Comments on: Why Does it Matter?

By: Steve Buchheit

Steve Buchheit — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:14:58 +0000

Justine: Hand to God, as they say.

They ended up having four people wave placards at the traffic (one more step closer to the center of the road, please) and barely filled one pavilion (maybe 30 people including children).

By: Justine

Justine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:45:04 +0000

Steve: You’re kidding me. My mouth has dropped open. That’s just astonishing.

And I just said the same thing three times. (Worst writing ever!)

By: Steve Buchheit

Steve Buchheit — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:41:33 +0000

There’s a saying that ends with the phrase, “.. and it annoys the pig,” that comes to mind when authors get all spittle faced on the internets about a bad review. It makes me wonder if those are the mythical writers who never suffered through a hundred rejection letter before making their sales.

And these thoughts came to me as someone in my village wanted to throw a “tea-party” on the Fourth of July and was wondering about police coverage in case things got out of hand. I had to sit there at the council table and try not to shout, “You’re having a demonstration about wasteful government spending and you want me to have extra officers on duty on the day I have to pay them double-wages, on the very day we have to talk about lay-offs?” But I doubted they would see the irony. So I kept quiet and told them they needed to discuss it with the chief.

By: Keith R.A. DeCandido

Keith R.A. DeCandido — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:40:10 +0000

Brava, Justine! Well said and spot on! *applause*

By: holly black

holly black — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:14:07 +0000

Am eating mangosteen RIGHT NOW.

By: Justine

Justine — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:25:39 +0000

AMV: I think that you and Alain de Botton need to get married!

By: AMV

AMV — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:11:07 +0000

Also, I’m joking! Please don’t get me out of book group!

By: AMV

AMV — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:02:51 +0000

I’ve decided that when my next book comes out, I’m not only going to go after reviewers who respond negatively to the book, but I’m going after the real enemy as well: kids and their book reports. Do you realize that a negative book report can sully an author’s reputation to 15 – 32 classmates? Not to mention the word of mouth damage that can spread from that kid’s teacher, “you should hear what a stinker that new book by AMV is — little Kevin wrote ALL about it. I gave him an A+++ for warning us all.”

And don’t even get me started on Book Groups. Let’s just say some of them will win a surprise guest appearance, so that I can eat their cookies and defend my work point by point.

By: Julia

Julia — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:08:14 +0000

I agree revenge never ends well. Whenever I’m really angry or upset I usually pace around and form an entire speach in my head outlining my feelings until I feel better and never actually give the speach to anyone.

By: limeywesty

limeywesty — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:49:30 +0000

On the subject of Pride and Prejudice, although I’m sure you know this already, a man called Seth Grahame-Smith has added zombies to Jane Austen’s classic. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” and it’s so so much better than the original… (and I really liked the clsasic).

By: caitlin

caitlin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:12:28 +0000

Yikes! Thanks for catching me. My problem with the pale pink peach people wearing pale pink peach is that it makes them look naked.

By: Lauren McLaughlin

Lauren McLaughlin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:55:58 +0000

Well said, Justine. A review is the public expression of one person’s private experience of a book. As an author, you’ve already made your public expression–it’s called the book. Let it rot, fester, and flourish in other people’s brains. But never believe you can control their experience of it. That’s not your job.

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Sarah Rees Brennan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:13:37 +0000

Most, most excellent post. Another thing, and this may not be the same for all authors: currently, I am aware that I am insane. My first book is just out, I read all my reviews obsessively, I have many opinions on them.

They are crazy opinions. I am way, way more attached to and invested in my book than any reviewer could be, and in a state of feverish anxiety at times besides.

Authors are not all crazed in the same way I currently am, but they’re all pretty invested, which is why their response to reviews might be disproportionate.

So – don’t respond! Such a good rule. Means that later I am not embarrassed by realising I have blazoned my crazy to the world. Much better for us all to keep our crazy private, for our own sakes.

By: Justine

Justine — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:58:41 +0000

I am here for purely educational reasons.

By: El

El — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:40:09 +0000

You got me to finally look up “tosser.” I have learned something!

By: Justine

Justine — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:06:16 +0000

Amy: Thanks!

J: Oh, I like to rant to Scott. He claims to care . . .

caitlin: I’ve been trying to come up with a different word for “flesh coloured” because I look around and we all have very different coloured flesh. Well, actually, our flesh is probably all the same colour, but our skin is very varied. I agree that for many pale skinned people wearing a top that’s very close to the colour of their skin looks awful. Pale pink on me is a total disaster. But darker skinned people look fine in dark browns. So it’s definitely mostly a white person problem.

By: caitlin

caitlin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:51:41 +0000

Great post. Corks are nutty. Uggs Why would anyone want to look like Sasquatch? Flesh coloured tops ick! Plastic bags really time to ban.

By: J

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:44:47 +0000

I agree. Rant to the people who don’t care… leave behind no evidence. that’s the way to go.

By: Amy @ My Friend Amy

Amy @ My Friend Amy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:22 +0000

I think your advice on how to address criticisms in a general manner is spot-on! Great post.