An IndieView with Grace

Readers familiar with my blog, know that I admire and respect the work of indie reviewers, and none more so than GraceKrispy.

Just to get you in the mode, here’s a thread where Grace posted the question: “Authors reviewing their own works?”

“Is anyone else weirded out when authors review their own books? I’ve run across a few instances of this lately. One some sites, it looks like authors can give stars to their own work (and several have), and on another site I saw a glowing review from an author (if the name was to be believed, middle initial and all) about his own work. It really did look like his writing, as the errors I saw in the book were also present in the review.”

GraceKrispy’s, ‘Motherlode” is fast becoming a “go-to” site for indie authors looking to get their book read and reviewed. Why? Readers. Pure and simple. Readers who appreciate reading an honest review. What it’s all about.

It is my pleasure and privilege to bring you an Indieview with Grace.

How did you get started?

After being introduced to Smashwords.com on the MobileRead forum, I started learning about independent authors and reading their books. After reading several threads about the woeful lack of reviews for Indie books, I started writing short reviews on Smashwords this past April.

I gradually increased the length and complexity of my reviews as I became more comfortable stating my opinions. When a few fellow MobileRead members started commenting on how they liked my reviews, I started checking out some review blogs. I had started a blog years ago and never did much with it, so I decided to turn it into a review blog. My very first review on “MotherLode” was about a random library book I had checked out. A few review requests trickled in, and then they started coming in faster. The rest, as they say, is history! Of course, my review blog was started less than 4 months ago, so it’s pretty recent history. 😉

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 tend to read first and then think about the book as I formulate my impressions. Sometimes, if there is something I really want to make sure I note, I will use the memo feature on my droid to keep track of those reflections.

I used to have up to 4 or 5 books going at a time; now I focus on one book at a time, and I write my review almost immediately after I finish the book. I want to write while my thoughts are still fresh.

What are you looking for?

I’m looking for a total immersion experience. I’m looking for a book in which I can happily lose myself, and one that will perhaps even spark my imagination. Books that make me think or relax or imagine or escape are good; better if they make me do all of those things.

I’m also looking for an experience that doesn’t awaken the little editor who lives in my head and can’t seem to look beyond blatant mistakes to find the story hidden within.

I know most reviewers will say that they review books to weed through the junk and help readers make good decisions. I think my motivation is a little bigger than that. I do review to help give readers some idea of whether they may enjoy the book, but I also review to give authors feedback as to what worked for me – as well as what didn’t – in the story.

My ultimate purpose truly is to see good indie authors rise to the top- mostly so they will produce more great books for me to read! So I review for both readers and authors, but my loyalties remain to myself. I have to be honest with myself, and therefore I have to be honest in my reviews.

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

I note bad grammar when it detracts from the book, and I note typos if there are more than a handful in the whole book. I tend to be really distracted when there are  numerous commas in inappropriate places, incorrectly used homophones (e.g., you’re for your, their for they’re), and other typos that confuse the reader and alter the intended meaning.

Good writing should be the showcase that allows the storyline to shine. Even the very best storyline can’t break past writing that leaves the reader confused as to the actual content of the story.

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

It depends on what’s going on in my “real life” at the time. I have a full-time job, young kids who are active in various activities, and some good friends in my physical world. I try hard to balance those things with my hobbies and interests in the digital world. Sometimes, I’m even successful. As a result, an 80,000 word book can take me anywhere from a day to a week to get through. Much depends on what’s going on with me at the time, and also how engaging and well-written the book.

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

As I’m reading a book, I just get a feelings for how many stars it “feels” like. As that is really subjective, I tried to explain those feelings on the ratings page on my blog.  I really like the way some reviewers separate the various elements of the writing and then average the resulting scores. I tried that once or twice, and just couldn’t quite get into it.

For me, rating a book is really a holistic experience rather than looking at the sum of its parts. I’ll note and comment on the various elements, but I prefer to look at the whole book in order to determine the rating. Reading a book is, to me, a comprehensive experience, so I rate that way. A really great ending or a creative, original concept will often give a little “bonus boost” to the star ratings.

What I really hope, however, is that the readers of my reviews will look more at the comments I make and less at the number of stars I give. I mainly use the stars because they go along with the rating system used by the major review sites. I believe, however, my comments give you more information to help determine whether you may enjoy the book or not.

I try to be really specific in the review about the elements I liked and the ones that didn’t work for me. Some discussions I’ve read seem to imply that reviewers are the great gatekeepers of the self-publishing world. I don’t see things that way. I don’t control the gate, I merely try to guide the experience a bit.

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

Check out the review policy of the reviewer. Most reviewers give explicit instructions as to how to request a review, what types of reviews they write, and what format of book desired. I respond to every email personally written to me. I don’t usually respond to mass emails with PR information about a book and instructions to contact the author if interested.

Honestly, it’s a matter of time. I figure, if a busy author took the time to personally request a review from me and customize the request to my review policy, I will take the time to personally respond, regardless of whether I accept the book or not.  I can’t say that this won’t change, but, for now, that’s how I operate. Part of it is also that I want to believe the author has read enough of my reviews to actually want a review from me, and is not just a casting a wide net, catching every possible reviewer. I have no problem with authors trying to get every review possible; on the contrary, I think it’s a wise plan. But I do expect a review request to show me that the author understands what types of reviews I do, and the author can discover that by checking out my blog and reading my review policy. I figure if the author has read my reviews, he or she will have a good idea of my review style and is ready to accept my honesty.

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

At this point, I tend to email the author to let him or her know when the review is up. I often get a thank you email afterwards, perhaps with some comments as to the content of my review. Even if my review didn’t rank the book as highly as they’d hoped, I have found the majority of authors to be very appreciative of my thoughts. I really respect that. I can only think of about 3 times when the author didn’t respond to me at all after the review was up, and I suspect those authors weren’t very happy with the results.

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 very much agree with that. I state in my review policy that if an author would like to comment (respectfully) on my blog about something in my review, I am very open to that. For example, if I give constructive criticism on some aspect of the book and the author wants to explain why he or she did it that way, I welcome those comments. Reviews are, to great extent, subjective, and I realize that my interpretation may not be what the author intended. I have no problem with authors letting the readers know, via a comment on my blog, what the actual intent was. But I would encourage all authors to read any reviews and really consider the comments, whether or not they agree.

I have had some research published, and it’s never easy to hear constructive criticism when you are confident in your product. However, I’ve found there is always some kernel I can take from such criticism, and it is then my choice as to how to I wish to use it, if at all.

We talk a lot about writing here on the blog, and possibly 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 past-time is dying – do you think that’s the case?

I think people love reading because it’s an escape. It allows you to be someone else for a while, experience some other life, learn about the world around you, and explore things you may never want to explore in real life. I do think that video games and cell phones and TV have supplanted reading in many households. When you read, you have to use your brain to construct the elements that are missing- the picture and the sounds. You need to interpret the meaning from words on a page. It requires thought and engagement. It seems that some people like to take the easy way out and allow someone else to interpret those pictures and sounds for them. I think that’s a shame, but it all starts at home. Whether a child enjoys reading is, at least in part, inspired by whether the parent enjoys books.

About Writing

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

Without a doubt, the most common mistake I see independent authors make is to not have their work edited. Some authors do a really good job of self-editing, but most do not. Many count on beta readers to catch errors, which works to some extent, but anyone who is too close to the work- whether having written it or being engaged in the story- is going to miss something. As I mentioned earlier, a bad editing job prevents the real story from shining through. You wouldn’t show a diamond covered in mud to a potential buyer, so why would you try to entice people to purchase your book when it’s covered in errors? Editing is that polish that allows the gem of the story to shine.

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?

If a book hasn’t grabbed me within the first few chapters, I continue to plug along a little longer, hoping it gets better. Oftentimes, it does. I think the average reader, however, will put the book down before that point. I think it’s really important to start off with that lead that catches the reader’s attention and introduces some conflict or character that keeps the reader engaged.

I may be in the minority, but I never check out samples. If I’m interested enough in a book based on the blurb, I’ll commit to reading the book. If it turns out that was a mistake, I reserve the right to let the author know I won’t be reviewing it (if it was a review copy), or to just delete the book from my reader (if I chose it myself).

There has been a lot of talk recently about the Page 99 concept, what are your thoughts on that idea?

I thought that was a really interesting idea when I first heard it. I don’t think it’s an accurate way to judge a storyline by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think it can speak to a good writing style. When I read paper books, I do read a random page here and there to see if I like the writing style and that can make all the difference in whether I choose that book.

Is there anything you will not review?

I don’t review erotica or non-fiction. I read (and write) plenty of non-fiction, but I don’t want to review it. Otherwise, I am pretty open to almost all genres.

About Publishing

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

I think that’s probably true. With the relative ease of self-publishing in digital form, I think there is a lot of material getting published that would never make it past the door of a traditional publisher. So this slush pile is now available to us all, often for a price. I think it makes reviews even more important in helping to guide readers in making good choices. Unfortunately, there are a lot of inflated reviews out there that gush and yet offer no real assistance to readers wading through the offerings. I always wonder if it’s a relative or good friend (or even the author) writing those reviews, and they are useless in helping me choose a book. As a reader, I prefer balanced reviews to help me get a good feel for whether or not I’d like the book.

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

I think this is a whole new era in book publishing. Attitudes are most assuredly changing, and independent authors are getting more respect and more exposure. I know I’ve introduced the works of independent authors to friends and family who love to read. As these authors gain a wider audience, they will also gain respect. I feel really privileged to be a part of that process.

Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can “filter” good from bad, asides from reviews?

That’s a really good question, and one I’ve seen discussed many times on online forums. I think one of the wonderful things about the era of self-publishing is that the filter is gone. Yes, some questionable stories get out there, but it gives readers the chance to decide for themselves what they like and what they don’t like. Readers are smart enough to know what they like. The average reader isn’t looking for the next great literary novel, he or she is looking for a book that engages and entertains and offers an overall satisfying experience. Without the filter of the traditional publishing industry in place, readers have more options and may look more to reviews to help guide their choices. I think this is an exciting time to be an author and a reader. I have already seen some fantastic self-published work rise to the top and there is more to come!

End of IndieView

GraceKrispy’s Blog Motherlode.

@GKMotherLode