Someone once told me, “You could be the ripest, sweetest peach in the world, and there will be still someone who doesn’t like peaches.”
Night Kreature – 10 November 2015
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
I have always loved books and reading, especially young adult books that centered around science fiction, dystiopia, and the paranormal. One day I just decided to share what I loved, or disliked, about certain books within the genre with others, thus Kreatures of the Night was born.
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 always start with the description and cover – that is the first impression for a book. If you can’t at least get me interested with a good cover and back flap, then your chances of getting me engaged in reading it are slim.
I always give the book 100 pages to really get going. Some start off slow – which is fine – and then pick up the pace. After the first 100 pages, if I’m not hooked I probably won’t finish.
As I am reading, I like to take notes. I can always tell what the final rating is going to be based on how many times I stop reading to take notes. If I finish a book without a single note, that usually means 5 stars because I was so caught up in the story and what was going to happen that I didn’t want to stop!
What are you looking for?
For genre: strictly YA – SciFi/Dystopian/Paranormal.
As for writing: make me believe it.
I want to actually feel what the character is going through and believe that the feelings are genuine. There are so many clichés in the type of books I read – show me something different. Make me go “hmmm”, go against the grain, think outside the box.
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
Close the book, throw myself on the nearest sharp object and die a slow, painful death.
Nothing is worse than wanting to read a book so badly, but you are unable due to poor writing.
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
Two days – give or take depending on how interesting the book actually is and my work schedule.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
My rating systems follows along with Goodreads, as that is where I post most of my reviews along with my site. I always rate up in stars. For example, if I give the book 3.5 stars (which is an average rating) on Goodreads I will select 4 stars since there is not a half star option.
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
Be polite. Remember that we don’t get paid for this and are doing it because we love to read. We don’t owe you anything. And if you can’t accept criticism, then maybe this isn’t the business for you.
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
Yes – and I appreciate that as well! I’m taking time out of my busy life to do this as a hobby. It is nice to get a good thanks.
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?
Absolutely!
Someone once told me, “You could be the ripest, sweetest peach in the world, and there will be still someone who doesn’t like peaches.”
Try to think of it that way. Just because not everyone is your undying fan doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer. Try to learn a lesson from each criticism you receive.
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 think people love reading because it is a form of escapism, and I disagree that reading as a pasttime is dying. I think that those that have not yet discovered the pleasure of reading have also not discovered quite what it is they love to read yet.
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
Poor description and over description. That may seem like a ridiculous comment. For example, if an author is trying to portray fear they’ll write “fear consumed me”. That’s it. Not enough detail is given, and they are just telling me something. I want to be shown, let me feel the fear too. “My hands are shaking. A cold shiver prickles down my spine and my stomach twists as my heart began to rapidly beat against its cage.” That is showing.
As for over describing – I see this a lot when writers are describing their characters. They will go too much into detail about how many freckles are on their nose, or trying to describe the exact color of a shirt. It’s better to just give me the gist of it and leave the rest to imagination.
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?
If the first chapter doesn’t grab me, I keep going to see if it will get any better, usually I give a book the first 100 pages. However, if I have to force myself to keep going after the first chapter, it influences the overall review.
Is there anything you will not review?
Erotica – I do not consider that literature.
About Publishing
What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the “slush-pile has moved online”?
I believe it.
Which is why review sites are so important. We filter through the slush so other readers don’t have to.
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
Mine has definitely changed after exploring more indie books. Becoming traditionally published is hard, and even great stories get rejected time and time again because the industry is so subjective. Many great authors don’t want to ride the emotional rollercoaster and also favor that 70% royalty available. My overall opinion: there are great indie books and there are bad, but there are also great traditionally published book…and there are bad. Read the reviews first.
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?
Reviews have proven to be effective, which is why they are so coveted among authors.
End of Interview:
Read Night Kreature’s reviews at Kreatures of the Night.