tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post116352805734888187..comments2024-03-04T03:40:11.172-05:00Comments on No rules. Just write.: Are book-reviewing bloggers duping readers?Brenda Coulterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13528691681455659296noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163648933299461012006-11-15T22:48:00.000-05:002006-11-15T22:48:00.000-05:00Yea...what she said!LOL...I have seen some of our ...Yea...what she said!<BR/><BR/>LOL...I have seen some of our CFBA reviewers dislike a book and really let go, but as a Christian I always pray that they are not mean spirited about it...so far, so good. <BR/><BR/>Any publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right...can anyone say DaVinci Code!<BR/><BR/>The only time I cringe is the few times I've seen a reviewer give away the ending...that really tends to make authors testy...LOL!Bonnie S. Calhounhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769607640246518804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163606673576927422006-11-15T11:04:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:04:00.000-05:00Honest to the point of depravity, Marianne? Thanks...Honest to the point of depravity, Marianne? Thanks for the chuckle.<BR/>;-)<BR/><BR/>Reviews like that don't scare me--and I did get one from a good e-friend who carefully enumerated the faults she found in my book. But I don't think a review needs to be unequivocally positive in order to boost a book.<BR/><BR/>Even though it was "riskier" than collecting reviews from friends, I cheerfully put my head on the chopping block by posting this on January 24:<BR/><BR/><I>Putting an offer like this on the internet is sure to attract a few crazies, so here's a disclaimer:</I> A Family Forever <I>is a romance novel meant to appeal to individuals who espouse traditional Christian values. If I suspect your intent in requesting a book might be to ridicule those principles or make fun of romance novels, I'm not going to waste my time and money on you. That said, if you're a fairminded individual who is honestly curious about inspirational romance novels and would like to try one (and blog about it), please let me know.</I><BR/><BR/>Making that wide-open offer netted me some very interesting reviews. A Jewish lady read my book and adored it. A physician who admitted that he'd never read a romance novel read mine (or at least, tried to) and hated it. I sent more books to strangers than I did to friends, and in retrospect I think that was a smart move. My book got a much wider exposure than if I'd sent it just to my friends, many of whom read the same blogs.<BR/><BR/>All right, the vast majority of the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but that wasn't because I sent people free books or because I asked my buds to write me some good reviews. It was because I wrote a darn good book. If you don't believe me, just ask Bonnie.<BR/>;-)Brenda Coulterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13528691681455659296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163604568479577082006-11-15T10:29:00.000-05:002006-11-15T10:29:00.000-05:00As a blog reader & idiot, I'd be more wary of frie...As a blog reader & idiot, I'd be more wary of friendship reviews - if an author participates on various blogs, and is a likeable person, I've always a mental reservation about the reviews those bloggers then give her books. You'd have to be honest to the point of depravity to say: 'Well, we all remember how carefully Mary plotted her characters, how thrilled she was to sell her book, how the launch was nearly over-shadowed by her father-in-law's illness - but at last, I've a copy of 'The Silent Treatment' in my hot little hands, and frankly it's poorly written tripe.'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163603664033408522006-11-15T10:14:00.000-05:002006-11-15T10:14:00.000-05:00You know, I really expected to take some flak for ...You know, I really expected to take some flak for this position. But then the wise and wonderful B. J. Hoff left the first comment and said I was mostly right, and who's going to argue with <I>her</I>?<BR/><BR/>Susan, the beauty of my eeevil plan was including that snazzy purple pen in everyone's book packages. You are just one of many who gave me a favorable review out of sheer gratitude.<BR/>;-)<BR/><BR/>Carolanne, stick around. Your time will come.<BR/><BR/>Bonnie, thanks for saying all that gushy, flattering stuff. ;-) But for the record, it's not the author of the post I quoted who's moderating comments at MetaxuCafe. Litblogger Bud Parr runs things over there, and he moderates all comments from nonmembers. (Members may post articles and comment freely, without moderation.)Brenda Coulterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13528691681455659296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163574743715791822006-11-15T02:12:00.000-05:002006-11-15T02:12:00.000-05:00Carolanne, come over and join the Christian Fictio...Carolanne, come over and join the <A HREF="http://christianfictionblogalliance.com/" REL="nofollow">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</A>. We''l keep you in reading material!<BR/><BR/>Brenda, we really enjoyed touring your "A Family Forever" and I'll always have a place for any of your future books. Our reviewers just love you!<BR/><BR/>So not that we're biased or anything..LOL...but cream always rises to the top!<BR/><BR/>btw...I left that guy a comment. So since it's moderated, I'll wait to see if he posts it! :-)Bonnie S. Calhounhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769607640246518804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163570144768206072006-11-15T00:55:00.000-05:002006-11-15T00:55:00.000-05:00How come I haven't been offered any freebies???!! ...How come I haven't been offered any freebies???!! - I'd love to review books for free... well it would probably depend on the book.<BR/>But then again, my friends would probably say I don't need any more enticement to read even more books...Carolannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11948899343901608273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163554656870653902006-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:002006-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:00It wasn't the free book that induced me to sell my...It wasn't the free book that induced me to sell my soul and give A Family Forever a good review, it was the nifty purple pen that pushed me over the moral edge! ;-}<BR/><BR/>As an aside, when I signed my book contract I used that pen.Susan Kayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16599394499288052327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9791523.post-1163534509215585162006-11-14T15:01:00.000-05:002006-11-14T15:01:00.000-05:00Good points, Brenda. But some don't necessarily ap...Good points, Brenda. But some don't necessarily apply over the board. I receive more free books than I can ever read--probably 99 percent of which are entirely unsolicited...only a few are in response to my saying "yes, sure, I'd like to read it." Very, very few get a mention on my blog, and only then if I think the book *deserves* mention. <BR/><BR/>When a book gets a "rave review" on Grace Notes, it's not because I received a free book--it's because the book deserved a rave review. For the record: I've called attention to as many books that I've purchased--probably more--than freebies. <BR/><BR/>I don't pretend to know every single blogger who "features" a book on their blog--impossible. But I do know several who wouldn't even consider a good "review" just because the book was free. Especially since so many of us are really limited when it comes to the time we have for reading--much less reviewing. <BR/><BR/>Overall, I agree with everything you said. But then I usually do.<BR/><BR/>BJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com