Okay so in the last few days I’ve chosen to become a book reviewer. Why? Well I read SO many books and I have than a more passing understanding of how to critique someone and something effectively that I thought I might lend my hand to this new endeavor. Additionally, I buy a crapload of books, so it may ease my pocket to read some for free and then buy the others. I won’t lie – financial self-preservation did figure into my foray into literary digestion.
So why am I blogging? Answer: Quite simply because I’ve seen a lot of commentary about how authors are being lambasted and skewered by some reviewers. I’m sure this is the truth and that some criticism may not be well constructed and aimed at the author for all kinds of derogatory reasons, but hey, if you put your work out there, you should assume that someone isn’t going to like it. That’s how the cookie crumbles. You want somebody to take up their hard-earned cash and give to you then you have an obligation to create a product that is worthy of purchase. Don’t put out garbage and then get upset when someone proceeds to hand you the glad bag. I own over 800 titles and some authors SHOULD be lynched for even daring to put out the work they have and NOT expect someone to trash them royally. Some of them rank way below amateur and so I’m not impressed. And do I understand that there is a monetary factor involved and not necessarily a quality factor in some cases? Yes I do.
Here’s what I can’t get behind. A review of a book WITHOUT talking about the author, their goal, aim, and intent is like complimenting or complaining about a meal without talking about the chef. How do you discuss artwork and not talk about the artist? It’s impossible… so to review a book without discussing the author is like half of the story. The author had a clear PURPOSE for writing and a reviewer’s job is to determine IF the author actually achieved said purpose. At the end of the day, a story MUST evoke a response from the reader … and it’s not always one of happiness. Sometimes an author means for us to be uncomfortable and ask questions. If a story leaves you feeling dissatisfied and uneasy… that’s not a bad thing – was that the author’s aim?
A story is a ‘product’ from someone, the author, and so if you are critiquing the product, then ergo you MUST also be discussing the author’s intent… note not author the person, but the intent of said author. A story is an author’s child – do we disown our children? How then can a review be devoid of the author’s intent? It can’t. And an attempt to separate the two is not really a review – what it ends up being is a description of the book. Well, the publisher already does that. Is that what we really want to do? Give away the plot lines and call it a review? I should hope not.
So let’s get back to the notion of Book and Author being inextricably linked – Here’s where I think the whole situation gets screwed up. When a reviewer, note I did not say critic – because ‘critic’ assumes that you have a background (degrees and education) in English, Literature, Rhetoric, Education, Creative Writing or something that denotes that you are QUALIFED to render a PROFESSIONAL opinion. Now a reviewer, well hey we are an average Joe or Jean and as such, no-one should really be THAT mired in literary angst over what we say. It can be taken under advisement, but no one should be slicing their wrists open and suffering from ennui because a ‘reviewer’ didn’t like what you had to offer.
However, to ‘reviewers’ – our words will influence if someone opts to buy a story so we must be mindful of that and so offer a critique that is fair … but it can’t be impartial because at the end of the day it’s our opinion and we all know opinions are mired in personal feelings.
I’ve read tons of reviews (I read them to determine IF I should click buy – remember 800+ titles) and you know what I HATE? When the review tells me, EXACTLY what the blurb said. Really? I can read. I saw that – what MORE do you have to offer? A review should delve deeper into the book. We need to know if the AUTHOR has created believable, likeable characters… or if they are evil to the bone, then that’s good as well. Are we rooting for the characters? Do we care about them and the situations they find themselves in? Is the plot line well-developed? Is the scenery and setting appropriate and does it helps to move the story along?
We live in a time of mediocrity and compromise and I for one don’t particularly like to pay for someone else’s attempt at mediocrity. And I have… MANY times over.
Why after a very hectic workday do I now come home and opt to review? Well I spend a lot of my work life benefitting from constructive criticism and I’m hoping to show my appreciation to some authors for beautiful work and then to help others become better. Oh yeah, and to not single-handedly keep Dreamspinner and Loose ID and their counterparts in operation.
As the owner of MM Good Book Reviews, I wear many hats; principally those of reader, writer and reviewer. I love reviewing books and thankfully, based on the traffic, some folks like to read what we have to say. But, at my core, I am first and foremost a reader. In the past few months, I have seen several conversation threads within M/M writers’ circles that concern me. Rather than deal with each instance separately, I have compiled a short list of some of the issues I’ve encountered that weigh heavily on my heart. I have watched silently, unsure as to what would be a helpful addition to the discourse. I’m not trying to stir up more drama and I am not speaking for any of my reviewers. The essay that follows is merely my humble opinions as a reader. I would love to hear your comments.
“My book was given low ratings on Goodreads and/or Amazon”.
This is my new pet peeve. I hate when my fellow readers give a book a low mark and then do not write a comment. WTF? How the hell am I supposed to evaluate the book? It happens a lot on Goodreads and Amazon. Bogus ratings screw up the averages and being shallow, I may pass over a book with a low average. BUT…after I’ve read and reviewed a book, I do go back and read other people’s reviews. Some of them are really thoughtful. I find myself nodding when I come to a point where I agree, and cussing under my breath, when a point, in my opinion, is way out in left field. I’ve seen writers brag that they never read reviews…well; they should; if they are serious about learning their craft and growing as artist. Yeah, there are idiot readers who have nothing better to do than rate books they haven’t read, but some us read the damn book and just didn’t get it.
Get a life. And by that I mean, find a way to balance your creative art with other things. Yeah, you’re a writer…So what? I’m a nurse. If I spent every waking hour taking care of patients without breaks I would end up *shudder* in the psych ward where my husband works. When my oldest daughter was learning to cook, she wanted the family to praise her, before the first bite was finished. If the dish as a flop, she would sulk for days. I can’t help but think some writers are the same. You’ve worked for months, maybe years and if readers don’t love your “dish”, some of you get a little mental. One bad review is just one person’s opinion. A couple of bad reviews may signal flaws in your writing process. Either way, you are not your work. Keep writing. Keep improving…and take every bit of criticism with a grain of salt.
REVIEWERS ARE NOT THE ENEMY!!! You can imagine this one really get to me. I’m sure that as you, the writer, are reading a negative review, the urge to blast back at the reviewer is overwhelming…fight that feeling. I cannot say it enough; a review is just one person’s opinion, based on their interest, history, etc. I may love Stephanie Hecht’s EMS series, because I can appreciate all the medical research. Another reader can read the same text and feel Grey’s Anatomy would have done it differently.
And often that bad review doesn’t get enough notice to cause even a blip on most other reader’s radar. But, the ranting, raving and name-calling? Trust me, that will get a lot more attention across the social media outlets. Your credibility and future earnings are not worth risking to “be right”.
“Readers thought my book was too “Harlequin/Mills&Boon”.
I actually have a couple of thoughts on this. Mills & Boon and Harlequin are million dollar publishers. They’ve been around a long time and are household names. Stop taking this as an indictment, even if that is how it was intended. Not everyone likes their romance hot and heavy. Write the romance you would want to read, and if you get it right, readers will support you. There’s a lot to be said about the glance across the room, the note in the briefcase. If sweet romance is your thing, go back a read some of those old Harlequins you still have in the attic. Learn how those writers structured their stories to create suspense and sexual tension. Don’t try to pass off a weak storyline as love at first sight.
Being sweet doesn’t have to be corny. If you write stories with no conflict, no sexuality (not the act, but the desire) and every word sounds like an adult version of Barney, don’t whine when readers blast you across social media. Being elegant and classy does not remove the need for plausible interactions between characters. If the choice to refrain from sex is moral…show us that. Let us see your character struggle with his carnal nature. It will make us invest in him and isn’t that what you wanted when you create this person. Whoever put the idea in writers collective heads that men can’t do romance should be shot. The wining and dining might take on a more masculine feel, but who doesn’t like their lover to do nice things and “court” them? Don’t believe the hype.
If you secretly long to write het romance…you should do that. Too often the titles that attract this type of criticism read more like traditional heterosexual romances. Just because you’ve given male names to your characters, does not mean that you’ve written a masculine character. Regardless of orientation, there are some things that are not interchangeable. Gentle man does not look like gentle woman. Even, excuse my digression from PC; flaming fairies should still retain an essence of masculinity underneath the make-up and heels. My advice would be to get to know some gay men. Talk to them about their experiences. If that is not possible watch quality gay porn, gay movies…hell, read the works of your fellow writers and really study their characters. Get to know other M/M writers over social media and ask the bestsellers how they craft their heroes.
“They hate my dialogue”.
I don’t know what goes on in other reader’s heads, but when I’m really into a book, I can almost hear the characters speaking. IF that conversation takes on a robotic monotone, that book may never be finished. This is an easy one. READ YOUR SHIT OUTLOUD. Your eyes may know all the grammatical rules, but your ears are a much better judge of realistic dialogue. If you find yourself stumbling through sentences or paragraphs, step back and see if you can make it flow better. Trust your ears…not your eyes. Fully engage in conversation with all kinds of people.
Make sure that your dialogue fits your setting. If you’ve taken the time to set an action packed scene, full of tension and foreshadowing and then drop in wimpy words, you have failed me as a reader.
If you aren’t feeling anything, as you write…you’re probably doing something wrong. You should be getting horny as you write love scenes, mad when your character is confront injustice…trembling with fear as they enter that basement. If you aren’t feeling it…how can you make me feel it? If I don’t feel it…why should I turn the page?
Eavesdrop on every conversation you can. You may not have teenagers at home. Tune into MTV and see how teenagers actually talk. I hate when I can tell when a writer is not familiar with children based on the words that come out of their fictitious kid’s mouths. My 6-year-old is gifted and uses words like “hyperventilate and phenomenal” routinely…most kids don’t. People who do not speak English as a first language speak differently. Figure it out. There are regional dialects. Gender difference. Generational nuances. It might seem like a little issue, but as your reader, I want to get lost in the words, not keep getting distracted with bad dialogue. The words of the characters are integral to how I see and hear the plot. Poor use of dialogue can turn a really good story into a Saturday Night Live skit…quick.
Not all gay men are whores.
Sure there have been all kinds of studies that say that men think about sex more than women. But, you don’t have to look any further than your family, friends and co-workers to know that wanting doesn’t have to equal getting. And wishing doesn’t mean doing. I find it offensive to see men constantly being portrayed as testosterone driven sex machines. If your guys aren’t in a paranormal heat, don’t be scared to let them actually get to know one another before hitting the sheets.
And, even if a man is a complete horn dog in, say college, which does not mean that his focus will be the same in his thirties or forties. Emphasizing a character’s sexuality in his teens or twenties may be realistic. Forty year old men cruising for twinks on Saturday night is usually more creepy than sexy.
If his commitment phobia is because of a bad breakup or being raised in a dysfunctional family, let us know that. We’ll accept him more, if we know why he does the things he does.
Sex with strangers in public bathrooms doesn’t have to ever be part of a gay man’s experience. It may be, but with all the self-education within the gay community, it happens less often than some writers would like readers to believe. Recreational doesn’t have to be reckless. As you write those steamy restroom scenes, ask yourself: would a straight couple do this? If you would be disgusted to find a woman on her knees sucking off a man she just met…why put a guy down there. Especially, a guy you want us to love and respect.
*snark alert* If you don’t have a penis, I recommend having at least one of your beta-readers possess one. I cannot tell you how many sex scenes I read that are not anatomically possible. Unless a man has a tongue like an anteater, he will never lick his partner’s prostate. NEVER. So unless you are writing sci-fi and your licker is an alien, please stick to the realm of possible. There is too much free gay porn on the internet for this one to ever be forgiven.
That being said, I would love to see more quality erotica on the market. Words on paper for no other purpose then to titillate. I will pay good money for some well-written smut!
There is enough room in my Kindle for more than one writer.
This whole need to badmouth other writers is juvenile. You may think that you are being witty, but as a reader…I read snark. Tearing down another writer is more often seen as bad grapes. Within days of winning all kinds of awards for Bear, Otter and The Kid, TJ Klune had to defend the authenticity of his work against accusations of plagiarism. Why? Did the writer who leveled those allegations make even a single sale from starting all that drama? I doubt. Because your readers like the work of another, does not mean they love you any less. And their disappointment with another won’t make them like you any more. I know for a fact that TJ Klune came out of that situation with a stronger fan base and new readers
“I had to work with a set word count”.
Now, I understand that publishers have certain expectations of their writers. But, if you know that it takes you 25k words to tell a story well. For god’s sake, stop trying to do it in 10k. The results are not pretty. If you are interested in learning how to write quality novellas, study the works of writers who do it well. Stephani Hecht, Amber Kell, Kim Dare and Shawn Lane are some of the best. Yes, there are fewer words, but that just means that they all have to count. Some things aren’t skippable. We still need a beginning, middle and end. There still has to be intention and resolution.
And if your story should be a novella, stop trying to sneak in adverbs and adjectives and extraneous prose.
Bottom line: Know your limitation. If you were born to write beautiful prose with mouth-watering descriptions of every damn thing…do you. But, if you oops up and churn out a short little diddy with no point…don’t whine when your readers call you on it.
“Women shouldn’t write gay romance”.
This is like saying male physicians should not delivery babies. And there are some women that I wish would stop writing homoerotic romance, but someone is buying their stuff, or they would simply go away. My only caution would be for female writers to have gay men, that they respect, beta-read their work for authenticity. No one man can speak for an entire community, but they can often point out issues that diminish an otherwise good book. A female reader might not notice the discrepancy, but a gay man might. A gay man who may have no problem calling you on your sloppy research. The more authentic your characters, the greater your credibility with readers.
And while I’m speaking of gender, I don’t check the genitalia of a writer before purchasing a book. So whether they are male/female, gay/straight, transgendered, and blind, crippled and crazy, if they produce an end product that speaks to me, I will support them. Please stop dropping drama in my inbox. Write your stories and let me decide if I am interested enough to read them.
No man is an island
It’s really easy to feel like you are abused and mistreated, when you are trying to work in a bubble. Network. Network. Network. The more you do, the more you will be able to differentiate between real industry issues and personal problems. Conferences like, GayRomLit give you an opportunity to meet other writers in your genre and interact with readers. Another excellent resource is Rainbow Romance Writers. In the grand scheme of things, your genre is still in its infancy. There is no reason why your voice cannot be instrumental in shaping this exciting arm within romance.
“No one knows my name”.
In this day and age, no writer can afford to NOT have an online presence. Facebook Fan pages, Amazon Author pages, Twitter tweets and author blogs are not luxury items. Readers are by definition nosy parkers. We want to know the creative mind that has brought us hours of reading pleasure. Any and everything you want to throw at us keeps us satisfied until your next release. Some authors don’t talk about writing at all on their blogs. They post recipes and pictures of their kids. What you write is not important to us…that you write is. I love the interracial romances of Alex Berry, but they are a big unknown.
And keep your post/tweets/comments positive. You don’t have the luxury of getting on every political/religious/social soapbox around. To us you are a celebrity of sorts. We may never get to tell you how your comment hurt/offended us. But, we will look at your next release a little differently and maybe even skip it all together. That’s not to say that you are not allowed an opinion, but you are a writer, words are your business, take a minute to mentally edit yourself before clicking that send button.
Be yourself…and think outside the box.
Be yourself. This last point I have to make as a reviewer. On any given week, I may get as many as 50 plus submissions for review. There are some weeks where, if I removed all the star-crossed werewolves’ mates, misunderstood hustlers and closeted cowboys I’d have 2 books to read. Don’t get me wrong…I loved those characters, the first twenty times I met them. But, I’d also like to see linebackers who bottom, cops with gentle spirits, grown men taking their time falling in love and maybe a kid or two thrown in the mix. Just something new. Find your own niche. Cookie cutter writers are a dime a dozen. The writers who are making the most impact and pulling in the big bucks are those that tapped into something unique.
This topic came up recently, with my review team. I would love to see more quality interracial/multiracial romance. Pixie asked for “more real horror or science fiction or fantasy. You know, the real epic kind, like Rick. R. Reed, Mel Keegan, Mercedes Lackey and J. L. O’Faolain.” Artemis loves stories where they really show the characters connecting on an emotional level. I love the new romantic suspense lines, Sanctuary by RJ Scott comes to mind, that are stronger on the suspense than the romance. Or Dorian Grey, where the main character is gay…but it doesn’t define him.
Realistically, there has to be some “writing to your audience’. But, the same readers who enjoy your current work will probably love that innovative love story that is presently just a kernel in the back of your mind. Give us a chance to fall in love with those characters…we may surprise you. And if we don’t…who cares? You will probably pick up new readers who love the new characters, as much as others love the old one.
And if you can’t find a publisher, self-publish. Self-publishing isn’t the bastard step child of “real publishing”, anymore. Popular writers, like Mercy Celeste and Lisa Worrall have taken the plunge with pretty nice results. The only drawback to self-publishing, is that it is now…all on you. You can’t blame your editor, publisher, or priest if sales are poor. But, listen to your muse…not someone else’s. If you write an authentic story, based on realistic characters in plausible situations…SOMEONE WILL LIKE IT!!~! Don’t oops up and throw in some hot manlove, you may accidentally become a bestselling author.
I know that some of you are going to read this and be pissed that I, a non-writer, am putting my nose into business that I know nothing about. This essay isn’t written for you. This is for the readers and writers and yes, reviewers who love this genre. I love what I do. Nothing gives me more pleasure than finding a literary gem and pimping it online. I enjoy the interaction that I have with the various publishers and review coordinators who pop into my inbox and wall. I was thrilled to introduce debut writers John Inman, Alex Kidwell and Robin Saxon to my readers, but when I shut off the computer and cuddle with my Kindle, I’m just Portia the book addict. I’d love to disappear for a few hours into a world of your creation. Feel free to feed my addiction.
I guess you could call this my inaugural post of MM Good Book Reviews. I, personally, feel that a good romance is a good romance, regardless of the genders, orientations or number of participants, but in order not to offend any of my more sensitive readers, I’ve elected to segregate gay romance from straight romance. Not sure how long that is going to last, as it goes against my principles, but we’ll see.
Anyway, rather than start off with a review, I decided to begin what I’m calling, Friday Rants. Just little thoughts that pop into my twisted head as I read, write and review.
Today, I would like to address the literary device, and I use that term loosely, of allowing characters to fall in love at first sight. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against instant attraction. But, unless you are writing paranormal fiction that includes mate specific pheromones, PLEASE STOP THROWING LOVE AROUND LIKE CANDY.
I read a novella this week that was so sweet. It was well written and had a nice pace. A CEO was headed to an important meeting when his personal assistant calls in sick. A hottie from the secretarial pool fills in and saves the day. So far, so good. Anyway, our lovers (because, of course, all gay men have a deep seeded need to bend over and take it from every man they’re attracted to) please insertheavy sarcasm have raw, nasty sex. All is going well, until the secretary pulls out his resume. Mr. CEO freaks out and assume that their little tryst was a ruse to merely further the secretary’s career. He blows up and shows his ass. The secretary is equally offended and stomps off into the night.
Now, I didn’t have any problem with the plot up to this point. There were a few points hiccups that made me pause, but none big enough to stop reading. Anyway, back to our story. So the next morning, the CEO realizes he might have jumped to conclusions. As luck would have it, there is a job within his company that the “secretary” would be perfect for. With NO further contact, the man leaves town for a six week assignment, presumably happy as a clam.
During their time apart, they do not call, email or even text. But, the minute that secretary comes back to town, the CEO is declaring his undying love. WTF? Since meeting these two have spent maybe 12 hours together…total. And most of that time was spent in bed. And forgive me for being cynical, but you can’t believe anything a man says when he’s plotting on some ass. In that time, they may have discovered that they are very physically attracted to one another. Maybe thought…hmmm, I’d really like to get to know this guy better. But, love…come on.
I wish that this was an isolated incident. But, alas, that is not the case. What I’d really like to see is a character that files a restraining order and then runs for the hills after one of these declarations. I want to see someone checking the medicine cabinet for psych meds or googling nutcases online. Something. Anything that lets me know he values his personhood to much to fall for that load of blarney.
I didn’t just come up with this theory, I have the same complaint about many het romances. Attraction can be instantaneous, but love takes a bit longer to take root in a person’s soul. If you want me to take your writing seriously, take the time to let me see the players falling in love. Or if you are going for porn on paper, cool. Sometimes sex is just sex. But, stop trying to fit A Love Story into DeepThroat.
Because, I promise you…the author of the piece that I used as an example, next book might be filled with angst, passion, suspense and humor…unless, they send me a free audiobook…I’ll never know. There are too many well written, well thought out books for me to waste my time on that kind of mess.
If, you agree with me, or think that I’m full of crap, leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you think. If nothing else, maybe we could form a support group for readers of bad writing. 😉
skewered by some reviewers. I’m sure this is the truth and that some criticism may not be well constructed and aimed at the author for all kinds of derogatory reasons, but hey, if you put your work out there, you should assume that someone isn’t going to like it. That’s how the cookie crumbles. You want somebody to take up their hard-earned cash and give to you then you have an obligation to create a product that is worthy of purchase. Don’t put out garbage and then get upset when someone proceeds to hand you the glad bag. I own over 800 titles and some authors SHOULD be lynched for even daring to put out the work they have and NOT expect someone to trash them royally. Some of them rank way below amateur and so I’m not impressed. And do I understand that there is a monetary factor involved and not necessarily a quality factor in some cases? Yes I do.
book without discussing the author is like half of the story. The author had a clear PURPOSE for writing and a reviewer’s job is to determine IF the author actually achieved said purpose. At the end of the day, a story MUST evoke a response from the reader … and it’s not always one of happiness. Sometimes an author means for us to be uncomfortable and ask questions. If a story leaves you feeling dissatisfied and uneasy… that’s not a bad thing – was that the author’s aim?
A story is a ‘product’ from someone, the author, and so if you are critiquing the product, then ergo you MUST also be discussing the author’s intent… note not author the person, but the intent of said author. A story is an author’s child – do we disown our children? How then can a review be devoid of the author’s intent? It can’t. And an attempt to separate the two is not really a review – what it ends up being is 
a description of the book. Well, the publisher already does that. Is that what we really want to do? Give away the plot lines and call it a review? I should hope not.
wer’ didn’t like what you had to offer.
w tells me, EXACTLY what the blurb said. Really? I can read. I saw that – what MORE do you have to offer? A review should delve deeper into the book. We need to know if the AUTHOR has created believable, likeable characters… or if they are evil t
o the bone, then that’s good as well. Are we rooting for the characters? Do we care about them and the situations they find themselves in? Is the plot line well-developed? Is the scenery and setting appropriate and does it helps to move the story along?
Why after a very hectic workday do I now come home and opt to review? Well I spend a lot of my work life benefitting from constructive criticism and I’m hoping to show my appreciation to some authors for beautiful work and then to help others become better. Oh yeah, and to not single-handedly keep Dreamspinner and Loose ID and their counterparts in operation.
