For years, I've read the book reviews on Big Al's Books and Pals blog. It all began one day years ago when I was avoiding work by surfing the 'net and found a polite but honest review of a spectacularly bad book. Not all books are gems, however, the author of the book began arguing with the reviewer in the comments. Soon other people chimed in with their opinions and the whole conversation got so hilariously awful that Big Al had to turn the comments off.
From that moment, I knew I wanted a review from one of the Pals.
I have since submitted every one of my novels to the site for review, always with a polite but clever note about the book and/or myself. That's seven books.
Turns out, seventh time is a charm. On Friday, I discovered a new review on Amazon for MURDER BYTES. It was from Big Al's Books and Pals! It was a good review! Five stars!
Here is the link:
http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2020/06/review-murder-bytes-by-gayle-carline.html
Color me over the moon. And a Friday review means it's the first one on the blog site until Monday.
via GIPHY
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wah! Nobody loves me!
Okay, my last post was about how book reviews influence you as a reader. Now let's talk about how they influence you as a writer.
Of course, if you lived and died by whether all reviews of your work were glowing, you'd probably never write a word. Or, you'd become a serial killer, although I suspect you'd be easy to catch. ("The killer is targeting anyone who gave a bad review to Freezer Burn. I'd say our list of suspects is pretty short.")
Of course, if you lived and died by whether all reviews of your work were glowing, you'd probably never write a word. Or, you'd become a serial killer, although I suspect you'd be easy to catch. ("The killer is targeting anyone who gave a bad review to Freezer Burn. I'd say our list of suspects is pretty short.")
Like I said last time, I've gotten some really nice reviews, either in person or in writing (e-mail, blogs, Amazon), but of course, the one I remember most is when my doctor told me the ending seemed contrived, like I was trying to rush the story to get it done. She also said she enjoyed the book and that I was a good writer, but the C-word bugs the crap outa me.
Lesson learned for little Gayle Sue - skin isn't thick enough yet.
Even worse, in a way, was a little comment on the Wake Up Celebrity Author site. They're having a contest, where the book with the most votes gets a prize. I'd tell you all about it, but the site is problematic; I can only access it about ten percent of the time. At any rate, one guest voted for my book and gave it 3.8 stars, out of 5. Here's his comment: "I didn't read it but here's my vote."
What the hell? I mean, thanks for the vote, I guess, but you never read it and are reviewing it? What part of Crazy Town do you come from?
Someone said they didn't read their reviews because "if you believe the good ones, then you have to believe the bad ones." I don't remember who said this, but if you know, please tell me. If you do read reviews, you have to throw out the outliers. Good reviews that are so vague as to sound solicited are worthless. Ditto for bad reviews that focus on the author ("You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny" is not a review). If the ones left are mostly positive, then yay for you.
But what if they're bad? If they're meaningfully and thoughtfully negative, then maybe I owe it to the reader to take another look at what I'm writing. After I stop slamming doors and calm down, that is.
If they're just silly and stupid, there are a number of things you can do:
1. Submit them to The Worst Review Ever blog. It's a great site for posting bad reviews and talking about how you dealt with your feelings when you read them.
2. Blog about the experience yourself. Joe Konrath is pretty good at trotting out his hippo-thick hide and parading bad reviews in front of the rest of us, while he laughs all the way to the bank. Note: Can you believe that reviewers of his horror novel, Afraid, described as a "gore fest for fans of gross-out horror" complained that it was gory? What did they not understand about the description?
3. Read the negative review aloud, in your whiniest voice. This is a tip I got from another writer at a conference. Actually, I don't have to do this with my doctor's review - her voice is naturally whiny.
4. (Virtual) death to your enemies! This one was given to me by a therapist I saw many, many years ago, when I needed help in figuring out why I was married to the (seriously) wrong person. My favorite way to "kill" people in my head is to imagine them in a giant trash compactor. Sometimes I squish them quickly. If they've really pissed me off, I snap each bone. Individually. K-RunCH.
Or maybe you just don't read the reviews at all, good or bad. But if you do this, tell me your secret: how do you resist? I'm so insanely curious, I can't help but look. Must be why I like mysteries!
Come tell me - do you read your reviews (be honest)? How do you handle the negative ones?
Monday, August 3, 2009
I'm back!
Did you miss me? I missed you. Yes, especially you - the guy in the back row with the Buddy Holly glasses and the fake vampire teeth.
Those are fake, right?
We got home about 8-ish last night, there's no food in the house, and I'm feeling the very special lethargy that accompanies an 8-hour car trip home from a week's vacation and the desire to sleep in when you know Real Life awaits. There is unpacking, laundry, groceries - oh, yeah, and book "stuff" to do.
So here's a quick snapshot before I start separating the whites from the colors:
1. New column - if you want to know more about the book launch party, check out my column in the Placentia News-Times. The fun thing about being a columnist is that, if you're any good, you get a following. The bad thing is that, when I asked my editor for press coverage, she sent... me. "Since you're already going to be there, can you just cover it in your column?" Sure.
2. Guest blogging - Please do check out the I Love Dino Martin blog today. Mr. Dino Martin Peters (may I call you Pallie, DMP?) allowed me to blather on about why my character, Benny Needles, loves Dean Martin so much. Mr. Peters is being an absolute darling about promoting Freezer Burn on his site, and I'm insanely happy that he loved the book. He even reviewed it on his blog here.
3. Vacation ops - while I was up in the mountains, I wasn't just resting on my laurels. I contacted three bookstores about ordering my book and having me come back to do a meet 'n' greet. High Sierra Books bought three copies I had with me, and I gave Epilog Books and The Book Haven complimentary copies for their review. I figure, if the store owner reads it and likes it, she'll want to stock it, yes? All three stores were very positive and I now have to plan a trip back for early fall. Yes, they are small stores, but I'm going to try for the larger cities in the (Sacramento) area as well.
4. Reviews - In addition to Mr. Peters' lovely review, I actually have a (positive) review on Amazon, which is good to see. I've also had two reviews by local Placentia residents, who had this to say:
"Watch out Travis McGee and Kinsey Millhone, Peri Minneopa of Placentia is about to knock your socks off with her gum shoe skills. She may be 50, but it is a young 50, thank you. Her latest adventure was a fast, fun read. The reader picked it up at 11am today and only put it down when interrupted to take care of visitors and do the manly Sunday meat preparation thing. He finished at the sound of D-Land fireworks at 9:30. He normally watches the PBS mystery at 9:00 with his wife, but tonight it was pre-empted by a do-wop program, allowing him to finish before bed. He is anxiously awaiting the next adventure. He did make the mistake of telling his lovely wife that Peri was having lunch at Zov's. Ooo, we haven't been there in a while, she cooed. Thanks Peri, that'll cost you.
"I really enjoyed Freezer Burn. I really felt you did a fine job of developing the characters. I liked the character Benny, a kind of creepy Peter Lorie type as I visualized him. Peri seemed a stretch at first - a 50 something in a new career, but I see a character similar to Ambulance Girl, a book made into a movie. Kathy Bates played a true to life character who becomes an EMT. Skip gets a little too close, but manages to keep his distance and maintain most of his professional distance, sometimes. It was fun to read and identify Placentia places and streets."
-Warren and Claudine Emens
"I took Freezer Burn over to my Dad last Saturday at 8:30am since he's a faster reader than I am and has no problem foregoing laundry and dishes to sit and read -- I think I need to be more like him. Anyway, he called me at 1:30pm on Saturday and said he finished your book and really liked it. He wants to know when your next book is coming out!"
-Colleen Neidiger
Okay, peeps, I got so much stuff to do and so little energy to do it, I'm off to find my motivation. Is there such a thing as a vacation hangover?
Those are fake, right?
We got home about 8-ish last night, there's no food in the house, and I'm feeling the very special lethargy that accompanies an 8-hour car trip home from a week's vacation and the desire to sleep in when you know Real Life awaits. There is unpacking, laundry, groceries - oh, yeah, and book "stuff" to do.
So here's a quick snapshot before I start separating the whites from the colors:
1. New column - if you want to know more about the book launch party, check out my column in the Placentia News-Times. The fun thing about being a columnist is that, if you're any good, you get a following. The bad thing is that, when I asked my editor for press coverage, she sent... me. "Since you're already going to be there, can you just cover it in your column?" Sure.
2. Guest blogging - Please do check out the I Love Dino Martin blog today. Mr. Dino Martin Peters (may I call you Pallie, DMP?) allowed me to blather on about why my character, Benny Needles, loves Dean Martin so much. Mr. Peters is being an absolute darling about promoting Freezer Burn on his site, and I'm insanely happy that he loved the book. He even reviewed it on his blog here.
3. Vacation ops - while I was up in the mountains, I wasn't just resting on my laurels. I contacted three bookstores about ordering my book and having me come back to do a meet 'n' greet. High Sierra Books bought three copies I had with me, and I gave Epilog Books and The Book Haven complimentary copies for their review. I figure, if the store owner reads it and likes it, she'll want to stock it, yes? All three stores were very positive and I now have to plan a trip back for early fall. Yes, they are small stores, but I'm going to try for the larger cities in the (Sacramento) area as well.
4. Reviews - In addition to Mr. Peters' lovely review, I actually have a (positive) review on Amazon, which is good to see. I've also had two reviews by local Placentia residents, who had this to say:
"Watch out Travis McGee and Kinsey Millhone, Peri Minneopa of Placentia is about to knock your socks off with her gum shoe skills. She may be 50, but it is a young 50, thank you. Her latest adventure was a fast, fun read. The reader picked it up at 11am today and only put it down when interrupted to take care of visitors and do the manly Sunday meat preparation thing. He finished at the sound of D-Land fireworks at 9:30. He normally watches the PBS mystery at 9:00 with his wife, but tonight it was pre-empted by a do-wop program, allowing him to finish before bed. He is anxiously awaiting the next adventure. He did make the mistake of telling his lovely wife that Peri was having lunch at Zov's. Ooo, we haven't been there in a while, she cooed. Thanks Peri, that'll cost you.
"I really enjoyed Freezer Burn. I really felt you did a fine job of developing the characters. I liked the character Benny, a kind of creepy Peter Lorie type as I visualized him. Peri seemed a stretch at first - a 50 something in a new career, but I see a character similar to Ambulance Girl, a book made into a movie. Kathy Bates played a true to life character who becomes an EMT. Skip gets a little too close, but manages to keep his distance and maintain most of his professional distance, sometimes. It was fun to read and identify Placentia places and streets."
-Warren and Claudine Emens
"I took Freezer Burn over to my Dad last Saturday at 8:30am since he's a faster reader than I am and has no problem foregoing laundry and dishes to sit and read -- I think I need to be more like him. Anyway, he called me at 1:30pm on Saturday and said he finished your book and really liked it. He wants to know when your next book is coming out!"
-Colleen Neidiger
Okay, peeps, I got so much stuff to do and so little energy to do it, I'm off to find my motivation. Is there such a thing as a vacation hangover?
Sunday, December 28, 2008
70% Cool
Wanna see something cool? Go to: http://www.echelonpress.com/direct/buy-gc-fb.htm
Yes! It's my book, almost on sale now! The ad says "Coming in 2009", which totally excites and scares me at the same exact time. It's like a big old rollercoaster; I'm sitting at the top of the ride, and all I can think of is, "Oh, well, can't get off the bloody thing now." I don't know how long I'll teeter at the brink here, but sooner or later, you'll hear me screaming.
So why is this 70% cool? Well, it would be nice to know WHEN in 2009 the book will be coming out, but that's okay. I trust my publisher to let me know when it's time to start doing stuff, like scheduling booking signings, creating publicity/marketing materials, spinning wildly out of control. But beyond that, there's one thing that would move the coolness factor up at least 20%. May I direct your attention to the part of the Freezer Burn page that says: Reviews?
There are none. I'd love to have some people review my book - and say nice things about it. Saying mean, hateful things about it would kind of defeat the purpose, yes? So, now I begin the agonizing process of approaching people I know who might be willing to review my book and provide a sentence or two ("I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me.") to add to the jacket.
Why is it agonizing? Because asking people for something is my Achilles' heel. I hate asking for favors, even though I love to do them for other people. But, in the interest of my book, I shall overcome my fear and ask away! After all, I'd love to become one of those people that new authors ask for a review.
So, if you are a reviewer reading this post and are willing to review Freezer Burn, could you please follow the instructions on the page and contact Karen Syed at PUBLICITY@echelonpress.com? Thank you!
Yes! It's my book, almost on sale now! The ad says "Coming in 2009", which totally excites and scares me at the same exact time. It's like a big old rollercoaster; I'm sitting at the top of the ride, and all I can think of is, "Oh, well, can't get off the bloody thing now." I don't know how long I'll teeter at the brink here, but sooner or later, you'll hear me screaming.
So why is this 70% cool? Well, it would be nice to know WHEN in 2009 the book will be coming out, but that's okay. I trust my publisher to let me know when it's time to start doing stuff, like scheduling booking signings, creating publicity/marketing materials, spinning wildly out of control. But beyond that, there's one thing that would move the coolness factor up at least 20%. May I direct your attention to the part of the Freezer Burn page that says: Reviews?
There are none. I'd love to have some people review my book - and say nice things about it. Saying mean, hateful things about it would kind of defeat the purpose, yes? So, now I begin the agonizing process of approaching people I know who might be willing to review my book and provide a sentence or two ("I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me.") to add to the jacket.
Why is it agonizing? Because asking people for something is my Achilles' heel. I hate asking for favors, even though I love to do them for other people. But, in the interest of my book, I shall overcome my fear and ask away! After all, I'd love to become one of those people that new authors ask for a review.
So, if you are a reviewer reading this post and are willing to review Freezer Burn, could you please follow the instructions on the page and contact Karen Syed at PUBLICITY@echelonpress.com? Thank you!
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