At last, democracy has reached the world of publishing! Yes, there are works that were published too soon and lack quality writing, revision or editing. But that issue will show itself in sales. Readers are the new agents of industry and the world is a better place for it.

Anela – 3 May 2015

About Reviewing

How did you get started?

I love reading. Who doesn’t like to leave planet Earth once in a while and indulge in the imagination? The blog is an extension of my appreciation of books and the writers who pen them. And as a writer myself, reading helps me learn more about the craft.

How do you review a book? Is it a read first, and then make notes, or do you make notes as you go along?

I read it first as a reader, bookmarking sections along the way that, for good or ill, jumped out to me. Then I go back after the ending and remind myself of the areas that caught my attention. I do my best to write the review the same day that I finish the book so my thoughts aren’t dimmed by delay.

What are you looking for?

I’ve noticed that the books I sing the praises of have great tension throughout, believable motivations, smart dialogue and satisfying character arcs. Plot holes, too-stupid-to-live actions on behalf of the protagonist, excess exposition and flat characters drag down my rating.

If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?

If it’s a compelling read, I forgive grammar issues, though if there are so many copy errors that they interrupt my reading experience frequently, there’ll be mention of it in the review. And I’ll admit to having my personal pet-peeves in this area (“your” instead of “you’re”, mixing “there/their/they’re”, etc.). Words are a writer’s tools after all. They should be kept sharp.

How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?

I’ve finished an 80,000 word book in two days. I’ve also needed a week or more to finish one. Everything depends on the story. If it grabs me in a head lock, like some of them do, I’m in for some sleep deprivation.

How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?

I have a five-star rating scale, five stars being the best rating. I chose it because I think it’s the most recognizable scale.

What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?

I can usually tell which authors have revised and edited thoroughly, possibly by using a professional freelance editor. The writing is cleaner, the plot clearer and the characters more dynamic. I recommend going through the arduous revision process, however painful, before sending your baby out for review. It’s almost guaranteed to get better reviews that way, which in turn, mean better sales.

Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?

Yes I do and I always reply. It’s a community after all and a great one at that.

My advice to authors on getting a ‘bad’ review (hasten to add that might mean a perfectly honest, well written, fair review – just bad from the author’s point of view) is to take what you can from it and move on. Under no circumstances to ‘argue’ with the reviewer – would you agree with that?

When I don’t recommend a book, I’m specific as to why and I welcome (respectful) commentary. I’m careful to note in my reviews that this is my opinion. For that reason I add a link to other reviews so readers can decide for themselves. When I don’t recommend a book, it definitely bums me out. I know writing a novel and sending it into the world is like opening a vein. I’m not out to tear anyone down. There’s always something I liked about the story, even if as a whole the book didn’t work for me.

About Reading

We talk a lot about writing here on the blog, and possibly not enough about reading, which is after all why we’re all here. Why do you think people love reading? We’re seeing lots of statistics that say reading as a pastime is dying – do you think that’s the case?

I’ve heard it said that the world will always need storytellers and I strongly believe that. Stories tell us about ourselves, even in the otherworldly genres of fantasy and science-fiction. There’s an overlay of the human condition acted out through verse in ways both subtle and overt. We keep coming back to stories because it returns us to an examination of ourselves—and because reading is wicked fun.

There’s certainly more competition for the public’s free time, but I don’t believe reading as a pastime is dying. Take a look at all the book-to-movie blockbusters out there. They inspire people to read the book, which leads to other books and can reignite the love of reading that we all had as children before school, bills and jobs took over. The E-reader technology has also knocked down the doorways to books. Whereas book shopping used to require a trip to the store or library, now people can obtain them with an easy swipe of their finger.

I’m not sure how the determination was made or what sort of methodology was used to come to the conclusion of those stats, but any statistician will tell you, numbers lie all the time.

About Writing

What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?

Dull dialogue and too much exposition. As to the first, dialogue is definitely a learned technique. To make sure characters stay true to their “voice”, keep their interactions intriguing while simultaneously changing them as their arc progresses, is a tough beat. But, hey, if it were easy, anyone could do it.

Exposition, or long interludes of backstory explanation, interrupts the story and stops the action in its tracks every single time I see it. Seasoned authors will tell you that it needs to be sprinkled in like a spice. Too much and it overpowers everything. You know the old acronym: R-U-E—Resist the Urge to Explain. Know it. Live it.

We’re told that the first page, paragraph, chapter, is absolutely key in making or breaking a book. Agents typically request only the first five pages of a novel; what do you think about that? If a book hasn’t grabbed you by the first five pages, do you put it down?

I read every book from cover to cover (well, virtual cover to cover). When a first line/paragraph/chapter is really strong, I am definitely more excited for the read than when it isn’t. If the book hasn’t grabbed me by page 50, it usually won’t, but I hang in there till the end. It’s the only way to properly, and fairly, review a book. I’m sure an agent’s job forces them to be more ruthless, but as a blogger I’m not shackled by commercial constraints.

Is there anything you will not review?

I review only self-published works in the Fantasy/Science-Fiction/Dystopian/Paranormal genres. As far as content, well, I’ve read all of “A Song of Ice and Fire” which pretty much rips your heart out, stomps on it a bit, then shoves it back in and drags you to the execution of beloved characters. So, yeah, I’ve been battle tested as far as the genres I review are concerned.

About Publishing

What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the “slush-pile has moved online”?

Obviously there are business reasons for traditional publishers to snub self-published authors and their work. The old model of publishing is/was draconian in my opinion. Why else would authors have called it “The Forbidden City”? New authors, even those with spectacular talent and ideas, would crash against those walls like a bug on a windshield.

Now anyone can publish anything they’d like, regardless of whether there is a perfectly square genre box to put it in. For me, it was always a little suspect that such a select few would decide what was published and where it was placed in the bookstores, if at all. At last, democracy has reached the world of publishing! Yes, there are works that were published too soon and lack quality writing, revision or editing. But that issue will show itself in sales. Readers are the new agents of industry and the world is a better place for it.

Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?

Absolutely. Many known, successful writers are now self-publishing, lending their own credibility to it. Even beyond that, there are a lot of successful authors who exclusively self-publish with a large fan base that gobble up their work as soon as it’s released. Attitudes can’t help but change in the face of such enthusiasm.

Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?

Readership is the filter by which a work is deemed “good” or “bad”. Truthfully, that’s how it was with traditionally published books when all I had to go on was the back blurb and cover to figure out if it’s for me. At least now we have a star-rating system and reviews to help out, but that’s just one element used to make a buying decision.

Ultimately, we have to look for ourselves, which is part of the fun I think. Are there books I didn’t like that are successful? Yes. Are there other books that aren’t as successful that I’ve loved? Yep, again. Books, like any art form, are a matter of personal preference, and the industry will simply have to deal with that unpredictable conundrum just like the rest of us.

End of Interview:

You can read Anela’s reviews at Amid the Imaginary.