Book promotion sites - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T17:58:09Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/book-promotion-sites?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A386095&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAs it happens, I think bestse…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3863042014-01-29T19:00:43.933ZKerry J Donovanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KerryJDonovan
<p>As it happens, I think bestsellers are fair game, too.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Just finished reading JK Rowling's detective novel, written under the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. </p>
<p>Not bad. The writing, of course is pretty damned good, and the plot's acceptable. She resorts to the following well-tried cliches:</p>
<ol>
<li>Hero - crippled military policeman failing to make a good living as a private detective in civvie street </li>
<li>In Chapter two, the hero looks in mirror to describe himself…</li>
</ol>
<p>As it happens, I think bestsellers are fair game, too.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Just finished reading JK Rowling's detective novel, written under the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. </p>
<p>Not bad. The writing, of course is pretty damned good, and the plot's acceptable. She resorts to the following well-tried cliches:</p>
<ol>
<li>Hero - crippled military policeman failing to make a good living as a private detective in civvie street </li>
<li>In Chapter two, the hero looks in mirror to describe himself to the reader (that's one I really hate)</li>
<li>Secretary, (office temp) arrives and there's some romantic tension</li>
</ol>
<p>These apart, the novel's pretty good and the crime is handled deftly. Although, I wonder if it's 'different' or 'exciting' enough to have won a publishing contract without the name JK Rowling attached to it. I think not. </p>
<p>I'd have given it 3/5 stars, mainly because of the bloody mirror cliche. </p>
<p>I didn't review it because the book already has 1200 bloody comments. </p> I agree, too.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3863032014-01-29T18:46:31.685ZStephen Seitzhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenSeitz
<p>I agree, too.</p>
<p>I agree, too.</p> Yet again, I find us in total…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3862232014-01-29T18:33:08.241ZKerry J Donovanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KerryJDonovan
<p>Yet again, I find us in total agreement, I.J.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Yet again, I find us in total agreement, I.J.</p>
<p></p> I don't do reviews except the…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3861112014-01-29T18:22:56.321ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>I don't do reviews except the very occasional one here on what I've been reading. And they aren't reviews. They are reactions. And I refrain from saying bad things about anything but bestsellers. Bestsellers cannot be hurt and deserve an occasional take-down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But yes, Amazon reviewers will sometimes leave a nasty review. Frequently it's someone stupid who didn't read the book description and complains that a short story for 99 cents ought to have been a novel. Or they think…</p>
<p>I don't do reviews except the very occasional one here on what I've been reading. And they aren't reviews. They are reactions. And I refrain from saying bad things about anything but bestsellers. Bestsellers cannot be hurt and deserve an occasional take-down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But yes, Amazon reviewers will sometimes leave a nasty review. Frequently it's someone stupid who didn't read the book description and complains that a short story for 99 cents ought to have been a novel. Or they think they are smarter than the author. So far they haven't been.</p> That's what my mate did in th…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3863022014-01-29T16:57:31.945ZKerry J Donovanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KerryJDonovan
<p>That's what my mate did in the end. </p>
<p>That's what my mate did in the end. </p> Whenever I see a troll review…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3863592014-01-29T16:48:43.686ZStephen Seitzhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StephenSeitz
<p>Whenever I see a troll review, I contact my friends and fans and have it flagged as abuse. So far, I've gotten two of these deleted.</p>
<p>Whenever I see a troll review, I contact my friends and fans and have it flagged as abuse. So far, I've gotten two of these deleted.</p> Hi I.J.,
I agree, and have no…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3862222014-01-29T16:30:22.403ZKerry J Donovanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KerryJDonovan
<p>Hi I.J.,</p>
<p>I agree, and have no problem with honesty, in fact I advocate it. I am not naive enough to think everyone will love everything I write, it's a big wide world out there and there's room for all tastes and styles.</p>
<p>On the other hand. I do have a problem with nastiness for nastiness' sake.</p>
<p>For example, a friend of mine wrote an unofficial sports biography. As far as I could tell, it was pretty well researched and very well written, (in my unbiased opinion). It…</p>
<p>Hi I.J.,</p>
<p>I agree, and have no problem with honesty, in fact I advocate it. I am not naive enough to think everyone will love everything I write, it's a big wide world out there and there's room for all tastes and styles.</p>
<p>On the other hand. I do have a problem with nastiness for nastiness' sake.</p>
<p>For example, a friend of mine wrote an unofficial sports biography. As far as I could tell, it was pretty well researched and very well written, (in my unbiased opinion). It received quite a few good reviews - averaged 4-stars. One reviewer panned it and gave it one star, saying it was badly written, badly researched and too short (at over 200 pages). </p>
<p>It turned out that this fellow was part of the sports personality's management team wanting to spike the unofficial bio's guns in advance of the release of their own, anodyne bio. </p>
<p>Honesty works both ways. </p>
<p>Personally, if I really hate a book, I won't review it at all, rather than give a bad one. Don't know why, - remember the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say..."</p>
<p>Cheers, K</p>
<p></p> Reviews need to be scrupulous…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3862212014-01-29T14:25:50.734ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>Reviews need to be scrupulously honest, or you're cheating your customers.</p>
<p>Reviews need to be scrupulously honest, or you're cheating your customers.</p> Hi Jack,
No, I'm not a journ…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3863532014-01-29T11:54:58.589ZKerry J Donovanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/KerryJDonovan
<p>Hi Jack, </p>
<p>No, I'm not a journo, just a guy trying to put his name out there into the wide blue yonder.</p>
<p>I guess I need to push harder and let my inner businessman take over. As you say, reviews are essential if I want to push my name into the world. </p>
<p>I've not have many hideous reviews yet - one guy complained that my first publication was too short to review, although he 'liked the style'. This was after I clearly stated in the bumph it was a '12k word novella' and sold…</p>
<p>Hi Jack, </p>
<p>No, I'm not a journo, just a guy trying to put his name out there into the wide blue yonder.</p>
<p>I guess I need to push harder and let my inner businessman take over. As you say, reviews are essential if I want to push my name into the world. </p>
<p>I've not have many hideous reviews yet - one guy complained that my first publication was too short to review, although he 'liked the style'. This was after I clearly stated in the bumph it was a '12k word novella' and sold it for $0.99.</p>
<p>Sometimes you can't win. </p> Are you a journalist being fa…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2014-01-29:537324:Comment:3861102014-01-29T11:15:33.025ZJack Getzehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JGetze
<p>Are you a journalist being fair? Or an under-discovered author trying to be noticed? I see no reason not to ask family, friends, and fans to help you. It's not like they could make you rich or famous or even well-read -- it's a starter campaign to make strangers notice. </p>
<p></p>
<p>I guess giving away books is sort of like paying, but I don't feel the same way about it. It sure didn't guarantee a good review for my giveaways. I got three one-star ratings (no review) and six or seven…</p>
<p>Are you a journalist being fair? Or an under-discovered author trying to be noticed? I see no reason not to ask family, friends, and fans to help you. It's not like they could make you rich or famous or even well-read -- it's a starter campaign to make strangers notice. </p>
<p></p>
<p>I guess giving away books is sort of like paying, but I don't feel the same way about it. It sure didn't guarantee a good review for my giveaways. I got three one-star ratings (no review) and six or seven two-stars, including people who thought my character was a total jerk and didn't mind saying so. Luckily, they were a minority.</p>
<p></p>