ABSTRACT
Before a single word has been written of your thoughtful, incisive review there is much to be done. The depth and direction of that preparation will depend on a number of factors, from the profile of the readership and the motivation driving the review in the first place, to very practical considerations like the deadline and – if it is a live performance – the time of the last train home. More or less chronologically, this chapter will examine what to think when weighing up whether to review a work of art, right through until your fingers reach for the keyboard. Why are some television shows covered but others, seemingly, not? Who decides? What is involved in that decision? How do you fit in, either as one of a team of critics or even as a self-motivated blogger who is part of a community and yet answerable to nobody?
