Follow the tour!
Thank you for allowing me to be here with you!
You asked me to tell you about wrestling with reader reactions. It is an interesting topic and I appreciate you bringing it up for today's discussion. The weave of the story uses the threads of my life. I know the characters and the nuances intimately. A reader picks up my book and as he reads he assimilates the story applying his own life's framework to it. The story is the same but the flavors of it may taste differently from the readers view point. This is normal as we all experience things in our own way. When that reader expresses their opinion it's how they see things and that's fair.
It is so delightful when a reviewer completely gets what I'm trying to say in my book. Sometimes though they have rushed through parts or perhaps they were reading sections while they were tired and they have missed points. These lapses may be reflected in their reviews. Other times they have a very valid point that I need to clarify in another book in the series. Reviews/reactions can hit the whole range. It's normal. We don't all like avocados or peas. We're all different and so are our reactions.
That said the reviews that criticize something that was explained in the book but they missed it are the ones that can get to me. It doesn't do any good to argue the point with the person. I look at those critical reviews the same way I do with the edits. I stand back and study what is said to understand the reasoning behind it. They can have a valid point that I need to address.
How I respond depends upon how valid I find their viewpoint. One: I never attack or confront. There is nothing gained by doing that. Two: Sometimes blog posts I write will be framed to answer that individuals concern. I recently was given the opportunity to address some of these questions on Jade Kerrion's blog with a post (Why did you...Why didn't you?) but I also do them for my blog.
Some of the comments get me thinking. I know why I did something a certain way but perhaps I can clarify that in another book in the series. Divergent Paths is the second book in the Sage Seed Chronicles and though I have written five only three are currently out. For instance one person wanted more of a land mass on my planet. She thought it was too small. No problem. Keep reading because that gets answered/resolved in another book. As designer of my own world I have the power to change and develop all sorts of things as long as it fits into the framework of my story. It is a lot of fun.
I want to leave this discussion by letting all of you know how important you are in the relationship. Support authors by purchasing their work from legitimate places and not pirating sites. Please take five minutes and write at least twenty words for a review that can make a difference in the life of a hard-working author. You'll walk away feeling good and the author will surely appreciate it. Review their work on Goodreads. Join their fan pages. Share links. Tell your friends and get others involved. We write to share our stories with you.
There are several sites I have set up to communicate with readers. I have a blog, a twitter account, a FaceBook author page and a Pinterest site so you can see what Ose looks like. You can find links to those at the end of the post, below my bio.
A virulent disease sweeps through the Sawblen Province. The source is unknown. As hundreds fall victim, the healers race to contain it and find a cure before it engulfs the realm, but a would-be healer complicates the situation by concocting dangerous drugs.While the officials are distracted, a counterfeiter takes advantage of the events. Credentials and money are faked, putting several lives in peril and resulting in deaths.
The Great One's council and sage population hurry to track down the sources of the trouble and right the multiple crises before anyone else falls prey to the events. Rare natives of the planet have important information to impart if the sages can decipher their cryptic message.
Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | iTunes
About the Author: Holly Barbo's world is shaped by her love of her family, the beauty of the natural world in Northwest Washington State and an irrepressible creative drive.
Living where the scenery is incredible with a rich abundance of wildlife "is so special and soothing that it feels like a quiet kind of magic," according to Barbo. She is drawn to creating stories where there is just a bit of something unworldly, perhaps it is magic or psychic skills. Her stories are mostly in non-urban settings and usually have some focus on nature, building a discordant drama inside the peaceful frame.
Follow the author at: Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter
0 comments:
Post a Comment