Anonymous Reviews

Recent headlines point out what I have long suspected— authors do trash the competition via websites which accept anonymous reviews. However, since Amazon is the big site for sales and reviews, and since Amazon does not require that readers actually even purchase the book, much less use a real name, Amazon is a fabulous place to trash the competition. Apparently that happened to some scholarly authors in the United Kingdom, and the perpetrator has been identified, confessed, and gone on sick leave.

While I do not subscribe to the idea that illness comes from a guilty conscience, I did find the revelations by British author Orlando Figes to be fascinating. According to various articles in the UK press, Figes first denied the accusation. The denial was succeeded by threatened lawsuits against those who accused him. Then his wife took the blame, and after the pressure failed to subside, Figes reversed his position. He is now stating that his wife's concern about his illness led to her take the blame for his scathing reviews of the literary competition. Let's hope the confession will help Figes' health, and everyone trapped in this morass will be able to move on.

The Wall Street Journal's article focuses not on the confession, but on what provoked it— an investigation began when one of authors that Figes panned on Amazon got an electronics whiz to trace the "digital signature" of the anonymous critic. Lo and behold, as the saying goes, this led straight to a computer in Figes' household. The WSJ article goes on to highlight other lawsuits which have resulted from online reviews, including those on Yelp.com, and even one based on an eBay seller's ratings. Obviously, the days when one ignored scurrilous reviews are fading fast, and lawyers will profit.

From time to time, I have written some reviews on Amazon, but always with my author name or with my legal one. While I don't like every book I read or every product I use, I am honest, so I do not have to hide behind a fake persona. As an author, I am fortunate to have some really good reviews on Amazon. I am quite grateful to have as many good ones as I do. Still, as long as this vendor allows anonymous reviews, some dishonest people will post reviews which are neither fair nor honest.

Some authors, especially scholars, are not fond of Amazon, and this latest revelation won't help Amazon's reputation. Currently, I do have links to my books on Amazon on my website, but those may disappear when I do my next site update. Price is often the deciding factor in where to make a purchase, so Amazon will continue and will probably thrive. But, don't put much faith in the reviews, because they might be written by enemies rather than readers.

Surprise!

Hi Y'all,

I picked up my mail today, and along with the political flyers, bills, and other junk, I noticed an envelope from my first publisher, Booklocker. These are fine business people, not prone to send useless items, so I ripped it open and found a book review of my debut novel, The Gift Horse, which launched in February 2004, so a review after all that time was quite unexpected, of course.

As I read the reviewer's analysis, I was pleasantly surprised. The Gift Horse is a book that readers either love or hate. In fact, a some love to hate it and have made great efforts to tell me about it! This new review states that The Gift Horse has "a highly original plot with social commentary on the rights of young women in our society. There is an obscure warning in all of this, but Ms. Dodd turns it around into a moral question."

I wrote the much of the book at a time when I was struggling with the almost overwhelming tasks of full time teaching, mothering two school aged children, and being a wife/helpmate to my beloved husband. The Gift Horse manuscript was a stress-relief task, which didn't get the polishing touches until I left high school teaching. The reviewer is quite correct about the social commentary. While most women have embraced modern thought, there continue to be some who are swept away by powerful personalities and our society's total lack of a moral compass.

When composing the back cover copy, I mentioned that readers would be taken for a wild ride on The Gift Horse. Like a helpless rider on a runaway stallion, readers of this novel either enjoy the ride or scream to be let off.

My thanks go to Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer at The Midwest Book Review for her thoughtful comments, and to my publisher for letting me in on the surprise. BTW, the entire review is posted on Amazon.com.

This & That

People like to talk, don’t they? Sometimes they tell news and sometimes they tell something else entirely. I’m sure you know people who are of such integrity that you believe what they say, and others that you must take with more than the proverbial grain of salt. Lately, I seem to be bombarded with gossip, via phone, online, email, and especially over the dinner table.

After I posted an entry about poor editing in online publications and ebooks, I began to follow up on some of the problems in small press and epublishing. One fascinating source I came across is Dear Author. This site has book reviews, commentary, and news of the publishing industry. Some well known authors are among those who respond to the entries, so if you want to be “in the know” this site will interest you.

A friend mentioned a book, Conversation Peace, which is described as presenting “principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and improve their relationships by focusing on ways to positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life.” If you are like me, you can think of some acquaintances who could benefit from this one. Some of the folks who call or visit seem to find their entertainment in spreading tales, often of questionable veracity. Yet, questioning “the news” can make one seem rude, but any rational person would have to question some of the tales which go around my small town.

I’d heard about a new bookstore here in Jackson County. A couple of weeks ago, I visited Bookstand of NE GA, which is at 337 Pottery Factory Drive, in Commerce. The phone number is 706-335-BOOK (2665). Their advertising touts “gently used books” and that certainly was the case when I visited. This store trades as well as sells, so you might bring in some of your gently used items. Locals, this store is at Banks Crossing, so stop in and check it out.

Telling You Where to Go

(on the web, that is.)

I have a number of links on my website, but here are some others which readers of Pam’s Pages just might enjoy. This list is almost as eclectic as I am.

For fans of horror, dark science fiction, dark fantasy, and poetry along those lines, you might find this spot worth your time: Aberrant Dreams is both a print magazine and a webzine.

Author and archivist Nina M. Osier has amassed quite a few reviews on her website. Science fiction is one of her main interests, but not the only one. I’ve found numerous titles which I have enjoyed on her list of reviews.

A few people may be so well-heeled that being careful with money isn’t necessary, but the rest of us want to make the most of what we have. Atlanta radio show host Clark Howard helps with that more than any other media resource. To “save more, spend less, and avoid being ripped off” take a look at his site. Visitors will find lots of help in Clark’s Greatest Hits, but I prefer the show notes.

At a loss for words? Readers will find many quotes, famous and not-so-famous here: http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~shulman/quotes/quotes

The professor on Gilligan’s Island seemed to know how everything worked. I’ll never have his knowledge, but I think even he might have learned something at How Stuff Works, a site which is fun to research or just browse. Recent front page articles included “How Nanotechnology Works,” “How the U. S. Postal Service Works,” and “How Mummies Work” which must be a Halloween favorite.

Like to read? Do you like to stretch your brain with an occasional quiz? Then visit First Lines, a collection of opening lines from books in various genres. “Venice Dylenski had measured the possibility of losing hold on that transient state that human beings call life more than once, but at the moment she couldn’t recall a more painful experience” is the first line of my science fiction novel, Trinity on Tylos. It isn’t featured in the quiz just yet, but I’m sure they’ll add it with the next site update.

Now you have some places to go, but do come back to Pam’s Pages for more-or-less weekly entries on who knows what.

Goin’ on a Book Safari

There are many topics I could have written about this week, except I have pledged to keep most of my personal life, good and bad, out of this blog. So I am not going to write about my frustration with a student who seems to blame me for her academic woes; I am not going to write about how much my son is loving JROTC, and I am not going to write about how hot it is in northeastern Georgia, but the triple digits keep appearing on the outside thermometer.

Instead, I’ll point internet readers to a fun resource: Shelfari, which is a word coined from "shelf" and "safari." There are other book info sharing sites, such as LibraryThing, which I did join, but I have spent little time there. That site is more like the law library at UGA; it has a lot of stuff, but it is boring. On the other hand, Shelfari has a visually appealing interface, easy to use tools for rating, reviewing, or just commenting on books. Like "my space," it has a friend feature, wherein you can invite like minded readers to be listed on your site. You can leave notes on other members’ shelves, and you can browse their shelves to find new reads on the shelves of folks whose taste is somewhat similar to yours.

I shared this site with my teen-aged daughter, who just loved it. She is now my friend, and she invited one of her book loving friends to join. If you want to see my shelf and read the comments I’ve posted, here is the link to my shelf at Shelfari.

Rather than list all of the books I’ve read and enjoyed (a Herculean task!) I have listed two or three titles by favorite authors. I’ve been making an effort to share my love of eBooks as well, so I have a higher percentage of those on my shelf than I might otherwise.

Of course, I listed my own books, with brief comments, but I didn’t copy reviews to expand the listings. Admittedly I joined after being prompted by a fellow WCP author, but I have enjoyed my visits to this site.

Some time when you’d like to browse for new books or old favorites, go on a Shelfari from the comfort of your home, and you’ll no doubt find it entertaining. I certainly have enjoyed it, and I have put some more titles in my shopping cart at Fictionwise based on the comments and reviews I’ve read via Shelfari. Now, if I could just get FW to have another store-wide 20% off sale!

Everyone says there no such thing as bad publicity....

That’s manure, folks. Really. If I read review which skewers a book or movie, I might question the taste or even the ethics of the reviewer, but negative is still negative, and I am conservative with my cash. Often, I don’t buy the book with the negative reviews. Okay, I bought a copy of Cally’s War, which got some horrible reviews on Amazon, but I have never managed to read the thing. If I am not inclined to buy a book or attend a movie that multiple reviewers panned, I am probably not alone.

Fortunately for me, I have had multiple good reviews for Trinity on Tylos. Fallen Angels Reviews named it a Recommended Read, and my all time favorite review is posted on Amazon. Often, my past blog entries mention better reviews, so here are links to blog entries about each of my favorite reviews:

• The RR for Trinity on Tylos from Fallen Angels Reviews is my highest rating.

• From the Romance Studio I got four out of five hearts, and this book is not a romance.

• In all, I have received eight reviews at various internet review sites, but this one from Debbie in Winter Park, FL, remains my favorite review of Trinity on Tylos. I like it because she notes the controversial elements, but judges the book as a whole, which is important.

Fellow writer Malcolm Campbell gave Trinity on Tylos a very favorable five-star review on Amazon, and I got decent reviews from Harriet Klausner of Alternative Worlds and Rob Preece, publisher of Books for a Buck. I quote short passages from each of those on my website.

However, a reviewer for a science fiction site, emailed me after having read about half of an ARC of Trinity on Tylos, saying that rather than write a really bad review, that I could pull it. The criticisms that reviewer mentioned included an assertion that androids can’t use contractions. Obviously, I was unaware of that rule, but if you ever intend to write about artificial intelligence, KC says no contractions; I said “no thanks” to the review, but I was most careful not to use a contraction in my missive.

RP, a reviewer associated with a site which primarily does erotic romance, states that “Azareel consistently forced his will upon Venice, even going so far as to use pain to get what he wanted. The author uses cultural differences to excuse his behavior. However, I was not convinced.” I’m not sure what convincing RP needs. Azareel is the villain, not the hero, so he should do nasty things, right? However, etiquette dictates that authors never argue with reviewers, and I didn’t. I did note that she gave "Cally's Sexy Surprise" and "Feral Hedonism" ratings two notches higher than she gave my sci-fi thriller, and she awarded "Wed and Wanton" five whatevers. If you ever see a My Space site offering free “exerpts” from her books, you’ve located RP. She does have a new novella out, but I haven't read it. Somehow, I think our tastes in fiction differ.

A review by AO, who spells even worse than RP, contains these passages: “Major Venice Delyenski, head of security, doesn't trust the Archeons... Venice discovers that her long lost ship mates have settled on Vention 11....He challenges Azareel and looses the battle.” In case you are wondering why I chose these passages, this reviewer misspelled the main character’s name, invented a new name for the planet where they settle, and seems to need a brush up in basic grammar. Worse, the review itself neither praises nor criticizes the book.

Reviewer SW writes better than some reviewers and professes to be an expert in military matters. He states, “One does not rise to the rank of Captain in military service, on-planet or not, by underestimating the value of security or ignoring the warnings of a top-flight security officer.” I’ve not argued this point either, but I sincerely hope this reviewer’s next assignment is a book about an officer named George Armstrong Custer.

The relationship between authors and reviewers is symbiotic, for they both stand to benefit from the process. Reviewers will have nothing to review if authors do not offer them the opportunity. Some authors have a list of favored reviewers, and they refuse to allow their publishers to submit to anyone else, which is wise indeed. I didn’t know which reviewers were good and which ones were not in 2005, so I let my publisher submit it to their list of review sites, and I submitted it any place which said they’d take science fiction. I wanted reviews for Trinity on Tylos, and I got more than I ever thought possible. As a parent, I often tell my children that getting what they want might not be what they need, and that has proven true for me as a writer. Eighteen months have passed since I got most of these reviews, so I have had plenty of time to rue my lack of knowledge regarding “who’s who” in the book review world.

Next time, I'll pull out the "good guys" list, because bad publicity hurts sales.

The Best of Pam’s Pages— Book Reviews

Last week’s post, an impromptu plug for a book I enjoyed quite a lot, prompted a comment from “Elizabeth” who is, I believe, the managing editor of Zumaya, which published the title Tigra, which was the subject of last week’s post. If you look back at last week’s post, in the comments, she thanked me for my review, which is too kind.

In fact, I hesitate to call my efforts here reviews, although some entries come closer than others. I have written reviews for three different internet sites, and I really enjoyed it, but I am not seeking reviewer status right now. On a SF message board which I read and sometimes post messages, one writer commented that the review is usually more of a reflection of the tastes of the reviewer than of the book, and while I like to think of myself as objective, the comment rings true. So, any comments I have made regarding books do reflect my tastes. That said, here are some links to past posts for books which I find worthy of keeper status:

•Linnea Sinclair’s Finders Keepers, a space opera with a romantic side, and the first title I read by this eBook author. My favorite is An Accidental Goddess.

•Quick takes, Catherine Asaro’s Skyfall and Neal Boortz’s Fair Tax Book are books which have no relation to each other apart from when I read them.

•Paranormal adventure awaits, Warprize and Tiger Eye.

•The superb Lois McMaster Bujold's debut novel, Shards of Honor.

•More short takes in romantic SF, which is one of my favorite genres.

All of these posts still point out some good reading, so do have a look at books I've enjoyed, and revisit some of my favorite posts on Pam's Pages.

Criticism

I am preparing to teach a course at a local technical college, and while the longest paper those students will write is a research project with a suggested length of two to four pages, this will be the first time I have evaluated student writing since I published my books. Having basked in the praises of some wonderful reviews and been skewered by others, I will find it a bit more challenging to write those comments this time. What is wrong will still be wrong, but having the experience of dealing with reviewers will make me more sensitive to the emotional side of criticism, I am sure.

One of the reviewers who shredded Trinity (and me, of course) claims to be an award-winning author, but on her website, she acknowledges that she won her prize in middle school. That same site offers free “exerpts” from her works— no kidding. Sometime I’ll publish the link to her “jack of all trades” site, but this post is actually supposed to be serious, and y’all would be laughing when you returned to my post.

Any rebuttal to a bad review is considered bad form for the author, but reading one (and knowing that others are reading it) is worse than any other aspect of publishing. In an article published in P&W this author acknowledges the pain of a bad review, which is quite real, I do assure you.

Reflections

As one year closes out and another begins, reflection comes naturally. I’ve met some interesting folks and done some new things, so I am glad for all that in ’06. Regarding publishing, visits with readers and science fiction fans have been fun. Meeting new authors is especially fun, and the number of other writers I’ve met has at least doubled.

Regarding the internet, I have learned that web page design isn’t always fun, and that trying to promote via the web is more of a challenge than books and articles on the subject would have one believe. However, I did set up a Yahoo group, learn a bit about YouTube, and quite a bit about podcasting. My daughter has really enjoyed listening to some of the Indie stuff on the “podsafe” audio sites. I’m still working on the “book trailer” so with any luck, I’ll be posting a link to that soon.

My goals in writing seem to be changing, primarily due to marketing woes, and I am uncertain about the ultimate fate of the novel length fiction which is lurking in my “current manuscripts” folder. I could be sending out queries, but I’ve had trouble getting motivated to do so. While Trinity on Tylos is quite a good book, garnering a “Recommended Read” from FAR and really favorable reviews at several other sites, it hasn’t sold well enough to make a getting another contract feasible.

Oh, I’ll still write, but I’m uncertain about seeking publication for my fiction. I may work on other genres, including some non-fiction, which might be easier to market, either online or via more traditional means.

There will be many predictions by modern sages for ’07, but I think it is a safe bet for me to experience a continued joy in the written word, whether on the printed page or generated via pixels on a screen. I’m certain to enjoy reading other writer’s efforts, and perhaps I’ll be reading some of my own as well.

Being Thankful

I have many reasons to be thankful in this season of thanksgiving, and some of them relate to publishing, so I’ll share those on Pam’s Pages.

First up would have to be my loyal readers. When Trinity on Tylos was released, a some folks drove quite a few miles to hear me make a fifteen minute talk about the new book, bought a copy, and went home to read it. Within a week, I had a couple of notes from readers in hand. One commented on the way I handled the ethical dilemmas in the book, demonstrating her perceptive reading of the novel. Another posted a brief blurb about the book and put the cover image on his own website. One of my cousins mentioned how much she enjoyed the book as we stood in line at the family reunion this fall. Another Georgia author, Terry Kay, once said in a speech that what editors and critics say isn’t so important, but that authors should, instead, listen to what readers say, and that is what writing is all about— sharing the stories with readers.

Second, although I agree with Mr. Kay, I am thankful for the reviewers who have been so positive about Trinity on Tylos. Jean, at Fallen Angels Reviews, awarded it the coveted Five Angel/Recommended Read, and that was based on an ARC that had far more errors than it should have had. Debbie at CK2sKwipsandKritiques gave it a rating of four and a half out of five, and wrote a particularly insightful review. When I speak, I usually quote from her review. Anita at the Romance Studio gave it four out of five hearts, which is quite positive from a site that primarily reviews romance. While there are some romantic elements in the book, it is basically sci fi. Without those reviews, I would find promotional matters far more difficult.

Third, I really do appreciate the local people who have shown an interest in my writing. Angela McKinney has stocked both books in her gift shop, and she hosted a booksigning when Trinity was released. Katy Hair also invited me to join in a booksigning event at her store, Tut’s Books. Amy Carlan, branch manager of my local library, has twice sponsored booksignings for me. Living Jackson publishers Roxane Rose and Priscilla Daves have given me generous coverage as a local author as well, including the wonderful “Truckload of Authors” article in their latest issue.

Finally, I am grateful to Debi Womack, publisher, and Gina Schneider, my editor at Whiskey Creek Press, because they seemed to believe in this somewhat off-beat yarn about duty, love, space ships and babies. Without their assistance, I wouldn’t be able to hold a copy of Trinity on Tylos in my hands.

While being a novelist is a challenge, I do have quite a lot for which I am thankful.

“A Fascinating Space Romance”

The Romance Studio recently reviewed Trinity on Tylos, and I’m thrilled to have another positive review from a romance site. In part, the reviewer states, “Trinity of Tylos is a fascinating space romance filled with thrilling action and adventure....The storyline is creative and filled with exciting action as one race fights another for their survival. Trinity of Tylos is a fascinating emotionally stirring space adventure that shows how far someone will go for someone they love.” Romance sites are sometimes a bit tough on this book, because it doesn’t follow the standard romance conventions.

Long time readers of this blog may remember that this science fiction action adventure was also named a “Recommended Read” by Fallen Angels Reviews and it has received favorable reviews from several other sites. For quotes from the major review sites and links to excerpts, please see www.pamelajdodd.com.

For the upcoming holidays, I’m accepting mail orders. Of course, my site lists several ways for readers to secure a copy of this science fiction pageturner, including links to the publisher, to Fictionwise, and to EBookIsle.

A Truckload of Authors

This past Wednesday, I drove just a few miles out of town to a farmhouse, where I was one of five local authors in a photo shoot for Living Jackson magazine. The weather was sunny and the temperature was a bit nippy for October in Georgia, but the welcome was quite warm. Publishing partners Roxane Rose and Priscilla Daves are featuring the local authors for their holiday edition, and the designer and photographer were also present to orchestrate our group shot, taken as we stood in the bed of a beautifully restored glossy black 1961 Studebaker pickup truck. After that, the photographer took individual shots of each author, and they did mine twice— once in the cab and once standing in the door way of the truck.

The other authors were all men: Caine Campbell, Frank Gilbert, G. Richard Hoard, and Malcolm Campbell. While the designer and photographer were helping Buddy Hunt, the owner of that beautiful truck, get the it situated in a spot to take advantage of the lovely rural setting, the authors visited for a few minutes. All of us either live in Jackson County, or hale from it, as is the case with Hoard, who was a senior at Jefferson High the year I entered as an eighth grader. After the pictures Roxane invited us into her kitchen for refreshments, along with Josh Barnet, the intern who is writing the actual article. We laughed, especially with Frank, who always has a tall tale, and talked about our works in progress.

During our conversation over coffee and snacks, Hoard mentioned what a humiliating experience it is to write a book. He said that the best compliment is when someone just loves it, and the next best is when someone hates it. The bad thing, he said, is indifference. Hoard further stated that people seldom realize the vast amount of time that an author puts into that book, and he said it took him ten years after his first book to get started on another one. However, he said that years after he wrote Lost Among the Living, he still gets feedback from that first book.

I couldn’t agree more with Hoard’s assessment of the experience of being an author. I’ve experienced the “love it/hate it” scenario myself. Sometimes being an author seems anticlimactic. So much time goes into writing and editing, for days and weeks or even months, and finally, the thrill of seeing those first books with your name on the cover. Then, there is still more work, and sometimes little recognition for either the writing or the promotional activities which come afterward. Yep, it can be humbling, but it is sometimes interesting, and that gathering of local literary talent was entertaining.

If the upcoming article is half as much fun as the photo session, then it will be worth reading, and the pictures should be wonderful. Look for the year end edition of Living Jackson in late November or early December, in various locations throughout Jackson County, Georgia.

The Gift Horse

In the two plus years it has been available, I have had quite a bit of feedback from The Gift Horse, far more than I’ve gotten from Trinity on Tylos, and much of it has been positive, but not all, of course. At the end of each calendar year, I think about canceling my contract with Booklocker. Oh, it isn’t really expensive to keep it up— less than the price of a meal at a good restaurant— but having my “self-published” title still in print sometimes makes me feel like a lesser author. While I believe that there are some really good self-published books out there, the stigma does exist.

However, the business person in me insists that as long as there are people interested in buying it, I should go on another year. A fellow writer suggested that I get the rights back to The Gift Horse and market it in tandem with another suspense story, a Work in Progress, but one fairly close to being finished, to an epublisher. Since it only sold two copies in eBook form (and one of those was to me) that would be a new audience, I suppose.

I’ve been fortunate, in that the owner of a gift shop here in town bought twenty five copies of The Gift Horse early this year, and Living Jackson Magazine chose to review it recently. For whatever reason, this somewhat outlandish but very suspenseful tale continues to be read, enjoyed, and occasionally spark controversy.

More than once, I’ve been asked what these books have in common, since they do reflect differing genres of literature. Both of these books have heroines who are willing to sacrifice something of themselves to be what someone else wants them to be. In our society, people profess to be liberated and self-motivated, but that is a fallacy. If you don’t believe me, go to any place where young people gather and watch them act like the folks they see portrayed in various media. Some will play sluts, some act and dress like rappers and pimps. Oh, the gods of our age come to us via small rectangular boxes— television, computer screens, and the like. But they are perhaps more demanding than those who dwelt on Mount Olympus in the days gone by, who only wanted an occasional sacrifice. Nowadays, bowing to the god of media is a 24/7 duty.

The Downside of ePublishing

In June I made a couple of posts which were enthusiastic endorsements of eBooks and vendors. Honesty makes me publish this post, but I really am, for the most part, an enthusiastic eBook customer and happy to be an ePublished writer. Someone out there has to be saying that Pam is just plugging eBooks b/c her novels are available in that format, so here are some points for the sake of balance.

First, some of the ePubs are either not able to produce a good product, or they don’t concern themselves with quality. That was more of a concern a few years ago than it is today. Several of the early ePubs went under due to poor sales, and their sales sucked b/c the books did too. Unfortunately, today’s ePublishers are somewhat handicapped by the bad reputation garnered by some of the those early efforts which were not quality works, and by the occasional bad apple which still exists.

Second, being ePublished may not get you any respect. Indeed, having an ePublisher is sometimes equated with being self-published. My first novel, listed by Booklocker as an eBook and as a trade paperback by many online vendors, is self-published. I’ve written about the whys and wherefores of that decision elsewhere in this blog and on my website, so I won’t bore readers with that again, but suffice it to say that many folks do not distinguish between The Gift Horse, which was self-published, and Trinity on Tylos, which is a Whiskey Creek Press publication, other than by genre. Since I paid my cover artist and the fees for getting The Gift Horse in print and I didn’t pay Whiskey Creek Press, my checkbook and I see a big difference. (Huge!) However, I’ve heard fellow eBook authors lament that they have problems getting reviews and/or recognition by writer’s organizations. Actually, I’ve gotten reviews from four different sites, good ones for the most part, so I am quite pleased. The only problem I have seen has been in getting reviews has been from science fiction only sites, which seem to be rabid in their disgust with self-publishers, so I consider this unfortunate but inevitable.

Third, there isn’t much money in ePublishing. The percentage earned per book (i.e. royalty) is usually better than for print, but for many writers the numbers just aren’t there. This lack of sales volume is sometimes due to ePublisher distribution problems, but there still just aren’t enough converts to the format. (Not yet, anyway.)

My first novel didn’t make any money at all the first year, but I managed to make some in the second year after publication. Trinity on Tylos is still a loser, from a financial standpoint, and that is due to my promotional efforts, which includes a number of give-away copies, to reviewers and potential vendors. On the plus side of this equation is that ePublishers know it takes more time to find an audience, and they generally give a book two or more years to build an audience, which larger publishers and bookstores almost never do. So while I’ll probably report a loss in ‘06, I should make a profit in ‘07 and even ‘08.

Actually, my total sales to date are less for my ePublished book than they were for my self-published book at the same number of weeks after publication. (That is for total sales, not just eBook sales.) My promotional plans are a bit different this time, because of the change in genre, and due to this being a sophomore novel, which seems to be the red headed step-child of the publishing world.

Lastly, it is really hard to autograph an eBook. I’ve heard of ePublished authors giving away autographed “cover flats” but that seems kinda weird to me.

Here’s the bottom line— if any readers of this post are thinking about seeking publication, getting a contract with an ePublisher, even an award winning one, might not be the best thing that ever happened. Patience and hard work, especially in marketing, are requirements for this new publishing frontier, so if you want someone else to do that work, don’t bother with ePublishing.

Another good review!

Since I've met my "once a week" goal for June, I’ll just do a small entry to mention that a relatively new site, ck2skwipsandkritiques.com has a particularly insightful review of Trinity on Tylos in their June reviews. This site reviews several genres of fiction, both print and eBooks, and includes books from the big New York publishers and small presses as well. Both site design and the quality of the reviews are first rate, so I encourage interested parties to read the review of Trinity and look around at some others while you are there.

Regarding reviews, during the past month I’ve been able to add four review quotes to my “ Pam’s Books” page on pamelajdodd.com, three for Trinity on Tylos, and one for The Gift Horse.

Reviews and Reviewing (Part II ?)

It’s been a while, but I remember writing about being a book reviewer sometime last year, at a time when I was compiling a long list of places to query about reviewing Trinity on Tylos.

That first review has, thus far, been the best one. Indeed, I can’t imagine one being any better. The second review which came in described Trinity on Tylos is “entertaining,” but I found nothing really quotable in it. Two others have come in recently, and one of them was mostly positive, while the other one had a bit too much summary. Most reviewers try to avoid spoilers, but not so with this one, so I really can’t quote much from it.

When I’ve had discussions with readers of The Gift Horse, my debut novel in the suspense genre, it is interesting that folks either love it or hate it. My reader reviews for Trinity on Tylos at Fictionwise reflect the same phenomenon— two readers said “great” and two others said “poor.” Since there are some errors in the Fictionwise version which aren’t in the print book— don’t ask me how that happened, b/c I really have no idea— I decided that those who voted “poor” were annoyed by those. I certainly was.

Rob Preece, the publisher of Books for a Buck, read Trinity on Tylos, and gave it “three stars” which is the same # he gave the latest David Weber. Now if I could just sell as many copies as Weber will!

Harriet Klausner also reviewed Trinity on Tylos, saying one plot device, which is dependent on a character’s decision making, was “inane.” Whatever. The character is loosely based on someone I once worked for, and the decision making reflects what I saw at my job on a regular basis, which is probably saying too much in a public forum. I’ll include the link to that reviewer’s archive review of Trinity for any readers who want to see what she had to say.

Recently, I reviewed a book which had been out for a while and is being rereleased by a different publisher. By following the new publisher’s links and doing a Google search, I counted twelve reviews and one interview on various websites, as well as eighteen reader reviews at Amazon. As I was trying to find something new to say, a task I found rather difficult under the circumstances, I did some real soul searching about my own efforts to get more reviews for Trinity on Tylos. Do reviews really help sell books? Perhaps, but at what point does an author reach the “overkill” mark?

I suspect that better distribution and marketing might be more helpful to increasing sales than multiple reviews, for my book or anyone else’s for that matter. With that in mind, I am off to Sci Fi Summer this weekend to autograph books and pass out flyers. Distribution is a primarily a Whiskey Creek Press matter, but publicity falls to me.

A Mother’s Day book review

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

This novel is a science fiction story; the main character is Commander Cordelia Naismith of Beta Colony’s Astronomical Survey. As the story opens, she commands the Survey Ship Rene Magritte. Along with a shuttle load of various experts, Cordelia has made camp on an unnamed planet. While she and her team’s botanist, Ensign Dubauer, are away, the camp is attacked by a Barrayaran military force. When Cordelia and Dubauer see the shuttle make an emergency takeoff, she contacts her ship, orders them to get away from the planet, and realizes that she will probably be captured by the Barrayarans.

Author blogs

I began Pam’s Pages last May, in part as an experiment in marketing. Having up to date web content is a bit challenging, but the great blogging sites available make updating web content about as simple as writing a diary entry was in my youth. Of course, we couldn’t upload pictures, and we were rather selective about who saw the contents of our diaries. The public aspect of blogging is still ackward for me, because I tend to be the same online as I am in person— straightforward and sometimes brutally honest. However, I hope that readers who have discovered Pam’s Pages have found it both entertaining and informative.

During April, my goal was promote my website and my writing, including online publicity efforts. I’ve submitted my web addy to several more directories and sites; I’ve offered review copies of Trinity to some additional review sites; and I have approached the event directors of a couple of science fiction conventions, seeking guest status. I’m still working on those, so I’ll wait to write a post about that. Hopefully some of these activities will help garner some sales and build interest in my writing, but I’ve already discovered an unexpected benefit: new writers’ sites and their blogs.

After signing on as a book reviewer for Round Table Reviews— a site I discovered while looking for promotional opportunities— I got my first assignment: Rhiana by Michele Hauf. Her web addy is michelehauf.com, and her work is quite interesting. Fans of fantasy or paranormal romance should check out her Changling series. I’d read a couple of books by John Ringo, a prolific Baen books science fiction writer, for a few years, but now I’ve seen his website, featuring some unpublished essays and many links. BTW, Ringo is a fellow resident of Jackson County, GA.(Okay, he was before his divorce. That happens, I guess.)

Susan Grant is another author with a great web presence. I’ve been reading her work since her debut novel, Once a Pirate, a time-travel romance, was published by Love Spell. Grant writes stories which are more romance than science fiction, but often her characters have something to do with aviation, because Grant’s day job is being an airline pilot. My personal favorite of her work is another stand alone, Contact, and she has written a couple of series along with a few short stories. See her webpage at susangrant.com. One of her blogs, Come Fly With Me, is highly entertaining, and you don’t have to be a fan of sci-fi or romance to enjoy it.

As I work on other projects, I may not meet my once a week goal for posting entries on Pam’s Pages, but I’m sure to share a bit of what’s on my mind from time to time. This is my Anniversary Post, and I hope you enjoy visiting enough to return to see what happens with me and my writing for another year.

The first review

Lest any eagle eyed readers of this blog believe that I don't have a life, let me say that I've been up doing elf-stuff. But as I settled down for the rest of the evening (pun intended) I decided to check out the Whiskey Creek Authors group and read the Christmas wishes.

Instead, I got a great Christmas gift: A "Recommended Read" award from Fallen Angels Reviews.

Check out the link. Meanwhile, this old elf needs to get some rest. Having children late in life can be a bit stressful....

Not just another romance

Since my last post, I’ve read a couple of really good books— works which stand out from the rest of their genre. Like many authors, I write what I enjoy reading. One of my favorite scenarios, and one which is a perennial favorite of fiction writers, is to take a character out of what is usual and normal, and to have that character face all the conflicts which are generated by being away from one’s comfort zone. The kidnap/capture theme is one way to do this, but it’s not the only way, and both of these novels manage it without a kidnap scene.

Elizabeth Vaughan’s Warprize, a debut novel from Tor Romance, introduces the reader to Xylara, a heroine who is both a healer and a princess, while she is in the midst of trying to save the life of a warrior with a severe wound. With attention to detail, sure plotting, and dramatic world-building, the reader follows Xylara from the battlefield tents to the palace, where she learns that the war can end and her people be saved from what seems to be certain destruction. The price: Xylara must be offered as tribute to the Warlord, whose warriors had caused the very wounds she was treating in the opening scenes. Soon, she is way out of her comfort zone, taken from her dual role as master healer and stepsister of the king, to the Warlord’s tent, as his Warprize. Gradually, Lara learns about the culture of her captors and of Keir, the Warlord of the plains— an entertaining and suspenseful journey of the heart with plenty of politics, warfare, and culture shock for good measure. This page-turner kept me up half the night, and I can’t wait for the sequel, which will be released in April.

Tiger Eye, by Majorie Liu, is a paranormal romance, sans blood sucking. Oh, there is magic aplenty, which begins in a splendid opening sequence set in modern day China. Liu also supplies a hero who is truly timeless, a heroine who is both resourceful and witty, and a villain who is sufficiently evil to deserve the hatred of all the characters and the reader. Liu’s plot moves swiftly, and there is plenty of action and suspense, right until the end. This book is sassy and sensual, and while it introduces characters for a series, it stands alone quite well.

I’m a fan of paranormal romance, but I really don’t care for vampire books, and it is difficult to find good stories in this genre which don’t seem to be written for gals who just couldn’t get enough of Buffie, so I found Tiger Eye to be quite a treat. While the heroine, Dela, isn’t removed physically from her comfort zone, the intricate plotting against her and her lover provide some out-of-the-ordinary conflicts to resolve.

If anyone asks what my writings have in common, I invariably think of the kidnap/capture method of getting my characters into a mess. In both The Gift Horse and Trinity on Tylos, the heroines are physically and emotionally removed from what seems normal, and each of these characters must deal with the ensuing conflicts, whether they be physical threats or emotional ones. After all, we read fiction to see how characters work through their problems. If it were not for that, I really think libraries and bookstores would have only nonfiction books on the shelves. As much as I enjoy reading how-to books, I certainly would miss being able to transport myself into other places and other people’s minds, as they solve the dramatic conflicts of their lives. Life would be so boring and mundane without fiction!

Book review links for Warprize and Tiger Eye:

• Fallen Angels Reviews gave Warprize five angels and a "recommended read."

• Coffee Time Romance's review of Vaughan's novel is here.

• FAR also gave Tiger Eye five angels and a "recommended read."

• Coffee Time Romance really liked Tiger Eye— Look here.