comments on stuff....
got an email from myself today. Apparently, I'm now selling the sex drug, Cialis. God, it's annoying enough getting those damn emails that sell everything from sex drugs to porn sites to penis enlargements, but when the bastards start using peoples real emails to mask their own, it's even worse. I wish there was something we could do to stop these idiots! But we can't, so in the meantime, if you happen to get a wierd email from my kez@keriarthur address selling sex drugs or the like, please remember it's not from me. And if anyone knows how to stop the idiots from using my email to mask their own, I'd appreciate the info.
Amazon--most authors won't admit to checking their amazon rankings or reading the reviews there, but most of us do it. For many, it's the only way we have of telling if the book is actually selling (royalty statements only come around twice a year, so sometimes there's a huge wait before you know.) So, we check Amazon, and get all excited when the numbers zoom down for a day or so, because it means we've sold a book (yep, one book sale can dramatically effect amazon's rankings.) I also like reading the reviews, whether they're good or bad. Nice reviews are always a good ego boost (and who doesn't like a pat on the back occassionally?), but it's also interesting to discover what people didn't like about the books. As I've said in past blogs, I realise not everyone is going to like what I write, and I have no problems with reviews that are less than complimentary. Hell, in the cheffing trade, if people only throw insults, then it's been a damn good day. But one of the recent reviews on amazon did surprise me enough that I'd thought I'd comment on it. And no, I'm not dissing the reviewer or the review. I think knowing what people don't like is just as important as knowing what they do. Writers have a duty-of-care to their readers, and part of that duty involves acknowledging concerns. Anyway, this particular review compared FMR to my very first book, Dancing with the Devil. The reviewer said that, sex aside, the FMR plot was basically the same as Dancing with the Devil, and that she could see it ending exactly the same, despite the different hoops the characters were going through. It was a comment that totally surprised me, because I can't see any similarities. But then, I guess my vision is colored by the fact that I've now written four books in this series, and I'm onto my fifth. To me, the Nikki and Michael series was a paranormal romance series while FMR and its sequels are dark urban fantasy--and the expected conventions of one does not flow over into the other. And those romance conventions certainly aren't followed in FMR. It's a good example of readers seeing something the writer doesn't--and it's also a gentle prod for me as a writer to remember those past books and ensure that future ones are totally different. And, more importantly, that they take readers along different paths and to totally unexpected places. I believe the FMR series does--but I guess those who read the future books will be the judge of that.
Anyway, while I'm on the subject of amazon, I just thought I'd say thank you to everyone who's taken the time to write a review for either amazon or someplace else. Whether your review was good or bad, your time and comments are still appreciated by this writer.
Writing news--well, after another day battling a muse that wanted to fluff about, I ended up getting another five pages done. I'm currently sitting at 146 pages completed, and ideally, I'd love to hit the 200 mark by the time I head over to RT in May. It's a totally achievable goal if my muse stops its fluffing and starts getting serious. Story wise, the characters are still flirting with the idea of having their first love scene. They're randy little buggers, these two, so who knows what will happen next. I know how I want the scene to end, but it appears the characters have other ideas. Ah, the joys of being a seat-of-the-pants writer! :D
Amazon--most authors won't admit to checking their amazon rankings or reading the reviews there, but most of us do it. For many, it's the only way we have of telling if the book is actually selling (royalty statements only come around twice a year, so sometimes there's a huge wait before you know.) So, we check Amazon, and get all excited when the numbers zoom down for a day or so, because it means we've sold a book (yep, one book sale can dramatically effect amazon's rankings.) I also like reading the reviews, whether they're good or bad. Nice reviews are always a good ego boost (and who doesn't like a pat on the back occassionally?), but it's also interesting to discover what people didn't like about the books. As I've said in past blogs, I realise not everyone is going to like what I write, and I have no problems with reviews that are less than complimentary. Hell, in the cheffing trade, if people only throw insults, then it's been a damn good day. But one of the recent reviews on amazon did surprise me enough that I'd thought I'd comment on it. And no, I'm not dissing the reviewer or the review. I think knowing what people don't like is just as important as knowing what they do. Writers have a duty-of-care to their readers, and part of that duty involves acknowledging concerns. Anyway, this particular review compared FMR to my very first book, Dancing with the Devil. The reviewer said that, sex aside, the FMR plot was basically the same as Dancing with the Devil, and that she could see it ending exactly the same, despite the different hoops the characters were going through. It was a comment that totally surprised me, because I can't see any similarities. But then, I guess my vision is colored by the fact that I've now written four books in this series, and I'm onto my fifth. To me, the Nikki and Michael series was a paranormal romance series while FMR and its sequels are dark urban fantasy--and the expected conventions of one does not flow over into the other. And those romance conventions certainly aren't followed in FMR. It's a good example of readers seeing something the writer doesn't--and it's also a gentle prod for me as a writer to remember those past books and ensure that future ones are totally different. And, more importantly, that they take readers along different paths and to totally unexpected places. I believe the FMR series does--but I guess those who read the future books will be the judge of that.
Anyway, while I'm on the subject of amazon, I just thought I'd say thank you to everyone who's taken the time to write a review for either amazon or someplace else. Whether your review was good or bad, your time and comments are still appreciated by this writer.
Writing news--well, after another day battling a muse that wanted to fluff about, I ended up getting another five pages done. I'm currently sitting at 146 pages completed, and ideally, I'd love to hit the 200 mark by the time I head over to RT in May. It's a totally achievable goal if my muse stops its fluffing and starts getting serious. Story wise, the characters are still flirting with the idea of having their first love scene. They're randy little buggers, these two, so who knows what will happen next. I know how I want the scene to end, but it appears the characters have other ideas. Ah, the joys of being a seat-of-the-pants writer! :D
posted by Kez at 4/12/2006
2 Comments:
Two days ago, someone left a strange comment on my website. The comment itself wasn't bad. It was personalized and obviously not spam. But then s/he closed by leaving a link to a porn site. On my website! I deleted it, of course, but I have no idea whether or not anyone else saw it first and clicked on it.
I've never been so irritated in my life. And it's really hard to make me mad. I scare way more easily than I anger.
Anyway, I there with you on the porn sites. Well, I mean, I'm not there ON those sites. But I hate them too. ;-)
I must say I love all your stuff, and I'm not sure where the reviewer got that FMR and DWTD have the same plot. Keep up the good work! I love them all!!
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