Monday 13 August 2007

another review

Some writers -- including a couple I regard as my personal mentors -- eschew reviews, refusing to acknowledge reviewers even exist. This is (I think) because they tend to take reviews personally, often feel compelled to respond, or fear that an awareness of reviewers will hamper their writing. I happen to love reviews -- bad as well as good, sometimes even moreso. (For several months a couple of years back a hardcore Star Trek fan had a page entitled "Kevin Killiany is a F***ing Moron" which analyzed everything I had ever published "proving" I did not understand, much less care about, Trek. He was completely wrong, of course, but it represented days of poring over my work. Who couldn't love that? The page is gone now -- some other talentless hack is the current focus of his ire.)

On a completely different note: Richard McGinlay's review of Destination Prague has been posted by the UK's leading telefantasy and cult website, Sci-Fi Online.
It seems my Star Trek roots are more apparent than I thought.
However, my story was mentioned as being among those he "particularly enjoyed." Pretty cool.

10 comments:

B.E. Sanderson said...

That is pretty cool, Kevin. Congratulations. =o)

And congratulations on the free promo from the loon. If anything, it probably helped sell more of your work.

Erica Ridley said...

He was completely wrong, of course, but it represented days of poring over my work. Who couldn't love that?

Bwa, that's hilarious.

P.S.
Hi to B.E.! I didn't know you read this blog! Small world. *g

Erica Ridley said...

btw, "read this blog" should've been "were on this blog". What can I say. It's Monday morning and I haven't had my caffeine.

B.E. Sanderson said...

LOL I know the feeling, Erica. I need my coffee intravenously today.

CL Taylor said...

Having never had a novel published I've never had a review but I'm not sure I'd be able to take the bad ones as well as you Kevin. In fact I'd probably cry! (though I'm sure that wouldn't stop me from obsessively checking Amazon.co.uk for reader reviews!) I suppose it depends on how many bad ones you get against good ones. If you got one stinker amongst 20 glowing reviewers you could console yourself by thinking the reviewer was an idiot but it 10 out of 20 were stinkers it would be a lot harder to take!

Graeme K Talboys said...

Bad ones are difficult to ignore, but they are only one person's opinion. And you have to remember, if they are reviewing it, it is because it is in print (so, ner ner di ner ner). I only respond to reviews of my non-fiction and only if it is clear that the reviewer has not read the book properly or has set out to misrepresent it.

Graeme K Talboys said...

Finally got across to read the review. well done. Very impressive.

KeVin K. said...

Bad reviews don't bother me. Too arrogant, I guess.
I was going to say that any review at all means someone read your work, but my very first pro review in Trek Nation began: "I loved Kevin Killiany's 'Personal Log' in which --" followed by a loving review of a completely different story written by someone else.

Actually, I have had very few reviews outside of my early Star Trek writing because most of my work is web content and/or game fiction -- two things reviewers don't. (My first novel has no professional reviews and only one reader review on Amazon.com -- none at all on Amazon.uk.). Also, my name is often nowhere on the product. I was just invited to pitch for a new online venture, for example. Moderate money and my name will not appear. Inside the industry editors and packagers will know it's my work. If web and game writing were all I was interested in, that would be enough. But I want my own vision and my own voice out there, so I'm pushing ahead with original work. (Still committed to my deadline, though these bill-paying projects are eating all the extra time I built into the schedule.)

When it comes to marketing my original fiction, I'm in the same place as every other "prepublished" writer. Standig at the edge of uncharted waters wondering whether my inner tube will keep me afloat.

KeVin K. said...

Oh, and speaking of arrogance, I meant to thank y'all for your support and encouragement. I tend to forget my manners because of my unfortunate childhood. I was raised in a barn. On a desert island. By wolves.

Rowan Coleman said...

Congrats on the good reviews Kevin! Love your comment on that irksome reviewer.