Been a while since I’ve commented on different responses to reviews, but the recent initiative to stalk bad reviewers is worth noting for a few reasons. (You can read a reviewer’s first-hand experience here, by the way.)

I find the website created to “give reviewers a dose of their own medicine” to be abhorrent, so I won’t link to it here. I feel that reviews now are a reflection of the accessibility to content and the ability to reach a broader market. This means, that it’s easier and more likely in today’s market that someone may buy a book, not like it for whatever reason, and post a bad review. There’s a difference, perhaps not so obvious to all, between a critique and a review. Critiques are what I strive to do because I’m not assessing any work for the reasons “I” might be drawn to it, but what the value of that work is for someone “else” who will. Reviews are more personal in nature and, for many professional reasons, I stray from that as much as possible.

The more popular a book becomes, the greater the chance for negative reviews, simply because you’re looking at the law of averages. That does not translate to best-selling. It just means that that book is being talked about.

Reviews are opinions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are opinions that influence what people might buy. There are popular books with loads of crappy reviews; there are impressive tomes with the same. Reviews can influence someone’s purchase decision but trust me, there are a lot of other reasons why a reader buys (or doesn’t buy) a book. Reviews is just one piece of a larger puzzle.

Because reviews are opinions, when anyone attacks the reviewer, the knee-jerk reaction is (and rightly so) for that reader to get defensive. They’ve bought (or downloaded) the Work. They took the time to review it. They have a right to their opinion and authors have a right to either ignore those views or address them. The difference here, though, is that the author is the Creator of the Work and the reader is the Consumer. Two wholly unique points-of-views that don’t always match up. One person can create Art for thousands, but only hundreds may react positively. Yes, that’s a lot of pressure for any human being to handle, but it goes with the territory. There is no possibly way for anyone to control what anyone else says or does. It just isn’t logical.

Now, here’s the thing that really grates on me. When you bully reviewers to make them feel embarrassed or nervous or scared, you are basically saying: “Well, my book can’t possibly have bad reviews because I wrote it.” There are some fan communities that operate this way as well primarily because they love a property/author so much they can’t fathom anyone else not liking it. Again, all of that has very little to do with the story. That has to do with emotion.

I am fully and wholly against bullying anyone. Period. I am also not a fan of making fun of reviewers because they didn’t like your stories, either. Didn’t enjoy “X”? Well, hope you keep reading. Thanks and have a nice day.

But the question here is: “Why bother?” Why bully reviewers? Well, this goes back to something I’ve said time and time again. Authors not well-versed in marketing books hang their hats on specific avenues they either believe is the end all/be all or because group think said they should focus on “X” so they do. Reviews are part of marketing, yes, but it’s not the only path to take. There are a million different ways to market a book and a million more ways to research your audience and make sure you’re reaching the people who want to read your book. You want to really learn marketing? Then do so, because by the time you’ve caught up to the proverbial leader something (or someone) else will blow right past you. Yes, the field is changing that fast and yes, there’s a *lot* to learn.

Focusing on bad reviews translates to two unintended, negative messages. One: “My readers are too stupid to tell the difference between a good review and a bad one.” I don’t believe that for a second, by the way. And two: “I am so insecure about my books that I will attack anyone who doesn’t like them.”

If you’re that insecure about your work, then I strongly suggest that you hire someone else to do your marketing for you. Focusing on bad opinions is a lose-lose situation. After all, it’s not the vocal (e.g. I LOVE YOU or I HATE YOU) readers you have to worry about. You already know what they think about your work. The ones you should concentrate on? Are the ones who aren’t talking.

I don’t think my post is going to change anyone’s mind about how they treat bad reviews, but I do feel that having to write this seems fairly ironic to me. We’ve all written stories for editors before. Now, the same exact story one editor loves could turn around and be the same exact story another one hates. If we know that, even on a subconscious level, then why waste time on people who aren’t fully vested in your Work? Why bother getting upset over the readers you can’t win over?

Mood: Zen with a Side of Lemon
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Enough iced tea to float in a small pool
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Walkin’, walking’
In My Ears: ambient noise
strong>Game Last Played: Battle Nations
Movie Last Viewed: Sherlock Holmes a Game of Shadows
Latest Artistic Project: Beaded lace in soft peach
Latest Release: “Don’t Ignore Your Dead” included in Don’t Read This Book for the Don’t Rest Your Head RPG

Phew! It has been a whirlwind of a summer. I’ve got multiple conventions coming up. GenCon: Indy. WorldCon in Chicago. Geek*Kon here in town. A trade show in September, and more after that. Convention planning is a lot of work. So much, in fact, that that particular phrase has been stuck in my mind. I even mentioned it in a recent interview with Jennisodes.

I prefer podcasting to written interviews sometimes because I can nerd it up. I understand why people have things like personas and images they hide behind online, but I’ve never been a very good liar. I yam who I yam who I yam. (Yes, that was a Popeye quote. And yes, the randomness is also completely me.)

Being genuine has its advantages and disadvantages like anything else. While I have to be “on” at a show, there are places where I can relax. That place this year was CONvergence, for sure.

I think the hardest thing to express is how much I love what I do. All I have are my words, and sometimes those fail me. I’m taking creative risks this year and we’ll see how those pan out. It’s a weird place to be for any author I suppose. You’re writing like mad, you don’t know who else cares about your work (besides yourself) unless they speak up, and you’re shooting for some way to crack a proverbial ceiling you don’t *think* is there but everyone else seems to believe exists. (It doesn’t, by the way. Luck and timing are nothing without the Work (or the ability to create the Work) itself. You always need that to stand on first, in my opinion, because this is where confidence comes from.)

I know that many of you have told me in person how much you appreciate me “sharing the ride” so to speak. I hope, regardless of what happens, I’ll always be able to do that. I think it’s important to know that every author rises and falls regardless of where they are.

I’m not afraid to talk about the rollercoaster. Can’t always be up. And won’t, definitely, be down all the time, either. But that, for me, is not what being an author is all about. To be able to live and love and write and make all kinds of art is a dream unto itself. To make a career out of this (even part-time) is wonderful, sure, but even that is not my rock. The ability to do what I do and feel such joy every time I’m in that zone? That’s what grounds me.

I suppose, before I get too philosophical and teary-eyed, I’ll leave you now. I’m in love with my Work. How ’bout you?

Mood: Creative
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: I had this thing called “green coffee.” Not sure how I feel about that.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Some, but the heat is making me crappy.
In My Ears: Nuts and Honey
Game Last Played: Star Wars Battlefront
Movie Last Viewed: Sherlock Holmes a Game of Shadows
Latest Artistic Project: A grey and aqua bracelet
Latest Release: “Don’t Ignore Your Dead” included in Don’t Read This Book for the Don’t Rest Your Head RPG

Oh, how much things have changed. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since The Queen of Crows debuted. Here we are now and I feel the trailer still stands up to the test of time. So much so, I’m talking to a video editor about cutting an updated version into a widescreen edition.

For those of you who don’t already know, the trailer was a collaborative project. James Semple composed the music, Leanne Buckley illustrated Mahochepi, and I put all the pieces together. Fun!

Mood: Inspired
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Enough to make me crave water.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Up, down, and all around.
In My Ears: Compulsion by Doves
Game Last Played: Ermm…
Movie Last Viewed: The Aristocats
Latest Artistic Project: A grey and aqua bracelet
Latest Release: “Don’t Ignore Your Dead” included in Don’t Read This Book for the Don’t Rest Your Head RPG

I feel like a sea slug sometimes because if you read my “updates” online, it doesn’t seem like I’m working on a whole heck of a lot. The lack of “let me tell you what I’m doing every minute of every day” was a conscious decision on my part so I could feel a little freer when I’m in the trenches. I’ve got a few short stories out in the wilds right now and a couple of manuscripts I’m editing, but I don’t want to put the cart before the proverbial horse with no contracts or agent for the long form stuff.

Writing on spec can sometimes be very difficult for that reason — especially since this is a complete role reversal from running the freelancing circuit. Still, I feel it’s in everybody’s best interest if I don’t talk about what you may not ever expect. Thing is, with bigger projects like Violet War, I was trying to get interest in the setting but I *never* had any plans to self-publish that series. All that PR ended up being a huge distraction and some of the short stories I’ve pitched just weren’t as popular as my other, more darker fare. Now, part of that could have been I didn’t submit to the right markets given that VW is solidly urban fantasy, but also the violet war setting is very, very big. How large? Enough for hundreds if not thousands of stories. Short stories I write now may not be as meaningful to the reader unless they’re clearly connected to a novel or two. The long form has to come after the origin story I penned called “The Queen of Crows.”

I know a lot of people have very specific opinions about book marketing in general, but for me the timeliness of that will begin not when I accept the contract, but when the work is either done and accepted for publication or solicited with a Kickstarter.

Additionally, I want you to know that I feel this sort of thing is part of any author’s career. It’s not all steak and eggs, my friends. We screw up. I’m just not afraid to admit when I do because I learn from those mistakes and move on. In an age where we’re all supposed to be “perfect,” there’s nothing more gratifying than messing up, laughing at my stupidity, and putting more words down on the page. At the end of the day, the Work is all that matters. The less laughter, the more tears, the greater the negative impact on my Work. It’s a good thing to know!

There will be other publishing debuts coming yet this year, but again: I think there is such a thing as talking about a project too soon. At least on my end of things.

Mood: Escaping the heat. Ice ice baby.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Questionable. I plead the fifth, sixth, and eighth.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Crazy-woman housekeeping
In My Ears: This is the last battle by Final Fantasy III
Game Last Played: Ermm…
Movie Last Viewed: The Aristocats
Latest Artistic Project: A grey and aqua bracelet
Latest Release: “Don’t Ignore Your Dead” included in Don’t Read This Book for the Don’t Rest Your Head RPG