reviews_and_ramblings (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2009-03-26 09:24 am
reviews_and_ramblings) wrote2009-03-26 09:24 am
The ramblings part of the journal
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?!?!
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?!?!
no subject
I'm sorry, I'm still sitting here with my mouth hanging open in shock. What the hell was she thinking???? At best she's ignorant, at worst she's damned ungrateful. Maybe she has links with the 'other' site that we know nothing about that make her think she has to pander to them first, but it's certainly NOT about you, because Elisa Rolle's blog is THE place to be.
That's because it's not just about your reviews - what you bring to the whole industry is the intelligent and thoughtful *content* and *style* of your reviews, also your fabulous support and encouragement to the whole genre itself. There are still only a handful of universally respected review sources, and yours is always on that list.
I think this will reflect on the author rather than you, and how foolish of them to upset someone who offered help and support for their early career steps.
Please remember all of us who read and love your reviews and love you as an honest and generous person as well.
:p to anyone who says different. Send them over here. I have 3 tough guys in the house will sort them out *lol*.
*hugs*
no subject