A notebook for writing reviews.

Good reviews take a little time. You try the thing, live with it, and then you know what to say. A notebook for writing reviews gives you a place to keep those notes until then.

This piece is about how to keep one. It is also about the notebook made for it, the Write a Review. Journal. It comes from Verified., the shop from BeyondReviews.

Why keep a notebook for writing reviews.

It is easy to forget the details. The size you ordered. How it felt after a week. What went wrong on day three.

A short note on the day helps. When you sit down to write the review, the facts are already there. The review is more useful to the next person.

Paper also slows you down in a good way. You write what you mean, and not much else.

It is also a record for you. Months later, you can look back and see what lasted.

You do not need to write every day. Write when something new arrives, and again when you have used it for a while.

It helps with more than shopping. Keep notes on a hotel, a restaurant or a book. Any review is better when it starts from notes.

What to write down.

Keep each entry short. A few lines per thing is enough.

• What it is. The name, the size and the colour.
• The first day. How it looked out of the box. Was it as described?
• After a week. How it held up. Did it fit as expected?
• One honest line. The sentence you would want to read before you buy.

That last line is the review. Runs a little big. Would buy again. Many good reviews come down to one line like that.

Write the review soon after the week is up, while it is fresh. Then tick the entry off.

If you buy for someone else, note that too. A gift review is about how it was received, not how it fit you.

A few more tips help the next reader. Say what you used it for. Say your usual size if it is clothing. Say what you would change. Plain words work well.

The Write a Review. Journal.

The Write a Review. Journal is a black hardcover notebook. The hard cover is made of a smooth paper board. The print on it is small and quiet.

Inside are 80 pages of lined, cream paper. An elastic band keeps it shut, and a ribbon marks your page. There is a pocket inside that expands, for receipts and tags.

It measures 5.5 by 8.5 inches and weighs 10.9 oz. It fits in a jacket pocket or a small bag.

Eighty pages is room for a lot of short entries. At a few lines each, one book lasts a long time.

Things that go with it.

To carry it, there is The Dot. Tote. It is organic cotton twill in Oyster, with one clay dot on the front. It has a gusset and long straps.

The tote measures 16 by 14.5 by 5 inches and holds up to 30 lbs. The dot is 228 mm across, set a little low.

For the nights you rate games instead of goods, there are the Five of Five. Playing Cards. It is a full deck of 54 cards in a clear acrylic case.

There are more small pieces in the small things collection.

Questions.

How many pages does the journal have?

It has 80 pages of lined, cream paper.

How big is it?

It is 5.5 by 8.5 inches, or 13.97 by 21.59 cm.

Does it have a pocket?

Yes. There is an expandable pocket inside, for receipts and tags.

How do I care for it?

Wipe the cover with a dry cloth.