I think storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human life, and I doubt that would materially change. We’ll keep telling ourselves stories – and read them, of course – for as long as we are human.
Assaph Mehr – 12 November 2018
About Reviewing
How did you get started?
I always loved reading and discussing books with friends. I started leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon (as well as blogging them) once I became an author myself and understood their importance.
How do you review a book? Is it a read first, and then make notes, or do you make notes as you go along?
Read first, then summarise my impressions. My reviews are geared towards other readers’ expectations. I have a 5-item format to highlight the experience of reading the novel, so others can judge if the book will be to their tastes. I cover the following: what brought me to read the book, what to expect, what I liked, what to be aware of, and a summary.
What are you looking for?
I read whatever catches my fancy at that moment. It changes over time and moods. As long as I’m enjoying it, I’ll read it – life’s too short for books I don’t enjoy.
If a book has a great plot, great characters, but the grammar is less than perfect, how do you deal with that?
I’ll live. Unless it’s exceedingly bad, if the plot and characters hook me I’ll probably continue reading. I might mention it in the review as I know it bugs some people, depending on the severity of the problem.
How long does it take you to get through, say, an eighty thousand-word book?
I don’t time myself reading. I read to enjoy, and sometimes it means going over paragraphs again to get the full nuances. It also depends on available time throughout the week (between family, work, and my own writing). On average, I read between one and four books per month.
How did you come up with your rating system, and could you explain more about the rating system?
Easy. If I start a book, it’s because I expect I’ll enjoy it. Enjoyment is a personal standard, and I fully acknowledge that it depends on tastes and mood. Accordingly, my ratings are:
- 5 stars: really loved it, will be reading more from this author soon
- 4 stars: loved it
- 3 stars: meh
I often don’t finish 3-star books, and definitely none with lower ratings. Life’s too short, as I mentioned. I also will rarely post a review unless it’s 4 or 5 stars.
What advice could you give to authors looking to get their books reviewed?
Keep at it. Keep reaching out to potential readers and reviewers, but be polite and courteous. Never pay for reviews, never respond with anything but a “thank you” (even for ‘bad’ reviews).
When you are approaching readers (and every reader is a potential reviewer), think like one. Don’t think as an author or editor, don’t talk as one, and generally don’t talk about yourself. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes, and talk to them as a fellow reader might about the book.
Do you get readers emailing you and thanking you for a review?
It happened 
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?
Absolutely. Argument won’t get you anything but a bad reputation, that will keep both reviewers and readers away. Live, learn, and improve in your next work.
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?
Hardly the case. I think storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human life, and I doubt that would materially change. We’ll keep telling ourselves stories – and read them, of course – for as long as we are human. News of the impending demise of literature and fine art have been around for as long as there were literature and fine art – no need to take it seriously this time around.
About Writing
What are the most common mistakes that you see authors making?
Not getting books edited, using a generic cover, and not producing books properly.
By editing I don’t mean copy-editing / proof-reading for language, but actual, proper, story-development editing. It’s natural to be protective of your ‘baby’ – you’ve written a book (awesome!) and getting feedback can feel very harsh in the beginning.
Once you learn how to work with professional editors and find one that suits your style, your writing will dramatically improve.
Note that you really need an experienced, impartial editor, but even then you don’t have to agree on every point. But it’s the process of experienced, unbiased highlighting of issues and consciously thinking about them that improves your craft.
If you can’t afford a pro editor, work with beta readers – but bear in mind that you get what you pay for. So, with betas, I’d recommend getting as many as you can and looking for common issues. Also keep in mind this quote by Neil Gaiman: “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
And do get someone to proof your work after you’ve made changes, before the final publication. At least that step is easy enough, and extremely noticeable to most people.
With covers, we all know the adage of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It’s a common saying because your book will be judged by its cover. So spend the money on a specialist cover designer, not an illustration from a friend or some cheap gig you found online.
Lastly there’s book layout and typography. Perhaps I’m more sensitive to this as it’s an area I’m proficient in, but to me it’s very easy to see when someone just uploaded a Word document to Kindle vs a professional book production. It’s the little touches that readers might not be able to put a finger too, but collectively give a distinct ‘feel’ to the book, whether amateur or pro.
If you invest money in all those three aspects (listed in order of importance), you’ll set yourself apart from (unfortunately) 90% of indie authors and together with the professionals.
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?
If I start a book it’s because I expect to enjoy it. I’ll give it more than the first few pages – though I’ll probably know by the end of chapter one.
That is different from agents and purchasing editors, though. They are not just reading the novel, but are looking for something specific – something they believe they could sell. They can tell within the first few pages if the manuscript fits their requirement at the time.
Note that both with personal reading and with querying, requirements change over time and from person to person. It isn’t necessarily a refection on your book (and certainly not on you), but on what the reader is looking for when they picked up your work.
Is there anything you will not review?
I only review books I finished, and I only finish reading books I enjoyed reading. I read voraciously in and out of my main genres, but saying that there are definitely genres I’d find more or less enjoyable. I’m much more likely to read fantasy, historical mysteries and other spec fic than romance or anything with a six-pack on the cover.
About Publishing
What do you think of the oft-quoted comment that the “slush-pile has moved online”?
As opposed to what? Snooki’s memoirs from Jersey Shore that did make the cut?
The publishing industry is undergoing a traumatic upheaval, same as the movie and music industry a couple of decades ago. The reality is that traditional publishing is a losing business. Most new-author books don’t earn out their advances, and publishers rely on the 1-in-10 success stories to stay in business. They are not equipped to deal with the current volume of submissions, and instead try to go narrow with mostly proven authors and formulas (with notable exceptions, of course).
On the flip side, many indie authors are getting smarter and are no longer publishing their first draft but getting proper editing, covers, and other services – and are rewarded by making decent profits, even without the NYT best-seller badge (which is subject to its own ills and manipulations).
There are good and bad novels on both side of the business, and plenty of new hybrid models. The publishing industry will have to come to grips with this new reality, and find new ways to make it work for everyone.
Do you think attitudes are changing with respect to indie or self-published titles?
Slowly and painfully, but yes. Publishers choose manuscript they think will sell – which could be trite, repetitious drivel. But at least it will be published to certain standards. Indie authors, on the other hand, aren’t helping their cause by skipping editing, covers, and layout, and by overly vocal whinging.
Readers will adapt to the new paradigms faster than giant publishers, and will get smart in recognising, pursuing, and rewarding quality on both sides.
Do you have any ideas or comments on how the industry can ‘filter’ good from bad, aside from reviews?
That’s the million-dollar question, that every publisher would love to know. Reviews, especially en masse, are effective as are editorial assessments. But no one, no matter what they claim, can tell ahead of time which book will take off and which won’t. Just look at JK Rowling’s rejection letters. I’ll leave you with this anonymous quote: “Art is what people look at and say, ‘that’s art’.” Perhaps recognising quality and success can only be done after the fact.
End of Interview:
Assaph’s reviews can be found on his author site, Felix the Fox Mysteries.
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