The ramblings part of the journal

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I really should let not the spur of the moment drives me, but it's the second time that I slept very bad since I had a not nice conversation soon before going sleep. Since I was careless enough to start this thing online, even if then continued in private, if there are people who witnessed to that, please don't make name, I really am not writing this to bring damage to another person, but only since, if I take it inside, it will burst later in a bigger way.

More or less 2 months ago I received a nice review request, and a lot of you know that I really appreciate those. It was from a new author and new publisher, so I was even more glad. Have you notice that I give priority to new authors and publishers? It would easy enough to raise comments on famous authors, but I really think that even the newest author deserves a first chance. I'm not sure but I think that I'm quite alone in doing so, and I believe so since many authors wrote to me telling that I was their "first". And most of the time I already bought the book when they ask a review, it happened only yesterday with two requests, I already had the book.

Anyway when that request arrived I was pretty clear with that author, I said that I didn't buy the book by myself since I believed it was a menages with a woman on the side, and you all know that I don't really like them. The author assured me that it was not and so I accepted the book. I even read it as soon as possible, to give the author as much more visibility near the release date as possible. I started the post giving a warning to the content of the book, specifying that it was not a menages, and received comments, even from the author, saying that many people didn't understand it and was grateful for the warning.

Then nothing for a month; after a month another review site reviewed the same book, starting the post in the same way as me, warning the readers on the content of the book; at that point the author (or the publisher) realized that they were losing readers and took the right measures. All right, two voices are better than one, but now the author is thanking that second review site saying that all started on it. I gently made notice that it was not exactly like that and the author in different comments replied to me that:

1) maybe my review had not so much space or visibility... yes right, that month my LJ had 13.300 single visits when the average for a review site is 3.000/4.000 (those are the standard to be considered "review site"), and the review remained in the front page for a week, I always try to not let them shift on second page for a reason, you know?

2) maybe people didn't read the review since I'm not enough M/M focused (on the contrary of the other review site) and so people didn't understand that it was not a polyamour book... yes, right, if I was more M/M focused I would be a man! I reviewed 1057 books at yesterday and only 20 are M/F and only 73 are menages, and among the menages only 9 with a woman, so 29 books with a woman in 1057 means a 2% of all my reviews.

3) maybe on the other review site the post received more response from people... yes, right, my review received 22 comments from 6 different people, 4 of them not involved directly with me or the author, on the other site it received 16 comments all from reviewers of that site other than 1. 22 comments... yesterday the post in which I featured Allan Hollinghurst, winner of a booker prize, received 17 comments...

So am I taking all this wrong? Should I stick with Man Candy Posts, Gay Romance Movies, and reviews of books that will be read anyway? Should I write reviews in which I say that every book is terrific? Should I ignore a review request from an unknown author and publisher till some other review site spend its time to "taste" it in advance? I know that the answers to all these questions is NO, but authors please, when you send me a book to review could at least take a look at my LJ? NOT ENOUGH M/M FOCUSED?!?!

Comments

[pandorasvase.livejournal.com]

Go, Eli! *grins*

*Adesso sto leggendo l'ultimo di Cameron Dane, mi sembra di ricordare che ti piace, anche se questa storia è un po' diversa. Dovrei finirla stasera.*

sta nella lista dei libri da comprare e assolutamente da leggere. Insieme all'ultimo di Z.A. Maxfield. Sono autori che necessitano di tempo di lettura e io non riesco a staccarmi finchè non ho finito, il che di solito è dannoso per il mattino successivo :P chissà che questo w.e. sia quello giusto.
Ieri sera ho finito l'ultimo di Terry O'Reilly

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

> Ieri sera ho finito l'ultimo di Terry O'Reilly

io ce l'ho ma è in reading list :-( veramente troppi libri da leggere.

Elisa

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Here's a little motto for you:

Non illigitimus carborundum.

"Don't let the bastards get you down."

It isn't good Latin, but it's good advice. You can't please everyone, you don't owe anyone a good review, you have absolutely NO way to know how people will respond... and if someone wants to pretend that you didn't review her book because some other review gained her the attention... I'd say just ignore her.

One of the things that's really frustrating about the author-promo work is that (so I'm told) it usually takes at least 3 mentions of a new book/author before the average reader will go look for the book. And a writer never knows WHEN that magic tipping point will happen, so half the time it seems we're chugging away, going "Oh, read my book, it's great!" with the mental image of how irritating it is to hear other people bragging about themselves--and not wanting to sound like that. It would be nice if there was a foolproof formula for a writer to follow for success, but there just isn't.

Please don't "fix" what isn't broken. One person who is loudly unhappy with something you've done doesn't really stack up against the dozens of us who are delighted with your gentle, thoughtful reviews.

Not to mention the eye candy.

Hang in there...

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you Lee, I will take your advice to let this thing go without affecting me no more. But one thing I learned, next time I will be more careful when a new author prompts him to me; find new authors for me is a pleasure, having someone promotes him to me also, but I will be more careful. Elisa

[leebenoit.livejournal.com]

I'm always happy to read about whatever you're reviewing!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Hugs and kisses, Elisa

[jessewave.livejournal.com]

Apr. 1st, 2009 05:45 am (local)
Elisa
I am only now reading this post because it was brought to my attention by several readers and authors. It seems that you are referring to my review blog in your post, and while I wouldn't normally comment on something like this because I'm too busy I thought I should do so in this instance.

First, in the particular case you cited my blog did more than just point out in the review that the book was not a menage. If you were to email the writer perhaps she would inform you and maybe that would give you a different perspective on why she mentioned my blog as being helpful in bringing about the change in the book cover.

Second, I don't get into pissing matches with other review sites and compare numbers or anything else that people set such store on. We all have different demographics and different target groups and I would never dream of trying to denigrate another blog. That is not what I do. If you feel that you are not getting enough respect from readers or authors I'm sorry, but that has nothing to do with me or my blog.

I blog strictly for fun and because I love books. People stop by the blog because they have a good time and chat with each other about any subject under the sun. I never realized that that would bother anyone.

Many comments on my reviews are sent to me by email and are therefore not noted on the blog so going by blog stats is always a crapshoot. In any event I don't have to justify my blog to anyone since I have done nothing to offend you and I'm really disappointed that you saw fit to view this matter as a competition between my blog and your Livejournal.

This is a large online community and I think there is room enough for everyone. I always thought we had a cordial relationship and I'm now finding out this is not the case, which is too bad because I have a great deal of respect for you as a reviewer and a person. I know I could never write as many reviews as you do.

In closing, I'm very sorry that you felt the need to single out my blog (even though you did not name it, it's obvious which one you were referring to) for what you feel is a slight against you, perceived or otherwise. This is upsetting to me since I have never said anything derogatory about you and would not dream of doing so - that is simply not my way. You have a great reputation among this community and I have never said otherwise because I hold you in very high regard. Can't we all just get along?

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you for deleting the previous comment were you cited the name of the author. As I said I would have left the comment, but it was not glad to single out that name. I wrote this post since I had the clear idea that some authors have not clear in mind of what is my focus, and not to denigrate your blog. I even said that two voices are better than one.

I didn't say anything on the content of your review, I only stated that both of us made notice to the author that the cover was misleading, and that I made that statement soon after the book was out. If the author was really worried, and gave me a minimum of respect, maybe it wasn't necessary to wait a month to change something, loosing readers and so on.

This is a big world and there is space for more. I for example, focused more on some arguments you on others. So no problem.

Maybe it would be nice that you at least put a small note (about the author at least) when you use photos for your man candy post that you take from me, above all when they are photos that were given to me directly from the photographer and that I posted giving the credit to him, and instead you only listed among all the others, without credit to the author. This is the only thing that I really don't like of your blog, but since it's something not really related to books and similar, I consider this one a minor problem.

Can we all just get along? of course, even since I never started anything against you, not me at least, maybe the author had to be more careful when they denigrated me comparing me to you: and now don't take this as a bad thing or an offense, it's obvious that people compare us, probably we are among the few that devoted to gay romance, I'm only saying that the author didn't take the time to consider their comment before making them.

ETA: I feel the need to add that nor in the post or in the comments I said something against your blog (and instead your "pissing match" comment is not very nice); I was lamenting how the author didn't consider the time I spent for them. I really don't see where you see a "pissing match" here, maybe only on the number of comments the two reviews received, but that was only used to underlight that the author was wrong in their statement. Elisa

[jessewave.livejournal.com]

Elisa
I don't know what happened a minute ago but my post didn't appear so I'm trying again.

I pulled the name of the book because I thought there was enough controversy on this matter already. I have said enough about this particular issue so this is my last word about it.

By the way "pissing match" is a term commonly used for stuff like this and has nothing to do with either pissing or matches. :)

Re the photos, I get many of them from about 10 - 12 sites including Beautiful, Hunk Du jour, Manpaper etc., and many other websites including yours. Since I never remember the source by the time I post - sometimes weeks later, I won't take any more from your site. There may be a few remnants appearing in the next few weeks but no new ones unless I take them from another site that originally stole them from you (complicated, isn't it? ) *g*

I was actually going to write you this week on another subject - funny how things happen. I'll be in touch.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The previous comment was there only that LJ automatically compress them when there are too much on a single post.

> There may be a few remnants appearing in the next few weeks but no new ones unless I take them from another site that originally stole them from you (complicated, isn't it? ) *g*

I always try to give the credit to the photographer if I can, but I know it's a problem to find them sometime. And if the photos is of common use (means that you can find it everywhere), I really couldn't say that someone (not you) stole it from me, it wouldn't be right (also I use photo from other site, even if I try to put the link to the source).
What took my notice was a friday post in which a lot of pictures where from one only of my post and it was a "dedicated" post to a single photographer that I contact directly. I felt bad for him to see his photos posted without credit above all since I contacted him lamenting that his good work wasn't receiving enought credit... that was the reason why I was so upset, I almost felt as if I brought more damage to him than doing nothing.

> I was actually going to write you this week on another subject - funny how things happen. I'll be in touch.

This sounds almost threating ;-) (I'm joking!). Will wait for your mail. Elisa

[jessewave.livejournal.com]

I just deleted the post that just appeared. :)

If you email me a link to the post and the name of the photographer I would be happy to give him credit and write him a personal note. I will even offer to do a "special" post of his photos on the blog to make up. I have contacted photographers direct (Breyette, Rosser, etc.,) on many occasions for permission to post their photos but obviously things slip through the cracks from time to time.

I'm writing the email even as we speak. Have a good day.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It was the Fabrice Lachant post on the "Nature Boys" pictures he made for GayTimes in 2007. I posted all the service, and then single out the two models (that I could only identify thanks to Fabrice that gave me the names). I posted on Monday and the Friday after your post had at least 4 photos of Alex and Audrey (the models) as single or couple. What really made me almost laugh, is that people didn't realize that the men on the single photos were the men in the couple photos. Sorry I haven't the link. As I said, I noticed it but didn't consider it a problem, was more sad for what "I" did than you.