Book Reviews: How Important Are They?

A few days ago, this article came out on Consumerist.com. If you don’t want to click over and read it right this second, allow me to summarize: There are companies that sell five-star reviews to authors, and Amazon is suing these companies. I think almost everyone would agree that paying for fake 5-star reviews is…

Four Reasons Readers Skim A Story

Readers choose a story because they think it will hold their interest, so why do they sometimes skim or stop reading the story? There’s probably a variety of reasons, but I’ve noticed a few trends in comments in my critique group and from my own reading habits that may offer some insight. 1. Long, elegant…

Do You Stereotype Your Characters?

Think about a fiction book you’re reading. Tell me: what do you think about the main character? And how much information about that person did you have before forming that opinion? What qualities did you use? Gender? Age? Race? Appearance? Stereotyping occurs when we make assumptions about people based on the groups to which they belong. We…

What If Everyone Used Their Imagination?

I read a book review the other day, and it’s been irritating the crap out of me. The story that accompanied the review is set during the Napoleonic Wars, except the fighting countries have air forces comprised of talking dragons. I read the book, and I loved it (find it here). The dragons spoke eloquently in the…

How Much Do You Think A Book Is Worth?

It’s a widely debated issue, I’ve learned. How much are readers willing to pay for a book? There doesn’t seem to be a solid answer, though there are trends. Popular books or books by popular authors generally cost more. Ebooks tend to be cheaper than the physical thing. The Bible is the most stolen book on…