You can learn a lot by going on to Amazon.com. Sure, if you're an author, it will be like a drug. You need a quick fix to see where your book rankings are and if anybody has posted reviews. I dream of a day I don't pay attention to reviews or rankings, but as someone who has started up his own business called "Travis Thrasher--Fulltime Novelist", keeping an eye on these things is necessary. No, the reason I say that you can learn a lot by going to Amazon is to see what readers (not critics but consumers) think about books.
There's a recent novel that just came out. I won't say who it's by but I've been keeping tabs on the reviews. This author doesn't need to write a single sentence again in his life. He has proven his talent and abilities. But it seems like this latest book isn't as great as it might seem. I'm always curious to see what readers think. Sure, everybody has an opinion these days, but there is validity when dozens of people say the same thing over and over.
I like looking at the classics and seeing what people think of those. Or looking up bestsellers to see what the reviews say. I like seeing both the glowing reviews and also the scathing ones. I try to learn bits and pieces by scanning these reviews. Why do people rank a book low--is there a theme? What can I learn from this?
We live in a world where everybody--and I mean EVERYBODY--has an opinion. And I think that it takes a lot more guts to create something and put it out there rather than create a blog and tear it down. But there can be some things you can learn when you read the thoughts of real readers. Not the NY Times critic or the guy from Entertainment Weekly or whoever. I'm talking about the mother in Ohio or the college student in California or on and on.
I'm not saying this should dictate how you write. But this proves that even bestsellers have critics, and that everybody has an opinion, and that the publishing world is subjective.
Look--sometimes it gives me a little more motivation when I read a scathing review of some big-name bestseller. It makes me think--hey, I'm not the only hack around!
Okay, maybe this tip won't work for you because you're secure enough in your writing. So that's fine. Toast yourself. Meanwhile, I'm going on Amazon to see if I can read any more biting reviews. And hoping they're not about anything I've written.
Labels: tips, writing
