Hi y'all,Sorry I'm so late in posting this. I've been scrambling all week to meet deadlines--self-imposed and otherwise. And just when I'd successfully killed off someone who sooo needed killing in Scent Of A Man, and put everyone the poor beleaguered hero cared about in jeopardy, and was reeeeeally close to sending off the revisions with the new-and-hopefully-improved ending, what popped up in my in-box? Galley proofs for From The Ashes. Can we say, AAAARGH? (Better that than what I actually said, LOL)
Hence I was rather snowed yesterday--figuratively speaking, of course, because it doesn't snow in Auckland. What I mean is that Thursdays are busy days at the best of times and I had to choose between posting a blog here or emailing off the corrected galley proofs for From The Ashes. The galley proofs won because the book is being released in December (December!!! Yikes) and they were more than just somewhat urgent.
Mind you, the revisions were somewhat urgent, too, because I wanted my editor to have plenty of time to review them before we smacked up against my contract deadline. So it's been a horrendous week. Hell, I even sent DH and daughter off to the Armageddon Expo without me, so I could work the long weekend. Wahhhhh!
Anyway, it all got done. And as a bonus, my editor emailed me to say she was happy with my hopefully-new-and-improved ending, and had emailed the manuscript off to the publisher. Yay! Panic over. *Heaves a huge sigh and mutters TGIF!*
OK, so next step in the process for From The Ashes is to get the final proof and send it out to reviewers. This used to be done for us, but it's now our responsibility. And you know what? I'm not particularly thrilled by the prospect. I accept that reviews are a necessary part of the process. But when someone else was sending my stories out for reviews, I could kind of distance myself from the process. A good review was like a beautiful, unexpected gift, and you never knew when one was going to pop up and make your day. A not-so-good review.... Well, let's not go there ;-). But suffice it to say, the review process was all happening despite me--like I was incidental--so I could run with the punches.
But now I'm faced with having to send my own book out and ask for a review. And then I'm faced with sitting back and gnawing my fingernails and checking my emails with increasing trepidation as I wonder what reviewers will think. I'm going to be intimately involved with the process because I have to choose who to ask to review my book.
Frankly? I hate the mere thought of having to do this. It makes me feel ill. I would love to be able to just see the darn book published and let those who wish to read it and review it, do so. No pressure. No harm, no foul. I mean, reviewers must be sick to death of people like me sending their latest opus in and expecting them to read it and analyze it and form an opinion about it. Must suck all the pleasure out of reading, I reckon.
Anyway, I'm putting on my big-girl panties and getting ready to send it out. But here's the thing. I'm insatiably curious so.....
Would you buy a book that had no reviews?
Would you still buy a book that'd had a less-than-stellar review?
Do reviews even matter to you as a reader?
I have my own views on reviews, but I'm interested in your take. So have it.
Cheers!
Maree
5 comments:
Sure, I would buy a book that has no reviews. I'm not a lemming. I can choose what to read for myself. So, this answer can apply to the following questions as well.
A lot of authors have to send out their own book. It's not a big deal. Send it, and let it go. I'm sure you'll get great ones anyway.
Here's the thing about reviews: I don't care about anyone else's opinions; I only care about my own ;-) Yes, that sounds incredibly selfish, but no one knows my likes and dislikes better than I do.
For me, it's all about the summary. If summary doesn't appeal to me, I know the story isn't for me. Even if it's both critically acclaimed and a #1 best-seller.
I actually tend to read reviews AFTER I've read the book in question. You know, to see if other people agree with me. Because at the end of the day, it's all about me ;-)
I usually buy a book based on the blurb and excerpt. If there's a good review posted with it that might help, but a stinky one wouldn't stop me from buying the book unless it said something horrifically bad. Like English was obviously the writer's fourth language or something :)
Reviews are so subjective that I don't pay them much attention when I'm buying a book.
Phew! Nice to have yet more confirmation that readers are too savvy to worry about what other people say. So I've given myself a kick up the bum and sent it on out. Still won't stop me getting all nervous about them though, but that's just me: totally neurotic and the self-esteem of a flea.
Thanks, ladies!
I def buy books w/out reviews, and bad reviews that just say 'this book sucked' w/ no explanation annoy me. It usually makes me remember to go back and leave a review if I actually liked it (like on Amazon). If there was a spoiler in the review and it hit on my hot button (like the hero rapes the heroine or he's a crack addict) then yeah, that kind of review would steer me in the other direction. That's an extreme example but I have on rare occasion walked away from purchasing a book b/c of something in a thoughtful review that explained why someone didn't like it and I knew I likely wouldn't either. On the other hand, I've picked up books solely b/c of bad reviews. Sometimes what someone says they hate is something I love so I'm that much faster to purchase it. Good luck with sending your book out! :)
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