On reviews, and receiving them, and the reader's right to expression

About a year ago, I wrote this post on feelings and the problem when our expressing of them steps over a line. It's still one of my most 'popular' posts, traffic-wise. This year, there's a similar firestorm happening, but in the reverse. It started with this article (that's a no-traffic link, btw) from an author who, frankly, stepped over the line. Way WAY over the line.

As authors, we write books, and if we're brave and crazy enough, we share them with the world. And here's the thing: the world is allowed to hate them. Publicly and loudly. That's just how it is. Readers are perfectly within their rights to hate every single word of what they just read and, also, to tell people about it. Know what else? So long as they're not actively threatening or condemning the person, the one who wrote the words they hated, readers can express their hatred for a book however they want. Really. However they want. With swears, with anger, with gifs and pictures which may or may not be rude.

Negative reviews are a bummer when it's your book on the receiving end, but that's part of this deal. Not everyone will love your book. Not everyone will be nice about it either. I don't love every book I read. And while I'd not personally choose to write an angry or caustic review, I respect a reader's right to do so.

There are many ways to deal with the pain of negative reviews. Cry, email friends, look at puppy pictures, bake, exercise, channel your emotions into something productive, like more writing. Just for a few examples. The top best way would be not to read reviews at all. Now that takes a willpower I don't possess, though I wish I did. So I do read reviews, even the negative ones. (I posit it's just as bad to read only positive reviews, but that's an entirely different issue.)  I also respect an author's right to engage a critic, respectfully and through established channels, though I don't recommend it.

What's never, ever, ever, ever an okay way to deal with anything, including negative reviews?

Stalking someone.

Seriously, what this author did is not okay. It is not even sane.

I'm equally horrified that a major news outlet gave her a platform to flaunt the insanity and even, just as ludicrously, gain (some) support for it.

Unlike my post a year ago, there is no complexity about this issue. None, zero, not a smidge. There is no gray here whatsoever.

Stalking a reviewer--anyone--is not okay. Not if you meant no harm, not if you just wanted to talk, not even if you wanted to thank them or give them a cake. Just no.

To all the bloggers and reviewers out there, no matter if you loved or passionately hated my books: thank you. I'm so desperately sorry that today some of you have reason to feel afraid.

School Library Journal and Booklist review Second Thoughts!

So pleased with reviews for Second Thoughts from both School Library Journal and Booklist!

School Library Journal says:

Gr 9 Up–In this sequel to Lost in Thought (Luminis, 2014), nearly 18-year-old Lainey Young has a lot on her mind as she starts her senior year at Northbrook: when should she and boyfriend Carter have sex, which college should she attend, and why is a lowerclassman and Sententia siren bent on breaking up Lainey’s normally unflappable roommate Amy and her boyfriend Caleb. Minor worries compared to the vague premonition implicating Carter in Lainey’s impending death and a new vision involving his father’s demise are stewing with concern over the Perceptum’s desire to make Lainey their executioner. Meeting Carter’s “uncle,” Perceptum bigwig—Daniel Astor—leads to a shocking discovery and initially assuages the protagonist’s fear of Hangman conscription. However, readers and Lainey’s gut know better. Secrets aggravatingly pile up (especially on the heroine’s end), but add plenty of tension in a book that might otherwise suffer from “Second Book Slump.” Characters occasionally succumb to archetypal behaviors, but they’re realistically impacted by anxieties, familiar and unfamiliar. Sex (which happens off page), swearing, and teen drinking are realistically present but not gratuitous. Give to fans of the previous volume. Readers familiar with the story will better understand the stakes and relationships and await the next installment.–Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

Booklist says:

Issue: August 1, 2014
Like many a romance novel, the question of will they or won’t they have sex is at the heart of Bertrand’s sequel to Lost in Thought (2012), a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. But since this is a paranormal-romance novel, there is an equally important question: Will the heroine and her boyfriend kill each other first? Lainey is the only living Sententia with the Hangman gift, and she is charged with eliminating rogue Sententia who use their gifts for harm. Lainey’s diviner-sense vision shows her own death at the hands of her handsome boyfriend. Will she in turn have to use her rare second gift to execute her own boyfriend? Bertrand stirs family secrets, a scheming senator, and young rivalries into the otherworldly mix. Many of the questions remain unanswered, and as Lainey drives off into the sunrise, the door is wide open for the next installment. Bertrand writes smoothly, and her characters, if improbably perfect, are engaging enough to keep the pages turning quickly and the demand for the next in the series high. 
— Lynn Rutan

Seen the June issue of VOYA?

...Because there's a PERFECT TEN review of Lost in Thought in it!

5Q 5P J S

 

Lainey Young is a teenage girl with the ability to “sense” the deaths of people whose possessions she encounters. As the story begins, she is shopping for antiques with her aunt, Tessa, and as Lainey picks up a candlestick, she becomes dizzy and has a vision of a young woman wearing an old-fashioned dress with petticoats and a corset, holding the same candlestick and crying next to the motionless body of an older man whose temple is bleeding. Without any further explanation, Lainey determines that the young woman is the older man’s murderer, having used the candlestick as her weapon. Lainey’s parents, who died when she was five years old, left her a sizeable trust fund, and within their wills, a stipulation that she would be able to attend Northbrook Academy, a boarding school whose population includes students who have “abilities” very similar to Lainey’s —some are able to “see” various happenings, such as whether someone is lying; some have the ability to stop someone’s heart (this “job” is termed “The Hangman,”); and some have the ability to move objects with thoughts. Lainey’s story does not end with neatly tied laces, however. Once her relationship with a popular young man becomes well known, a jealous classmate acts out, causing a multitude of problems.

Fans of paranormal romance, as well as readers who enjoy stories that delve into “what-if,” will certainly enjoy this first installment from Bertrand.—Beth Green VOYA

And if you miss it this month, all Perfect Ten books from 2014 will appear again in a magazine feature early next year! Wheeee!

School Library Journal: Lost in Thought is "a quietly compelling supernatural romance."

Super excited by this review of Lost in Thought from the April issue of School Library Journal!

Gr 9 Up–First-time author Bertrand offers a quietly compelling supernatural romance. Since childhood, Lainey Young, 16, was living nomadically with her godmother following her parents’ deaths. A fondness for antiquing triggers the first of Lainey’s supernatural gifts: touching objects involved with death allows her to witness these fatal occurrences. Accompanied by dizziness, fainting, and migraines, this power lands the teen at Northbrook Academy, where she learns that, like most legacy students, she’s Sententia (a secret society of people with special perceptive abilities). With a strong ally in Amy (her non-Sententia roommate) and romance with fellow Sententia Carter Penrose (recent Northbrook grad and town It Guy), Lainey gets her first taste of high school drama, which also melds with her suddenly supernatural life. Bertrand infuses the book with plenty of mystery surrounding the main character’s family history and the Sententia’s governing body. She ups the ante and tension by finally revealing the protagonist’s and Carter’s more dangerous talents. Lainey is a likable heroine who holds her own but with realistic insecurities. Initially, the narrative’s focus skews more toward the teens’ romance than the Sententia plot; still, the author is able to establish the characters and the New England prep school setting well. With occasional swearing, teen drinking, and frank but not crude references to sex, this novel is suitable for older teens. A violent altercation and unearthed secrets leave plenty of workable and interesting loose ends for the next installment. A promising start to a series that will find a fan base.–Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

GirlsLife.com - Vampire Academy meets Spellbound in Lost in Thought

So this happened today: GirlsLife.com - Vampire Academy meets Spellbound in Lost in Thought

Could there BE a more awesome set of comparisons? I want to hug and cuddle this review and be forever friends.

A little trivia: the author of Spellbound and I have happen to have the same name.

In OTHER news... really wanting to read Lost in Thought? Well, you CAN. Though the 'official' release is 4/25, dear Amazon is shipping hardcovers and paperbacks NOW. Like, right now. You could get it tomorrow.

Don't forget that if you wait a few days, you can order a signed copy here.

In which I attempt to answer questions...

An excellent question came in via comment, and with the magic of the internet, I will replicate it for you below. Bibbidi bobbidi Boo!:

ProdigalWife Apr 22, 2012 02:38 PM
I've been following your journey with interest, and I had a question. I know you say early reviews don't help you move forward in the competition (which I think makes sense) but I wonder if you think having reviews would have helped in the final phase? I ask because you say you and one of the other finalists had basically no reviews but I looked up the winning entry and she had 16 reviews--14 dated before finalists would have been announced. It made me wonder if people coming in at the voting phase might have been influenced by the reviews. Or do you think it's mostly author friends voting so it doesn't matter because people know in advance who they want to vote for?

(Amazing, no?!)

Here is my honest answer to the question of whether or not reviews help you in the actual voting phase: Maybe. I can’t say for sure.

Reviews do influence readers, and if there are many good reviews (ie. not of the generic friends-and-family plan variety), it may possibly garner a finalist a few more votes. But that would really be from random voters/readers with no interest in the contest or any of the parties… and those voters I think are few and far between.

I predicted it on the day the finalists were announced and I’ve said many times since that Spookygirl won in YA because it deserved to. That’s really what it boils down to. It was a polished, tight story that appealed to readers. Many of Jill’s early reviews came from fellow contestants; her excerpt was frequently mentioned and recommended during discussions, and for good reason. It was an excellent excerpt, with a great peek at Violet’s character, world, oddities, and humor. It was far, far superior to mine. Rich’s was too. (As I’ve also said many times, I think he may be the best writer of any of us.) However, his story from last year, and this showed in the excerpt, was high concept and not obviously YA. So, based on excerpts especially, as well as the guest judge reviews, I thought the eventual winner was pretty clear, and it proved.

Let’s just acknowledge that most votes come from the authors’ personal networks or people with outside interest in the contest. There aren’t a lot of random Amazon customers just stumbling upon the contest during the brief window of opportunity to vote. IMO, those are the only ones on whom customer reviews may have an influence. So could it get you a few more votes? Yeah, maybe. Could it be the difference between winning or not? Maybe too. You’ll never know how close or far you were.

I hadn't exactly planned this entry, but I'm callin' it Golden Ticket 4.5.

The Golden Ticket, Part 3... journey to the ABNA finals and beyond

Advancing in the contest is exciting in general, but especially at the quarterfinal round. For one, you’re going to get a PW review of your whole manuscript, and that is a fantastic opportunity. BUT, for some people, even more exciting is the publishing of the excerpts, download- and comment-able by anyone! Including your friends and family, complete strangers, and your fellow competitors. This round gives you something to obsess over on a daily basis. What’s your ranking? Have you gotten any reviews? What do they say?!

Here’s where I address strategy. And I am completely pantsing my way through this blog, much like my writing, so I’ll start by addressing a strategy that maybe would have fit better in the first post. I told you to submit to the contest, even if your manuscript wasn’t entirely where you might have wanted it to be, and I meant it. But if you can, spend a little extra time honing your excerpt. Your first 3-5,000 are what get you through to the quarterfinals and reviewed by the public and your peers. Those first few pages are critical, and not just in the contest. Agents and editors, if you seek them, judge your work on even less. Your first page. If you’re lucky, your first five. Make them count.

So now you’re in the quarterfinals, and your excerpt is all pretty and ready to download… what do you do? Well, if you’re like me, you cry a little, do a happy dance in your bedroom, and go out to dinner with your husband to celebrate. That’s it. Why wasn’t I shouting it to the world?

Because the quarterfinals is not the time for that.

Be excited about your accomplishment, but not too excited. Not yet. There are more rounds to come, and possibly more exciting news. I recommend you wait and see what happens. If the quarterfinals is as far as you go, your network will still be able to download your excerpt and share in what you accomplished. Ditto the semi-finals. The FINALS is when you NEED them to rally. Their excitement—and their votes—could earn you a publishing contract.

Don’t stir up the crowd until it’s time for the show.

But what about reviews? And my lonely excerpt? And getting feedback on my work? I know we all want them, and obsess over them or the lack thereof, but the reviews on your excerpt do not impact your success in the contest. At the time of the finals last year, I think my excerpt had one or two reviews and Rich's had none. All the reviews do is make you feel good (or possibly bad) or, if you’re very lucky, give you some thoughtful criticism. If you rally your friends and family to give you reviews, it may make you feel good, but it’s not going to get you into the semis or beyond, and it may lose you their attention when you really need it.

If you want to get involved in the circle of reviews between contestants, that’s up to you. I didn’t. I have pretty strong feelings on publicly reviewing fellow authors (which boil down to one word: don’t). But if you want to, there’s nothing stopping you. Again though, it doesn’t impact your success in the contest. Only do it if you feel comfortable and really want to.

Now, if you listen to one thing I write in this entire blog, make it this: Please, please, for the love of Oreos, words, and all that is great in the world, PLEASE resist the temptation to comment on your reviews. Ever. No matter how off-base or great they are. Read them, digest them, bask in them, laugh at them, shrug them off... do all of those things, but please don’t comment on them. You don’t need to thank your reviewers and you never, ever need to argue with them.

If you want to have any kind of dialogue with your readers, that’s what your facebook or your blog is for. :)

Up next: Sitting on your hands. Follow this story with the golden ticket tag.

What the experts are saying about Lost in Thought...

Publishers Weekly: "Compelling and solid, this paranormal thriller has it all: love, murder, intrigue, mind games, and a bit of mystery."

Gayle Forman, NYT Bestselling Author of If I Stay: "...my pick for the winner, a fantastic novel trying to break free.... The boarding school setting is a lot of fun, and the chemistry with Carter snaps... Lainey and Carter begin exploring the provenance of Lainey’s Legacy, the true extent of her powers, and just how those powers might be manipulated, the book starts to pick up momentum, leading to an action-packed ending with a twist that will leave readers clamoring for the next installment."

Jennifer Besser, Vice President and Publisher of G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers: "...the novel is full of characters teen readers will enjoy spending time with, especially Lainey’s vivacious roommate, Amy, and Carter, the mysterious and swoon-worthy love interest... a nice dose of romance, mystery, and supernatural thrills keeps the pages turning."

*Publishers Weekly is an independent organization and the review was written based on a manuscript version of the book.