S.V. Divvaakar's Blog
December 27, 2013
Of Pen Names
Dear goodreaders,
Anyone out there tinkered with pen names? I have had to cross that bridge this month, caught between the release of a business book - which has to be in my name, and a fiction title. The target markets and platforms are rather different. Lots of conflicting views later, I took the decision to adopt a pen name for my fiction titles.
I believe goodreads does not (as yet) have an integration feature, and each name has to have a separate account.
However, I wanted to be honest with all of you who've touched my life in your own miraculous ways.
Do know that if you come across a Dee Walker somewhere, it could be yours truly. I will be inviting you all to add me on your list of course.
Best wishes for 2014!
Anyone out there tinkered with pen names? I have had to cross that bridge this month, caught between the release of a business book - which has to be in my name, and a fiction title. The target markets and platforms are rather different. Lots of conflicting views later, I took the decision to adopt a pen name for my fiction titles.
I believe goodreads does not (as yet) have an integration feature, and each name has to have a separate account.
However, I wanted to be honest with all of you who've touched my life in your own miraculous ways.
Do know that if you come across a Dee Walker somewhere, it could be yours truly. I will be inviting you all to add me on your list of course.
Best wishes for 2014!
November 21, 2012
My policy on Rating Books
As an avid reader who has now taken fledgling steps toward writing, I have begun thinking about those five stars that accompany many books including on sites like goodreads.
I would like to share my thinking and policy on my review ratings for books. Firstly, I cannot conclude on any book as bad, lousy, or any superlative terms that can be derogatory. Because, I think that as Indians we have come a long way with English fiction only because we have dared with conviction and determination to love and embrace English in our own Indian way. May there be millions of Indian fiction works of all types to form the plasma out of which a future generation of global writers emerge.
With that philosophy, I propose to be generous with praise, and reticent with criticism. As a result, you will only find ratings of 3/5 or more on my shelf. I shall not post a rating of 1 or 2, if I read something that i feel does not make me highlight three stars. I'd rather not rate it at all.
I plan to rate only books that I have read since September 2012. My earlier reads will not carry reviews or ratings. So you will find some books that I have read and enjoyed in the past, but will not be rated. Doesnt mean that they rank below 3. It is just because I may have moved on a lot meanwhile, and unless I read them again, an attempt to rate them will be flawed.
I would like to share my thinking and policy on my review ratings for books. Firstly, I cannot conclude on any book as bad, lousy, or any superlative terms that can be derogatory. Because, I think that as Indians we have come a long way with English fiction only because we have dared with conviction and determination to love and embrace English in our own Indian way. May there be millions of Indian fiction works of all types to form the plasma out of which a future generation of global writers emerge.
With that philosophy, I propose to be generous with praise, and reticent with criticism. As a result, you will only find ratings of 3/5 or more on my shelf. I shall not post a rating of 1 or 2, if I read something that i feel does not make me highlight three stars. I'd rather not rate it at all.
I plan to rate only books that I have read since September 2012. My earlier reads will not carry reviews or ratings. So you will find some books that I have read and enjoyed in the past, but will not be rated. Doesnt mean that they rank below 3. It is just because I may have moved on a lot meanwhile, and unless I read them again, an attempt to rate them will be flawed.
