It is seductive to a writer to pump the story out and have it received by the public. But it is extremely important to take the extra time to set the book aside and come back later to re-assess the manuscript before publication.
Diamante Lavendar- 25 January 2016
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
I started doing reviews as part of becoming known as an author.
How do you review a book? Is it a read first, and then make notes, or do you make notes as you go along?
I read a book in its entirety and then I write the review.
What are you looking for?
Interesting plot and characters. Colorful, quirky themes.
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
I usually deduct one star of the rating scale in those circumstances. Then I explain why I did.
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
If I stay on task, it shouldn't take more than a week. I do have a day job and other things going on, so I'm not able to just pick up a book and read basically from start to finish.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
I use the standard five star rating system. It's easy to comprehend since it's so widely used.
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
Send an informative email. Tell the reviewer about your book, but not in a lengthy way. Use the synopsis from the back cover and a picture of the cover along with some general information such as current reviews and the genre it is written in.
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
I've had some readers thank me for my reviews. I've had a good response on my reviews on Amazon. They've been well received.
My advice to authors on getting a 'bad' review (hasten to add that might mean a perfectly honest, well written, fair review – just bad from the author's point of view) is to take what you can from it and move on. Under no circumstances to 'argue' with the reviewer – would you agree with that?
Yes. Once the reviewer has written his/her review, that is the consensus of the book that the reviewer has obtained. No argument can refute the opinion. But it is only an opinion. So I encourage writers to keep that in mind as well.
About Reading
We talk a lot about writing here on the blog, and possibly not enough about reading, which is after all why we're all here. Why do you think people love reading? We're seeing lots of statistics that say reading as a pastime is dying – do you think that's the case?
I don't think people read as much as they used to….because of technology. But I do think there are still a reliable set of readers out there who enjoy good books. It's just a bit more difficult for writers now because of the sheer volume of writers available as well as the advances of technology biting into the "reading community" available.
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
Not doing enough editing. I actually made that mistake on my first book. And I caught some heat for it. So I've decided to rewrite it in the future, after my next release this spring.
It is seductive to a writer to pump the story out and have it received by the public. But it is extremely important to take the extra time to set the book aside and come back later to re-assess the manuscript before publication. The story becomes so integrated with the writer that at times it is hard to see flaws in the story unless it is set aside for a time and then reevaluated.
We're told that the first page, paragraph, chapter, is absolutely key in making or breaking a book. Agents typically request only the first five pages of a novel; what do you think about that? If a book hasn't grabbed you by the first five pages, do you put it down?
I agree that the beginning of the book is important…how you present the story from the first page does make a difference. Again…a point I learned the hard way with my first book! But, after having said that, I have gone ahead and read books I wanted to put down in the beginning and they turned out to be quite enjoyable. So I've learned to stick with it to see the outcome. Many times it is worth wading through a slow start to find a wonderful story line emerge!
Is there anything you will not review?
I will not review horror, erotica or most nonfiction books.
About Publishing
What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the "slush-pile has moved online"?
As with everything, there is good and bad. There are good books out there and bad ones. However, I have reviewed quite a number of indie books now and I must say that most of them have been very interesting and enjoyable. I've only run across a couple that I thought needed major revisions. Most of the authors out there are very talented.
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
Yes. I think the traditional publishing industry has been overtaken by a select few to the point that indie writers need to self publish in order to become recognized. And I think that awareness is becoming more widespread. Therefore, I see self publishing being appreciated and taken more seriously as of late. It is the best way for talented indie authors to emerge onto the writing scene.
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can 'filter' good from bad, aside from reviews?
I believe that reviews are definitely the most important aspect of filtering that goes on in the industry. I do think presence is important, too, however. Not as much so as reviews but it still speaks volumes about an author and his/her viewpoints and beliefs. Social media is becoming critical in the introductions of authors and their material to the world. And a positive, well written presence on social media often correlates to a positive writing presence also. Not always, but most of the time I have found it to be true!
End of Interview:
Visit Diamante's blog to read her reviews.
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