Tagged: writing
The True Confessions of a Book Reviewer
I’m approaching my ninth month as a book reviewer, even though it doesn’t feel like it and I’ve been reflecting a lot on my blog and book reviewing in general. It wasn’t until I saw this article on The Perpetual Page-Turner that I realized a lot of other reviewers experience the same things. Well, here are my confessions:
1. There are times when I don’t want to get out of bed, let alone write a review.
I love writing reviews and when I really love a book, writing a review is easy. However, when there are mixed elements in a book it’s hard to write a review. You have to balance out the good and the bad and say why certain aspects were bad. Writing-wise, it’s much more difficult than to gush, but it needs to be done. I owe it to my readers and the author to write a fair review, but that doesn’t make it any easier to write when I have writer’s block. There are some days when I don’t even want to get out of bed to go to work and make money, let alone write a review for fun.
I go through the occasional period of writing trouble and feel under-appreciated; I’m not ashamed to admit that. But then I get that one comment that makes my day and gives me new motivation to write through the good and bad times. It’s comments that expand upon the article, promote discussion and show that someone appreciates what I’m doing that give me the motivation to keep writing every day. To some it may seem pathetic, but it’s that occasional thoughtful comment that makes my day, especially when I’ve had a long day at work. Continue reading
Calling all Writers!
Are you a short story writer and have been aching for a chance to have your work published in an anthology? Have you been sitting on that time-travel story, waiting for a market? Well, look no further!
No, yours truly is not publishing an anthology. I have enough on my plate at the moment (more on that later). However, one of my blogging friends, Mark Lee from The Masquerade Crew, is. Here is the prompt for the anthology:
In the spirit of H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine,” one character or a group of characters travel many years into the future. What do they find there? Are they able to come back home, or are they trapped? What has become of mankind? Is life better or worse? What’s the political climate? The real climate? (IOW mother nature) The choices are up to you.
The minimum word count for all short stories is 5,000 words and the maximum word count is 10,000 words. Since Mark is just getting into publishing, the anthology will only be available as an ebook, but the future holds endless possibilities.
One of the huge advantages of entering your story for consideration in this particular anthology is that Mark has always been, and likely always will be, an advocate for indie and self-published authors. That means, if your story is accepted, you will be included in the publishing process: editing, cover design, the works. Unlike in major publishing houses, your opinions will be heard and considered. It also means that you, not Mark, will retain the copyright of your story.
Okay, so you’re probably asking yourself: who’s going to do the editing? Will you have to hire an editor? This is where my involvement starts.
I’m going to be one of the editors of the anthology.
Yes, I’m finally expanding my repertoire beyond book reviewing, but don’t worry! I’m not about to give up The Mad Reviewer anytime soon; I’m having far too much fun for that. However, it does give me a chance to work closer with authors than I have before and get paid for doing what I love (as I obviously don’t make any money from my blog).
The best part is that the anthology is going to put more power into the hands of authors as well as indie publishers. So if you’re interested in submitting a short story for the anthology, or even just asking more questions, you can email Mark at msl_007atlivedotcom.
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Sorry everyone, I’m guest posting again today. I know, that’s two days in a row but that’s just how things worked out this time around. However, to make it up to you, tomorrow I have a review and an interview scheduled.
For those of you who are curious, here’s a link to my review on Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. If you like guilty pleasure romance, Greek mythology and awesome premises, this is a book for you.
Guest Posting: Part 2
Since I’m posting over at We Heart Reading today, I figured why not post over at Steam Trains and Ghosts as well? Margaret, the blog’s owner, asked me if I could write my thoughts on steampunk. Is steampunk a serious genre? Is it here to stay? Find out by clicking here!
Things Authors Should Know About Bad Reviews
In the four or so months I’ve been book reviewing on this blog, I’ve given out some pretty bad reviews. As an amateur writer myself, I can understand the crushing feeling authors get when someone gives them a bad review. Although I can sympathize with writers, I would never have started a book reviewing blog if I couldn’t handle giving out bad reviews when they are deserved. So, all you writers out there, please read on and keep these things in mind when (not if) you get a bad review.
1. It’s not personal.
Unless the reviewer is a complete jerk, a bad review is never personal. They aren’t criticizing you; they’re criticizing your work. There’s a huge distinction between the two, although it doesn’t seem that way when your precious work is being trashed. Giving you a bad review is not an attack on your character, beliefs, etc. It is simply criticizing a product you have put out into the world with the expectation that people will buy it and talk about it. If you’re still convinced that bad reviews are always personal, let me ask you this: When you last criticized a product, were you personally attacking the creator of the product? Probably not. And yes, your book is a product for all intents and purposes because you are selling it. Continue reading