The Book Cove

This is going to be one of those "Hard Truth" posts. Book bloggers are a group of people who do what they do for free (most of them anyways). Since it's our spare time used and no money involved, we're pretty selective about the books that we choose. For the most part, a review rejection can be pretty cut-and-dry;  we're not interested in the topic so we decline the review. There are some things that authors do that influence our choice before we even look at the book synopsis. Not reading review policies - As I just said, we often times get review requests for a book that we have absolutely no interest in; meaning obvious disinterest in the genre and not book theme. If you can't take 5 seconds to read the policy, then why should we read your book?  Poor grammar in emails - We're internet acquaintances. We don't know you or anything about you. But when you send an email with " will u read my book bout traveling 1 leg man"   we will...

Do you prefer a synopsis that tells a little about the MCs, plot, and major theme? Or do you prefer the quick blip about the main point of the story? I don't have a preference. I think they each have their place and it all comes down to the art of writing.  Condensing a 200p+ story into a paragraph is hard work! But it's part of the job. If the book has a different element to it, especially one that is rare in its genre, then I appreciate a longer synopsis that tells me where the character is coming from and where they're are going. If the book is, say, a generic romance ( I know. Nobody likes to think of their book as generic) , then I think a quick blip about the main theme is sufficient, but something needs to differentiate the book enough to grab my attention. The long synopsis... I can't think of a specific example now, but I do recall some books that I've picked up where I was told all of the major plot twists and resolution. The problem -- too much inf...

A few weeks ago I wrote a little piece on my binge reading habits.  I don't "binge read" a lot...as in completely forget about everything around me for days in a row while I ravage books. It usually happens right after I've been working a lot of long hours for weeks on end and I finally have a weekend to myself with no plans and not many people involved. Okay. Maybe no people involved. There are times I just want to sit by myself and not have to carry on conversation, be a host, or have to plan things to do with people...but I digress. The past weekend was like that. I had an early work day on Friday. Got home. Changed into some comfy clothes. And then curled up in bed with my kindle and a seemingly limitless Amazon account. Not gonna lie. It was one of the best decisions I'd made in a while. Even if my Amazon bill will likely shock my pants off in a few days. I lost track of how many books I read. I can cruise through a 200-300 pager in a few hours. With 24 hou...

It's interesting to see the different ways that people go about writing in general. Some writers are intricate builders that plan every support beam and building exit before writing the details. Other writers get an itch of an idea and they can develop a design scheme before the stakes are in the ground. I write a lot for my job outside of the blog. I'm not sure if I write in one way more than the other but I use both methods. When I write a review I'm definitely more of the builder. I have a methodical process that I go though every time and I lay my reviews out in a sequential order. The Layout Why I picked up the book in the first place - I start by giving a little background on my mindset. Have I read work by the author before? Is this one I'd normally read based on the synopsis? What caught my interest first? Maybe a previous experience I've had with anything related to the book. This not only helps me center my thoughts specifically to that book, b...

I've never done a good job keeping up my Goodreads account. Even when I was a new blogger, fresh out of the gate, full of excitement, and a special twinkle in my eye. I just don't like the site that much -- which is weird because it's really the only big book community that has a ton of discussions and events to be a part of. I think people get to whiny on there and it's a turnoff. I post on Amazon as well, and while that has its fair share of trolls and henchmen that come after reviewers, Goodreads seems to be the breeding ground. I followed (author) from (site) and I think you (blah) about this book.  The other thing that drives me nuts about Goodreads is if an author is expecting a review from you, they sometimes use that as a tracking system. You're only 20% through a book I gave you a month ago?? Gah. I won't get into that whole ordeal. Anyways, back to the point. I find myself updating Goodreads about every 4-6 months. I just go back through my bl...

On Monday, Jessi did a great post on things in books that drive her nuts. I agree with everything she said and here are some of my own... Illogical situations When you get down to the nitty gritty all fiction is just making crap up. Whether the author is writing realistically or not, the world is still fake. That’s okay as long as the fake world is believable and functions in a logical manner. Harry Potter’s world is fake. So is the world of Shakespeare’s King Richard, although he is based on a historical character. The actions in both are understandable within the context of human nature. The reader understands why Harry went right and Richard so horribly wrong. The biggest offenders are the latest glut of dystopian novels. The authors have no understanding of basic human psychology or motivation. Characters act irrationally. The worlds they inhabit make no damn sense ; politically, psychologically, economically or otherwise . Settings are idiotic as well as impractical ...

Every reader has different tastes. Shocking revelation. Reviewing is a bit of a different beast in that a good reviewer tries to keep personal feelings separate from the critique of quality of  writing. It's hard though, not to let your personal style preferences interfere with the evaluation of characters, plot, and sentence formation. I've explained before that this is part of the reason I use ratings. My rating shows book quality but may or may not strongly reflect my personal views on the book. For the most part, they do line up because I'm not too picky about style. If I can make it through the book and can comprehend what is going on, then I generally enjoy the read and feel that the quality was decent. Everyone has there own list of what is okay to let slide in a book and what is not. And as much as we try not to, sometimes there is the smallest detail or quirk that sets us off. The moment I notice the incorrect use of a word - we all make mistakes. But I think ...

The literary world was rocked this week by news that a lost Harper Lee manuscript reemerged. To Kill a Mockingbird was always touted as the author’s first and only book. Go Set a Watchmen tells the story of Scout as an adult. Lee supposedly wrote it first, but the adult Scout’s interactions with Atticus so entranced the editor that he convinced her to set down the childhood story. The rest is publishing history. I have great fondness for To Kill a Mockingbird, a book I read in school. It had a spunky character in Scout at a time when girls in stories were generally relegated to being sweetly submissive to the boys. It was also one of the first assigned readings that was gripping and relevant rather than dull and preachy. I put more trust in my teachers after that. Naturally, this announcement has all fiction lovers in a tizzy. The discovery of a new work by Lee raises many questions and reads like a piece of fantasy itself. How can a manuscript get lost for ...

Just before Christmas I started reading the Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. I cruised through the first two books and fell in love with the characters, plot, writing style, everything. I immediately bought book 3, Opal , and started reading that the day I finished Onyx . Here I am about a month later and I'm still only 20% through Opal... It's not that it's not as interesting, or well written, or swoon worthy as the others. I just don't feel like reading it. At first I thought it was because I cruised through so many books in a short period of time that I wore myself out. But I'm still reading a lot and enjoying other books. I'm just choosing books that are a little less complex and are stand alones. Maybe I wore myself out in the paranormal/sci-fi genre. Or maybe I wore myself out with the characters. Does anyone else experience this about midway through a series? The first book is great because it introduces everything and the second builds on relatio...

What to include in a book media kit. www.thebookcove.com We do a lot of promotions on here. From author interviews to book and author spotlights, cover reveals, giveaways, and more, we've done a bit of everything. We've worked with multiple media outlets, publishers, and marketers. Marketing kits and styles have varied greatly with these experiences, and over time we've been able to figure out what works best on our end -- which usually carries over to the author as well. Figuring out effective marketing tactics is something that comes with experience -- and perhaps a bit of luck. Sometimes less is more. You don't want to overwhelm a potential buyer by throwing five book trailers, three chapter excerpts, and a bunch of teaser posters all in one sitting. On the other hand, you need to provide enough information to peak interest, generate book clicks, and hopefully positively influence sales.

The first time I received an email asking for an opinion on a new book cover, it kind of surprised me. Not because I thought that I was a completely random source for an opinion - I do review a lot of books - but because I figured that's what publishing teams were for. With the surge in self-publishing many authors are left designing book covers in their "spare time". There is a reason graphic design is a job in itself; it takes a good, objective eye to come up with an appealing cover design. I am the last person to claim to be any kind of designer (see below ) . I'm lucky if I can match my clothes up somewhat reasonably. But I do read a lot of books and I do have an opinion as both an outside source and as someone without a personal attachment to a book. Listed below are some issues that I find with book covers.

Why don't I have any bookshelves?! Is the more accurate question. Once upon a time, in a place far, far away, I thought this to be a silly question. I had an 8ft book case (seemingly small, now) stacked with my most recent reads, boxes galore of books from growing up, and whatever was left in spill-over crammed on night stands, TV stands, and dressers, taking the place of lamps, TVs and clothes (…priorities…). Once I moved into my own luxurious 860 sqft apartment with one bedroom, a shared kitchen-living-dining-room, and not enough storage (first world problems, I know) I had to leave my shelves/stands of books behind in storage. Now I look around my apartment and I’m saddened as I realize that I don’t have that beautiful ceiling high library that I’ve always dreamed of. In fact, I don’t even have a shelf. A single shelf! I have a couple of books from the 30’s and 40’s displayed next to the dog treat box, a handful of books stuffed on the only available foot of space i...

This post is meant as a discussion piece -- not a "right or wrong" opinion on my behalf. I'd really love to hear all of your thoughts on this. Warning, this is long-winded and filled with a ton of questions. Is fanfiction flattery or plagiarism? My initial thoughts... I've never read fanfiction. (I s it fanfiction, fan fiction, or fan-fiction? ) Well, I guess I have. 50 Shades of Grey , anybody? Okay, I've never knowingly  read something considered fanfiction. I don't quite understand the lucrative fandom behind 50 Shades either..but I digress. They say imitation is the best form of flattery. I understand why fans might want to try their hand at writing to take their favorite characters down a different path than the original author. I understand why fanfiction writers see it as a homage to their favorite authors, that it can be a fun hobby, a great online community, a creative place to bounce new ideas, a way to meet a lot of wonderful new peo...

Should an author respond to a review?  L.A. (Author):   I don’t think any response is necessary on sites like Amazon or GoodReads and can even take on a creepy stalker vibe if the author responds to every comment, but a requested review posted on a website or blog requires a thank-you. Yup, even if it’s bad. You don’t have to agree. The review is a service done for you and deserves acknowledgement. A simple ‘I appreciate your time’ to the blog or website owner is enough. The words may stick in your throat. It’s hard to read a bad review. After pouring your life’s blood into a work, the natural response is to lash back. (Actually, my natural response is to bite the reviewer.) A defensive rejoinder especially to an anonymous review on a site like Amazon gets the author nothing except coming across as a thin-skinned jerk . Reviews like this are especially hard to ignore if the comments are insulting and you can tell the person didn’t read the book. The unan...

It’s tough to find a good villain nowadays. I blame it on psychology, muddying the waters with motivational and emotional issues to explain away actions. Enough of that nonsense. I want my villain to be bad all the way through. Discovering Voldemort had been the abused child Tom Riddle tainted his death at the end. I’ll even admit to a cheer when Dumbledore plummeted out the window. With Tom's tragic past evident, Dumbledore became an arrogant ass who should have been banned from being around children decades before. After all, he had also allowed Harry to be raised by tormenting sadists who kept him in a closet. If only he had gotten Tom counseling at the start, none of the resulting mayhem would have happened. Frankly, I would gladly have pushed Dumbledore out the window myself. I don’t want my villains redeemed, either. They should be bad all the way through. Once redeemed, they evoke sympathy and teeter on becoming a hero. If they’re punished, I don’t get that gleeful feel...

One of my biggest peeves when reading reviews of a book is when a reader disliked a book because the book didn't pan out the way that the reader wanted and they felt "gypped", or "betrayed by the author", or a sense of being "owed". This is ridiculous. And it is a serious problem! (Links below) Let's just get this newsflash out of the way -- the world owes you nothing. The people in the world owe you nothing. It's just better to accept this simple (yet sometimes unfortunate) fact. As much as you may feel connected to an author/series/character(s), their outcome isn't your choice. Their fate is the choice of their creator. And if you don't like it, sorry. It's a good thing that pass-time-reading is a free choice. Can endings be upsetting, unjustified, and/or of no sense? Yes. If that's the case, then the book may simply be flawed in that sense. Does it mean the readers should raise pitchforks, start petitions for re...

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - I put this book on the back burner of my TBR list for a while. Mostly because of all of the hype. I'll admit, I can be a bit of a main stream snob. If I keep hearing (overly) raving reviews about something, I tend to put it to the side until some of the frenzy dies down. It's not because I don't get into those books or because I have something against the popular. It's because I'd rather enjoy them on my own time and not be sick of them through months of indirect hear-say and spoilers. People can spoil a popular book for me all they want; by the time I actually get around to reading it I've forgotten most of the talk ;-) But because I really wanted to see the movie I decided to read the book first. I finally got around to reading it a few weeks ago and I'm still not quite sure what I think about it. It was a good book. Actually, it was great! From the first page I was hooked. The cynical, realistic, witty, charming, ...

Two weeks ago I shared with you the beginnings of my deep plunge into web serialization and my decision to post a chapter a week of my fiction trilogy on various social media sites around the web, draw attention to them through other social media sites, and hope to find enough people who love my work that they’ll love me forever , which is what we ultimately want as writers, right? The love of enough people to allow us to eat and keep writing. Making money with fiction writing on the world wide web is two parts high stakes gambling and one part a long minimum wage slog working at McDonald’s. The gamble being it is possible to be noticed but the chances of having that winning formula that catapults your work into publishing industry fame and commendation are slim to none and in the process you could lose money through book editing, cover art design, and advertising , all of which you will need if you want to go through Amazon, or Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble and publish your ...