Writing Product Reviews for Westfly

Anyone can write a product review for Westfly. First, send an email to richmond@westfly.com to make sure a review is not already in progress. If you get a go-ahead, follow the tips outlined below.

Standard Format

Westfly's product reviews follow a standard format:

1. Introduction. Keep in it short.
2. Product description. Features and benefits.
3. Evaluation. Good points and bad points. How did it perform in real life? Who is the product suited to? Who is it not suited to?
4. Product summary. This is a standalone section that includes: Product name, manufacturer, retail price, where to purcharse. For books, include: title, author, publisher, number of pages, size, color vs. black and white, number of illustrations, hardbound vs. softbound, retail price, where to purchase. See a few reviews for the format.
5. Rating. On a scale of 1 to 5. 5 = "Top-notch standard-setting product; not just good, but great." 4 = "Good product of superior quality; definitely worth purchasing." 3 = "Average quality; not world-beating, but adequate." 2 = "Poor product; save your money." 1 = "What were they thinking!?".
6. Try to keep your review under 600 words. Fewer words than that are perfectly acceptable, too. Even 150 words can be enough for some products.

Things to Consider

The purpose of the review is to help the reader understand the product and whether it will meet his or her needs. However, keep in mind that everyone has different needs. Every product has a market, someone for whom it would be useful. Who is this book written for? Beginning fly tiers? Advanced fly tiers? Fly fishermen who are planning their first trip to Patagonia? Experienced anglers who are looking for large Labradorean brook trout and want to stay in lodges that accept pet weasels? Be sure to say who you think is best suited to the product. Remember, thought, that even if it's not something you'd walk across the street to buy, it may still be useful to someone else. That someone may have a perfectly valid reason to buy the product, even if you don't. Further, the reviewer does not sit in judgment over the reader's reasons to buy or not buy the product.

What's the flip side of the above: who is the product NOT good for?

Considerations for books:

1. What subjects are covered? Most of this can be gleaned from the table of contents and from a quick perusal of the chapters.
2. Is the writing good, bad, indifferent?
3. What is the quality of the illustrations--photos, drawings, or other graphics?
4. Are there things the author does particularly well? Are there holes or deficiencies?
5. You might want to include a quotation or two from the book to illustrate a point you're making or to give the reader a flavor for the writing.

Other Resources

1. Ten Tips for Writers
2. Westfly Style Sheet
3. Submitting articles to Westfly