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1. Today, amongst other crazy work related things, including a bidder on a fire alarm project who could not decide whether or not he wanted to withdraw his bid -- considering he was the only bidder this posed a bit of a problem, I commiserated with a co-worker about the lack of reviews for my book on Amazon.
He gave me some really good advice, which I decided to write here for prosperity and in case anyone else is in need of it.
"Forget about the book you just published. It's out there. You can't control how people respond to it, if they read it or not. What you should be focusing on is writing the next one. Work on writing the next book. You are either a writer or you aren't. Because nothing else matters."
He's right about that. Writers, real writers, don't write to get published or for fame or money, we write because we write. The rest is dumb luck.
Later...
Coworker via email sends me the following link, with the statement:
"This is how you get reviews!"
http://nypost.com/2015/06/19/the-best-worst-amazon-reviews-for-grey/
It’s been barely 24 hours since “Grey” was released stateside, but the series’ rabid fans — and its detractors — have already flooded Amazon with 191 reviews of the erotic novel.
Seriously?
Apparently, if you write an over-the-top erotica BDSM romance, but in a dead serious tone, and make it as offensive and controversial as possible - it will not only become an instant hit, but also get tons of reviews.
[Although having read some of the excerpts from this book online, I've decided it stinks of satire. But more on that later. I don't know why no one else has picked up on this?]
And people actually wonder why anyone would publish this. Seriously? You wonder this? Think about it for a minute. It's not rocket science.
The majority of the reviews are 5-star (46 percent), while 1-star reviews clock in at 33 percent.
The book has proved so popular that publisher Vintage Books has already requested two additional printings, bringing the print total to 1.6 million copies thus far.
And the people reviewing it are jacking up the publicity for the book -- the publishing company didn't have to lift a finger. The writer barely has to lift a finger. They didn't have to edit it. They didn't have to do a thing but wrap it in a nice little package, tell everyone it was being released and when, then push it out. Sort of like having a kid by test-tube, no mess, no pain, no bother.
So, hmmm, I wonder why would anyone publish this book?
Some of the one-liner reviews cracked me up:
( Read more... )
Then there's excerpts from the book - reviewed on Smartbitches:
( Read more... )
I don't know the whole series smacks heavily of social satire to me. It's over-the-top, and exaggerated. And it appears to be poking fun at various 1970/80s boddice ripper contemporary romance novels and tropes that the author has obviously read. (The plot appears to have been partially taken from a Judith McNaught novel (Double Standard).) Also it came out of a Twilight fanfic -- and fanfic writers tend to be unintentional satirists, or so I've found.
At any rate, regardless, say what you will about the author, she is an insane publicity hound and marketing genius. Which, in this crazy ass society that is completely marketing driven - is all that is required to sell a book. You don't have to be able to write. You just have to know how to market the crap out of it. Heck even James Patterson doesn't write his books any more - he hires people to do that -- he just markets them.
Also, as aside, there seems to be trend -- watching and reading wildly hyped books or films just so you can slam them in a review. People did it with Twilight and now they are doing it with 50 Shades. And weirdly, it's films or books that are in the romance genre and written by and for women. I don't see it happen as much with the books and films by men. Although - there is the Sad/Rabid Puppy debacle...so perhaps differently?
2) The horrific racist shooting in Charleston, SC -- I've been trying to ignore. But, it is all over my email, livejournal, twitter, and facebook. There's nothing I can do about it. It's ugly. And painful. And impossible to understand. Except to grieve for the loss of lives, tender, warm, caring, lives.
Almost makes me think the world has gone insane. And I want to find a nice secluded cabin in the woods somewhere, far far away from people. There are days that I think JD Salinger had the right idea.
Except...for this bit, which is surprising, and reminds me of the last line in the Bert Janesh song above.
The victims in court and on the news said "they forgive him and there's nothing but love from them" -- they didn't lash out in hate. They didn't lash out in bitterness.
Not to cheapen this by referencing a line from a pop culture television series, but it reminds of this scene or rather the brief speech that occurs in the center of it.
( scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, S2, I Only Have Eyes for You )
We forgive not for those who have wronged us, but for ourselves, because to be ruled by hate is the worst sickness. It tears at you. And changes you. It makes you miserable.
Hate kills. The families of the victims seem to understand that.
The fact that they do, gives me hope in this crazy world. Now, if only we could wise up and get rid of guns.
He gave me some really good advice, which I decided to write here for prosperity and in case anyone else is in need of it.
"Forget about the book you just published. It's out there. You can't control how people respond to it, if they read it or not. What you should be focusing on is writing the next one. Work on writing the next book. You are either a writer or you aren't. Because nothing else matters."
He's right about that. Writers, real writers, don't write to get published or for fame or money, we write because we write. The rest is dumb luck.
Later...
Coworker via email sends me the following link, with the statement:
"This is how you get reviews!"
http://nypost.com/2015/06/19/the-best-worst-amazon-reviews-for-grey/
It’s been barely 24 hours since “Grey” was released stateside, but the series’ rabid fans — and its detractors — have already flooded Amazon with 191 reviews of the erotic novel.
Seriously?
Apparently, if you write an over-the-top erotica BDSM romance, but in a dead serious tone, and make it as offensive and controversial as possible - it will not only become an instant hit, but also get tons of reviews.
[Although having read some of the excerpts from this book online, I've decided it stinks of satire. But more on that later. I don't know why no one else has picked up on this?]
And people actually wonder why anyone would publish this. Seriously? You wonder this? Think about it for a minute. It's not rocket science.
The majority of the reviews are 5-star (46 percent), while 1-star reviews clock in at 33 percent.
The book has proved so popular that publisher Vintage Books has already requested two additional printings, bringing the print total to 1.6 million copies thus far.
And the people reviewing it are jacking up the publicity for the book -- the publishing company didn't have to lift a finger. The writer barely has to lift a finger. They didn't have to edit it. They didn't have to do a thing but wrap it in a nice little package, tell everyone it was being released and when, then push it out. Sort of like having a kid by test-tube, no mess, no pain, no bother.
So, hmmm, I wonder why would anyone publish this book?
Some of the one-liner reviews cracked me up:
( Read more... )
Then there's excerpts from the book - reviewed on Smartbitches:
( Read more... )
I don't know the whole series smacks heavily of social satire to me. It's over-the-top, and exaggerated. And it appears to be poking fun at various 1970/80s boddice ripper contemporary romance novels and tropes that the author has obviously read. (The plot appears to have been partially taken from a Judith McNaught novel (Double Standard).) Also it came out of a Twilight fanfic -- and fanfic writers tend to be unintentional satirists, or so I've found.
At any rate, regardless, say what you will about the author, she is an insane publicity hound and marketing genius. Which, in this crazy ass society that is completely marketing driven - is all that is required to sell a book. You don't have to be able to write. You just have to know how to market the crap out of it. Heck even James Patterson doesn't write his books any more - he hires people to do that -- he just markets them.
Also, as aside, there seems to be trend -- watching and reading wildly hyped books or films just so you can slam them in a review. People did it with Twilight and now they are doing it with 50 Shades. And weirdly, it's films or books that are in the romance genre and written by and for women. I don't see it happen as much with the books and films by men. Although - there is the Sad/Rabid Puppy debacle...so perhaps differently?
2) The horrific racist shooting in Charleston, SC -- I've been trying to ignore. But, it is all over my email, livejournal, twitter, and facebook. There's nothing I can do about it. It's ugly. And painful. And impossible to understand. Except to grieve for the loss of lives, tender, warm, caring, lives.
Almost makes me think the world has gone insane. And I want to find a nice secluded cabin in the woods somewhere, far far away from people. There are days that I think JD Salinger had the right idea.
Except...for this bit, which is surprising, and reminds me of the last line in the Bert Janesh song above.
The victims in court and on the news said "they forgive him and there's nothing but love from them" -- they didn't lash out in hate. They didn't lash out in bitterness.
Not to cheapen this by referencing a line from a pop culture television series, but it reminds of this scene or rather the brief speech that occurs in the center of it.
( scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, S2, I Only Have Eyes for You )
We forgive not for those who have wronged us, but for ourselves, because to be ruled by hate is the worst sickness. It tears at you. And changes you. It makes you miserable.
Hate kills. The families of the victims seem to understand that.
The fact that they do, gives me hope in this crazy world. Now, if only we could wise up and get rid of guns.