Six Weeks of Moderate Hell

[lagilman]

The six weeks before a book hits the shelves are occasionally nerve-wracking. You're waiting for the first reviews... and dreading them, all the same.

I'm surprisingly (or maybe not-so-surprisingly) nervous about HARD MAGIC bn.com / Indiebound / Borders, as one is when starting a new series, even a spinoff. Bonnie is emphatically NOT Wren; I was trying out a different POV, because this is less caper and more investigative; we're playing with a larger cast, I'm asking the reader to think more in terms of mystery structure than fantasy... a dozen things, small and large, are different.

I had to do those things differently -- the PSI series called for them, and I-as-writer needed them -- but it all adds up to a bad case of new series eeeeps.

And so? Well, now, at the very start of the six-week period, I'm starting to see some very early blogger-reactions. So far it seems split: Some readers couldn't get into it, and some really seem to enjoy it. Nobody's hated it (yet). So take that for what you will...

I was pleased, however, to see this: "although I believe this series links to the Retrievers in some way it made no difference to this story that I haven't read the other books." If you've read the previous books you're going to see a lot of familiar names and scenarios, and should be able to identify exactly when these stories take place against the Retriever books. If not... apparently, it doesn't matter. That means I did my job right there, anyway.

(I wonders, sometimes, if the bloggers who review these books -- and I mean "review', not just 'this is what I'm reading' -- are aware of the fact that the author [or the author's parent or beloved] will read their words? Is it a power kick? A responsibility? A freakout best not thought of? Some combination thereof? Or do they focus on the readers, and not follow the thought back to the creator? Probably All of the Above...)

And now, I have to do what every good working writer must do. Ignore the next six weeks of external distractions, and focus on The Next Book. (Or, um, Next Two. Right. Onward to it).

Comments

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

I wonders, sometimes, if the bloggers who review these books -- and I mean "review', not just 'this is what I'm reading' -- are aware of the fact that the author [or the author's parent or beloved] will read their words? Is it a power kick? A responsibility? A freakout best not thought of? Some combination thereof? Or do they focus on the readers, and not follow the thought back to the creator? Probably All of the Above...

If you write anything out on the internet, on some level you have to assume it will be read by everyone. Or maybe that's just the old net fogey in me coming out, because if that assumption were the case you'd expect to see more civility online.

I don't envy you these next six weeks, because the insatiable need to know would drive me crazy. People you never know will judge your work -and you as well- and you're completely at their mercy.

At times like this, it's good to have friends and compatriots to ground yourself. They know you, and know that you are more than the words on the printed page. After all, people can be real pricks, and friends keep you sane.

Reviewing

[kriz1818.livejournal.com]

In my own online reviewing, the fact that the author is likely to read the review makes me careful to point out that my reactions (even my strong and sometimes negative reactions) are highly personal to me and don't have anything directly to do with the author theirself.

(This hasn't stopped two different authors from writing to argue with me, but that is not *my* problem. On the other hand, it may be why I'm not getting any more review copies. ;-) )

Re: Reviewing

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the highly personal nature of reviews are a big factor in why I don't write them much. If someone asks, I'll give my opinion, but unless people know me well they might not get that much out of the review.

Besides, it takes a lot for me to dislike a book; I tend to be fairly forgiving of a lot of stories.

Re: Reviewing

[lagilman]

well, there are also fewer physical galleys being done up. Netgalley seems to be the place to go...

[smoemeth.livejournal.com]

I would think that all reviewers (blogger or traditional print mags) would know that the author is probably going to read their review ... even before the age of the Google Alert, authors were checking the trade publications to see if they'd gotten a review, no?

I haven't written CD reviews in years, but back when I was doing so semi-regularly, I would occasionally hear from the bands/artists. One of them sent me back such a flame mail (which still croggles me, as it was a good review!!) that I did start to think more about the artist's feelings when I was reviewing ... which ultimately led to my getting out of reviewing altogether, as that's no way to go about it.

[lagilman]

Yeah, replying to a reviewer, unless s/he has invited the response directly (via e-mail or other outreach) is just... ugh. Lurk, but do not respond. Grow a thicker skin, take what's useful, and get on with the work.

The reviewer should consider the work, not the person -- but that also means reviewing the work, not the person. Fair's fair, on both sides.

(although I will admit I occasionally appear in blogs just to say "hi, glad you liked it" if the review was a good one)

[jesterjoker.livejournal.com]

Hey!

I'm usually a lurker who read through the Retrievers (up to Blood From Stone; haven't read it yet, too many things to read) and is really anxious for Bonnie 1, but this is a subject I'm really able to ramble about.

I'm, at the moment, living in the arse end of nowhere, and have met few professional writers of SF&F. I went to a Jim Butcher signing in Minneapolis - it /blew my mind/ it's him! - and saw Kelly Link from a far distance at the college.

Thanks to the Wyrdsmiths writing circle from Minneapolis, I went on a binge and realised just how many writers there /are/ on the Internet. It's like exploded, practically.

And how did I react? At first, I was intimidated as bog. It's a convention every day! All my favorites! How am I supposed to even come close to matching up to all of you? And then it became, oh, okay, this is supposed to be a /challenge/. Still working on publication.

I try to keep the negativity down when a book disappointed me, because everything really is out in public. But it's amazing when I find a reply from a writer whose story I liked and contacted them to tell them so.