go not to the reviewers for advice, for they will say both yes and no

[lagilman]

Library Journal chimes in on Burning Bridges to say:

"Set in the same alternate Earth as Curse the Dark, Gilman's latest novel provides a view of magic and magical creatures that is anything but bright and shiny. Valere is a tough, resourceful heroine, a would-be loner who cares too much to truly walk alone. A strong addition to urban fantasy collections."

To keep my ego in check, I am savaged slightly on Amazon.com by someone who thinks this book is all useless filler, and that I'm not the writer Jim Butcher is.

Not only can you not please all the people all the time, it's a wonder you can please anyone ever. This is the mantra to keep in mind when reading reviews. Else you weep blood, gnaw your innards, and end up like a dog with a nervous tail-chewing habit...

Comments

[ex-benpayne119.livejournal.com]

Still... nice with the nice review!

[lagilman]

t'was, yes. Am pleased.

[ex-fashioni.livejournal.com]

The bad or indifferent suck, truly, but the good ones-- oh, they are nice, aren't they?

It's all checks and balances.

And a good Merlot.

[kestrell.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the positive review, especially as it is one by and for librarians--I think you get a double score for impressing them. As for the negative review, I would take it with a bag of salt. As someone who reviews books herself, I am still amazed by the number of negative reviews I read that run along the lines of "Well, I didn't like this author a because s/he doesn't write like author b." I always feel like writing a snippy email asking "Isn't that the point?" What bothers me most about this is that the genre category seems to be taken as a very restricted description of the type of story, in this case, urban fantasy. It is reductionist to believe that if the Harry Dresden books are, to you, the epitome of urban fantasy, then all urban fantasy should be written in the same style, tone, and type of characters. That kind of whining is not, in my mind, a good review, as it just seems to indicate that the reviewer has very narrow reading tastes, but then, I often wish there was a column or Web site which made a point of printing good reviews, if only to have some examples of how to do itwell.

Amazon

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

Some Amazon reviewers can be very mean, and very toxic. As you know, I'm the sort who remembers all the bad and little of the good, so I do my best to only look once in a while, when I'm feeling tough.

Stick with Library journal. Congrats!

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

Ithink we got blasted by the same reviewer. Sounds like a wannabe who can't. The review on my book Hounding the Moon has disappeared, crowded out by posative reviews.

[lagilman]

As I said, you can't please everyone. I worry about being true to the story, and balancing that with what my editor wants me to do, and getting as much personal satisfaction as I can in the process.

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

As I said, you can't please everyone. I worry about being true to the story, and balancing that with what my editor wants me to do, and getting as much personal satisfaction as I can in the process.


That's all any of us can do and hope for the best.

[debg.livejournal.com]

Not to mention Great Moments in Fan Mail. One of my favourites was the nice lady who wrote me an indignant letter to complain that Ringan's slang "doesn't reflect the way we Londoners speak, as anyone who has ever lived in London could have told you."

After I wiped the blook from my forehead off the keyboard, I wrote back, thanking her for her letter and pointing out that Ringan is a Scot, who grew up AND went to university in Edinburgh....

I was tempted to write the entire response in Cockney rhyming slang.

But YAY on quotable LJ!

Shoutout on Nonfiction

[greeneyedkzin.livejournal.com]

I just want you to know I recommended your book on economics for young people to one of our vice presidents for professional development. He's going to get it--we have young people who are going to come into a lot of money to consider, and I said yours was a solid presentation.

Re: Shoutout on Nonfiction

[lagilman]

Thanks! Hope it's what he's looking for.

(One of Peter's better, if crueller lines was that I was the perfect person to write a book on finance for grade-schoolers, because that was the level I understood it. So far, the book seems to be getting an excellent reception, so....)

Re: Shoutout on Nonfiction

[greeneyedkzin.livejournal.com]

That's a good line, but not accurate.

OTOH, peer tutors do a good job, so WTF.

Actually, he was looking for a book on specific types of investments, but he wants this for another reason now.

[blazedglory.livejournal.com]

that I'm not the writer Jim Butcher is.

Well, no, you're not. Neither is Jim the writer you are. That would be why I buy your books and his books. (BTW, I saw one of your Quest books under my kid's arm the other day. I'm sure her nose went into it the moment she had a chance to sit down.)