Reviews . . . the good, the bad, and the ugly
01/10/09 10:33
(Not to change the subject already, but have you ever
heard the soundtrack to THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE
UGLY? It’s a very old Clint Eastwood western, and the
score is fantabulous. Check it out.)
It’s one thing when I review a book on my blog--who am I? Nobody important. Will the author ever read it? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on how they Google themselves. But it’s a wholly different thing when the “real” reviewers get to your book. Then it can make a difference.
An acquaintance of mine just received a . . . lukewarm? . . . review from Kirkus for his first book, a middle-grade sports novel. I can’t find the review to read, so I can only report on what he said: Kirkus claimed his book “tried too hard.” It’s not the kindest thing anyone could say about a book.
Lots of us responded to him and tried to help him feel better, so that’s good. Anybody can understand a stinging review, not just book people. Problem is, in the book world, reviews are currency. They can determine library sales, for one thing, and the can sway regular-person sales, too. A lukewarm-to-bad review can’t just be blown off, especially for a first-time author. Then again, a lukewarm-to-bad review can happen to ANYONE, even big fish in this little pond. Reviewers are like anyone else---they have good days & bad days, and specific likes & dislikes.
It’s the breaks of the business, where there are a zillion of us competing for attention. But it makes me wonder what will happen to THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME, and it makes me wonder how my acquaintance is thinking about his review, after a few days has passed. I hope he feels better. I know I’m looking forward to reading it, and my son will eat it up.
Reviewers have to call them as they see them. I know that. It’s a business, and my book (or my acquaintance’s book) is just one of the pieces of coal that makes the publishing industry go. We think they’re works of art. “They” think they’re fodder for the machine. Not in a bad way, usually, but fodder nonetheless. Might as well be honest about it.
I wonder what my reviews will say. I wonder how I’ll react. The book business is a lot of wondering.
It’s one thing when I review a book on my blog--who am I? Nobody important. Will the author ever read it? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on how they Google themselves. But it’s a wholly different thing when the “real” reviewers get to your book. Then it can make a difference.
An acquaintance of mine just received a . . . lukewarm? . . . review from Kirkus for his first book, a middle-grade sports novel. I can’t find the review to read, so I can only report on what he said: Kirkus claimed his book “tried too hard.” It’s not the kindest thing anyone could say about a book.
Lots of us responded to him and tried to help him feel better, so that’s good. Anybody can understand a stinging review, not just book people. Problem is, in the book world, reviews are currency. They can determine library sales, for one thing, and the can sway regular-person sales, too. A lukewarm-to-bad review can’t just be blown off, especially for a first-time author. Then again, a lukewarm-to-bad review can happen to ANYONE, even big fish in this little pond. Reviewers are like anyone else---they have good days & bad days, and specific likes & dislikes.
It’s the breaks of the business, where there are a zillion of us competing for attention. But it makes me wonder what will happen to THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME, and it makes me wonder how my acquaintance is thinking about his review, after a few days has passed. I hope he feels better. I know I’m looking forward to reading it, and my son will eat it up.
Reviewers have to call them as they see them. I know that. It’s a business, and my book (or my acquaintance’s book) is just one of the pieces of coal that makes the publishing industry go. We think they’re works of art. “They” think they’re fodder for the machine. Not in a bad way, usually, but fodder nonetheless. Might as well be honest about it.
I wonder what my reviews will say. I wonder how I’ll react. The book business is a lot of wondering.