Because he's awesome like that, Chuck Wendig shared three great teaser posts this week: Ten Things You Should Know About... Setting, Endings, Writing Screenplays. (Do you have this book yet? Totally worth it.)
Greta van der Rol had an interesting post on the rules of romance. I think, as a general rule, most female romance readers do read to escape reality. I know that I certainly do. But I also don't mind at all when my heroes act like men. I think romance is subjective to character. Rules of romance will be determined by rules of characterization.
Girl Who Reads offered this tip: contact the author when you mention their book. Oops. I am not always as good about that as I should be.
Keystrokes and Word Counts offered up this short post on the importance of suspending disbelief. I think most readers of fiction, in an attempt to escape reality, are willing to believe a lot... but not everything. I think the best tip is to stick to what you, personally, can believe.
The first link in this entry over at Paperback Writer caught my attention, though the video is pretty cool, too. I haven't tried the search engine, but I'm excited about it.
Do you follow Release Notes? I enjoy the look it gives into books I wouldn't otherwise be aware of.
As usual, Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is spot-on.
Sirra gave us all insight into the mind of an editor this week. Have an editor? Looking for one? Thinking about becoming one? I think this post is a must-read.
Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week on characters, telling us all not to overdo it. Personally, I don't mind characters who fit stereotypes at first glance; stereotypes exist for a reason. But if the character is important enough to write about, even in a minor role, then he or she is important enough to be whole.
I think I need more good blogs to follow. Do you have any suggestions?
Showing posts with label release notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label release notes. Show all posts
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Book Reviewing: Blogs, Directory, and Tips
Despite the fact that I follow several book review blogs, I don't include their posts in my blog roundup on Sundays. So I thought that it was time to talk about them. If you're looking for a book reviewer, or you're just looking for some solid book recs, these blogs can help.
Is there a Prettiest Blog award? This one deserves it. She reads romantic fiction (including erotica), YA, and paranormal. The blog has its own rating system (flowers instead of stars) which look just beautiful with the rest of the blog design. Reviews I've read on her blog are short and to the point without sacrificing anything. Several of the books on the first page of reviews alone are now in my to-read pile. She also hosts the occasional guest post.
Paul reads fiction, mostly crime fiction. I like his sense of humor and I like the way he cuts his entries so that we can decide which reviews to read. I even kind of enjoy his political and other off-topic posts, but that's probably because he discusses UK politics and not US politics. Mostly, I check his blog for ideas of books to recommend my husband, who is a fan of James Patterson and John Grisham.
Her reviews are less critique, more personal, and her taste in books seems to be all over the place. I like her weekly video updates. I think it's nice to see something different on a blog, and video on a blog about reading is neat enough to catch my attention. Bonus: she works in a publishing house, so she sometimes offers insight to that end.
I confess that I first started following this blog for the kitschy horror factor. I love zombies and The Nightmare Before Christmas and this blog channels both. She reads and reviews a lot of paranormal/horror-type books, but she also offers book blogging tips. Like this Book Blogging 101 post. (This blogger also pointed me toward this Etsy store. Their Halloween stuff was adorable!)
Book reviews and author interviews with--as far as I can tell--an emphasis on "indie" books. Like Girl Who Reads, there doesn't seem to be focus on any one genre, which is nice for those of us who don't stick to a single genre and who frequently scout recommendations for our loved ones.
Check out the Book Blogger Directory for more book blogs.
If you have a book you would like reviewed, remember these things:
- Always check the blogger's pages/about me/FAQ/submission policy before asking for a review.
- If a blogger only reads/reviews historic crime novels, don't ask for a review on your contemporary romance short story. Find a blogger who reviews in your genre.
- If the blogger agrees to review your work, accept the review, even if you think it's unfavorable. Be graceful and don't embarrass yourself.
- Always say thank you.
Especially that last one. Good manners can take you a long way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)