Melanie Jackson's Blog
January 1, 2011
The Delicate Art of The Review
Gentle reader, let us take a moment and talk about reviews. Reviews can be a wonderful help to books that might otherwise be overlooked because they aren't on the best-sellers list, and speaking as both a writer and a reader, I am grateful when someone takes the time to share their thoughts about a book. And if it is my book you are enthused about, I throw roses at your feet for the kindness. I know it takes time and effort so XOXO to you for doing it.
What I am less happy about is the review that dwells on things beyond an author's control. Many people don't know that in books from traditional publishers, the author usually has no say in art work, titles, or if a copy editor decided to insert a semi-colon and the word 'Excalibur' in every other sentence. And once printed, even if the publisher were inclined to change any of the above to please readers, they cannot because of the expense. Margins are thin, bottom lines are often red. So before jumping online and lambasting the book or author, ask yourself if they really deserve your ire, especially if the review suggests that semi-colons are as bad as cannibalism or nuclear war and the author is an evil as Adolf Hitler because they have a brown horse on the cover. Those bad reviews cause a lot of grief for anyone who isn't Nora Roberts or James Patterson. And remember that the book is not the person. Hate the sin but love the sinner, at least as much as possible.
Also beyond the author's control are technical problems with websites like Amazon or B&N. In e or print, an author cannot force a business to keep their servers running, to list the books immediately (even if the book is already on Smashwords so why not B&n damn it!), to download samples promptly or regulate after-Christmas traffic when everyone wants to use their gift-certificates at once. We cannot force Holywood to make books into movies. And to blame the author for this is unreasonable. Point the angry finger at customer service, not at a book or author. Blaming the author or the book for outside difficulties would be like someone driving past where you work and coming in and demanding you have your pay cut or be fired because they don't like the color of the building you're in and then dumping your desk on the floor so you have to spend time cleaning up someone else's mess. Bad reviews because a book isn't available in large print, or has a bad cover, or isn't available in foreign languages doesn't do anything but hurt the author. And seriously, if you want large print or a book in German, write to the publisher. They actually like to know that there is interest in things like this.
And please read the book before you review it. As much as I love a five star review it takes some of the joy out of the experience when the review says 'I give it five stars because I am sure it will be really good because it's sounds just like Twilight'. Though that is better that 'I give it one star because I'm sure it will be very bad and not at all like Twilight'.
Lastly, sign your name. Have the courage of your convictions. If a book is really the 'worst book of all time' then you are doing a public service by warning people and don't hide behind 'anonymous'.
Not that my readers would ever do this. The people who have read and reviewed my books are intelligent and fair-minded and generous with their time. They are real people with real problems and real lives who would like to live in a just world. Just like authors.
BTW, please write if you are inclined. It is a pleasure to hear from readers and I really do read all my email.
What I am less happy about is the review that dwells on things beyond an author's control. Many people don't know that in books from traditional publishers, the author usually has no say in art work, titles, or if a copy editor decided to insert a semi-colon and the word 'Excalibur' in every other sentence. And once printed, even if the publisher were inclined to change any of the above to please readers, they cannot because of the expense. Margins are thin, bottom lines are often red. So before jumping online and lambasting the book or author, ask yourself if they really deserve your ire, especially if the review suggests that semi-colons are as bad as cannibalism or nuclear war and the author is an evil as Adolf Hitler because they have a brown horse on the cover. Those bad reviews cause a lot of grief for anyone who isn't Nora Roberts or James Patterson. And remember that the book is not the person. Hate the sin but love the sinner, at least as much as possible.
Also beyond the author's control are technical problems with websites like Amazon or B&N. In e or print, an author cannot force a business to keep their servers running, to list the books immediately (even if the book is already on Smashwords so why not B&n damn it!), to download samples promptly or regulate after-Christmas traffic when everyone wants to use their gift-certificates at once. We cannot force Holywood to make books into movies. And to blame the author for this is unreasonable. Point the angry finger at customer service, not at a book or author. Blaming the author or the book for outside difficulties would be like someone driving past where you work and coming in and demanding you have your pay cut or be fired because they don't like the color of the building you're in and then dumping your desk on the floor so you have to spend time cleaning up someone else's mess. Bad reviews because a book isn't available in large print, or has a bad cover, or isn't available in foreign languages doesn't do anything but hurt the author. And seriously, if you want large print or a book in German, write to the publisher. They actually like to know that there is interest in things like this.
And please read the book before you review it. As much as I love a five star review it takes some of the joy out of the experience when the review says 'I give it five stars because I am sure it will be really good because it's sounds just like Twilight'. Though that is better that 'I give it one star because I'm sure it will be very bad and not at all like Twilight'.
Lastly, sign your name. Have the courage of your convictions. If a book is really the 'worst book of all time' then you are doing a public service by warning people and don't hide behind 'anonymous'.
Not that my readers would ever do this. The people who have read and reviewed my books are intelligent and fair-minded and generous with their time. They are real people with real problems and real lives who would like to live in a just world. Just like authors.
BTW, please write if you are inclined. It is a pleasure to hear from readers and I really do read all my email.
November 14, 2010
Giving Thanks
As is often the case, I sometimes need to be reminded of all things I have to be thankful for. So it's good Thanksgiving is coming. What would be lovely is to give thanks over some new veggie recipes. Gone are the days when I can eat cheese-smothered everything followed up with indecently-sized slices of pie.
For those still looking for fun recipes, you might want to read Death In a Turkey Town and Murder on Parade. Plenty of things to frighten dieters there and mysteries as well :-).
Happy Thanksgiving, my cyber friends. Go forth in gratitude and eat turkey with family and friends. I'll eat my cauliflower and wish you were here.
For those still looking for fun recipes, you might want to read Death In a Turkey Town and Murder on Parade. Plenty of things to frighten dieters there and mysteries as well :-).
Happy Thanksgiving, my cyber friends. Go forth in gratitude and eat turkey with family and friends. I'll eat my cauliflower and wish you were here.
October 11, 2010
Knock and the Door Will Open
Ask and ye shall receive. It seems my pleas and curses to a higher power has allowed me back into Goodreads. And about time! Where would I be without friends to help me find my holiday reading?
Speaking of holiday reads, if you haven't seen the new cover on Halloween you are missing a work of art. It was done by the British cover artist Neil Jackson (no realtion-- alas!). Also in the proper spirit we have The Pumpkin Thief and Death in a Turkey Town. And if you are ready for something really wild take a look at First Book of Dreams: Metropolis. How do you fight off a Narcovampire who feeds on your soul when you sleep?
Happy Halloween and Happy Reading!
Speaking of holiday reads, if you haven't seen the new cover on Halloween you are missing a work of art. It was done by the British cover artist Neil Jackson (no realtion-- alas!). Also in the proper spirit we have The Pumpkin Thief and Death in a Turkey Town. And if you are ready for something really wild take a look at First Book of Dreams: Metropolis. How do you fight off a Narcovampire who feeds on your soul when you sleep?
Happy Halloween and Happy Reading!
October 5, 2010
So Long and Thanks for the Fish
Technology-- our friend when used for good. But lately I am seeing evil everywhere. Someone infected the old pc with a virus that could not be cleared and leave the machine stable. So I have a new pc with a beautiful screen that came loaded with Windows 7 and a new version of Word that some strange person actually feels is an improvement on the old one where one could follow the path of logic and see where files were being stored. Nor will Windows 7 support my old and best photo manipulation software. Whatever is up with Windows 7, I can neither get to me old POP email server or log into Goodreads, so gentle reader, I will be here until the old machine implodes completely and then I am gone. And, BTW, I cannot report a bug that won't let me log in because I CAN'T LOG IN. Nor can I open a new account here.
On a happier note, it is October now. We have rain and monster movie marathons and a bunch a strange new candy like gummi boogers and werewolf hair (cotton candy that looks like it came from the vacumm bag). Where were these things when I was young enough to think they were keen and not disgusting? The weirdest we got was wax lips with big teeth (which were pretty damned funny, I must say).
If you happen by the website, www.melaniejackson.com , stop in and see tha Halloween decorations. Also take a look at the new series Book of Dreams. I'm willing to bet you've never read anything quite like it.
Happy Halloween. I'll see you when I see you.
On a happier note, it is October now. We have rain and monster movie marathons and a bunch a strange new candy like gummi boogers and werewolf hair (cotton candy that looks like it came from the vacumm bag). Where were these things when I was young enough to think they were keen and not disgusting? The weirdest we got was wax lips with big teeth (which were pretty damned funny, I must say).
If you happen by the website, www.melaniejackson.com , stop in and see tha Halloween decorations. Also take a look at the new series Book of Dreams. I'm willing to bet you've never read anything quite like it.
Happy Halloween. I'll see you when I see you.
September 22, 2010
No Free Lunch-- But Free Books
Dorchester Publishing has teamed up with Kobo/Borders and is offering Divine Fire
for free download this week. It comes in many formats and can even be read on the computer. Thrill as Lord Byron takes on Dr. Frankenstein and an army of ghouls. Happy early Halloween.
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Divine...
for free download this week. It comes in many formats and can even be read on the computer. Thrill as Lord Byron takes on Dr. Frankenstein and an army of ghouls. Happy early Halloween. http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Divine...
August 27, 2010
GERBILDOC4
How many of you remember when there was no Windows and DOS ruled the computer world? I'm talking way back when floppy disks were still floppy and people weren't ashamed of disco. Well, that was when I wrote a trilogy of westerns (Bad Medicine, Medicine Man and Knave of Hearts). At the time the books were deemed not violent enough and far too sexy by the editors that saw them (and wanted to spare the armchair cowboys their blushes if they read about men kissing something besides their horses). So the books went into a trunk and were forgotten-- along with those time- traveling Vikings that would never sell because 'what woman could love a man who didn't know what french fries are?'.
In the years that followed I had three computer upgrades, Windows came along, we discovered the internet, and floppy disks went hard. My current very expensive and very smart computer-- smart because I paid for a memory upgrade-- can't translate my dinosaur DOS into anything better than snippets of pidgen English. Like: ÷„ò„á„ð„ „é„ô„ „á„ì„ì„ „õ„ð„ „é„î„ „á„ „÷„é„î„ä„é„î„ç„ „ó„è„å„å„ô„, Mitchell thought. Á„ „÷„ï„ì„æ„ „í„á„ù„ „ì„ï„ó„å„ „è„é„ó„ „ô„å„å„ô„脬„ „ð„å„ô„é„ô„儬„ „â„õ„ô„ „î„ï„ô„ „è„é„ó„ „î„á„ô„õ„ò„å„®„ „ ‚Ô„è„å„ò„儧„ó„ „î„ï„ô„è„é„„ „ô„ï„ „ä„ï„ „÷„é„ô„è„ „á„ „ò„ï„ç„õ„å„ „ô„è„á„ô„§„ó„ „ä„å„ö„å„ì„ï„ð„å„ä„ „á„ „ô„á„ó„ô„å„ „ âæ„ï„ò„ „á„ „ã„å„ she exclaimed „ô„á„ó„ô„å„ and the dress.
Nevertheless, I see in this sea of a gorp the bones of a good story, and so I am digging it out, one letter and symbol at a time. And someday, maybe even this year, Knave of Hearts will be ready to share with the world that is now prepared for sexy cowboys who use their heads as well as their fists. And other things.
In the years that followed I had three computer upgrades, Windows came along, we discovered the internet, and floppy disks went hard. My current very expensive and very smart computer-- smart because I paid for a memory upgrade-- can't translate my dinosaur DOS into anything better than snippets of pidgen English. Like: ÷„ò„á„ð„ „é„ô„ „á„ì„ì„ „õ„ð„ „é„î„ „á„ „÷„é„î„ä„é„î„ç„ „ó„è„å„å„ô„, Mitchell thought. Á„ „÷„ï„ì„æ„ „í„á„ù„ „ì„ï„ó„å„ „è„é„ó„ „ô„å„å„ô„脬„ „ð„å„ô„é„ô„儬„ „â„õ„ô„ „î„ï„ô„ „è„é„ó„ „î„á„ô„õ„ò„å„®„ „ ‚Ô„è„å„ò„儧„ó„ „î„ï„ô„è„é„„ „ô„ï„ „ä„ï„ „÷„é„ô„è„ „á„ „ò„ï„ç„õ„å„ „ô„è„á„ô„§„ó„ „ä„å„ö„å„ì„ï„ð„å„ä„ „á„ „ô„á„ó„ô„å„ „ âæ„ï„ò„ „á„ „ã„å„ she exclaimed „ô„á„ó„ô„å„ and the dress.
Nevertheless, I see in this sea of a gorp the bones of a good story, and so I am digging it out, one letter and symbol at a time. And someday, maybe even this year, Knave of Hearts will be ready to share with the world that is now prepared for sexy cowboys who use their heads as well as their fists. And other things.
August 25, 2010
The World's Going E-- be there or be square!
I resisted for the longest time. Every time someone argued the benefit of having thousands of titles at my fingertips, I argued back about the pleasure of smelling paper and ink, the tangible pleasure of holding something flexible and warm and glossy in my hands.... And everything I said is still true, but my flexible, good smelling books are starting to come apart now. And faced with having to replace them-- again-- a lot of my favorite titles are going onto the Nook instead of the bookshelf.
Does this mean our house will be devoid of books? No, there are still thousands of them in every room. But there will be fewer all the time. Because excepting some exquisite, rare and signed tomes-- antiques, often in foreign languages-- the ease of e-reading will probably win enough of the small battles to eventually win the war. Add to that the many on NY's authors are now self-publishing and their books are only in e-format and I think the trend is set.
Still, this is a little like the Christmas tree. We went artificial because I hated killing a tree every December. But pretty and practical as the tree is (woven willow branches with crystals that look like ice) nothing will ever replace all those fond memories of real trees and the wonderful way they smelled and looked and felt.
Does this mean our house will be devoid of books? No, there are still thousands of them in every room. But there will be fewer all the time. Because excepting some exquisite, rare and signed tomes-- antiques, often in foreign languages-- the ease of e-reading will probably win enough of the small battles to eventually win the war. Add to that the many on NY's authors are now self-publishing and their books are only in e-format and I think the trend is set.
Still, this is a little like the Christmas tree. We went artificial because I hated killing a tree every December. But pretty and practical as the tree is (woven willow branches with crystals that look like ice) nothing will ever replace all those fond memories of real trees and the wonderful way they smelled and looked and felt.
August 18, 2010
The Cat Talks About The Year of the Dog
This seems to be the year of the dog book-- not that I am complaining. I like a good dog book as much as the next cat, but how about giving felines equal time? I mean it has been awhile since there's been a Cat and The Curmudgeon kind of book. I did find one-- The Ghost and Miss Demure that has a cool cat named Frankenstein. It also has a kinky ghost, but hey-- every novel has secondary characters. And there is always A Curious Affair for those who like mysteries.
So, order some cats books, chase some dragonflies, take a long nap in the lobelia, and before you know it the books will be there. Or, if you live nearby, you can get these books at the animal shelter. I would kiss you for your good deeds-- except cats don't do that. We leave it for the droolie ones. If you want to write to the author you can at melaniejaxn@hotmail.com. She probably won't kiss you either, but she will say thank you for helping out her four-footed friends.
So, order some cats books, chase some dragonflies, take a long nap in the lobelia, and before you know it the books will be there. Or, if you live nearby, you can get these books at the animal shelter. I would kiss you for your good deeds-- except cats don't do that. We leave it for the droolie ones. If you want to write to the author you can at melaniejaxn@hotmail.com. She probably won't kiss you either, but she will say thank you for helping out her four-footed friends.
The Boots Were Made For Strutting (the cat talks books)
Shoes are not something a cat thinks about-- except how to avoid them, of course. But Miz Melanie is very excited about a new anthology of shoe stories that is coming out in May. It's called These Boots Were Made For Strutting and has a story by my human, Melanie Jackson. As per usual, Miz Melanie has included a cat in her story (And They Danced). He is a magical creature called Ambrose. The story also features a pair of shoes that Miz Melanie says are 'to-die-for'. I doubt she means it literally-- after all, what would be the point of that? Better to give them someone else's life, I said, even if it's for something great like steamed shrimp laced with catnip. If you are human and curious, you can see the shoes at: http://www.melaniejackson.com/hiheelia/ and see if they are something you'd die for.
August 17, 2010
Reading Resolutions (from the cat)
Humans have some very strange customs. Miz Melanie has explained the reading resolution to me. It is a concept that no cat would embrace. If we want to do something, then we do it. And if we don't want to do something, then we don't. Miss Melanie says that on the first day of the new month-- and who decided which day should be a new month anyway? Personally I would pick a fine day when the catnip was up in the garden and that would be a new month-- that she will start reading through her enormous tea-be-are (to be read) pile. She says she will also go on a diet.
I don't understand this at all. No cat would ever go on a diet. I don't think a dog would either, though with dogs you can never be entirely sure what they will do. The urge to please humans is ridiculously strong in them.... Miz Melanie asked what my resolution would be and I since I didn't like to disappoint her, I said to nap whenever I felt like it. She gave me an odd look-- we spend a fair amount of time being baffled by one another-- and then said that she hoped I was able to keep my resolution. I thanked her and said that I was pretty sure that I would be able to do my part for the new month and wished her luck too.
And how about all of you? Do you have any resolutions? Any books you want to read?
Snowy
I don't understand this at all. No cat would ever go on a diet. I don't think a dog would either, though with dogs you can never be entirely sure what they will do. The urge to please humans is ridiculously strong in them.... Miz Melanie asked what my resolution would be and I since I didn't like to disappoint her, I said to nap whenever I felt like it. She gave me an odd look-- we spend a fair amount of time being baffled by one another-- and then said that she hoped I was able to keep my resolution. I thanked her and said that I was pretty sure that I would be able to do my part for the new month and wished her luck too.
And how about all of you? Do you have any resolutions? Any books you want to read?
Snowy
