiction and a nonfiction book are different things. There are certain rules that you must follow when writing in a specific niche like non-fiction. When writing a review about non-fiction or a practical information-based book make sure that you are not being judgmental. Hence, avoid giving your opinions and suggestions. Keep your feelings aside and come up with an informative based book summary based on facts, figures, and information that can interest the reader.

However, the rule doesn’t apply to fiction. When writing fiction, you may add your thoughts, feelings, and opinion to awaken readers’ interest in the review.

6. Make Sure It Flows

Without building momentum your summary might not be worthy of reading and the reader may feel disappointment eventually. In addition, a bad summary with no momentum might leave readers wondering what they are reading and what is the purpose of continue reading it even. Therefore, it is essential to transition the content as a whole to build momentum in your writing. You may connect your phrases with transition words like “therefore”, “however”, “nevertheless” and more depending on the requirements of each phrase. Nonetheless, avoid clichés and make sure that together all the sentences make sense and clearly portray your summary.

7. Start with A Couple of Sentences

Make sure you don’t actually give any spoilers. However, start with a bunch of sentences plainly describing what the book is about. Keeping in mind the general rule, try to avoid writing in detail. Rather, ensure to write catchy short sentences just describing the content of the book. If the book is part of a series, you may disclose it to the readers. It will help develop their interest to read more about it as well as read other books in this series.

8. Discuss What You Mainly Like About the Book

Make sure to remain natural when writing a book review. Focus on your real feelings and thoughts about the book. Readers generally like the natural tone when it comes to reading book reviews. Don’t make it complicated. Rather, keep the tone, sentences, and description simple to make the reader engaged. You may focus on highlighting the answers to the below-mentioned queries in your book review.

Did the story keep you guessing?
Do the characters feel real to you?
Did the book make you laugh or cry?
Why and who was your favorite character?
Why and what was your favorite part of the book?
Did you find yourself lost in the book till the last page?
Did the story grip you and keep you turning the pages?
What was that something that encourage you to finish the book in the first sitting?

All of the above-mentioned queries will help you pour down your emotions and feelings into the review making it the most real and appealing one while keeping the essence of the book.

9. Highlight What You Didn’t Like About the Book

To promote a book, it is of significant importance that you portray the good sides of it to encourage readers to buy it ultimately. However, including what you didn’t like about the book is also going to encourage the reader to read the book and whether criticize your opinion and praise the book or second your perception. However, make sure to highlight things that you didn’t like in a positive manner.

For instance, if you didn’t like the ending, you may make an opinion that it shouldn’t be this way rather that way while not revealing the plot twist. Keeping the ending the twist hidden, share with your audience why did you find the ending frustrating. This will encourage them to read the book and make their own analysis about the ending eventually.

Key Features of a Good Book Summary

Here are the key features that are the essence of a killer book summary:

Shortens the original text.
It includes only what is in the passage.
The Plot of a good summary is Engaging.
Includes only the most important information.
Speech, language, and everything must not be Confusing.
Characters that readers Can See, observe and feel through your summary.
A good summary is written in the summary writer’s own style and tonality.
Ending of a winning summary that can make readers buy that certain book to read it as soon as possible.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Book Summary

In order to write an effective book summary, it is obligatory to remember the dos and don’ts of writing a book summary. Without knowing the basic rules of writing a book review, you cannot do it efficiently. Hence, next time you sit down to pen down your favorite book’s review make sure that you remember all the dos and don’ts to write a summary like a pro.

Without further ado, unveil the crucial dos and don’ts mentioned below:

Do’s

When writing a book summary on a certain book come up with an argument to boost the audience’s interest. Take your time enough to find a few examples both for and against your argument. It will help draw readers’ attention and make them curious about the book.
Make sure to clearly express your point so that the reader has a crystal clear vision of what the piece is about before delving into the whole summary.
Be honest in your thoughts and words. Do share your emotions and real sentiments with your readers so they don’t feel you are fake when reading your piece summary.
Read your summary once you are done writing it. It will give you some insight you may forget to consider when writing it initially.

Don’ts

Don’t lean too far one way without discussing the other.
Don’t write “in my opinion”, or “according to me” or phrases similar to these. Rather just state your thoughts and feelings.
Don’t spend too much time just writing your book review or a summary. Your analysis is what you should give your enough time.

A summary, in a nutshell, should:

Be shorter than the text.
Be written in your own words.
Include all of the crucial points.

A summary should not:

give supporting details.
explain why you are writing.
give general background information.

Summing It Up

Hopefully, you are now all prepared to write a winning book summary and skyrocket your career.

Make sure to keep in mind each important factor mentioned in this guide next time you sit to pour down your thoughts in a book summary.

How to Write a Winning Book Summary: Explore The Greatest Tips & Trick to Writing a Good Summary!