Comments on: Balanced Reviews

By: Jessica Leader

Jessica Leader — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:08:24 +0000

V funny, Sally — I’ll look forward to that oh so informative mixed review!
Jessica Leader´s last blog ..Good Things About Today, Even Though it is a Scary Day

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:35:24 +0000

oh you have to tick the little box.

sally apokedak´s last blog ..How to Write a Children’s Book ~ Critique Groups

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:34:29 +0000

one more test

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:32:14 +0000

testing, testing

how come comment luv wasn’t working?
sally apokedak´s last blog ..How to Write a Children’s Book ~ Critique Groups

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:29:43 +0000

Hey, Jessica, thanks for stopping by and commenting.

When does your book come out. I’ll see if I can read it and give it a mixed review for you.

I agree that it would be good to have two forums–one for readers and one for people who want to discuss in depth.

I wonder, though, if that’s not what happens now. I wonder if readers just ignore the discussion and look at the stars and go buy. And I wonder if readers aren’t all “discussers” on some level.

Oh, well, I’m not sure we’ll ever solve this. Because even if I opened up the forum here–I do have a forum on this site–how would I know who to keep out? Authors could still sign on incognito and see all the nasty things we were saying about their books.

By: Jessica Leader

Jessica Leader — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:16:50 +0000

I really like the point that a mixed review at least brings publicity to a story or an author that is interesting, but may not have worked out its kinks. (And I’ll try to remember it if I get a review that’s mixed!)

It almost seems like there should be two different review forums: one for audiences who want to know what to buy, and one for people interested in discussing how books work. I’m involved in a great community that does the latter, and I love it. I wouldn’t want a broader readership to see the reviews I post there, because I wouldn’t want to slam a fellow writer, but I wish there were a space for intelligent, don’t-take-it-personally dialogue about non-blockbusters in the larger literary community. Mostly, I love the feeling that we’re all in this together, but sometimes, it feels limiting, too.

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:23:46 +0000

Well, exactly.

If we aren’t going to be honest we might as well quit reviewing. Dishonest reviews are meaningless.

And if we give dishonest reviews to bad books, saying they’re good, we punish the authors of the good books. Because no one can believe us when we say the books are good.

By: Bellezza

Bellezza — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:47:31 +0000

Sally, I appreciate your acceptance of posting a book’s weakness from the reviewer’s point of view. I get so anxious to not offend anybody, but then, what kind of a review is it if it’s not honest? If everyone said every book was great they’d be just like Paula Abdul criticing a contestant on American Idol: kind, but meaningless.
Bellezza´s last blog ..RIP IV and The JLC3: A Double Dip

By: amydeanne

amydeanne — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:07:53 +0000

I agree about passing up books if you hate them (I’ve done that with a few), however, a few I’ve commented on and criticized because of the genre it was aimed in, not the writing. I do think it helps publishers to take note that some of us care what you call a book (aka.. if you’re calling it Christian, than I want to know it actually is.)
I think we can critic gently w/o being mean (though I’m sure you can’t please everyone all the time, just like I won’t like every book i read). I try and give options of someone i think will like it if I don’t particularly care for it, but don’t find anything really wrong with it.
that being said, not sure as a writer if it affects.. i think if we can’t be honest about what we’re writing how can we write decently ourselves?
amydeanne´s last blog ..Tricia Goyer writes again! Sunflower Seranade

By: sally apokedak

sally apokedak — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:28:56 +0000

Well, in the interest of not trashing anyone let me just say, “SCREECH! PUT THE BRAKES ON. Michael Stearns didn’t start any rumor. It was a commenter on his site that reported this.”

And the commenter wasn’t giving a direct quote. That’s why I was wondering if maybe she was misinterpreting the editor.

Thank you so much for clearing this up, Cathy. I am happy to hear that the editor in question, whoever it was, was not saying she would not work with someone who criticized her books. That’s a huge relief.