The real problem as I see it is really an unwillingness on most people’s part to engage with a serious book in a serious way. However, books will always be around in one form or another merely because people need stories in order to survive.

Cody Sexton – 12 February 2019

About Reviewing

How did you get started?

I first got started a little over two years ago now after some encouragement from my mother-in-law. I had been reviewing books for myself, keeping them in a commonplace book, for years and this just seemed like a logical extension of that practice.

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 have a very eclectic approach to reading and reviewing. I first start by reading the book and taking notes as I go along. I use an app called Bookly to keep track of all of my notes as well as any thoughts I have while reading. After I finish the book I collect all of these notes in one place, usually Evernote, and just start writing from there. I also consume a lot of supplementary material associated with the book, e.g. author interviews, study guides, etc., as I try to get as broad a perspective on the book as possible. I also try to tease out some new perspective on the book, an angle if you will, or what I hope will be an interesting take on the book.

What are you looking for?

I’m looking for a good story. I’m looking for books that mean something. I’m looking for those kinds of books that will really set you on fire. The kinds of books that can sustain a life and quicken the soul. If that makes any sense at all. But really I’m looking for a book that isn’t committing that one unforgivable sin of being boring, as Christopher Hitchens would have said.

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

Not very well actually, it’s one of my pet peeves, but I do remain honest in my reviews. I make sure my readers know what they will be getting into by identifying the positives as well as the negatives. But I’m not shy in expressing my disdain for a book, especially when I think an author is being intellectually dishonest.

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

About a week on average. I try to set aside at least an hour a day for reading. Realistically though, it depends on the book itself on how fast I can get through it.

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

My rating system is based solely on opinion, as is every other rating system, I want my readers to understand exactly how I feel about the book. When you review a book the hope is that readers will gain a better understanding of what the book is about, without also influencing their own opinion of the book.

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

Simply reach out. It’s important we create conversations about books with the understanding that we are in this together. We are all part of the same literary culture/community. And, more importantly for the author, the more their book is reviewed, the more of an audience it will potentially reach. Which benefits everyone.

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

Yes. All the time actually. Since staring the blog the overall responses I have gotten back have been very positive ones. I have had readers tell me that they now only trust me when it comes to choosing the books they read, or that they have gotten goosebumps just from reading my reviews, or even that they just really enjoy my perspective on things.

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?

Yes, I would. I would also add, that from the reviewer’s side, that it’s not enough just to say you didn’t like any given book. You must also be able to articulate why. No one is entitled to an opinion they can’t defend.

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 can only really answer as to why I love reading, but I think it’s probably the same for every bibliophile. We read to escape and we read to learn, but most importantly for me, we read to find out that we are not alone. Which, the latter being the biggest reason as to why I enjoy reading.

Depending on how you define reading, I think people are probably reading more in some sense. We read across social media on our phones daily for example. The real problem as I see it is really an unwillingness on most people’s part to engage with a serious book in a serious way. However, books will always be around in one form or another merely because people need stories in order to survive.

About Writing

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?

 The biggest mistake I see among writers is that they do not really know how to write professionally or for publication. Especially new writers. Writing is a skill that most people never really master. But it’s also a skill that’s not really taught anymore. Another thing is the constant temptation to write what sells. I see a lot of the same tired old premises over and over again. It’s exhausting. A writer should never be afraid to be original.

I do give up on books if they fail to capture my attention, and I always feel terrible when I do so, but I give every book an honest chance, but after, let’s say fifty pages, if the author hasn’t really said anything or the writing is too dull, I’m done. There are just too many other books out there that I want to read.

Is there anything you will not review?

No. I’m a literary philanderer in that sense. I’ll read anything that catches my attention. I would never want to limit myself to any specific genre or style.

About Publishing

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

I don’t really like the term “slush-pile” it feels disrespectful to me in a way. With that said, I think it has moved online to an extent and probably for the benefit of writers, and readers, that we wouldn’t have known about ordinarily under the previous model.

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

Somewhat. With self-publishing, we now have an overwhelming abundance of choice with regards to reading material, some bad and some good, but the choices that people have now makes self-publishing an easy and effective way for authors, whether known or unknown, to reach a wider audience.

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

That’s a tough one. The industry itself is going to be most interested in whatever makes money and what’s considered bad to me might be considered good to someone else and vice versa. It’s very subjective. Overall, I would like to see publishers give equal consideration to every writer, as well as reader, and provide them with the opportunity to see if their work can really stand on its own.

End of Interview:

To read Cody’s reviews, visit A Thin Slice of Anxiety.