another Amazon review

[truepenny]

Another review up at Amazon. Ouch.

---

I'd make a post with actual content if I had anything to say. Chapter Fourteen continues to be the bane of my existence, and I think it's leeching out all my ability to scintillate.

Comments

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Wow. He's written one whole Amazon review. And he joined up with no profile except a rather spurious and smug little pen name that doesn't exist anywhere else online. How very credible this review is. Except for, you know, that part about "not so much." At least compared to reviews by people who have experience and the balls to sign their real names, and who work for actual, you know, literary establishments.

Take this review with a nice cup of tea, a grain of salt the size of your head, and the resolve not to piss off your mailman this Christmas by forgetting to leave him cookies.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the Amazon, site of the ego-toughening Hatchet Job. I've been on the receiving end of backhands by reviewers who said they were also writers and laid out in detail how I didn't explain all I should have, wrote mediocre prose, didn't merit all the good reviews I had received to that point, and in general didn't deserve to see print. They rank up there with the reviewers who took pains to note which page exactly they gave up on my book and consigned me to hackdom.

If you can stomach the exercise, sometimes an examination of other reviews by certain of these reviewers reveal the axe they have to grind--non-martial fantasy, whatever.

Some writers maintain that the occasional bad review is a good thing because it can actually serve to stir up interest in the book, inspire Oh Yeah reviews by people who enjoyed the book, and in general implies that the reviews are sincere and not all softballs posted by friends of the author.

It will sit in your stomach and lie there and burn, which is one reason why some writers avoid Amazon reviews at all costs. I'm not sure what else to say, or if what I said so far helps at all. I've concluded that writing the next book is the best revenge.

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

If you can stomach the exercise, sometimes an examination of other reviews by certain of these reviewers reveal the axe they have to grind--non-martial fantasy, whatever.

That's why this review amuses me. I wanted to see what else he had reviewed and what his overall likes and dislikes are. He doesn't exist anywhere else, at least not by this name. Almost like he invented this persona just to post a negative review of this particular book. Someone with an ax to grind, to be sure, but not enough integrity to let her know who he is or what the ax actually is.

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

Wow. I didn't read your comment before I posted mine (see below). Great minds think alike, eh?

[badgerbag.livejournal.com]

Fussy (http://fussy.org/)'s blog has a great tshirt for this... I'm wearing it right now. "Writing well is the best revenge."

[vass]

That is so harsh.

*sympathy*

[hominysnark.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel any better, I hounded my straight boy fantasy-hating roomie into reading it. He finished it this morning, and thought it "kicked ass."

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

That's lovely. :)

Thank you!

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

Twit.

*g*

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

Wow. Think he's got an axe to grind? It looks like he created the profile purely to go and gripe about you -- at least, yours is the only review he's posted. He might just be some dickhead you've rubbed the wrong way online.

That having been said, so far most everyone is deeming his review "unhelpful" and the others remain good.

[:: hugs ::]

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Apparently! *g*

Scintillate

[pbprincess.livejournal.com]

I have outlived
my youthfulness
So a quiet life for me.

Where once
I used to
scintillate

now I sin
till ten
past three.

Roger McGough

(couldn't resist, sorry.)

Re: Scintillate

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

That's a bad pun in the best way. Thank you!

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

I sold a copy at Giovanni's Room yesterday. Also put up a 'shelf-talker' recommending it as a Staff Pick.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Hooray for sales!

a review of a different color

[leaina.livejournal.com]

In case you haven't come across it in your internet wanderings (and to counteract the taste of the Amazon review), I'd like to point you to one I saw on my friendslist here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/read_o_rama/17514.html). Scroll down for the actual review--but there's a nice note at the top as well.

Re: a review of a different color

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the pointer.

Re: a review of a different color

[libskrat]

Now, see, that is a kick-butt review. As a review, I mean, not just because it thinks the book rocks.

The reviewer is a literate individual who recognizes influence without stupidly calling it derivative (or worse, plagiarism). I love reviews and reviewers who can analyze and celebrate what an author brings to a book. It's the old comp lit major in me, I guess.

[katallen.livejournal.com]

I think you may have shocked her - the poor little lambkin.

your rommie...

[anach.livejournal.com]

your roomie from Case, and your roomie's boyfriend (er your boyfriend's roomie) both love Melusine. It is amazing to catch up to someone after 9 years and see the fruition of their efforts...

Re: your rommie...

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

rommieroomie.

And boyfriendhusband on both sides.

I did very much enjoy the book. I don't have much more coherent to say than that right now, unfortunately. (I'm staring the beginning of the academic year in the face, and I think it's winning. It's definitely eating my brain...)

You may be amused to know that the first thing anach and I each did, upon handling the book, was to turn it over and look at the author photo to make sure it was really you. Congratulations!