FAQ-How Do You Deal With Reviews?

Ah, reviews! Ugh! I almost hate discussing them at this point because they've become such a controversial subject. I was hoping the vitriol would die down after the last two years. I guess it was too much to hope that we'd learn from the epic writer meltdowns over bad reviews and reviewers behaving badly (plagiarizing other bloggers, baiting writers). This year is off to another bad start with a popular Goodreads reviewer plagiarizing multiple book bloggers and one book blogger coming under fire by a writer.

So I think it is only natural that I deal with another question I'm asked a lot:

How do you deal with reviews?

The fact of life is that we all have personal preferences for everything in our life. We like certain kinds of food, music, artwork, TV shows, movies, clothing, etc. Of course, we all have different preferences for books, too. Does this mean our personal preference is wrong? Of course not. It just means we're different people. How boring the world would be everything thought exactly the same.

Therefore, because people have very different tastes I'm going to end up with diverse range of reactions to my books. It's inevitable that what someone loves, someone else will hate.

Let me give you an example.

The following reviews are from Amazon.com for my novel PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS, the sequel to PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. They were posted on the same day.

So which review do I pay attention to?  

The 3 star review says he likes my main character (yay!), but he felt the plot was dull. The 5 star reviewer wasn't disappointed.  So was my book a total misfire, or a total triumph?

The one thing I do take note of is that the 3 star reviewer says the book didn't need vampires in it.  I recognize that I didn't have a big drinking blood scene in my book, but I felt it was clear that the vampires in the book were still working with the restrictions of their nature.  I will most likely be a lot more conscious of making sure that Amaliya's vampire nature is coming across clearly in the third book. My assumption was that once I established Amaliya as a vampire, I could concentrate on her character development and the story arc. Yet, vampire fans do like vampire action. So I do feel this was probably a legit point to be considered.

In the early days of my career, the first review would have had me floating on cloud nine.  The second review would have crashed me into the ground.  Not anymore. Good and bad reviews are a part of the writing experience.

But don't you get upset?

There are three things that upset me about reviews: 1) Wrong information about the plot is relayed in the review 2) The review gives away ALL the plot points and surprises without a spoiler warning 3) the blogger addresses the author in a confrontational way.

A few examples of what I'm talking about:

1. Someone reviewed THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE despite admitting to just skimming the book. They wrote that Lady Glynis falls for her tormentor/abuser, Vlad, because he lets her redecorate the parlor of their home. This was totally out of context. Glynis never falls for Vlad. She struggles to be free of him throughout the book and finds refuge from the abuse she is suffering by doing the sort of things she would have done as the human mistress of her household.  I don't believe that skimming a book and plucking out plot points and twisting them is fair to a writer.

2. A review for THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING not only gave away every plot twist, it gave away the ending with absolutely no spoiler warning. Someone who read the review even chastised the reviewer for not posting a spoiler warning. I don't mind spoilers for my books as long as there is a warning.

3. A reviewer once took to addressing me directly about AS THE WORLD DIES. The comments were quite condescending. I didn't write the book the way this reader wanted me, too, and they took me to task. I was basically accused of being both homophobic and racist in a roundabout way. Honestly, I just wished they had put the books down and not read them. My books were obviously not for them. I would have preferred a DNF to "FRATER, did you really think you could do that....blah blah blah." I felt like I was being baited into a throwdown. I felt personally attacked and it was not a good feeling.

So do you like it when people write reviews?

Except for the three instances above, I'm grateful for all reviews. It means the reader/blogger/reviewer took the time to read my book and share their thoughts. I appreciate that immensely. I'm also aware that what one reviewer may have hated about one of my books may be a selling point to someone else. Bad reviews can sell books, too.

What kind of reviews actually count in your eyes?

There are certain book reviewers that have tastes that lie along the lines of my books. Their audience also likes the sort of books I write. So when I get a review from those reviewers, I do a happy dance. Paul Goat Allen from Barnes & Nobles Explorations, Publishers Weekly, Giselle from Xpresso Reads, Ashley from The Bookish Brunette are just a few of the reviewers that I hope and pray love my books.

Of course, when a reviewer who doesn't usually like my type of book loves one of them and writes a glowing review, I'm thrilled, too, because it means I'm crossing over.

So do you pay a lot of attention to reviews?

I pay attention to reviews for the first few weeks after a book is released. After that, I lose interest. Usually the first batch of reviews give me a really good idea of how the book is going to be received by my target audience. 

But can't a bad review kill a book?

I doubt it.  Some of the books on the best seller lists have horrible reviews.  

But what about Indie Authors?

If you're an Indie Author, you tend to cling to reviews a little more desperately, but that doesn't help your mental health or your book sales. Promotion, interacting with your target audience, and writing your next book is going to be a helluvalot more productive in the long wrong than checking Amazon.com constantly for new reviews.  

Also, there could be a lot of reasons why an indie book isn't selling. Promotion, bad cover, bad synopsis, and lack of author name recognition.  Blaming the one bad review on Amazon.com isn't a good idea. Looking at how to get the word out about your book is a much better way to deal with low sales.

So reviews aren't the bane of your existence? 

To be a little crass and to quote my husband, "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one."  

So no. Reviews are not the bane of existence. My job is to write and that's what I do. Reviews are just  a part of the career I've chosen.

Publishers Weekly Review for FIGHTING TO SURVIVE

It's so exciting to see a positive review for Publishers Weekly just as I'm finishing up SIEGE.

It's not a starred review, but it is a very good one.  I really loved the last line.

Fighting to Survive: 

As the World Dies, Book 2

Rhiannon Frater. Tor, $14.99 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-7653-3127-4

First self-published in 2009, this revised and expanded edition continues the story begun in July’s The First Days. When the world was overrun by zombies, a small group of quick-thinking survivors led by construction worker Travis converted a building site into an ad hoc fortress secure against the ravening hordes. Now overcrowded and pressed for supplies, the survivors must clear and secure the zombie-infested hotel next door while dealing with internal divisions, profound survivor’s guilt, troubled romances, and a heavy-armed, brutally predatory biker gang. Centering on the travails of close friends Jenni and Katie, Frater’s novel explicitly draws from Romero’s works while developing optimistic themes untapped by the pessimistic filmmaker, embracing the possibility of creation even in the face of the end of the world as we know it. (Nov.)

Reviewed on: 08/15/2011

My only beef?  There is no biker gang in the book, just a group of bandits riding around in trucks.

A Really Awesome Review For THE FIRST DAYS

I'm back from my very belated honeymoon.  The hubby and I weren't able to go on one when we were married, so we finally took the time to celebrate our marriage by going to Las Vegas and having a lovely time at The Venetian/The Palazzo resort.  It's truly a beautiful and romantic place with its version of The Grand Canal.

In the midst of our fun, I received an email from my publicist at Tor  about a review from Dread Central for the new version of THE FIRST DAYS.  She cut and pasted snippets from the review and gave me a link to the actual website.

You can read the entire review here.

Here are the parts my publicist liked:

“Frater brings a female perspective to the zombie genre that we haven't seen before, ever. This is to zombies what Anne Rice was to vampires, plain and simple. It's a revolution. In Jenni and Kate, Frater has created real, human, believable women protagonists who deal with the zombie apocalypse in ways that would escape most men. Facing emotional issues such as motherhood, loneliness, sex, and friendship as a woman is very different when your family is now trying to eat you and anyone else alive.”

“In fact, I like this better than The Walking Dead. There, I said it. Sue me, it's true, book or tv, the world Frater has created is populated with more interesting characters, engaging in more action, facing more entertaining and complicated emotional and real-world challenges.”

“If Frater has more like this in her head, buy this book now so you can say you liked her before she became the Next Big Deal In Horror, because that's where she's headed.”

I read the email aloud to my husband over lunch and he liked it, but warned me to "not get a big head."

HA!

I think it's rather impossible to get a big head in this business.  Most writers are neurotic and bundles of anxiety for a reason.   I've had my share of ups and downs as a writer.  Though I'm on the upswing right now, I remember far too well how hard it was to get to this point.  Though I loved the review (and it made me grin), the little writer voice inside my head whispered, "What if you never write anything good again?"  

Hopefully, I can one day shut that little voice up for good, but for now I will continue to write the best books I possibly can.

P.S.  Inspiration hit in Vegas and I have a whole new novel to write!

Book Reviews- Love 'em or Hate 'em

As the July 5, 2011 drop date approaches for THE FIRST DAYS, more and more review sites are posting their insights on the first book in the AS THE WORLD DIES ZOMBIE TRILOGY.

Like any writer, I'm hoping for some good, solid positive buzz.  I felt my own personal review season got off to a great start with the Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly.  I am not going to lie.  I wear that sucker as a badge of honor.  I'll probably have it engraved on my tombstone.  When I saw that review, I was speechless.  It was like the publishing gods smiled down at me and acknowledged all my blood, sweat and tears on the road to publication.  Hell, I'm grinning as I'm writing this.

But, of course, for all the good reviews I get, there are always the negative ones that are going to pop up. When I first started on this career path, I read every review and believed them.  A good review made me feel like the world's greatest writer.  A negative review confirmed I was a worthless hack.

It was hard to process the conflicting reviews barreling down on me:  I love the characters in this book!  I hate the characters in this book!  The characters were so real!  The characters were cliche stereotypes!  The plot was amazing!  There was no plot!  I cried I was so emotionally moved!  I threw this book across the room 'cause it was crap!  This is the best writer ever!  This writer sucks!


My moods were easily manipulated by the subjective viewpoints of reviewers online to the point where I had to swear off reading the reviews.  It took me a long time to get a healthy viewpoint on reviews.


Writers are constantly slashed by the sword of the subjective.  One agent may love your writing while another hates it.  A publishing house may declare your book complete drivel, while another plunks down a ton of money because they love it so much.  One review site will pin five stars to your review, while another gives you zero.

Trust me, when you're starting out in this business, that sword of the subjective sucks and sucks the big, ripe one.  It hurts like hell and sometimes that pain is enough to make people quite trying to accomplish their dreams.  But if you keep going and learn to shield yourself against that terrible sword, it does get easier to deal with.

Tonight, my friend (and fellow writer) Kody Boye told me about a particularly negative review THE FIRST DAYS just received.

"Don't read it," he said ominously.

"What did they say?"  I asked.

He told me one or two points.

"Huh?"  I answered.  "Did they read the book?"

"I guess.  Don't worry.  Someone was defending you in the comments."

"Well, at least they're discussing the book!"  I declared, claiming victory.

A part of me wanted to be upset, but I fought that away, reminding myself of the simple truth I came to understand a few years ago.

 Some people will love my books, some will hate my books, and usually for the exact same reasons.

Awesome Review for THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS

THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS was written specifically for my nieces and nephews after one of them complained there were no zombie books (or movies) for kids.  One of the things I love about my nieces and nephews is how blood-thirsty the little buggers are when it comes to zombies.  We usually have zombie movie marathons when they visit and play zombie-themed video games.  Listening to them plan for the zombocalypse is always fun.

"Dad, if you turn into a zombie, I'm shooting you in the head," my one niece informed my brother.

"Uh, thanks," he answered.

Kids are pretty much without mercy, just so you know.

Anyway, I heard their complaint and wrote THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS for them.  I aimed it squarely at 12 and up, but I think some 10 year olds could handle it if they're already horror fans.  I kept the age group firmly in mind while writing, so there isn't bad language and I kept the gore/violent quotient on the low end on the scale though it still has plenty of thrills, chills and scary stuff.

The book is about kids and written for kids, but a lot of adults have really enjoyed the book.   It takes them back to their own youth and it is a solid, fun zombie story.

But, sadly, because it is written for kids, some of my fans have not picked it up.

A review was posted today on Amazon.com that I really enjoyed.  I want to share it with the fans of my other work because I feel it the reviewer really hit the nail on the head.

Enjoy!

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for young teens..., June 23, 2011By
Mr. G. Kelleher "Gerard K" - See all my reviews(REAL NAME)  
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters: A Young Adult Zombie Novel (Paperback)I am a great fan of Rhiannon's adult zombie trilogy and as this is currently on a hiatus I thought I would fill the void. Although primarily aged at younger teens I found it to be a fantastic read (I am 40). 
The story follows a group of young kids from the outbreak, their isolation from adults and the loss of loved ones. Through the journey you can see the growth of characters in the face of adversity, the strength of friendship and acceptance. That said, there is plenty of adventure with, of course, attacking zombies, survivalist tree houses, zip lines and a race to safety. So, if you have ever imagined yourself at school, the arrival of zombies, escape, the race to get home only to find that it is not how you left it and then wondering what to do next, then get this book, if you have not, get this book so you know what to do if it ever happens! 
For anyone wondering who is book is suitable for, I would say anyone from age 12 up, it's a child's adventure encompassing all the emotions that I believe younger teens would feel. There is none of the explicit gore associated with some of the books in this genre and no sexual references beyond a growing sweet first love. 
I believe this book would be a great gift, or additional to, any young horror fans library and for younger boys it is probably a relief from the whole vampire girlie love novels that are saturating the book shelves at the movement. If you are an adult and love the zombie genre, you should also read this book as it is a really character driven and a refreshing short break from the normal end of the world scenarios. 
If you would like a taste of sci-fi/horror for a younger audience, I would also highly recommend the free short book, Flesh and Circuits, which is available in the Free Fiction section of the author's website. 
A great read, highly recommended to all. 

The Hathor Legacy Reviews As The World Dies: The First Days!

Check it out here.

The Hathor Legacy concentrates on finding good female characters in ficiton and I was very honored that someone chose to right about As The World Dies: The First Days.

This is a pretty interesting review. I enjoyed reading it even though they got Jenni and Katie's names flipped around. It was odd seeing Jenni's actions described as Katie's and vice versa. I did find what the reviewer had to say very interesting. I always find other people's viewpoints on the story intriguing. Sometimes their perspective opens up the book to me in a completely new light that is very refreshing.

I did flinch when it was said my writing was raw and needed more editing. I always feel defensive of my editors when I read something like that because they are good and they did work hard on fixing up my writing. I know I goof up things. Trust me. I do. I am far from perfect and I need my editing team.

But I also have to accept that as an Indie Author this will be leveled at me a lot as an almost automatic response. We cannot get away with what a NYC published book could. I know this because I have floundered through bad grammar, punctuation, and misspellings in plenty of bestsellers. I just recently read a book that has gone through numerous printings and it still had a male character addressed as a "she" at one point.

But it was an interesting review nonetheless. Check it out!

This Proves My Point-Some Will Love You, Some Will Hate You

Within 24 hours of my scathing 2 star review on Amazon.com, this review went up for the Kindle edition of As The World Dies: The First Days.

Five stars. And a nice review.

The old saying is just so true. You can't please everyone.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to write a review. I do appreciate them and they are important to other readers looking for books to read. That someone takes the time to share their thoughts, makes me feel very honored.

It Has Finally Happened--2 Star Review on Amazon.com!

Not quite the one star I was expecting, but it will do. In fact, the review reads pretty much verbatim what I predicted it would. I was just talking to Dr. Pus and Kody Boye about this the other night. That I was waiting anxiously for my 1 star review on Amazon.com. It's almost a rite of passage for a writer. I couldn't believe I had gone so long without one.

I am so grateful for my writing career beginnings online. The constant feedback was both a blessing and a curse until I learned to cope. Reviews for a work in progress can be very encouraging or downright debilitating or vice versa. I had horrible reviews that made me work that much harder on the story and encouraging reviews that made me a bit lazy. I finally learned to just accept that some readers were going to LOVE my writing and others were going to LOATHE it and the best response to any review is just to continue doing my best. Honestly, sometimes what makes one person love my story may be the very thing that makes another loathe it. You cannot please everyone.

In the end, reviews are for other readers. It helps them find works that they want to read and gives them some insight into what the novel is all about. So if you like As the World Dies: Fighting to Survive, write a review. And if you didn't, write a review. It will be up to the reader to discern whether your review impacts their decision to buy and read the book.

So here is what should have been a 1 star review on Amazon.com, but ended up at 2.

don't believe the hype!, February 21, 2009 By Lance D. Catlett "N.T university" (Illinois) - See all my reviews This book keeps to the same old Zombie formula as countless other books have done quite better. Outbreak.Realization of the problem.Hide.Avoid zombies and Lawless thugs. I have read many books about zombies and I find this one less than average at best. The main characters are not very interesting, and it appears that the author is more fascinated with the lesbian issues. If you like zombie horror with a real sense of terror,dread,and hopelessness. Don't waste your money or time. I should have known by the cheesey cover.

P.S. My cheesy cover is what has lured people into buying the book, so again...eye of the beholder.

ATWD: Fighting to Survive Update:
It may be out as soon as next weekend on my online store. I will keep you posted as to when it goes live.

And a free preview should be up sometime Sunday on my Scribd page. I will update with a link.

As The World Dies: The First Days: A Zombie Trilogy has been reviewed at Bitten By Books!

Bitten by Books posted a brand new review of As The World Dies: The First Days! To say I'm excited is an understatement.

The Fabulous Stephen A. North Has Written A Review of As The World Dies: The First Days!!

The fabulous Stephen A. North, author of Dead Tide, recently purchased my novel, As The World Dies: The First Days, and let me know he was looking forward to reading it. It was definitely a nail biting moment for me! It's a little bit scary when other authors in the genre read your work. Especially when they have the honor of being the first novel published by the Library of the Living Dead press.

So, tonight, when Stephen let me know he was writing an Amazon.com review (the 20th), I was nervous and excited.

Now that I have read it, I'm just excited. What an awesome little review he wrote! It made me grin and I feel fabulous about it.

You can check it out here.

And while you are on Amazon.com, check out Stephen's book here. He deserves a little zombie love, so pick up his book if you haven't so far!

The Terror and Joy That Are Reviews

Most of the authors I know love to hear that people appreciate all their hard work and adore their writing. It validates all your time and effort and salves some of your anxiety over whether or not your story is any good.

In all honesty, I write what I want to read. A sudden inspiration will spring up in a dream or a odd moment during the day and I will want to follow that train of thought to the end of the line. Sometimes I find a really cool story I want to share with other people and sometimes I realize that the flash of inspiration was all there was.

The As The World Dies Trilogy was a moment of inspiration based on a dream. It came to me in a flash and I quickly wrote it down. I posted it on a forum on impulse and it was the reviews that inspired me to write out the epic story.

Now, some of the reviews were harsh. I read those along with the positive ones. I wanted to see if there was a kernel of truth in the reviews that were taking aim at the story (and oftentimes, me). If there was something valid in the critique, I learned from it. If not, I dismissed it.

I also learned, in the time span that As The World Dies was online, that sometimes people are hateful just because they want to be. Nothing you write will ever make them happy and they will always pick at you. I still remember this one person saying that Jenni and Katie were so shallow, you could change them into men and no one would know the difference. I read that to my husband and he just shook his head.

The one strength of the story is that the leads are women and view things from a totally different perspective. Jenni, as a mother, has suffered a severe loss of her children and this sends her over the edge in a very strange, yet endearing way. Katie, a bisexual woman, has suffered the loss of her beloved wife and is a nurturer and protector at heart. The need to keep Jenni alive (and later Jason), is what keeps Katie motivated to live. The two of them form a strong bond that they probably would not have made otherwise and become sisters in a new family they create.

Of course, if some of my critics had their choices, Jenni and Katie would have spent most of their time having lesbian sex, had some big strong military type come and take care of them, they never would have found a gun store (c'mon..its freaking Texas!) and the fort would have been overrun immediately by zombies despite the survivors actually having a freaking brain in their head and fighting back.

If I had made all the changes my naysayers had urged, I wouldn't have written my story, but theirs. And that was the biggest lesson I learned during the whole process. Being true to the world, characters, and premise I had created. Happily, other people (the apparent majority) agreed with my view on the story.

Which brings me to my newest reviews...on Amazon! Before, the reviews were a litmus test of how well I was doing with the story, but now I'm trying to build my readership and get the word out about the novel. Every good review is extremely helpful. Of course, at some point, someone is going to hate my book. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for that. But right now, I would like to appeal to those of you who do like the book and feel its a good read you would recommend to other zombie fans, please write an Amazon review. I would love to hear what you liked about the novel, but also, what you say about the story may encourage someone else to visit the world you love and get to know Katie and Jenni.

Reviews have served a definite purpose in my life. They have encouraged me, taught me, vexed me, and helped promote my book.

Meanwhile, the first review of the brand new first chapter of the second book is in. I handed it off to a co-worker who is also a fan. He loved it! So, I definitely feel I am on the right track.

One more thing, check out this awesome new flyer for Bitefest.

I'm totally in love with it!

The Word Is In From Dr. Pus!!!!

I posted recently about my correspondence with Dr. Pus of The Library of the Living Dead podcast. There was a good chance he would spend some time on As The World Dies: The First Days. In what capacity was unclear, but tonight, he posted on my promotional thread on the Permuted Press forum.

This is what he wrote:

And this just in ......

"As The World Dies" will be presented on the "Library of the Living Dead" podcast with voice actors, f/x and music. I'm gonna do this one up right.

It's one helluva story folks!!!! I love it bunches.

Yer ole Dr. Pus ain't never lied to you about purchasing a book, or even NOT purchasing a book.

This one's a real winner. BUY A COPY TODAY!!!

You rock my undead world Rhiannon!!

Undead love,

Doc

I'm bouncing off the walls with excitement. I can't really even express how happy I am in this moment. I'm so very excited!!!

As I get more information, I'll pass it on to you!

Another Update!! What Am I Up To? Hrmmm....

On to the fun stuff...

I was pretty disappointed in not having a convention to attend this October, but a good friend of mine directed me in the direction of this all day event. I spoke with the organizer, a very nice woman named Rose, and I am booked for the event! I think its going to be a ton of fun and if you visit the Myspace page for Excentric Vision you'll see the have a love of da zombies, too. They have a great black and white slideshow of some very scary, yet sexy zombie femme fatales.

I've placed it below for your viewing pleasure.

Also, it looks like As The World Dies: The First Days may be appearing very soon on Dr. Pus Presents "Library of the Living Dead". If you haven't been paying attention to this really fun podcast, I recommend that you check it out. It is definitely a great way to check out what's new in the zombie genre. I've been exchanging emails with Dr. Pus and he said some very kind things to say about the novel. He seemed especially pleased that the book had a strong female lead (well, actually two). Once I confirm this is going to happen, I'll post the details here. But honestly, even if he was not going to cover my book, I would still recommend this awesome podcast.




Now a little more news on my interview with AngelLesa on October 13, 2008. It will start at 7pm Central and you will be able to call in and ask me questions. The number to call is 347-945-7025. I would love it if you called in, but just don't spoil the remaining trilogy if you read it online. I'm more than willing to answer any questions you may have. Just follow this link the night of the interview and check it out.

Meanwhile, I'm contacting reviewers to see if they would be interested in taking a look at As The World Dies: The First Days and selecting conventions in 2009 to attend to promote that book and the ones that will follow.

I'll be honest. All the promotion of the book seems to take up so much time, I often feel like I can't get any writing done. But this is the way it is and I just have to get used to it. But thank you AGAIN to anyone who is posting about the book on their blogs or forums out there. It is highly appreciated.

Now, back to writing on the second book...

Moody Lil Bitches

A very long time ago, I bought a replica of this painting. I had no idea who it was or what it was even about. I just knew I loved it at first sight. It now hangs in my home and people often comment on it. It's a stark, intense painting and I love it.

Years later, I found out that the painting was of Sappho, a legendary writer that remains highly regarded to this day. "Dark little Sappho" with her brooding intensity appealed to me when I was still discovering my own writer's voice. The fact she is such a highly regarded female writer of lyric poetry appeals to me. She stands among greats and is considered by some to be the greatest.

Of course, she is also well known for her homoerotic poetry and her name and the place of her birth, Lesbos, has heavily influenced the lesbian community. I may not be gay (though some of my characters are!), but I can see why they adore her.

She's a strong woman who made an impact on our world.

I adore strong women. I also happen to be one. It's often not an easy role to have when people see you as a pillar of strength in adversity. It puts a helluvalot of pressure on you to go beyond what you feel are your limits. I admit I'm often shocked at how much I can accomplish when I push myself. Family, friends and co-worker see me as someone they can depend on and as I grow older, I am more comfortable with this role.

But when it comes to my role as a writer....UGH!!

I really love what I write. I wouldn't write it if I didn't want to read it. I often write because I want to know how the damn story ends! But just because I adore a certain character and love to hang out in an imaginary world does not necessarily mean everyone out there will, too.

I cruise writer's blogs. It's cool to see what's up in the minds of other people slogging away at their computers to create fantastic worlds. Two topics caught my eye recently: self-promotion and reviews.

I have to admit, both of these things make me shudder.

I love positive reviews, but the negative ones can be a little disconcerting. Whenever I get a negative review, I consider what the reader is saying seriously (unless its obvious they're just trolling). If I want to be the best writer I can be, I'm going to have to take some hits and learn from them when they are legit. It just sucks donkey balls to realize you've goofed it. But if I realize its legit, I do take care to evolve and change. I am not perfect, so I know my writing won't be either. It does annoy the hell out of me when some one's version of a review is them telling you how they would write your story (...and you should have so and so die and the robot should really be blah blah blah...and this gun should be..and blah blah blah). Reviews are tricky things. They are valuable when they give you new perspective. But when I realize someone is just being a troll, I just ignore and keep going.

As for the whole self promotion thing...yuck. I have noticed that most writer's websites look identical and they all write in a particular style in their blogs. I'm not stupid. I know the pack mentality when I see it. I've never done well with packs. I'm that weird girl standing on the outside of it. Hell, I was Goth before I knew what Goth was.

But I can't fault the other authors for this. Our whole society is obsessed with either being this really cool individual that sticks out from the crowd (so we can ridicule them later) or running with the pack of the cool peeps(so we can ridicule them later). And when people see something is working for a successful author, I think the inclination is that is they have the magic formula, quick, grab it!

Mary Janice Davidson, for example, is credited for creating paranormal chick lit. The woman is freaking hilarious and foul mouthed to boot. Seriously warped. She makes me laugh out loud when I'm reading her Betsy series (the mermaid series..not so much though). As soon as she hit the big time, the market flooded with knock offs. I tried reading one, but it really sucked (no pun intended) and I couldn't stand it. I didn't even finish it or if I did, I have blocked it from my mind! Long story short, I don't read any paranormal chick lit but MJD. Everything else just feels fake.

Laurell K. Hamilton, meanwhile, is well known at this point in her career for books full of vampire and furry were-animal orgies. I loved the books in the Anita Blake series until Narcissus in Chains. It was in that book that all that had come before took a flying leap out the window and we all fell down the rabbit hole into paranormal porn theater. When LKH wrote that infamous "Dear Negative Reader" post, she was writing to me. I have completely checked out of that series and the Merry one and I'm not spending a cent on the books anymore. But she makes the big bucks and has lots of fans, so there are copycats everywhere. Sunny is one that comes to mind with her Mona Lisa books. I read one of her short stories in an anthology and actually checked online to see if it was LKH in disguise. Nope. Just a copycat. I don't read either author.

Its so bizarre to feel so much pressure to be a unique writer but at the same time fit into the pack. I see it on so many blogs and articles about the publishing world it makes my head spin. "Stand out to the agents and publishing houses!" headlines scream over articles that tell you how to stun and amaze the gatekeepers. Of course, this will most likely result in a nice form letter that reads "This is not what we are looking for. We want paranormal chick lit and erotic werewolf vampire orgies". Okay, leave off the second sentence, but that's what you'll end up with. Try and stand out and you'll probably get kicked to the curve.

I would love to think that as an Independent Author I'm free of these two sharp barbs, but I'm not. I will have reviews that I will want to frame and hang on my wall and others that will probably make me want to crawl under my desk. I'll face the big questions of "Do I just be my normal, weird gothy self or try and look like I'm normal. Is what I'm writing the way to go or should I try something different?"

At this point, I'm inclined to just be who I am in my blog, website and myspace. I'm going to write what I want to read and hope people like it. The pressure is still there...to stun and amaze with my wonderful individuality...while running with the pack and hanging with the cool kids.

Eh...

Goths dress better anyway....

Just check out Sappho...