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Reviews are for readers, right?

A place to debate issues or to rant about what's on your mind. In addition to discussions about historical fiction, books, the publishing industry, and history, discussions about current political, social, and religious issues and other topics are allowed, so those who are easily offended by certain topics may want to avoid such threads. Members are expected to keep the discussions friendly and polite and to avoid personal attacks on other members. The moderators reserve the right to shut down a thread without warning if they believe it necessary.
rebecca
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Post by rebecca » Fri January 13th, 2012, 12:36 am

[quote=""lauragill""]Oh, do get a Kindle, Bec. I got the $99 Kindle Touch for Christmas, and now read everything on it. You'll wonder how you ever got along without it.[/quote]

I will be going into town Saturday week I will buy a kindle there :D ..But I am such a technophobe that I hope I'll work out how to use it. And in case you're wondering how bad I am, I don't own a mobile phone because I can't figure how to use the silly things :p

Bec :)

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lauragill
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Post by lauragill » Fri January 13th, 2012, 2:53 am

I don't have a mobile phone, either, and can barely figure out my DVD player. But it's not that hard to figure out a Kindle Touch, even if you don't have wireless. You just download everything through the included USB cable.

annis
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Post by annis » Fri January 13th, 2012, 5:18 am

Basically Amazon have designed Kindle on the KISS principle. I'm notoriously bad with technology and had no trouble whatsoever setting mine up. There's plenty of online help out here too, both on the Amazon site and out there in general - just google your problem and someone will have the answer!

Have to say that though I do use my Kindle quite a bit, I still prefer to read an actual book :)

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Fri January 13th, 2012, 5:03 pm

Although several YA authors have come out in support of reviews, others have yet seen that by their authorial flameouts they embarrass themselves (witness the deletion of comments and blogposts) and their fellow authors, and can put a damper on a burgeoning community.

Ummmmmm. :confused:

I haven't seen any YA authors behaving badly. I think it is a foolish statement to make that the YA authors do not understand the power or reviews or that they dont' respect them. When I had my blog I had good and bad reviews and authors often time would write me thanking me for both. Authors would also seek me out, wanting me to read their books for reviews. This is to get the word out, obviously, but they understand it. I have one author who still sends me books because he wants me to post on Amazon so that his book CAN have a review, even though I no longer have my blog.

I think they are making a blanket statement.
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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Fri January 13th, 2012, 5:49 pm

[quote=""Divia""]Ummmmmm. :confused:

I haven't seen any YA authors behaving badly. I think it is a foolish statement to make that the YA authors do not understand the power or reviews or that they dont' respect them. When I had my blog I had good and bad reviews and authors often time would write me thanking me for both. Authors would also seek me out, wanting me to read their books for reviews. This is to get the word out, obviously, but they understand it. I have one author who still sends me books because he wants me to post on Amazon so that his book CAN have a review, even though I no longer have my blog.

I think they are making a blanket statement.[/quote]

I have quite a few friends (or friends of friends) on Goodreads that read a lot of YA. I've seen this mentioned by them as well.
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Divia
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Post by Divia » Fri January 13th, 2012, 10:23 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]I have quite a few friends (or friends of friends) on Goodreads that read a lot of YA. I've seen this mentioned by them as well.[/quote]

Now, I will say that some of the YA readers can be a little crazy or ahem, rather passionate. I think of them as comic book fans. They invest in a character and they think they know how the character should act. This is especially true with trilogies or series.

So I can see some teen reviewers calling an author stupid or fat or something like that because they don't like what happened to a character. I think its teens being teens and they don't know how to express themselves. HOwever, I have seen adults do it too, which is ridiculous. If you dont like the writing, fine whatever, but to go after someone's personal traits or character is beyond stupid in my opinion.
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rebecca
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Post by rebecca » Sat January 14th, 2012, 12:57 am

[quote=""Divia""]Now, I will say that some of the YA readers can be a little crazy or ahem, rather passionate. I think of them as comic book fans. They invest in a character and they think they know how the character should act. This is especially true with trilogies or series.

So I can see some teen reviewers calling an author stupid or fat or something like that because they don't like what happened to a character. I think its teens being teens and they don't know how to express themselves. HOwever, I have seen adults do it too, which is ridiculous. If you dont like the writing, fine whatever, but to go after someone's personal traits or character is beyond stupid in my opinion.[/quote]

I don't think there is an excuse for bad manners, whatever age you are. To write personal attacks on an authors appearance says more about them than the author in question. I do know that once you start reading a long series, the reader does become invested in the characters but at the end of the day it is a book and the characters are not real and it is the author's creation to do with it what he/she wills.

There is a difference between valid and authentic criticism and rudeness and any author worth their salt should appreciate valid critiques but no author should have to tolerate personal attacks.

I remember J.K Rowling said in an interview that a fan nearly hit her when she said Dumbldore was gay-I was stunned and to be honest it was that fan who had lost the plot and not the author.

It is the same with singers where I have seen Adele being attacked with some unkind comments stating 'she is too fat to sing' Huh!? :confused:

When it comes to any artist surely it is the talent that should be judged and not their appearance.

Thats my two cents worth :p .

Bec :)

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lauragill
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Post by lauragill » Sat January 14th, 2012, 2:47 am

[quote=""rebecca""]
When it comes to any artist surely it is the talent that should be judged and not their appearance.

Thats my two cents worth :p .

Bec :) [/quote]

And this is why you will never see a picture of me anywhere. And because I am nothing but a brain in a jar, anyway. :p Seriously. I am not short or ugly, though sometimes the jar makes my brain look fat. :D

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sat January 14th, 2012, 7:27 pm

Another review kerfuffle over at Goodreads. Follow the comments starting about #200 or so.
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lauragill
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Post by lauragill » Sat January 14th, 2012, 8:10 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]Another review kerfuffle over at Goodreads. Follow the comments starting about #200 or so.[/quote]

To be fair, that excerpt WAS pretty horrendous.
Last edited by lauragill on Sat January 14th, 2012, 8:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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