tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post242870145498609238..comments2023-07-08T08:33:50.710+01:00Comments on Speculative Horizons: Should authors comment on reviews of their books?Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-7497995360917147502009-05-01T23:13:00.000+01:002009-05-01T23:13:00.000+01:00haven't seen this mentioned, all apols if i'd miss...haven't seen this mentioned, all apols if i'd missed it: author comments/explanations/book chatter would much depend on the author, no? some folks are just the kind of peeps that can contribute well to such discussions, others not so much. fortunately many of the authors mentioned here are of the former clan and not the latter.barflynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-33596005012752172362009-04-30T01:48:00.000+01:002009-04-30T01:48:00.000+01:00Great discussion. I for one love it when the auth...Great discussion. I for one love it when the authors get involved, but I do think their point of view is best displayed on their own blog. But it is usually quite entertaining when they get involved.The Mad Hatterhttp://booktionary.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-24392002259702347022009-04-29T22:15:00.000+01:002009-04-29T22:15:00.000+01:00Neth - I know what you mean. Some of the queries/r...Neth - I know what you mean. Some of the queries/requests I've received from POD 'authors' have ranged from obnoxious to hilarious. Few of them seem to have any idea of how to write a polite email.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-44186152907012540012009-04-29T17:39:00.000+01:002009-04-29T17:39:00.000+01:00agreed on looking forward to Larry's post - and La...agreed on looking forward to Larry's post - and Larry, you were one of the 0.1% I was referring to who followed the argument ;)<br /><br />James - yes that is a classic example, though I could go even further with responses from POD authors when I wouldn't review their work...but that is a whole other subjectNethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963540055415924510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-60498929466312090412009-04-29T12:59:00.000+01:002009-04-29T12:59:00.000+01:00Praise from Larry - I must have done something rig...Praise from Larry - I must have done something right! <br /><br />Seriously though, thanks Larry - look forward to see your own article on the matter!Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-83536055243721849722009-04-29T07:20:00.000+01:002009-04-29T07:20:00.000+01:00Ken,
That discussion with Bakker was perfectly in...Ken,<br /><br />That discussion with Bakker was perfectly intelligible to me ;)<br /><br />James,<br /><br />After reading this, I think I'm going to end up writing a post that'll reference your post here. I disagree in some of the particulars, but the reasons why aren't usually the ones argued. Guess I better just shut up and write it before I fall asleep and forget! :P Good article, though, just a few nitpicks, as is the norm for me with most anything.Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-26621442875724120152009-04-28T13:08:00.000+01:002009-04-28T13:08:00.000+01:00Thanks for all the comments, really good to hear y...Thanks for all the comments, really good to hear your opinions. <br /><br />Neth, thanks for the examples. The second one is a classic example of an author getting involved when they should just keep quiet.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-58481875377274746592009-04-28T04:42:00.000+01:002009-04-28T04:42:00.000+01:00Fascinating topic James...as for me, I love it whe...Fascinating topic James...as for me, I love it when an author stops by my blog. But I do think that an author commenting on his own review is a bit strange, perhaps even over the line...even though Brett's comment is polite and makes a good point, I'd almost rather the reviews were left to the readers. And thanks for the links to Pat's little spat with Simon...hilarious!<br /><br />Best : )Alexander Fieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09348112043924940744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-31291382241641878312009-04-28T01:01:00.000+01:002009-04-28T01:01:00.000+01:00I think it's great fun! I reckon authors should co...I think it's great fun! I reckon authors should comment and start discussions all they want - even the petty ones. It's not like they get the chance to defend themselves anywhere else so why not in the Democratic Republic of Innuendo and Rumour - The Interwebs - allow a bit more lee way and let readers, authors and reviewers all have fun little stoushes that largely get ignored by anyone who doesn't care or even has no idea they exist.Jebushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00985667608602099242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-23331136714302635142009-04-27T19:12:00.000+01:002009-04-27T19:12:00.000+01:00Personally I don't have a problem with authors dis...Personally I don't have a problem with authors discussing their books. It's great to hear their take on something that maybe was misinterpreted. Doesn't mean you have to just go on their take.<br />One example is Joe Abercrombie, and we ALL know he loves to hear his name, but a reviewer, can't remember who, did a review of Last Argument. Part of it said more or less the ending sucked. What kind of ending is that, Joe. <br />Joe, comes on and says, it's an ace ending. It ties in the first chapter in book one with the final chapter in the last book. At which point the original reviewer says, oh, yeah, I'd forgotten how book one started. Now it makes sense. <br />Seems w/o Joe's input a lot of would-be-buyers may not have picked up said trilogy based on a reviewers memory lapse. Now, with the about face they might. Puts food on the authors plate and consequently more good books for us.<br />I for one love to hear the little intricacies of what an author is doing with his/her world.<br />Some say if they're doing it right explanation wouldn't be needed. Some of us may just need that extra push in the right direction.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10806970412871385660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-88718956603963398722009-04-27T16:55:00.000+01:002009-04-27T16:55:00.000+01:00It's all about how it gets done - it can be done w...It's all about how it gets done - it can be done well and it can be a complete train-wreck. I think that it can be difficult to do it well, which is why authors should be cautious. <br /><br />My own experiences are varied - I often get nice emails from authors thanking me for the review - typically there isn't any comment about the content. Sometimes an author will leave that comment at the review itself, which is also fine. It gets tricky when it goes further. <br /><br />I'll point to two examples on my blog - <A HREF="http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2008/06/neuropath-by-scott-bakker-scott-bakker.html" REL="nofollow">in this review</A>, Scott Bakker commented a bit and then disucssion exploded. It was good, healthy discussion, but at such a high-level that I'm guessing that 99.9% of readers couldn't really follow it (myself included).<br /><br /><A HREF="http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2008/03/wind-follower-by-carole-mcdonnell-well.html" REL="nofollow">In this 'review'</A>, the author started constructive and degraded into petty insults. It was linked a few times as an example of why authors shouldn't comment on reviews. I definately consider it an example of #reviewcommentfail.Nethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963540055415924510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-48583282360481667032009-04-27T14:21:00.000+01:002009-04-27T14:21:00.000+01:00J. Neil Schulman took rather heated offense when I...J. Neil Schulman took rather heated offense when I said that his book Alongside Night was boring. It turned out to be pretty dang funny, but no one walked away with any good opinions about the fellow.<br /><br />http://epicdystopia.blogspot.com<br />/2008/07/alongside-night-by-j-neil-<br />schulman.htmlThat Hankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05514310999129694443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-77004410419934766972009-04-27T08:10:00.000+01:002009-04-27T08:10:00.000+01:00I read this post and the comments with great inter...I read this post and the comments with great interest.<br />On one hand I liked the comment from Peter V. Brett. On the other hand I think a blog is place for blogger and their readers. A lot of authors have their own blogs. That means they can pick up discussions and comment on their blogs. In order to share information I like the way Peter V. Brett is going with his pingback.ediFanoBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11129248787624088717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-78637278863275413922009-04-26T22:28:00.000+01:002009-04-26T22:28:00.000+01:00I'm surprised you didn't pick up on Scott Bakker's...I'm surprised you didn't pick up on Scott Bakker's recent posts on Westeros.org about the perceived sexism in his books, which turned into a bit of a train wreck when it turned out he'd been participating in the debate earlier under another name. Owch.<br /><br />And then there was the recent case of the person who told Joe Abercrombie his idea on how he could have ended Last Argument of Kings better, to the latter's bemusement.Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-80646679123822898282009-04-26T20:15:00.000+01:002009-04-26T20:15:00.000+01:00Well I guess it does make sense now that Mark ment...Well I guess it does make sense now that Mark mentions it. <br /><br />A lot books must cross over from America to the UK and vice versa due to 'buzz' and interest. An internet search has to be a good indication of how well a novel is going down. <br /><br />Take Mark Newton's novel. It hasn't got an American publisher yet but after all the buzz it's getting I'd be surprised if a few people don't spot it!gav (NextRead.co.uk)http://www.nextread.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-74828809876786137212009-04-26T19:30:00.000+01:002009-04-26T19:30:00.000+01:00Gav and Mark, thanks very much for your posts - re...Gav and Mark, thanks very much for your posts - really interesting to hear your thoughts. <br /><br />I never really considered the impact of online reviews in terms of foreign sales, so that's a really interesting and valid point - thanks for bringing it up, Mark!Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-69990622757325130192009-04-26T16:36:00.000+01:002009-04-26T16:36:00.000+01:00I totally agree that writers should never leave co...I totally agree that writers should never leave comments on a review of their work. Frankly, it has nothing to do with them. The writer's business ends when their book hits the shelves. Reviews are the business of readers - it's their debate, and it doesn't matter what the writer thinks. The work should stand on its own, without the author having to chip in with "explanations".<br /><br />Having said that, I think you're being disingenuous by suggesting online reviews have no impact because they're only read by a small proportion of the buying public. They have a massively exaggerated importance on these terms. They're read by the movers and shakers who do see them as some kind of seers, voicing the thoughts of the silent majority.<br /><br />One bad review by a respected reviewer can cost an author thousands of pounds, perhaps even their livelihood at the extremes. Here's an example: foreign editors often check online reviews when they're considering buying a book. A bad review will make them think twice, because all editors are essentially putting their jobs on the line when they make a purchase with the company's money. Bad reviews can subtly make them doubt their own opinions, or think that it's a poor investment because the public might agree with the reviewer. Better to err on the side of safety and do nothing.<br /><br />I know this to be true because I have been told by more than one editor. Whether they admit this in public is a different matter. I also know a good review has the same effect - because, according to one of the editors in question, I made one significant foreign sale through the reviews of my books on SFSite by Nathan Brazil. If I ever meet him, he gets a big drink!<br /><br />For that reason, I can understand why authors do pitch in. Sorry for the long response. This is a big issue, with lots of nuancesMark Chadbournhttp://www.jackofravens.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-5504314604492905842009-04-26T15:49:00.000+01:002009-04-26T15:49:00.000+01:00This is a though one. On the one hand in this inte...This is a though one. On the one hand in this internet-open-communication-social network-age it's good to interact with people that you wouldn't normally reach - twitter is an amazing example of that. <br /><br />But on the other hand, just because you can doesn't mean you should. <br /><br />Once a book is in print - it really isn't your baby anymore - you, and those around you have done your best to polish what were a jumbled bunch of ideas into a narrative that hopefully is going to find people that'll enjoy it. It has to speak for itself. <br /><br />The way I see a novel isn't going to change if you come on my blog and 'explain' what I was having problems with - it's how I saw it. That doesn't mean that the next person isn't going to see it differently. They are. <br /><br />I love the idea of writers reading reviews - I hope they just take them for what they - a persons opinions. The reviewer doesn't really have to justify their review and a writer shouldn't justify what they've written. <br /><br />If they want to do something about what they've written they need to work on their next book and make that work better/improve on points of weakness/carry on exactly like they were. <br /><br />So I guess my thoughts are - commenting on reviews is probably best left to readers. Commenting on other things and pimping your book as much as possible is highly recommended.Gav (NextRead.co.uk)http://www.nextread.co.uknoreply@blogger.com