Reviewing the Situation

A former skip tracer crosses paths with a beautiful con artist and learns that trouble in paradise would be easier to resist if she didn’t have such great legs.
PHOTO FINISH by Terry Ambrose

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Talk about trouble in paradise. Today, Reds, The "r" word. Reviews. I have heard some authors insist they never read them. I cannot believe this. However, I bet it would be healthier. So we all look at it (except for Hallie, another cross-over) from the standpoint of the author. But how about from the standpoint of the person who's sitting (and writing) in judgement?

Here's Terry Ambrose, who writes reviews for Examiner.com. He's also a Guppy, right? And his first novel is just out--hurray! And more about that below...including a giveaway! But first, he's gonna tell the Reds all his secrets.
(And oh--I asked my husband to choose a winner--he closed his eyes, pointed..and picked Dru! So Dru wins THE OTHER WOMAN! Dru, email me your address!)
And now Terry Ambrose has:

The Good News--and the Bad News

by Terry Ambrose

When Hank asked me to write a post about being a book reviewer, my first reaction was,
“Uh, okay, but what would I--"

Then, Hank started asking questions. How do you get books to read? How do you choose them? What if you hate them?

And that got me to thinking about some of the books I’ve reviewed that really weren’t, shall we say, my cup of tea. Before I answer the question of how I handle those books I don’t fall in love with, let’s start at the beginning with how a book might land in my lap for a review.

I’m a freelance writer for Examiner.com and write book reviews for a NationalCrime Fiction column. Some writers seek me out when they’re looking for a review. Sometimes, I’ll learn about a writer from a different source and may approach them.

When I seek out an author, I have a good idea of what I’m getting because I’ll have researched the book or seen the PR materials that describe it. However, when they find me, I may not have any details about their book. The good news is that sometimes, this means I get a delightful surprise and find a new writer that I love. And then there’s the bad news.

Let’s just say that everyone has books that someone raves about, but that they don’t like. When that happens with a book that I’m reviewing, I’ll typically have “The Talk” with the author—take an honest review or forget the whole deal. The bottom line is that I won’t lie about a book. But, if the author is willing to accept a less-than-stellar review that points out the strengths and weaknesses of the book, then I’m willing to write it up.

Unfortunately, the rise in self-publishing has allowed anyone—no matter how ill-qualified they might be—to write about any topic of their choice. I’d also like to add that I am not a reviewer who claims to know everything or whose judgement is flawless. I am, however, very picky about what I like. And, if  I don’t like a book, during The Talk, I’ll explain to the author that my goal is not to destroy their career, but to give potential readers enough information to make informed decisions.

That brings me to the question of how an author might improve their chances of getting a good review. Actually, it’s pretty simple. Other than the over-used cliche of “write a great book,” it’s mostly a matter of doing some “homework.” Many first-time authors start out by finishing their masterpiece, having their mom read it, and then publishing. Okay, that may be a bit unfair, but when a book has one typo or grammatical mistake every ten pages, something’s wrong.

So, my suggestion for authors in how to get a good review is to widen your circle of readers. Find people with whom you are not close friends, i.e., people who have no stake in making you happy.And have them be honest. Secondly, make sure those people are decent spellers and know grammar basics.

What if you’re an author who's getting ready to publish, but want to start obtaining reviews in advance? Easy. Just tell the reviewer that this is a pre-production copy and that there may be typos. For me, as a reviewer, that’s not a problem. And, as a bonus to the author, I’ll probably send them notes as I come across those pesky errors. Why would I do that? Because if I like the book, I want an assurance from the writer that he will help reinforce my reputation by correcting those errors.

As someone who’s just crossed the line from reviewer to author, I find myself in the dubious position of seeking reviews for my own debut novel. Suddenly, I’m on the other end of the waiting game and hoping that some reviewer somewhere doesn’t decide I need a public flogging. What do you think? Should reviewers be brutal? Is it the reviewer’s job to always find something bad? And, how do you feel when you read a five-star review on a one-star book?

HANK: So, questions for Terry? Now that he's here...he's gotta let us in on everything we always wanted to know...right? And let us ask: Do you read reviews? Which ones? Why? Have you ever wondered how to get a reviewer your book? Have you ever commented on a review? Have you ever written a review? (I was a movie reviewer in 1975 for a TV station--I was so intimidated by the responsibility!) And Terry--does being an author change the way your review others' books?

And the Reds are giving away a copy of PHOTO FINISH to one lucky commenter!

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Terry Ambrose is a writer at heart.He started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quicklylearned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car,but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in thedark when “negotiations” failed.

A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, wherehe invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught himmany valuable life lessons including—always keep your car in the garage.

Find PHOTO FINISH here!