There's been some discussion over on Kindleboards about the ethics, validity, and worth of independent authors reviewing the books by other independent authors. Some say it's an incestuous circle jerk, and contributes to the perception that independent authors are shady, nepotistic egomaniacs who fluff their peers regardless of quality. Others say that authors reviewing authors is a time-honored tradition, and that being independent does not rob one of objectivity or experience. I can see both sides.
As a disclaimer, I write the reviews on this site primarily as recommendations to friends. That means I'm not going to review a book that I wouldn't recommend to people I know, so you're not going to see bad reviews on this blog. I don't review everything I read because I got shit to do, and I'm not going to let a bad or mediocre book take up any more of my time than it already has.
So you already know my view on this. Yes, there is a chance that some author takes offense to something I say in a four star review and alt-bombs Battlesongs with 1 star reviews, but I like to have more faith in humanity than that. If anyone can write a book good enough that I recommend it to friends, I believe they can handle a negative word about some secondary characters without losing their shit.
And so call me biased if you'd like because I won't roast some of the many bad books I've read on this site. There are other sites for that. When my sister calls me from Barnes and Noble asking for a book suggestion, I don't spend five minutes ripping on bad books either.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
In which I review a book about a demon-possessed rock band
Voice by Joseph Garraty is a difficult book to rank. It's good, let's get that out of the way right now. But even a few days after finishing it, I'm unable to decide whether its high points (which are VERY high) make up for its low points (which are rather meh) enough to give it the highest ranking.
John Tsiboukas is the lead singer and clear weak link in his band Ragman after he convinces the cynical sexpot Stephanie Case to join as lead guitarist. Seeing the talent around him, and feeling his dream of pulling himself out of poverty via rockstardom fading away, John makes a deal with a demon who manifests as Johnny Tango, John's stage personality who wears leather jackets and has a killer voice. Johnny Tango takes over more and more of John's actions, and Ragman's shows begin converting more and more people into Johnny's 'disciples', violent, zombie like people who are insanely devoted to Johnny.
The strengths of Voice are apparent. The opening chapter is one of the creepiest, most gripping openings to a book I've ever read, regardless of genre, publisher, or format. The characters of John/Johnny and Case are as real as can be, and the scenes with the band performing are so well done you can almost hear the music. The top-tier antagonist, referred to as the man in the black suit (explicitly NOT the devil) is deliciously creepy and very well written for the brief time he appears. His right-hand-man, Douglas, takes a larger role and is quite fun to dislike.
But the weaknesses are what make me conflicted. All but one of the secondary characters (Erin, the band's manager being the exception) are largely one-dimensional. This includes the band's bassists, which is a problem due to how central they are to the overall conflict. Additionally, Johnny's motives are never explained; it seems his goals are simply to create disciples in order to spread violence, which seems shallow. This makes the disciples behavior somewhat confusing. I felt that Garraty may have tried to explain their behavior in a dream sequence, but the allusions and metaphors eluded me; this may be my own failing rather than the author's.
Overall I would recommend Voice to anyone. It's not quite horror, it's not quite fantasy; it has the same plain yet otherworldly feeling that some of Stephen King's books have, without the fart jokes. The writing is crisp enough that you don't notice it, and the highs are high enough to keep you engaged through till the end.
4/5 stars
John Tsiboukas is the lead singer and clear weak link in his band Ragman after he convinces the cynical sexpot Stephanie Case to join as lead guitarist. Seeing the talent around him, and feeling his dream of pulling himself out of poverty via rockstardom fading away, John makes a deal with a demon who manifests as Johnny Tango, John's stage personality who wears leather jackets and has a killer voice. Johnny Tango takes over more and more of John's actions, and Ragman's shows begin converting more and more people into Johnny's 'disciples', violent, zombie like people who are insanely devoted to Johnny.
The strengths of Voice are apparent. The opening chapter is one of the creepiest, most gripping openings to a book I've ever read, regardless of genre, publisher, or format. The characters of John/Johnny and Case are as real as can be, and the scenes with the band performing are so well done you can almost hear the music. The top-tier antagonist, referred to as the man in the black suit (explicitly NOT the devil) is deliciously creepy and very well written for the brief time he appears. His right-hand-man, Douglas, takes a larger role and is quite fun to dislike.
But the weaknesses are what make me conflicted. All but one of the secondary characters (Erin, the band's manager being the exception) are largely one-dimensional. This includes the band's bassists, which is a problem due to how central they are to the overall conflict. Additionally, Johnny's motives are never explained; it seems his goals are simply to create disciples in order to spread violence, which seems shallow. This makes the disciples behavior somewhat confusing. I felt that Garraty may have tried to explain their behavior in a dream sequence, but the allusions and metaphors eluded me; this may be my own failing rather than the author's.
Overall I would recommend Voice to anyone. It's not quite horror, it's not quite fantasy; it has the same plain yet otherworldly feeling that some of Stephen King's books have, without the fart jokes. The writing is crisp enough that you don't notice it, and the highs are high enough to keep you engaged through till the end.
4/5 stars
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Football 2011
Football season has finally arrived. Last year, the Monsters of the Midway, the Chicago Bears, lost to those twaddling cheeseheads, the damn Green Bay Packers, in the NFC Championship game. The Bears surprised everyone in 2010 by going 11-5 and winning the NFC North for the third time in 6 years, during a season they were widely predicted to finish at or below .500.
This year appears to be more of the same. General consensus is that the Bears will be lucky to win 8 games and will miss the playoffs. Sports media further aggravates these insults by projecting that the Detroit Lions, who have won eight games over the last three years, will finish ahead of the Bears in the NFC North.
The 2011 Bears have one of the most difficult schedules in the league, based on opponents' 2010 records. I'd like to offer my own thoughts and predictions based on the Bears team as they appear to me independent of their schedule.
Most of the key players on defense are on the wrong side of 30. They can all still play at a high level (witness Urlacher's Pro Bowl selection at 32), but the chance of injury is higher with older players, and the backups are untested at best. I think the defense has another year, maybe two, of elite play left in them, but the window is closing.
That said, Henry Melton is the best defensive prospect the Bears have had in years. Lovie Smith's defense relies on a dominating 3-technique tackle, and Melton looks like he can fit the bill.
An injury to any of the starting linebackers would cripple the defense.
Aside from Charles Tillman, the Bears starting cornerbacks are not noticeably better than their backups. This could be a problem given their schedule.
If Brandon Meriweather replaces Major Wright as the starting free safety, it will be trading a 24 year old who makes big plays on the ball at the expense of solid tackling and good coverage for a 28 year old who makes big plays on the ball at the expense of solid tackling and good coverage.
The offensive line looks to be leaps and bounds better than the one that gave up 52 sacks last year. Losing Olin Kruetz hurts from a cohesion and leadership standpoint, but the unit as a whole is more physical and more talented than the one from last year.
Because of the improvements on the O-line, I expect Jay Cutler to take another step forward at QB. The Bears receiver problems are overblown, and if Cutler can stay upright, I don't think throwing 30 TDs is out of the question.
Matt Forte deserves a raise. Lance Briggs does not.
The threat of Devin Hester on punt returns is overstated. I encourage opposing teams to kick to him, preferably low, line drive style punts. Don't be a wuss; kick it to Hester. What's the worst that can happen?
Hopefully the shock collar that Lovie Smith strapped on Mike Martz during the 2010 bye week still works, and will keep Martz from calling 8 consecutive pass plays to open games this year.
Final prediction: 10-6, 2nd in NFC North, wildcard playoff berth.
This year appears to be more of the same. General consensus is that the Bears will be lucky to win 8 games and will miss the playoffs. Sports media further aggravates these insults by projecting that the Detroit Lions, who have won eight games over the last three years, will finish ahead of the Bears in the NFC North.
The 2011 Bears have one of the most difficult schedules in the league, based on opponents' 2010 records. I'd like to offer my own thoughts and predictions based on the Bears team as they appear to me independent of their schedule.
Most of the key players on defense are on the wrong side of 30. They can all still play at a high level (witness Urlacher's Pro Bowl selection at 32), but the chance of injury is higher with older players, and the backups are untested at best. I think the defense has another year, maybe two, of elite play left in them, but the window is closing.
That said, Henry Melton is the best defensive prospect the Bears have had in years. Lovie Smith's defense relies on a dominating 3-technique tackle, and Melton looks like he can fit the bill.
An injury to any of the starting linebackers would cripple the defense.
Aside from Charles Tillman, the Bears starting cornerbacks are not noticeably better than their backups. This could be a problem given their schedule.
If Brandon Meriweather replaces Major Wright as the starting free safety, it will be trading a 24 year old who makes big plays on the ball at the expense of solid tackling and good coverage for a 28 year old who makes big plays on the ball at the expense of solid tackling and good coverage.
The offensive line looks to be leaps and bounds better than the one that gave up 52 sacks last year. Losing Olin Kruetz hurts from a cohesion and leadership standpoint, but the unit as a whole is more physical and more talented than the one from last year.
Because of the improvements on the O-line, I expect Jay Cutler to take another step forward at QB. The Bears receiver problems are overblown, and if Cutler can stay upright, I don't think throwing 30 TDs is out of the question.
Matt Forte deserves a raise. Lance Briggs does not.
The threat of Devin Hester on punt returns is overstated. I encourage opposing teams to kick to him, preferably low, line drive style punts. Don't be a wuss; kick it to Hester. What's the worst that can happen?
Hopefully the shock collar that Lovie Smith strapped on Mike Martz during the 2010 bye week still works, and will keep Martz from calling 8 consecutive pass plays to open games this year.
Final prediction: 10-6, 2nd in NFC North, wildcard playoff berth.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
"Sooner or later...
... if you're any kind of man, you got to step up, step out, and see what the fuck you got."
Battlesongs of Hope manuscript went out to Lucky Bat Books today for formatting.
Battlesongs of Hope manuscript went out to Lucky Bat Books today for formatting.
Friday, August 19, 2011
The blurb process
Whether you call it a blurb, a product description, or a pitch, writing it sucks. The goal is to convince someone in 200 words or less why they should read your 200+ page book. If you have a short book and a long blurb, you get one word per page. This is something you've spent, at minimum, several months writing, and you have about 30 seconds and one or two paragraphs to convince someone that it's worth reading.
It SUCKS.
When I first sent off Battlesongs of Hope to agents, writing the queries was a nightmare. My thought process while writing the pitch part of the query went something like, "JUST PLEASE READ THE FIRST PAGE YOU'LL LOVE IT PLEASE JUST SKIM THE ACTUAL BOOK IT'S SO GOOD!"
What it actually said was this:
This is a decent summary of what happens in Battlesongs, even three years and some extensive edits later. But it kind of... skips. There's no coherent story, because it's missing about 350 pages that turn that summary into a story. You can see my intent in this blurb; the descriptions might be interesting enough to get someone to say, "Huh. I like wizards, maybe I'll take a look." But this approach depends on two assumptions I have no right to make.
1: The summary of the setting of BSOH is interesting to someone who is unfamiliar with it.
2: People are willing to take a chance with their time reading an unfamiliar fantasy by an unknown author. There are THOUSANDS of books that fit this description, and there's nothing in the blurb above to set me apart.
Both of the above assumptions violate one of my key tenants as an author: NO ONE CARES!
People do not owe me their time. Fact is, no one cares about my story unless I give them a good reason to, and because the above blurb does nothing to set me apart from anyone else, I haven't given the reader a good reason to give me their time.
That blurb racked up about 20 some rejections, for good reason. Two years later, Girlfriend came along and made me revise it. My thought process went something like, "Hey, movie trailers get people interested in movies; why not make my blurb read like a movie trailer?"
This is how it turned out:
If you squint, you can see how a particularly active imagination could tag along with this blurb and become interested enough to give the first page of the book a try. It's certainly more exciting than the first, but it still jumps around for someone who's unfamiliar with the book. In 192 words I introduce the main character, Jacob, Wizards capital W, some major events in Jacob's life, something called the Anarchist Murmur that somehow relates to Wizards capital W, and then an army that somehow Jacob has to fight because of the Anarchist and oh dear I've gone crosseyed.
No one owes me the time it takes to decipher this. It works as a moderately interesting account of events in the book, but there's too much proprietary information in too small of a package for anyone to really get their brain around it in the time it takes them to throw the query away or click off the Amazon page.
This second blurb racked up another half dozen rejection letters from agencies, but did get one small publisher interested enough to extend an offer which I ultimately walked away from. It was better, but it wasn't good.
When I started working with Lucky Bat, I now had to write something that ACTUAL READERS would see when the "Buy Now" button was staring them down. This is for actual dollars, not a contract, and I came up with this:
First, it's cleaner. Not nearly as much information, about half as long, and a much more direct focus. At this point, the real underlying problem starts to emerge: this paragraph says what HAPPENS in Battlesongs. What it does not do is describe what the book is ABOUT. Girlfriend, being the editor she is, had some stern words for me when I showed her this.
Something wasn't clicking for me. And because I need to kick ass wholesale at this blurb if anyone is going to buy the book, I strip mined my bookshelf and spent a couple of hours studying the back covers and trying to figure out why I bought the books I bought.
I thought I bought books because of all of the cool shit that happens in them. I expected to see blurbs talking about how bitchin the stories were, because that's what I remember from reading them.
What I actually found was that was true for exactly ONE of the books I own. The VAST majority of the other back cover blurbs made me interested in the main character, in one way or another. A slightly smaller majority doubled up on that and made me interested in the main character's personal conflict. This is NOT the main conflict of the story (news to me). When I revealed my discovery to Girlfriend, she had more stern words for me, but in the "How the hell didn't you know that?" sort of way.
She explained that the appeal of books for most people is NOT:
"Isn't it cool that [plot happens / setting exists]."
Instead, the appeal is:
"Wouldn't it be cool if I[were the MC / did these things]."
A couple of days later I sent the blurb that is going to accompany BSOH when it goes off into the wild.
Each of the first three blurbs took one or two solid writing days to craft. The final one took a week. I have no idea how much it will help or hurt BSOH when real people read it, but I do know that I have a much better chance to get someone to sample the first page of the book now than I did when I was begging them to.
Onward, in 150 words or less.
It SUCKS.
When I first sent off Battlesongs of Hope to agents, writing the queries was a nightmare. My thought process while writing the pitch part of the query went something like, "JUST PLEASE READ THE FIRST PAGE YOU'LL LOVE IT PLEASE JUST SKIM THE ACTUAL BOOK IT'S SO GOOD!"
What it actually said was this:
Civilization fell apart, and no one knew why. After years of anarchy, broken spirits languish in the ruins waiting to die.
Jacob Vogel scrapes together a living and a sense of purpose by working as a mechanic in a sprawling, ruined city once ruled by an oligarchy of Wizards. But the violent murder of his only surviving friend drives him out of the city on the verge of suicide.
Jacob wanders the hinterlands battling disease, dehydration, and wild animals for weeks. His travels bring him to clues about civilization's fall, a woman who teaches him to love life, and to the discovery of an impending crisis that dwarfs what came before.
Jacob's story is told in honest, direct language that shows the reader a man who doesn't consider himself or his experiences extraordinary. Four chapter-length flashbacks broaden the scope of the story beyond Jacob's immediate perspective.
This is a decent summary of what happens in Battlesongs, even three years and some extensive edits later. But it kind of... skips. There's no coherent story, because it's missing about 350 pages that turn that summary into a story. You can see my intent in this blurb; the descriptions might be interesting enough to get someone to say, "Huh. I like wizards, maybe I'll take a look." But this approach depends on two assumptions I have no right to make.
1: The summary of the setting of BSOH is interesting to someone who is unfamiliar with it.
2: People are willing to take a chance with their time reading an unfamiliar fantasy by an unknown author. There are THOUSANDS of books that fit this description, and there's nothing in the blurb above to set me apart.
Both of the above assumptions violate one of my key tenants as an author: NO ONE CARES!
People do not owe me their time. Fact is, no one cares about my story unless I give them a good reason to, and because the above blurb does nothing to set me apart from anyone else, I haven't given the reader a good reason to give me their time.
That blurb racked up about 20 some rejections, for good reason. Two years later, Girlfriend came along and made me revise it. My thought process went something like, "Hey, movie trailers get people interested in movies; why not make my blurb read like a movie trailer?"
This is how it turned out:
Five years ago something killed the Wizards and plunged all of civilization into anarchy. No one knew how, or why.
The Chaos that followed forced Jacob Vogel to become as hard and as cruel as the gangs that claimed his friends and family. Years of violence and futilely trying to forge an honest, dignified life drive Jacob to the verge of suicide and into the untamed hinterlands.
The hinterlands offer Jacob a new life. A wife and family, peace, work that makes people’s lives better; unimaginable blessings after a lifetime of suffering. But the city’s mysteries and malice have a long reach. In an abandoned farmhouse, Jacob learns the true nature of the Anarchist Murmur, the Wizards' bane, as well as the terrifying reason for the Wizards' extermination. A monstrous army led by the last magic-users in the world survived the Anarchist Murmur’s crusade, and have returned to scourge humanity from the Wizards’ realm.
Fighting means launching an impossible crusade, returning to violence to defend the only peace he’s ever known. But the truth behind the Anarchist Murmur turned Jacob’s life upside down, and he swears he'll never be a slave again.
If you squint, you can see how a particularly active imagination could tag along with this blurb and become interested enough to give the first page of the book a try. It's certainly more exciting than the first, but it still jumps around for someone who's unfamiliar with the book. In 192 words I introduce the main character, Jacob, Wizards capital W, some major events in Jacob's life, something called the Anarchist Murmur that somehow relates to Wizards capital W, and then an army that somehow Jacob has to fight because of the Anarchist and oh dear I've gone crosseyed.
No one owes me the time it takes to decipher this. It works as a moderately interesting account of events in the book, but there's too much proprietary information in too small of a package for anyone to really get their brain around it in the time it takes them to throw the query away or click off the Amazon page.
This second blurb racked up another half dozen rejection letters from agencies, but did get one small publisher interested enough to extend an offer which I ultimately walked away from. It was better, but it wasn't good.
When I started working with Lucky Bat, I now had to write something that ACTUAL READERS would see when the "Buy Now" button was staring them down. This is for actual dollars, not a contract, and I came up with this:
When the Wizards died, Jacob Vogel thought humanity could finally throw off the shackles of slavery. The years of chaos that followed left Jacob's family dead, his personality warped, and the Wizards' city in ruins. Wracked by guilt after failing to prevent his only remaining friend's murder, Jacob wanders to the edge of suicide and there discovers the truth. The mysterious force that killed the Wizards has been driving the violence plaguing humanity, ensuring no one would be prepared for the unthinkable. The Wizards have transformed into a monstrous, genocidal army, and they're returning for revenge.
First, it's cleaner. Not nearly as much information, about half as long, and a much more direct focus. At this point, the real underlying problem starts to emerge: this paragraph says what HAPPENS in Battlesongs. What it does not do is describe what the book is ABOUT. Girlfriend, being the editor she is, had some stern words for me when I showed her this.
Something wasn't clicking for me. And because I need to kick ass wholesale at this blurb if anyone is going to buy the book, I strip mined my bookshelf and spent a couple of hours studying the back covers and trying to figure out why I bought the books I bought.
I thought I bought books because of all of the cool shit that happens in them. I expected to see blurbs talking about how bitchin the stories were, because that's what I remember from reading them.
What I actually found was that was true for exactly ONE of the books I own. The VAST majority of the other back cover blurbs made me interested in the main character, in one way or another. A slightly smaller majority doubled up on that and made me interested in the main character's personal conflict. This is NOT the main conflict of the story (news to me). When I revealed my discovery to Girlfriend, she had more stern words for me, but in the "How the hell didn't you know that?" sort of way.
She explained that the appeal of books for most people is NOT:
"Isn't it cool that [plot happens / setting exists]
Instead, the appeal is:
"Wouldn't it be cool if I
A couple of days later I sent the blurb that is going to accompany BSOH when it goes off into the wild.
In this final version, Jacob as a character takes precedence over Jacob's experiences. His internal struggles take precedence over the external conflict that drives the plot. This gives the reader a foothold in an unfamiliar world, because Jacob's character and conflict are familiar: someone who stands up for what's right, even when the whole world is against him. It's short, it's focused, and it's interesting.Jacob Vogel considers himself one of the few decent men left in the world. During the riots following the ruling Wizards' downfall, he tried to provide for those close to him through his work as a mechanic. But the chaos kept spreading, and his skills with machines couldn't keep the violence at bay; he watched his sister's murder and killed his best friend with his own hand. The years of brutality finally broke him and drove him from the ruined Wizards' city. The hinterlands are a new world and offer a chance to build a new life. He finds peace, compassion, even love. But the city's corruption has spread farther than he could have imagined.
When the Wizards' legacy returns to enslave humanity, Jacob has a choice. He can run, abandon his family to their fate, and acquiesce to the world's depravity like he has so many times before. Or he can face his past, discover the power of redemption, and wield the human spirit as the only hope against tyranny.
Each of the first three blurbs took one or two solid writing days to craft. The final one took a week. I have no idea how much it will help or hurt BSOH when real people read it, but I do know that I have a much better chance to get someone to sample the first page of the book now than I did when I was begging them to.
Onward, in 150 words or less.
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