es, there are some bad books out there, but there are also many, many more great self-published novels. I think authors have more power thanks to the web and so do us readers.
Kimberly – 22 December 2015
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
I’ve always loved reading. After having to take a medical leave of absence from work I found myself with time on my hands. So I decided to use that time to share my love of books.
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 depends on the book. If it is a long book or complicated plot, I might make notes. Most of the time I do the work after I’ve read the whole book.
What are you looking for?
I love historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction – not that those are the only genres I’d read. I want dynamic characters and a rich plot.
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
Most of the time I can overlook it unless it is just blatantly bad. I’ve only read one book so far that I could not finish because the grammar was just too annoying.
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
Usually a couple of days.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
I use spectacles (cool fifties style glasses) instead of stars on a 0-5 scale.
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
Look for reviewers who like books in your genre. Remember that we get lots of requests, so if you need the review by a certain date be sure to give the reviewer plenty of notice to get to your book.
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
I haven’t yet, but then I haven’t been blogging for very long. I have had publishers, authors, and narrators email me their thanks.
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?
Absolutely!
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 don’t believe so. My children, their friends, and my friends all enjoy reading and talk about the books they love all the time. Reading is a much more fulfilling form of entertainment. It allows us to use the richness of our imagination and be in a completely different road.
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
I think a lot of authors don’t put enough thought into their cover art. There are so many books that I have read that at first I overlooked because the cover art just looks so rough and unprofessional. The cover is what gives a reader the first impression of a book and should not be treated as an after thought.
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?
I usually give it more than five pages, more like twenty-thirty pages. I hate to give up on a book, but at the same time I see no need to read something that I know I’m not going to enjoy.
Is there anything you will not review?
I won’t read religious, erotica, or horror and I rarely read romance.
About Publishing
What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the “slush-pile has moved online”?
I think the internet has given authors a new way to get their work out there to us readers without having to go through the bid-shot screening process. Yes, there are some bad books out there, but there are also many, many more great self-published novels. I think authors have more power thanks to the web and so do us readers.
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
I think so. There are so many wonderful indie authors out there. Some of my favorite authors are indie authors. More and more readers are turning to indie authors and I think that is a good thing.
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?
I don’t think so. I suppose sales would play some part in it, but I’ve read bad books that had great sales and fantastic books that sold poorly. I trust reviews over sales or popularity when it comes to picking out the next book I am reading. I don’t think I am alone in thinking that way.
End of Interview:
To read Kimberly’s reviews, visit The Absurd Book Nerd.
