Miffed but in Denial

Yeah...I think that's how I feel. I should probably be more miffed, but I'm sure the denial helps with that.

It seems that a certain publishing titan is removing reviews based on the fact that the author 'knows' the review writer. Sounds silly, doesn't it?

I mean, isn't that the point of networking? To reach your readers, bloggers and other authors? Isn't that the reason we do blog tours and create author pages? To get people to buy our books, read them, and write reviews? Incidentally, here's a link to my author page: Donna Milward, Author

It's actually been going on for some time, but I've been reluctant to comment on it, because I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me.

It doesn't make any sense. Writers work hard to connect to people in order to entice them to buy our books. I am still a firm believer that if a reader likes an author as a person, they will like their work. So they like your page in order to connect back, and writers are being punished for it? Maybe we're supposed to wall ourselves off from humanity in order to write MORE?  Are they willing to do ALL our marketing for us? Most writers never even talk to all the people who follow them on social media. We're talking hundreds and sometimes thousands of people here!

I'm in denial, because I honestly believe this idea won't stand, and will soon be abandoned. If this titan uses algorithms to remove all reviews, then eventually there will be precious few reviews left for any author. And that's bad business. It's also about control, and that's a little scary. It's anti-community.

I think we should hold our ground. Write those reviews, and let our feelings about removed reviews be known. And you don't just have to review books on their site either. There's always blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. Leave the titan in the darkness of Tartarus if it wants to be stubborn.

I'm going to go about my business as usual. I'm going to write, blog, and write reviews. I will support my fellow authors when I can, and talk to my readers. I'm miffed, but I'm hoping this will all blow over eventually.

Why the Review?

Last week one of my fellow author's on Facebook asked. "Is it rude to ask a reader for a review?"  He'd sent a contest winner a FREE  digital copy of his latest, and added "If you could leave a review, it would mean the world to me." Or something generic like that.

The response was an emphatic 'NO'. It isn't rude, not in our opinion. Every author does that. We all ask. We can tell you our novels are great, but doesn't it sound a lot less biased coming from someone else?

This author received a rather terse and detailed email telling him that if she'd known that he EXPECTED a review, she wouldn't have accepted the prize. That she was an English Major and she was FAR too busy to write a review for a book she might not have the time to read, and didn't even remember winning. She couldn't believe he'd had the audacity to ask!

How do I know? Unfortunately, he posted it. Let us all see the obnoxiousness that this woman poured forth.  Equally unfortunate? He posted his response. This included a snarling apology and reasons why he sent the prize late (death in the family) and how he didn't feel he was being rude or demanding of her time. He intimated that he too had schedule demands.

This is why you don't respond to haters. She wrote BACK, basically telling him her academics and life (Did she mention she was an English Major?) were more important than his petty needs, and it was not lost on any of us how much time and effort she'd taken to blast him. Even though she's VERY busy. He wisely decided to let it go. He has books to write.

Why do we ask our readers to write for reviews? It's a suggestion. We're hoping you'll do it, but we won't lose sleep if you don't. We are not asking you to write a thesis. We ask because it's the cheapest, easiest way for us to get exposure. If you liked it, a star rating and a couple of sentences are all that's needed. If you hated it, please feel free to do the same. Most of us, (Not all, but that's another blog) won't bite.  Hell, a handful of stars will do the trick if you're in a hurry.

I repeat:It's just a suggestion! No need to slam us, especially if you might end of working alongside us. By the way, he gave us her name too. I'm not sure if that's fair or vindictive, but I'm guilty of being glad he did it. I don't want to work with someone like that. Writers DO have feelings, you know.

Things I Learned from my Recent Reviews

This is the 'Butterdome' I mentioned in the novel.

So as you all know, I had a book tour last week for my second novel, 'Aphrodite's War'. Sorry about the links...I tried to fix them, but it was a futile and irritating endeavor. I read every single one, and I hope the bloggers know how grateful I am. They ranged from a 3 star to five stars. Not bad at all! Thanks everyone for writing detailed lengthy reports on what they liked and disliked. Which brings me to today's blog topic. I should call this entry "Things Reviewers Say that I Find Disconcerting." There's only two, but they've both come up enough times to cause me some concern about my writing patterns.

#1...Multiple POVs. For those who don't know what that is, it's short for Point of View. In a lot of novels, particularly YA, there's only one--The main character. Mine have several. Not every personality, just the ones that I feel need to show their side of the story.

I've noticed that a lot of people have been confused or distracted by that, and I'm not really sure why. No sarcasm--I REALLY don't get it. I'm in the habit of switching POVs, and separating them with asterisks. I feel that there are certain times when the view needs to be switched up, without head-hopping back and forth. Especially when there's more than one storyline. I feel it adds more depth if you can see how HE feels about the romance...Not just HER. And I got that idea from Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and my former critique partners. Am I out of the loop? Am I missing something? Am I just doing it wrong? I wouldn't mind some input.


#2...Edmonton is NOT a town. The main location of 'Aphrodite's War', Edmonton, Alberta is a city with over a million people. But I've noticed more than one reviewer call Edmonton a town. Uh-oh...The first time it happened, I privately asked the reviewer, "Did I give you the impression it was a town?"  She confirmed. I was confused...I'd mentioned two universities, a bus system, an LRT train system, a state-of-the-art-cancer center with access to isotopes and held a scene in West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest malls in the world. How did people mistake it for a town?

When I asked my best friend, she said, "It DOES have a small town feel."

This is part of the downtown area, with a view of the River Valley.

"Really?" I said, "I mean, I've always said Edmonton was a big small town, but..."

"Well, that explains a lot," she said. "because that's how it feels to read it."

This is the Waterpark in Phase Two of WEM

After much discussion, we figured that just a few extra sentences about atmosphere might have solved that problem. Did I describe the rush hour traffic? Or the shade of downtown Jasper Avenue from all the skyscrapers? Should I have gone into more detail about the enormousness of West Edmonton Mall? Maybe I should have made the pace a little more frantic, even though I myself don't find rush hour traffic intimidating. For lack of a more appropriate cliche, "D'OH!"

This isn't even all of Edmonton. You can't see WEM or my end of the city in this shot, or even the southside.

Since 'Chasing Monsters' also takes place in Edmonton for several scenes, I solemnly swear to improve. I'm just kind of irritated to find myself "Learning to Write in Public."

Oh, My Stars!

Cover by Terra Weston Koster

Sorry guys, I'm still running around like a maniac. My part of the blog tour is winding down and reviews are in. Including a few on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.ca/Aphrodites-War-ebook/dp/B00F8LJJSA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379425838&sr=8-2&keywords=Aphrodite%27s+War

 Five stars! Oh yeah! I'm off to a good start, but I'm also nervous. Thoeba and Aphrodite's War are not the same novel. People who loved one may not like the other. It makes me feel a little tense.

But honestly? I can't help writing the way I do. I just follow my heart and my muse and hope for the best. I never actually consider what might be marketable or what people might think until the days following publication.

So now I'm a basketcase. I worried about how my fictional take on angels and demons would be received for Thoeba, and in many ways I dodged criticisms. People relaxed a bit when I told them I was just writing fiction and that I had no intention of starting my own religion.

Now I'm worried that my readers won't like this novel because it's not the same thing. Or they might not like it because of the intense sexual content. Or maybe how I mixed mythology with just a pinch of the Energy.

I'm scared, but my favorite quote is this: "Decide you want it more than you are afraid of it." --Bill Cosby

What's next? I don't really know. I can tell you there will be two interviews on this blog soon  (That reminds me, I need to write up questions for both of them.) and that I'm working hard on my yardwork. I can tell you I just finished Chapter Nineteen for 'Chasing Monsters' for the second time, and haven't decided whose POV I'm going to start Chapter Twenty with. My nerves are jangling, but I'm doing alright.

If you are interested in buying an e-book of either Thoeba or Aphrodite's War, you can use the link above. You can also use amazon.com, Smashwords, and Barnes&Noble. Actual paperbacks will be available soon. As soon as my publisher lets me know, I'll post it on my author page. https://www.facebook.com/DonnaMilwardAuthor

In the meantime, thanks everybody for all the awesome support. I'd be even more neurotic than I already am without you people. Thank you <3