Friday 31 October 2014

Reviews - What's the full SP?

I've just read - and reviewed - Geoffrey West's Sheer Fear.

Amazon Review - Read Here

A terrific book. For fans of crime fiction with a difference, read any one of Geoff's three  Jack Lockwood books, of which Sheer Fear is the third, and you won't go too far wrong. He's around the Cauldron on Sunday.

Last week, I read After The Sucker Punch by Lorraine Devon Wilke. I have bored people stupid with my esteem for this book - I genuinely think that, with luck, it has the scope to go all the way to the top and make Lorraine famous. It is a beautiful piece of work.

http://greenwizardpublishing.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/after-sucker-punch-review.html

Georgia Rose's A Single Step and Before The Dawn  were consumed, both intricate, considered and beautifully written romances and lovely looking paperbacks for my shelf. 

Gladys Quintal's  Underserving, a tale of spousal abuse, which shocked me to the bone, with the darkest ending you will come across, was another notable read.

Many of you may know I am a big advocate of Terry Tyler's Kings and Queens, which is as good a novel as you will get - a wonderfully written, sweeping, combination of contemporary drama and updated historical fiction. 

I have also recently read Billie Jones/Rebecca Raisin's Mexican Kimono, which has the funniest opening fifty pages of any book you will read in Indie

Great books. Great stories. Great fun. I've reviewed them all and given them 5*. 

The authors are all my friends too, to a lesser or greater degree. It's the nature of the beast that is Indie, that we tend to become online friends with other authors and naturally feel like supporting them by reading their books. 

My tactic is to read, consider, make notes and review. I don't just skim read (however I DO understand why people do skim read in the Kindle age). 

It's a testament to how good self published authors have become that you don't get the complaints you used to about bad grammar, spellos, typos etc. They seem to have been wiped out - at least with the more experienced authors out there.  

It seems that authors who don't invest won't sell books and will end up clogging up FB pages and twitter feeds until they get bored and disillusioned and go away. The market will become more efficient over time with this.

I tend to give a lot of 5* reviews because, quite frankly, I socialise with writers online and I don't need the fuss. 

There are stories of harassment and threats and friendships-concluded-in-acrimony over reviews that you will not believe.

Not bothered about exact reciprocation either. For example, Geoff doesn't like my book The Night Porter and he was honest about it. He still gave me a respectable 3*. I can name two of the above list of authors who don't like at least one of my books, but they just didn't finish the book and it will never be spoken about again - the writer's version of the Elephant In The Room. I'm sure you have all come across it.

That's fine - it happens for many reasons, and, really, the only writer you should be trying to convince is yourself. 

But hey, if you look at the actual wording next to the 5* box when you are writing a review on Amazon, it says, "I Love It".

And nowadays, reading, for me, is a two stage deal. 

Either I dislike a book (as has happened fourteen times recently) and don't finish it, or I love it, (and in some cases, I love it enough to rave about it). 

Yet, I won't 5* a bad book because my online friend has written it, nor will I 1* a bad book.  Perhaps I should be nastier to bad books, but I don't need the fights in my life. 

That story this week of the author Katherine Hale who confronted (stalked?) someone across America that she considered a hater, a blogger who one-starred her debut novel, was a salutary tale of obsession and revenge. Life's too short and these are only novels.

Apropos of nothing. 

I am writing this because I would like to know what other people think? What are your thought processes? Do you demand exact reciprocation? Would you fall out with someone over a review of your work? Would you consider joining a bartering group?

My friend Terry Tyler has a slightly different approach to reviews, a blog well worth a read.

http://ukartsdirectory.com/terry-tylers-literary-blog-30/#comment-31888

Cheers

Mark




20 comments:

  1. I think my attitude is exactly the same as yours, really, Mark: "be honest, and grow up" !! In other words, don't give glowing reviews to people because they're yer mates, and don't expect everyone to love everything you do. I've said in my piece about the book blogger and usual fan of my stuff who didn't like Kings and Queens. I've also emphasised in my follow up piece that there ARE alot of people like you who don't read unless they love, so all their reviews are 4* and 5*. Anyway - thanks again for your praise of Kings and Queens (said book blogger was one of the first to read it; the other day I had an email from her in which she said she feels like the label who turned down the Beatles now, which made me laugh, bless her wee heart!), and you know how much I love TNP! I'm starting on Sheer Fear next, I think, though am working on getting the sequel to K&Q ready for Julia Proofreader, so very little reading is getting done!!! xxx

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    1. Kings and Queens is a classic. I thought you should let an indie publisher publish it in paperback for you. if EVER I read a book which deserves to be on a bookshelf it's that one :) And you also mention something I have been thinking about for a while. What if you change your mind? On TV, no-one got Father Ted, The Office or Breaking Bad and then BANG. All sorts of things affect your reading perception - a review is not the be all and end all - and I am glad the book blogger changed her mind. I've resolved to do a lot more reading this year and have thoroughly enjoyed it. :D Best of luck with the sequel - will be one of the first to buy/read it :D

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    2. Alas, I don't think she changed her mind - there were too many people shagging people they didn't ought in it for her!!! But then I don't write about nicey-nicey things, I write about complicated relationships. I still might do the paperback thing with K & Q - I want to get LAST CHILD finished before i do anything about anything, tho! XX

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  2. ps, I love your comment that 'these are only novels' ~ exactly.

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    1. It's true isn't it. My friend Kennedy Ryan said this the other day. When someone dislikes your book, it's not YOU they dislike! And there are far more things to worry about lately, Terry. Growth hormones in chocolate, for a start!

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  3. Thanks for telling it like it is Mark and for the wonderful mention of my books, that's much appreciated. I have many books waiting for me to read and review but have very little time in which to do so therefore I'm careful about what I start. I have no interest in reading a book that ultimately I would only want to give 1 or 2*'s too, life's too short and when it comes down to it I'm a reader not a reviewer. I don't expect people to reciprocate on reviews but I do feel guilty that so many people have given me reviews and their books are still waiting for me to get to, and I will I promise...it's that time thing again. I also don't feel the need to give someone 5* just because that's what they gave to me equally I wouldn't give 4* to theirs when it's clearly worth 5* just because of what they gave mine. Anyone with any sense knows that you can't please everyone with your work you just hope to please some of them enough of the time!! Gx

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    1. Your books are lovely, Georgia Rose, so meticulous and ordered, like a beautifully preserved cottage, not an ounce of dust or grime anywhere. I cannot remember a jarring sentence in two novels so you deserve all your success and praise. It's true what you say about 1* and 2* reviews. Why bother? And you are right also - when it comes down to it, I am a reader and I LOVE books. It's also getting to the time where you have to stop writing for a month or two and just READ your friend's books. It's essential for personal marketing and too many people don't make the time and then say, "I'm writing". I've resolved to do more reading this year and if I love a book, its going to get 5*. No apologies, Georgia. :D Thank you for commenting :D

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  4. You make some very good points Mark. I also do a lot of 5* reviews and some 4*. If I think a book is worth less than 4, I tend not to review it at all. The reason behind that logic is that if it's 3 or less because it's badly written then I will either not have got to the end or will not want to destroy someone because they haven't developed the skills (yet). And if it's 3 or less because I don't happen to like it - that's just a personal opinion and doesn't actually say anything helpful about the work itself. I certainly don't expect anyone to reciprocate and try to take every review as an informative critique. I have to agree with Terry too - love the 'these are only novels' line.

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    1. Nice to meet you again, Hache. You raise an interesting point. There are so many dimensions of a book to review. Writing style, consistency, appearance, spacing, prose, tense observation, chapter construction (short is the new rock n roll, it seems), spellinh, grammar, proofing, are all factors to consider before we even get down to story! The novel Jack's Coming Home - on which the film Get Carter is based - has terrible prose, but a sublime pace and is an amazing story, but Ted Lewis, who wrote the book, would be one starred all over goodreads today. So on what dimension do you revlew? If something is incompetent, I SHOULD point it out, but, as I wrote is far too short - it's just a novel :) Glad you liked that line. It's true. I will be reading your stuff soon, btw :D

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  5. Hi Mark, this is really interesting. I tend not to review books I haven't liked, I'd rather not give them anything than give one or two stars. I don't expect people to reciprocate, I'll just do an honest review (for those I've liked) with four or five stars as I want indie authors who I like to do well and help promote them. It's good that you and Terry have written recently about this slight taboo up to now with independent authors so thanks!

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    1. Hi Emma, looks like we are all in agreement here. And it is a taboo, isn't it. Everyone is scared of reviews but I think the methods we are being honest about here seem to be very simple. I would be interested to know what you all think about bartering though. Might throw in another post next week. Thanks, Emm :)

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  6. 5*'s everyone, I agree with you all.

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    1. I'm glad you agree, Mr Hauser. It;s great when that happens :D Hope well today - Mark

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  7. I don't expect ANY reciprocation, although I would love it, of course. Just as I wouldn't only give a present to get one back. Although I'm not dissing presents, either!

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    1. Nice to meet you, Tracey :D I would love readers to love all my books in the same way that the young uns idolise JK, but it isn't going to happen, so I tend to embrace each nugget for as long as i can squeeze it. Reciprocation is okay - IF you pick your spots *wink*. Hope well. Mark

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  8. Thank you, Mark, for your wonderful words about my book... you know how much I appreciate them. You also know my attitude about reviews. Reciprocals: bad idea. Paid: bad idea. Honest: good idea. Hate friend's book: no review. Hate unknown author's book: no review. Like either's: 3-5 stars as warranted. Get bad review: ignore. Another author asks you to respond to their bad review: ignore big time. Stalk bad reviewer: Seriously bad idea. :)

    Your formula works (the "I love it!" IS, in fact, the Amazon def of a 5-star, so that applies in many cases beyond the classics, which seems to trip up some people!). Beyond that... read more, write more, don't get too hung up on the review thing... that's my motto.

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    1. Lorraine - you just said it all!

      I got a review this morning from a regular reader (it says in the review, I don't know who she is), who has only seen fit to review the one she didn't like.... oh well....!!!

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    2. You ought to write a blog post on that one, Lorraine. Bang on. :) Happy to plug a great book at any time - I'm a fan and a reader - and yours is destined to be a great book, if we could get it out there. Terry, I can't believe someone would do that! Why? I just don't get it.It must be an Internet thing. Some people use reviews as a frustration thing too. Boo, negative people! :D Hope you are both well, Mark xx

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  9. Yes, I agree with Lorraine too. When I was new to self-publishing (3 years ago?) I tended to give generous reviews for fear of reprisal or upsetting someone I'd friended along the way. In some ways now, I wish I'd been a little more choosy because it kind of devalues those really excellent books I've enjoyed. I've started these reviews now by saying 'six stars!' I do laugh at myself for this because if anything, it proves how silly the system is and above all, as authors, we shouldn't take it all so seriously. It is what is is, corrupt and terribly biased. But if the book didn't engage (and that doesn't mean it's a 'bad' book) then why try and review it? I've seen some truly awful conversations where the author attack the reviewer and it gets in a horrible mess...

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    1. I so agree about it devaluing the ones you mean, Jan. You can always go back and edit the reviews - what the hell? I've done it with a couple I was too generous with. Taken a star off and put what I really thought. Go on!!! :)

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