Ultimately it’s the readers who are deciding which books are successful, instead of major publishing houses. Which I think is good, the readers are who the books are for! 

Amanja Lambert – 10 January 2020

About Reviewing

How did you get started?

I’ve been rating books on goodreads.com for several years, mostly as a way to keep track of what I’ve read. I started writing reviews more recently and simply found it enjoyable. I like analyzing the reasons a book is good or bad and laying out all my arguments. I started writing enough reviews that I felt like I could sustain a whole site. It also gave me an added challenge of setting up a website for the first time.

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 make notes as I go along. I have a tendency to forget things right after I’m done reading unless I really commit it to my brain so taking notes is the best way for me to remember. I also like to write spoiler full reviews that include summaries and taking notes as I go helps log the plot points.

What are you looking for?

Originality above all else. There are so many stories out there in books, movies, tv, etc that I often feel like I’ve seen it all before. When a book is different it always gets an extra point from me.

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

I do my best to push it aside but if it’s consistently bad I’ll usually put it down. If an author can’t be bothered to proofread or hire an editor if they know that’s not their strong suit why should I bother to read it? I’d be willing to try again on the next draft.

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

It depends on the writing style. A simple, fast paced YA novel could take 4 days on my schedule while a complex, densely written novel with multiple points of view could take 2 weeks.

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

I get excited about things so I can be a little more liberal with my 5 star ratings than my 1 stars. For something to get 1 star I have to have really, really hated it.

5 stars: A new favorite, would re-read, and recommend

4 stars: Would recommend to the right audience, was a good but not great read

3 stars: I liked many parts of it but it had several flaws or just didn’t come together

2 stars: Didn’t like it, wouldn’t recommend to anyone

1 star: Hated it, personally offended by it, only finished it out of spite

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

Authors looking to get their books reviewed should actually pay attention to the reviewer’s profile and site. Look for a reviewer who is already reading and enjoying books similar to yours. Read their about me section and see if you are compatible, then tailor your email to the reviewer. A personal touch will go a long way toward standing out and getting selected.

Also, proofread your email!

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

More often through comments on the posts directly. I most frequently get thanked for writing both spoiler free and spoiler full reviews. That way a reader doesn’t have to avoid a book review from me if they haven’t read the book yet.

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?

I agree that arguing about a bad review is really not going to help anyone. I think that only time that it would be appropriate is if the reviewer got something factually incorrect. Otherwise it’d be best to just take any helpful criticism, if there is any, and then move on.

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 for the same reason people watch television or movies. It’s a way to escape into a story, to walk in someone else’s shoes, or to learn something new. You can find characters to love or hate and mostly find a distraction.

For me it’s a way to relax and take my mind off of everything else. I think why I personally prefer reading to other forms of entertainment is that you have to do some of the mental leg work yourself. You have to create the images, the character voices, and bring to life all of the descriptions. Doing that is a way stronger distraction from everyday stresses than passively watching something.

I don’t know where those statistics are coming from, but I think they’re asking the wrong people. I think now more than ever people are discovering the value of reading. Especially with how easy it is to get access to so many books. I use my kindle, my tablet, and my phone to access library apps, reading apps, and subscription services to get books for free or for very affordable prices all the time in addition to those that I buy in hardcopy. Once you re-discover libraries you’ll never be bored again.

About Writing

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

An all too common mistake that authors make is trying to be “the next” something. They want to write the next Gone Girl or Harry Potter but they should be trying to be the first of their own thing instead. Don’t try to copy something that’s already been done, be the author that people want to copy.

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?

Five pages seems short. I’ll usually give a novel a little more than that but I do think that with some books you do know right away. If it’s written poorly or is so boring that it takes a half hour to get through those five pages I’d definitely put it down.

Is there anything you will not review?

I write reviews for anything that I read. If I have decided to not finish a book just because it wasn’t for me then I probably won’t review it. However, I have written reviews for books I did not finish just because they were that bad.

About Publishing

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

Honestly, I had never heard that phrase before and just looked it up. I think that self-publishing and finding a consumer base online is just the way the game is played now. Ultimately it’s the readers who are deciding which books are successful, instead of major publishing houses. Which I think is good, the readers are who the books are for!

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

Yes, but slowly. I had honestly not read many self-published titles prior to starting my site. Now I am really enjoying reading a book that has only a couple of ratings on Goodreads and getting to be first in on the action. Finding and helping new authors is really the best part about writing reviews.

I think people are ready for new artists and new voices. Many consumers are tired of reading the same plots over and over and many publishing houses want to push what’s safe in order to make a better profit. Self-publishing isn’t constrained by a conservative editor, an author gets to release their work exactly as they’ve intended it to be. People just need to know how to find it.

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

The only thing I can think of that is typically a red flag is if an author is churning out identical themed books every other week. This is probably just for profit and not worth your time.

But it’s all subjective. There are many bestsellers that I’ve absolutely hated but many people would disagree with my opinions on them. The best filter a reader can find is to find a reviewer who has similar tastes but you’re never going to know if you think a book is good or bad unless you read it for yourself.

End of Interview:
Check out Amanja’s reviews at Amanja Reads Too Much.