REVIEWS...AGAIN!

I took a mini break in November and feel so, so much better now.  It wasn't so much a month filled with fun and frolics, but rather a month of renewing the spirit, being with family and reminding myself not to take things too seriously.

Due to a combination of factors and a lack of recent releases, my sales have taken an alarming nosedive and it made me less inclined to write.  However, the time away made me remember why it is I write - not to be a bestselling author or make millions - simply to entertain readers who have a similar sense of humour and sensibility.

The Internet and the upsurgence of networking sites have spawned a new breed of people: ones who make vicious comments from the safety of Cyberspace, often using assumed identities and saying things that they would not have the courage to say in public.  There have been Facebook battles which have spilled over and resulted in the loss of life in the real world, and Twitter arguments which involved thousands of users sending furious tweets back and forth.  Book reviews are the latest weapons of choice for these hate-filled people.  Some of them seem to think it acceptable to give 1-star reviews and leave the nastiest possible comments.  What they don't realize is that intelligent readers realize their words are symptoms of the issues in their personal lives and little to do with the books they are reviewing.

I never buy a book, whether it has good or bad reviews, unless I try a sample first to see if the writer's style and voice appeal to me.  Most retailers give readers the option to do this and yet some reviewers make stupid comments like, "I couldn't get past the first page!"  As I mentioned before - reviews often reveal more about the reviewers than the books they review.  Which fool spends money on a book they haven't taken the time to sample?

With all the bad press reviews have received lately, it's surprising that many readers still buy books based on them.  Therefore, all I ask of you is, please take the time to leave a review if you read my work.  Be honest and let me know what you liked or didn't like.

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF A WRITING CAREER

As of this morning I’ve sold 30,627 Kindle books since 29^th August, 2010.  My Bedtime Erotica collections make up eighty-eight percent of those sales with 26,877 copies sold, while my first romance novel, Soca Nights, makes up five percent with 1584 copies sold.  These figures are far beyond my expectations and I still have to pinch myself to ensure that I’m not dreaming.

But I’ve learned some surprising lessons this past year—the most surprising is the realization that many writers of other genres don’t consider writers of erotica to be ‘real’ writers.  Writers’ forums are great places to gather information, but they are not places to air your views unless you’re one of the popular people.  It’s a bizarre experience posting a response in a thread, only to have the next person ignore your post completely and respond to, or quote, the person above you.  I’m an introvert and have made lurking an art form since I published my first book in 2005.  This year I made an effort to join debates and to share the knowledge I’ve gained on my six-year publishing journey.  The reception I received in forums was lacklustre at best, so in future I plan to lurk to my heart’s content and only offer congratulations and commiserations when due since there are enough writers willing to voice their opinions for me ever to feel the need to voice mine.

This year’s reviews have been eye-openers, too.  Some clearly showed that I had made the desired connection with the readers while others forced me to look at my work more critically from a reader’s point of view.  Though most were informative there were a few which seemed placed on my books’ pages to thrash them while promoting other books.  I ignored these because I can tell when a reviewer has read my book, so if he/she is simply quoting from another review then the expressed opinion is irrelevant and of no use to me.

    

Every creative writing class I’ve taken has focussed on character development and the importance of creating characters who are dissimilar to you as a writer.  I try to portray real characters whose thoughts and actions rarely reflect mine.  Yet, one reviewer seemed to think that she knew me intimately just from reading one of my books.  She has absolutely no idea who the hell I am, or what I do or don’t do in bed and with whom!  My relatives and close friends found her review ridiculous and most felt that I should have written a rebuttal, but if the thoughts expressed are genuine reflections of what she felt after reading my book then perhaps I’m a better writer than I give myself credit for.

Another reviewer was less than complimentary about my short story, Perfect Score, in which the heroine gets her own back eventually.  The reviewer didn’t finish reading the story and accused me of calling the fuller-figured heroine ‘fat and ugly’, but anyone who reads and understands the story knows that it’s first told from the male protagonist’s point of view and then switches to the female’s.  The contrasting points of view are the main feature of the story, so unless the story is read in its entirety the essence is lost to the reader.  In the planned revisions of my collections I may rework this story.

Great sales, good and bad reviews, and personal attacks—part and parcel of the joys of being a writer.  As the saying goes, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’

I HAVE GROWN A THICKER SKIN

I published the first edition of Bedtime Erotica on 12th December, 2005. A lifetime ago, and yet in some ways it feels like it was yesterday. I still remember the excitement of holding the advance copy of my book in my hand and the feeling of satisfaction that swept through me. I was finally a writer. A self-published writer, but a writer nevertheless!

A few bad reviews soon burst my bubble of euphoria. I found myself focussing on them, instead of the larger number of positive reviews. I knew the book had flaws; I was already working on an updated version, but it was tough to receive reviews which gave no credit for my storytelling.

Today I'm so much stronger! I embrace all reviews, accepting whatever praise or criticism they offer. I've learned the most from some of my bad reviews, but I simply ignore the ones which seem written of out sheer spite. I know my value as a writer and I know that there are fans out there who get my particular style of writing. I don't ever expect to appear on a bestseller list, but I've sold 24859 Kindle books since Sep'10 and 8086 paperbacks to date. I'm not about to stop writing because of a bad review or three.

THIRD POST IN THREE WEEKS ABOUT REVIEWS

I always comment about the lack of reader reviews for my books, but for the third week running I've had a review and they were all for different books. I was very pleased with the 4-star review for Soca Nights. The 1-star review for Naughty Professor was undeserved, I thought, but as I said in my previous post: 'a bad review can be a good thing'. Naughty Professor has been selling much better since that bad review because readers love a bit of sleaze.

Bedtime Erotica for Freaks (like me) received its fourth consecutive 5-star review this week, but the reviewer then deleted it because I inadvertently pissed him off afterwards. He had sent me an email saying that he had enjoyed the book and I asked him to leave a review. I get dozens of similar emails for readers who buy my books, visit my website or read my stories on Literotica and I never ask for reviews, but this reader was one of the few people who 'got' the concept of the book - straight sex, no fancy frills.

He had written an excellent review, so I wasn't thrilled when it was removed, but it was good to be reminded that I had vowed to never actively seek endorsement from readers or fellow writers.

When I first published my books I had the opportunity to have bestselling authors write reviews of my books for an agreed sum and I declined. There are also lots of writers who exchange reviews, but I have never participated because, if I read another writer's work and didn't like it I would hate to have to lie in a review. Similarly, I would hate to make a fellow writer lie in a review of my book. If I was really desperate I could have had dozens of friends and family write 5-star reviews, but I would never stoop that low!

Reviews are good at giving potential readers different perspectives of a book, but don't necessarily guarantee sales. Personally, I never take any review to heart because I've done a few creative writing courses and read enough literary works to be aware of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I deliberately choose to write in a style that's uniquely mine; readers either love it or they don't.

Hopefully this be my last post on reviews, but let's see what next week brings.

A BAD REVIEW CAN BE A GOOD THING!

Two days ago a reader gave me a 1-star review for Naughty Professor which is currently priced at $0.99/£0.62 and it confirmed my thoughts on low-priced eBooks. It seems that readers rarely take the time to read descriptions or download samples of cheap eBooks before purchasing, simply because they are so cheap.

There is enough information in the Book Description for readers to see what they are getting beforehand. A professor seducing his students is morally wrong and I don't agree with it in real life, though it happens! But, this is fantasy and pretty much anything goes, as long as everyone is over the age of consent.

But it seems as though people rather like the idea of young women and a young man being being seduced by a dirty older man; Naughty Professor had its best days of sales following the review.

However, I've never been one to run from a challenge, so I'm giving readers who like this sort of kinky story a chance to read it for free on my website. Please just do me a favour and email me or leave a comment, good or bad, if you read Naughty Professor.

REVIEWS

I’m still a little disappointed at the lack of reviews my books get. It might be that the books are neither brilliant nor terrible enough to warrant strong reactions, but it would be satisfying if readers gave their opinions more often. I know many readers use their real names for reviews and perhaps don’t want to admit to reading my works. I totally respect their need for privacy in that case, but if there are no compelling reasons I would appreciate them taking the time to write a few lines and give an appropriate starred rating.

A horrible thought just struck me: is it because the option they would choose, zero stars, if not available? I’ve had a few reviewers who have said words to that effect, but thankfully not many. And almost all my negative reviews were to do with me using Italics (couldn't resist pressing Ctrl+I for old time sake) a little too liberally in my first editions. A filthy habit for which I’ve been successfully treated, except for rare lapses, like a moment ago. It’s been three years and counting. Ha-ha!

I consider my books works-in-progress and rely on feedback to improve future editions. So, please, please, email me: Lexyharper@aol.com even if you don’t want to write a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or any other website.