[From the Archive] Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and The Necessary
I’m actually getting this done before heading down to ConJour. Hope to see some of you there.
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When it comes to writing and publishing no one can get by without reviews. Reviews are one of the “necessary” evils that effects everything to do with the industry. They’re one of the most effective indicators of a publication, and can directly influence sales numbers – for good or for ill. Reviews are a serious business. So, for good, for bad, or indifferent – reviews matter. They’re important. They’re necessary. This is why authors receive ARCs (Author Review Copies) before publication – to send out for pre-publication reviews. To start generating buzz, and hopefully to kick start sales.
Not all reviews are created equal. Some reviews carry more weight than others – at least in some eyes. First, most authors will look for publication reviews – magazines, newspapers, professional websites – places known for their reviews and sought after as the “those in the know”. Authors may also work to get media attention with reviews from television and radio, which is more difficult but reaches more people. The next tier of reviews is from other professionals whose opinion is sought and respected – generally on the internet. The final set of reviews are peer/buyer/reader reviews generally on personal and bookseller websites. These can have a profound impact (for good or bad) on your sales because those reviews determine site ranking (on the sellers’ sites) and are generally the last reviews the reader sees before hitting the “buy” button. What they have to say matters.
That said, every writer will get a bad review. It comes with the job – like rejection slips. What should a writer do about bad reviews? NOTHING. At least not directly – to the reviewer – the writer should see if there’s any grain of truth to the bad review and work to not make the same mistakes in subsequent books, but for the most part – LET IT GO. Reviews are subjective by definition. They’re OPINONS – you don’t like everything YOU read, do you? If someone doesn’t like your work, that’s them. It’s not you. Knowing that, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to ARGUE WITH THE REVIEWER. Do not engage. This is only reflects badly on you, not the reviewer. Good (or great) reviews may – sometimes – be returned with a sincere and BRIEF ‘thank you’, but don’t get into a dialog with your reviewer. It’s just not done. Take the review and move on – if it’s a good review, move on by talking about it. If it’s a bad review – vent PRIVATELY – THEN MOVE ON. It’s the professional thing to do.
[Interview] The Four Redheads on Tracy Morris’s Blog
Tracy Morris is running a series of interviews with the Four Redheads (in character). Here’s Zoe’s interview.
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Pelikan School Fountain Pen – Right Handed, Fine Point
This week’s review is the Pelikan School Fountain Pen – fine point, right handed. Yes, it says so on the box . I’ve used Pelikan inks for a long time since the ink cartridges also work in Waterman fountain pens and many other pens that use the small cartridges – except they come in much larger cartridges.
Anyway, I’ve liked the inks. Haven’t really had much experience with the Pelikan line of pens mostly due to cost, but when you have a JetPens.com Wish List and a major gift giving holiday (Christmas), things can happen. This one is no exception, Pelikan really likes their work and has the price tags to prove it.
There are things to like about the Pelikan School fountain pen, and there are some pretty “meh” things about it. For a lot of people the Pelikan School fountain pen will be too wide in diameter to be comfortable. I kind of like that. The Ergonomic grip is vaguely triangular to let you find a comfortable, and probably “correct” holding grip. The pen is 5.5″ long capped and 6″ long with the cap posted – which makes it long enough to be comfortable. The ink is good and doesn’t bleed or feather, even on notebook paper.
However, the “meh” outweighs the good. The “fine point” nib is actually more of a medium width. So it’s wider than I like. It does have minor leaking issues. I used it all one day and ended up with ink on my arm. I currently have ink beaded on the nib. And the cap does not feel secure when posted. You have to jam it hard on the back end of the pen, and even then it feels wobbly.
I will use it. It’s a serviceable pen, comfortable to write with, but it’s not one I “go to”. It’s a decent pen. It’s not a great pen. But that’s supposed to be part of it – it’s supposed to be a workhorse, not great pen to teach younger people – students – to love fountain pens. And it can do that, just not well or cheaply.
Grading:
1. How does it write? – 0.5 – for a fine point, it’s too wide – like a medium nib. But it writes smoothly
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – the grip is to teach proper holding, I think, and you can get the grip to be comfortable, but it’s probably on the wide side (diameter) for most people. Especially younger people or those with small fingers. But it is long enough to be comfortable. It’s pretty well balance and proportioned.
3. Material – 0.5 – for what it’s supposed to be, the plastic is sturdy. The nib could be better – there’s some leaking. It is completely plastic. There’s nothing super solid about any of it.
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – the cap design could be better. It could post more securely. The length and balance are okay. I like the lime green and silver color scheme.
5. Price Point – 0 – yeah, this is the kicker. For all it’s a decent pen. I could see it see it being used for students, but not at $18.40 on JetPens. I balk NOW at that price point. I would’ve NEVER bought it as a student. There are other “student” fountain pens out there that are equal in quality but much less expensive.
Overall – 2 Bronze Pencils out of 5.
[Conventions] ConJour 4.0 Schedule – January 27-29, 2012
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2012
6 P.M. Topic: The Business aspect of writing ,
Panelists: Moderator: Michael Ashleigh FinnRhonda Eudaly, PL Blair, O. M. Grey, David Doub
Description: Our panel of experts discuss what you need to know beyond writing the story.
7 P.M. Topic: How art is important to book publication
Panelists: Moderator: Jeremy Tully, Robert Stikmanz, David Doub, Rhonda Eudaly
Description: “A picture is worth 1000 words,” this is even more true in choosing when choosing art for your book. These authors and artists discuss the process of art selection for book covers.
8 P.M. Topic: Plot Development 1
Panelists: Moderator: Terry Mixon, Michael “Taltos” Willet, P.L. Blair, Rhonda Eudaly
Description: Plot development as a tool for your writing.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012
10 A.M. Topic: Why Researching for Your Story is Important
Panelists: Moderator: Robert Stikmanz, Mel White, David Doub, Rhonda Eudaly, P. L. Blair
Description: We all know that research papers require looking up facts, figures, and statistics. But what about stories? These authors explain why you need to research for your stories.
11 A.M. Topic: Beginning writer mistakes to avoid
Panelists: Moderator: Amy Sisson, Rhonda Eudaly, David Doub, Charlie Brown, O. M. Grey
Description: Learning what to avoid doing as a new writer.
1 P.M. Topic: She Walks In Darkness
Panelists: Moderator: Tonya Tipton, Rhonda Eudaly, O. M. Grey, Emily Karnes, Heather Dunbar, Amy Sisson
Description: Female authors and artists talk about feminism in their work.
2 P.M. Topic: Collaborating with Another Author
Panelists: Moderator: Rhonda Eudaly, Chris Dunbar, David Doub
Description: The good, the bad, and the ugly of working with someone else.
7 P.M. Topic: Positive child friendly and young adult sci-fi, horror, and fantasy
Panelists: Moderator: Tracy McKinley, Bev Hale, Rhonda Eudaly
Description: Our panel of experts describe what makes good child friendly literature, and talk about some of the positive things found in sci-fi, horror, and fantasy.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2012
10 A.M. Topic: Publishing And Marketing Realities For The Emerging Author
Panelists: Moderator: Michael Ashleigh Finn, O. M. Grey, Terry Mixon, Rhonda Eudaly, David Doub
Description: What new authors can do and where they can go to market their product.
10 A.M. Rhonda Eudaly – reading (Yeah, we’re working on this.)
I will have a table in the dealer’s room, but they have me hopping. If I seem a little spacy at times, please bear with me.
[Bonus Post] Think Before You Meme
A friend of mine posted this new idea that starting to pop up:
This is in response to SOPA/PIPA debates and the take down of MegaUpload (which had both good and bad things on it – I don’t know the full story there). However… and I can’t stress this enough. Please, please, please…think before you do something like support something like this.
This protest like those gas boycotts. Don't buy gas on "X" date, that'll show those meanie corporations". When all it does is spike the next day and/or hurt the small business owner running the convenience store. Supporting boycotts like this is akin to swatting flies with a shotgun - you might manage to hit the fly, but the collateral damage is too intense.
I try not to buy from Amazon if I can help it. A guy I follow on Twitter called Google the Internet version of WalMart (as in pushing out small business) and I *almost* corrected him to say... NO, the internet version of WalMart is Amazon.
Things like this NEVER, EVER hurt the Big Mean Corporations. They only hurt the content creators, artists, writers, and the people you're supposedly trying to protect with the protest.
Piracy is bad. Piracy costs writers, artists, musicians, and filmmakers tons and tons of money. But wholesale slaughter of websites or their parent sites it make a point is not the answer. We need thoughtful and considered policies and regulations in place that will benefit all of us, not just the lobbyists who can afford $94 MILLION to buy legislation.
Boycotts of this nature could kill a small press author's career (like mine) in the month that you think you're "helping".
Think Before You Meme
[From the Archive] Standard Manuscript Format
Because every year or two, we have to trot this out… this is from early 2010… Feel free to comment and debate at will.
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One of the fundamental tenants of professional writing is to put every manuscript into “Standard Manuscript Format”. What few people tell new writers is that there’s no longer a set standard, kind of like the Pirate’s Code, they’re more…guidelines. There are still things new writers need to do in order to be taken seriously, but as far as standard goes, 21st Century Publishing is a changing beast. But for those who make the effort, here are some things that are still fairly consistent.
• Paper – As long as there are paper submissions anywhere, I doubt serious this one will change. Always use white paper for both submissions and cover letters. Never, ever use colored paper. You will stand out, and it won’t be in a good way.
• Margins – Traditionally margins have been one inch all the way around the page, and probably still should be. However, this has relaxed somewhat when Microsoft Word became the industry standard word processing program and it defaults to 1.25″ right and left. I still reset my defaults to 1″ all around.
• Spacing – I’m referring to Line Spacing. 8 times out of 10 you’re going to double space your pages with no extra “return/enter” line between paragraphs with a 5 space/.5″ indention for paragraphs. The other 2 times out of 10, you’ll single space your manuscripts with a blank line between paragraphs, but these are generally for online publications so they can see the space. The double spacing may seem “environmentally unfriendly”, but that space allows editors to make notes and is easier on eyes that need to read a ton of stories in a short amount of time. You don’t want to strain the eyes of your editor/publisher. Really you don’t.
• Fonts and Styles – Here’s where the greatest debate still lies. Style refers to bold, underline, and italics – first of all, new writers should use special styles sparingly and with great thought. Traditionally, this is still indicated not with the word processing styling, but with the old style of text marking: underline = italics, _word_ = underline (don’t know why), and *word* is bold face. This is a fall back from typesetting days when typewriters didn’t do styles and everything was done manually. Does it make sense? Probably not, but it’s how it’s done.
FONTS are the hot button topic right now, still. Traditionally, you’ll still use Courier or Courier New. It’s the old fall back to typewriter days where the publisher could judge page counts and word counts by the look of the page. Then Microsoft Word started defaulting to Times New Roman. Now it’s Calibri. Though I do this column in Calibri, I would never send a manuscript in it. Some say it’s okay – to use an Arial/Calibri type font – they look good on a screen, but are harder to read on paper to some. Times New Roman is hard to read on screen, but traditionally a print (paper) font. Courier annoys some but for the most part, it’s still a safe font to use in submissions. ALWAYS USE A 12 POINT FONT. It doesn’t strain eyes.
Now, however, what is most important is to read the publication’s guidelines. If they say “SMF” or Standard Manuscript Format, I would go with Courier New, 1″ margins, double space, and underline your italics. Sometimes a publication will ask for specific things within their guidelines. Follow their rules, some call it a “weeding out process” to see who’s reading the guidelines and who isn’t – at that point, I stop and ask myself how much I want to submit to that market versus getting back to writing. It’s a crazy thing, but welcome to the publishing industry. Have fun.
[Writer Post] Expanding Your Audience – The North Texas Comic Book Show
2012 is not only the year of Finish Stuff, Darn It! (Part 2 – a continuation from 2011 and without a foreseeable ending), I’m also looking to expand my reader base. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the SF convention community and their continuing support – which is why my TO INFINITY AND BEYOND goal is to FINISH STUFF, so they have new things to read. However, there are huge, untapped (for me) bastions of potential new readers out there to woo. WOO!
This is why I set up shop at a shiny new (well, it was their second event) comic book show – The North Texas Comic Book Show. Yes, there’s a new show in town, currently in Arlington, TX. Their first event was in October 2011, where Jimmy and I popped in to meet the new kids and check it out.
The North Texas Comic Book Show started out like most shows of this nature – a dealer’s room. The January show featured vendors, a local (but prominent) comic book artist, and me – we were an experiment for each other for growth factors. For them, it was to see if authors would help bring in more people. For me, it was to see if comic book fans would be open to my kind of writing – i.e., new readers.
Since it was close and new, there wasn’t a huge financial outlay. The table wasn’t expensive, and travel was negligible. There were trade-offs. The deal made was for me to be at a table outside the actual comic book show room. The downside to this? I was on my own in the hallway. No other vendors. No way to get a feel of the energy of the room or talk with other vendors. The upside to this? I was on my own in the hallway. No other vendors. No distractions by the next “SHINY”. I had access to every single attendee as they came in or out. Of course I fielded a lot of questions like: “Where’s the bathroom/ATM/etc?” But that’s the tradeoff.
Was it successful? Yes. The show had reasonable expectations on attendance. One report promised potential vendors about 50 people. They had more. I like that. I like a show to downplay its attendance than promise HUNDREDS of people and getting a handful. I know shows need time to build, so I saw this as a good thing. All I expected was to break even on the investment.
Okay, so…my investment ended being more than table costs. I did donate $20 in chapbooks to their 2 daily drawings. One of each of my independent chapbooks to both drawings, signed – and could be personalized if the winner so chose. SIDENOTE: Participation in drawings and/or charity auctions need to be up to individuals. They should be determined on IF AND ONLY IF you can financially afford the loss. However, the good will investment is worth it for both potential new readers and event organizers alike. It makes you come across like someone who is in the event for more than making a buck. You’re actually supporting the show/even/convention.
I ended up lucky. This gamble paid off for me. The talking up I did on social media and website got the show website some traction. More people came than anticipated. And some of them bought stuff. It wasn’t “Wildest Dreams, Holy Cow I Have to Restock Everything Before ConJour” successful, but I did better than my base hope/expectations. The winners of my books in the drawings seemed genuinely excited about the books. I’m quite pleased with the outcome.
That means, now I have a basis for trying either another genre venue or some of the bigger comic book shows as time and budget permit (WITHOUT NEGLECTING MY CORE AUDIENCE VENUES of course).
What shows? Well, I’m open to comics and anime (multi-media is cool). I’m looking into table spilts for some of the more expensive shows since financial outlay is still a consideration. I don’t take up much space and willingly cross-promote. 
Maybe I’ll see you at a show near you soon!
Blackout: We’ll Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming on 1/19
My apologies to The North Texas Comic Book Show for preempting my write up.
Politics is a nasty, dirty thing…but this is important. I’d go dark if I knew how. This is the best I can do.
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Sharpie Stainless Steel Pen
After I wrote last week’s review of the new Sharpie Pen RT design, a Twitter follower asked if I’d tried the Stainless Steel Sharpie pen. I told him that the pen was in the queue to review, and decided to go ahead and just get it done. And now, back-to-back Sharpie reviews.
I picked up two before Christmas for our Christmas Stockings – my husband and I both wanted one – at WalMart. We wanted to try these since we have the Stainless Steel Fine Point Markers. A quick note about the Stainless Steel Sharpies – they may cost more initially than regular Sharpies, but they’re worth it. 1. They’re refillable, so you’re only investing in refills. 2. They’re a lot less likely to “wander” because they are quite noticeable. I tell stories about how many Sharpie markers I had go on tour with musicians because they were “permanently borrowed”. That doesn’t happen (yet) with the Stainless Steel ones.
So, the Sharpie Stainless Steel Pen…They’re porous point – which I mentioned in my last review are my least favorite points. I bend them, fray them, and eventually destroy them. But this one seems pretty durable, for what it is. The refill is one solid piece of work with a rubber “comfort” grip and a seemingly large ink reserve. The ink flows smoothly, doesn’t feather, skip, or bleed (as promised on packaging). The barrel is well constructed and balanced. The ridge where the refill meets the barrel is far enough back on grip to only be occasionally in the way or annoying.
The Stainless Steel pens are NOT retractable. They are capped and are just over 5.75″ capped. They’re about 6.5″ long with the cap posted. And here’s the thing, though the cap posts securely – I was bored and shook it to make sure, it doesn’t fly off – the cap doesn’t “lock” so it can LOOK wobbly and off center when posted. It doesn’t affect balance or feel, but it looks weird. But I LOVE the length and heft. This pen feels good in my hand.
Grading:
1. How does it write? – 1 – for a porous point. It performs well. Smooth flow, lives up to promise.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – the ‘comfort’ grip is actually comfortable, soft but firm. It’s also a good diameter to be comfortable in my hand. Well-balanced. Took a long time to fatigue.
3. Material – 1 – solid design and craftsmanship. We’ve had the first fine points for a while and the stainless has held up well to purse and bag battering without scratching or tarnish. The refills are a solid piece and don’t leak.
4. Overall Design – .5 – the ridge where the refill meets the barrel does SOMETIMES get in the way and dig into the thumb webbing.
5. Price Point – .5 – the initial outlay can be a bit pricey. The initial cost is ~$5-$7 depending where you find them. The refills tend to run about $2.00. It’s not outrageous, but something to consider.
Overall – 4 Bronze Pencils out of 5.
