I can’t even get my best friends to review my book! I have to beg them lol oh yeah it’s so hard! You are the best book reviewer out there. I have always done it for free because I love it.
This year I won the Kenneth Patchen Award for the Innovative Novel for 'Out of Competition', coming out JEF Books October 1, 2024. Shall I send my novel to you? Ah, you will say, I am told what to review. In 2021/2022 a novelist asked me for a review to go in the American Book Review. I said yes. It's a good review. Woody Allen is wrong: Writers don't hate writers, well, not all. So if it isn't all writers who hate all writers, who really hates all writers? The reader?
It seems like such a waste of effort to make those lists and then throw them away. Why not publish them here under Honorable Mentions? Or a category like Second Chances for books that are no longer "fresh" but deserve a look because they flew under the radar? Maybe something for self-published books? No need for full reviews, just shine a light on them by putting them in a list and posting it here. Doesn't have to be the full lists, either. Top ten, top twenty... random fifty... as long as people understand what the lists mean, that's all that matters.
The real question is, Where was Paul Tremblay to tutor me in math when I was in high school? And don't give me this "we're basically the same age so he was busy with his own studies" stuff.
Seriously though, I absolutely admire what you're doing and the way you bring the balance to what you pick, and thank you for still swinging for the indies, even if those of us on that side of the divide know we're going to be left out, 9 times out of 10.
I've been writing for a long time now. The writing is fun. The getting-read is more like slipping into an icy, mountain lake, slow and painful. The trick used to be wriggling to the top of the "slush pile." With self-publishing, that's now a slush mountain. It's a good thing the writing part is still so much fun.
No matter how many times i tell people (who are not writers) how important these reviews and stars are, the needle still doesn't move. And I get it. People are shy (yes, they are!) and think that their input doesn't matter. So yeah, getting readers to comment is damn hard. As to professional reviewers, the dice are loaded by the marketing machines. My crime book comes out in August from an indie publisher. The cover and ARC are in the works, nowhere near the 3-6 months drum roll required by industry insiders. So forget it, it's not like we live in different time zones, we're on a different planet. Considering that, we make do, keep fighting...
I can’t even get my best friends to review my book! I have to beg them lol oh yeah it’s so hard! You are the best book reviewer out there. I have always done it for free because I love it.
This year I won the Kenneth Patchen Award for the Innovative Novel for 'Out of Competition', coming out JEF Books October 1, 2024. Shall I send my novel to you? Ah, you will say, I am told what to review. In 2021/2022 a novelist asked me for a review to go in the American Book Review. I said yes. It's a good review. Woody Allen is wrong: Writers don't hate writers, well, not all. So if it isn't all writers who hate all writers, who really hates all writers? The reader?
Thank you for a look at this unfortunately harsh reality. (Sigh)
It seems like such a waste of effort to make those lists and then throw them away. Why not publish them here under Honorable Mentions? Or a category like Second Chances for books that are no longer "fresh" but deserve a look because they flew under the radar? Maybe something for self-published books? No need for full reviews, just shine a light on them by putting them in a list and posting it here. Doesn't have to be the full lists, either. Top ten, top twenty... random fifty... as long as people understand what the lists mean, that's all that matters.
Thank you for sharing this information!
Thank you for sharing this information!
Thank you for sharing this information!
Thank you for sharing this information!
The real question is, Where was Paul Tremblay to tutor me in math when I was in high school? And don't give me this "we're basically the same age so he was busy with his own studies" stuff.
Seriously though, I absolutely admire what you're doing and the way you bring the balance to what you pick, and thank you for still swinging for the indies, even if those of us on that side of the divide know we're going to be left out, 9 times out of 10.
I've been writing for a long time now. The writing is fun. The getting-read is more like slipping into an icy, mountain lake, slow and painful. The trick used to be wriggling to the top of the "slush pile." With self-publishing, that's now a slush mountain. It's a good thing the writing part is still so much fun.
Always appreciate your honesty!
Good information to know. Thank you!
It might be tough to read, but these posts are invaluable! Thank you! 🙏🏼
This is so scary to read. But I'm thankful for your honesty 🙏
Sounds like the Big Boys (or rather the Big Four) control everything, including reviews.
No matter how many times i tell people (who are not writers) how important these reviews and stars are, the needle still doesn't move. And I get it. People are shy (yes, they are!) and think that their input doesn't matter. So yeah, getting readers to comment is damn hard. As to professional reviewers, the dice are loaded by the marketing machines. My crime book comes out in August from an indie publisher. The cover and ARC are in the works, nowhere near the 3-6 months drum roll required by industry insiders. So forget it, it's not like we live in different time zones, we're on a different planet. Considering that, we make do, keep fighting...