I believe one of the major challenges of self-publishing is that you get the junk as well as the good ones, and there really is no way to tell which is worth the time except through reviews.
Ije Yvonne – 1 September, 2015
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
I’ve always been fascinated with books as far back as my toddler days. During my early teens, I started making a list of books that really moved me, writing down the particular chapter or a particular phrase that I thought was really cool, or enlightening, or very funny.
As an adult, that habit continued on. So one day while taking some time off from my full-time job, and having so much books on my hands to devour, I thought, why not take this habit/hobby a step further? It wasn’t enough for me to write on my journal about how great I thought a book was. I wanted to be able to share my thoughts with everyone, get some common ground with book lovers like myself, while also hoping to get non-book lovers to join the ‘reading wagon’ with the help of my reviews.
How do you review a book? Is it a read first, and then make notes, or do you make notes as you go along?
It all depends on the book. For some books, I read it all first, and then make notes later. For others, I take breaks in-between, make some notes and then continue. I suppose it all depends on the level of intensity of the book, and if I need to take a break from it to mull over some things and take notes.
What are you looking for?
I’m looking for connection. I want to feel connected to the characters… to feel their thoughts, their feelings. I want to know them enough to understand the silly or brave decisions they make even when they don’t understand it themselves. Literary fiction is really not about the plot/storyline; it’s about the characters. The writing style is a huge deal for me as well. The flow of words, structure, the way everything connects together to give a great (not necessarily ‘happy’) ending all plays a big role in my overall rating. Overall, I just want a heck of an amazing read.
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
Not all writers are editors, no matter how great their books are. I always implore authors, especially indie/self-published authors, to please get their works edited by professional editors. A novel that’s not well edited is a distraction for me as a reviewer, and for all readers out there, no matter how great the plot and characters may be. However, I don’t let this completely ruin my overall experience with the novel, provided it has some intensity. I do still mention this flaw in my reviews so that readers can expect this, and it certainly does affect my overall rating of the book.
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
It all depends on the book’s contents. On a good day, with an exceptionally good book, it takes me 24-36 hours. On a much slower book, probably a week. On an extremely busy period, it might take 2-3 weeks.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
My rating system is from 0 to 10 points, although I will never give any book a zero. For any book that’s worth my review, the least I can ever give is 5 points, simply for the effort the author has put in publishing their book, if for nothing else. If I feel the book deserves less than a 5, then I won’t bother writing a review for it, and I’ll make the author aware of this. So a 5 is Fair but not good enough, 6 is OK, 7 is Quite decent, 8 is Very good, 9 is Impressive and 10 is Extra-ordinary.
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
Check out the sites before you request a review from the editor/blog author. Ensure that the books they feature is in line with your book genre. Read their review policies thoroughly, and make sure to get their names right before you hit send (I get wrong names addressed to me all the time!). Then go for it, ask as many reviewers as you can find. Some may refuse, but that’s okay. Move on to the next. Be ready to take any criticisms you receive with good stride.
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
No, they don’t email me, but a lot of them do click on the Facebook Like button at the bottom of all my reviews, if that counts!
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 totally agree with that. Like I mentioned earlier, take all criticisms with good stride, and yes, take what you can from those criticisms, and move on. Not everyone is going to like your book, no matter how fantastic it may be. If you really desire to be a better writer, then do not argue with the reviewer; learn to take something from even the harshest of criticisms and strive to make your writing better.
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 do agree, to some degree, that it has become the case these days. Today, technology is taking up so much of our time; we don’t even have personal times to ourselves anymore, because these personal times are spent on Facebook, Instagram, or some other social network. Most people can’t see themselves sitting in one place with a book in hand. On the other hand, we do still have faithful book lovers who would love nothing more than to cozy up with a good book for hours, days even. So reading as a pastime may not be as it used to be, but it certainly isn’t dead. There are lots of reasons why we read, and why it should be encouraged, one of which is that it expands on our knowledge, whether it be in cultural awareness, life experiences, or in general world history. I could spend all day talking about why reading should be encouraged, but I will instead invite all to read and enjoy my article on the Benefits of Reading.
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
Apart from the Number 1 mistake which is the lack of proper editing before publishing, I’ve also noticed that some authors put a lot of words in their works – words that lack language and character. There is so much irrelevant information that’s put in a book, quite unnecessary, and to put it plainly, a lot of gibberish. Yes, Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy used a lot of words in their works, but the difference here is that these classic authors used language, while some of today’s authors don’t. It’s all words and no depth in some these new novels. My advice is to go straight to the point. Of course, you still need to be detailed with the characters, with the settings and so forth, but other than that, cut through the empty words and descriptions. Use language within your narration, let your words have character, and you’re ready to roll. 🙂
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?
No, I don’t put it down after the first 5 pages; I’ve learned to be patient and give all books some benefit of doubt. So I wait until after the first 20 pages, or 2nd chapter, and if I still feel nothing, I sadly but determinedly put it down and move on to the next.
Is there anything you will not review?
Yes. All books I review on the Literary Fiction site have to be fiction-based and mainly literary fiction. However, I do also accept general fiction, paranormal/mild-SciFi and romance, but no erotica, no mystery, no action, and nothing with heavy spiritual/new age undertones.
About Publishing
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
Yes, attitudes are definitely changing. A couple of years ago, few publishers, members of the media or even members of the public would have paid much attention to Indie or self-published authors. Today, we have the likes of E.L. James, Michael J. Sullivan and S.P. Cloward, all of whom started off as self-published authors, but are now known almost internationally and beyond. The publishing industry is certainly evolving, and I myself know for a fact how many fantastic reads I have been given the opportunity to read and review, given to me by Indie authors in exchange for honest reviews. With that said, there are, sadly, quite a lot of junk out there that are being published as ‘books’, and so some of my skepticism still remains in regards to self-published titles. I think it would take a long while before self-published books will be fully accepted and be seen as on par with traditional books.
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?
I believe one of the major challenges of self-publishing is that you get the junk as well as the good ones, and there really is no way to tell which is worth the time except through reviews. So my only idea would be for readers and reviewers to read the synopsis and sample chapters as thoroughly as they can, and let it be to their discretion which ones they ‘feel’ is worth a shot.
End of Interview:
Visit Literary Fiction to read Ije’s reviews.
