If each book out there is enjoyed by just one person then it’s done its job, hasn’t it?!
Emma – 3 July 2018
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
Simply by starting my blog! I was a really voracious reader when growing up and then University things slowed down and I would go through fits and starts but always wanted to read more. Last year, I decided that I wanted to make more of an effort to read more and thought that starting a blog would hold me accountable. Reviewing came as part of that really! I am still pretty new to it but am always totally honest and try to only choose and review books that I think I will enjoy – no one wants to read a bad review!
How do you review a book? Is it a read first, and then make notes, or do you make notes as you go along?
A little bit of both actually – it depends on the book and the subject matter. If there are funny parts or good quotes I try to make a note of them but sometimes I just get too carried away with the book to stop and do that! I would like to get better at making notes whilst reading and love watching videos on YouTube to see how others do it!
What are you looking for?
Good books! I know that sounds like an obvious answer but I try not to judge books too much and will have a read of it if the cover or blurb attracts me (I’m sorry but I am definitely someone that judges a book by its cover)!
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
Again, it depends on the book and how bad the grammar is – in the past I have had to stop reading a book because of it, but have also been able to see past it in others. It’s not a deal breaker for me but I will comment on it if it is a finished version (as apposed to an ARC).
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
I feel like I am being repetitive but it depends on the genre, if I am enjoying it, if I am reading just to review and how much time I have on a daily basis to read it. I would say however, I would expect it to take me about 3-4 hours or so.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
Honestly, I tend to veer away a bit from rating in numbers, as it is so different across the industry. I tend to just discuss the book from a story, character, world building and enjoyment basis and then whether I would recommend it or not. I do obviously rate some books on Goodreads (although I need to go through the ratings on there and check they’re correct since starting the blog!) and then I use the below:
0 – DNF
1 – Hated it.
1.5 – Disliked a lot
2 – Disliked
2.5 – Meh!
3 – Was OK
3.5 – Liked it!
4 – Liked it a lot!
4.5 – Loved it!
5 – A new favourite – I LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
I think THE MOST important thing is your introduction email / contact. PLEASE don’t gush too much about my amazing blog and me, sometimes it can come off as over the top and desperate and honestly puts me off a lot. Be natural and honest and give as much detail as possible especially if you have a date or deadline in mind, would like other bits included (such as an interview or excerpt) or if it is a book that is part of a series.
I would also say, please do be patient – Life happens and for most of us, our blogs are something we do in our free time as and when we can; constant chasing is not going to help us, although I do understand that you need to follow up when you have given away a free copy of your baby!
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
I haven’t had any emails as yet but I have had a few post comments and twitter messages from people saying that my review/s have brought a new book to their attention, which is nice!
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?
Yes and please don’t take it personally – if I don’t like a book you have written, that doesn’t mean I don’t like you! I will always try to find good in a book and can also see when a book is good and will be enjoyed by others – we all have such different tastes and can’t love everything that’s written.
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 think the main thing (and is certainly true for me) is the escapism. To spend a few hours in a different world forgetting the trials and tribulations of real life is wonderful and cannot be underestimated… especially if you are having a bad time of things. As for it being a dying past time, I would have to disagree, only because I know so very many people that love to read, and I’m not even including all of my book blogger friends – pretty much all of my close friends read a lot and my family is certainly a massive reading family .. so in my world, it’s still as popular as ever!
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
This is a hard question to answer for me as I am still relatively new to the world of reviewing and certainly have not had a huge exposure to indie writers and self-published books before now. One thing I have seen recently is the situation where, probably in the editing phase, authors have realized they didn’t introduce a character or idea properly and shoving a random sentence or paragraph in somewhere that to someone reading it cold, seems out of place. I mean they made sense eventually but at the time, I thought how strange and out of sorts with the current narrative they were.
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 do agree but don’t think I would agree with 5 pages – that seems to be VERY short! I ALWAYS give a book either 50 pages or 25% before I will put it down. Sometimes this means I am forcing myself to continue but I feel it is only fair to give it a good go before giving in. Having said that, I do absolutely LOVE it when a book grabs you from the first page!
Is there anything you will not review?
I’m not a fan of erotica and will read romance books if the romance isn’t the main storyline. I also don’t like vampires and werewolves as a general rule and also am pretty anal about reading books in the right order .. despite being assured they are part of a ‘standalone series’ I just find it hard to read them in the wrong order ..!!
About Publishing
What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the “slush-pile has moved online”?
I don’t disagree but I don’t entirely agree either. I think that there are a lot of great books being missed that end up as free kindle books but there is a lot of stuff available that I think give them a bad reputation. As I said earlier, If I am attracted by the cover and / or the blurb I will give it a go … whether considered part of the slush pile or not!
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
I hope they are! I certainly have had my eyes opened to things a lot more since getting back into reading and the bookish world. There are many great writers out there that deserve to have their books out in the World and there are some great avenues to persuade these days! I for one will give anything a read and will champion anything I enjoy, self-published or not!
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?
But should it? I mean I realize that there is A LOT of books out there that are considered to be ‘slush’ but for very person in the world there is a different desire for reading material. If each book out there is enjoyed by just one person then it’s done its job, hasn’t it?!
End of Interview:
To read Emma’s reviews, visit What Emma Read Next.
