tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post3753939424435397351..comments2024-02-22T02:16:57.837-06:00Comments on Morgan Mandel Shares Books, Blogs, Dogs, and Networking : Meet Author & Book Reviewer, Mayra CalvaniMorgan Mandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-35011706499082651432008-11-18T12:15:00.000-06:002008-11-18T12:15:00.000-06:00MayraI'm curious, how many hours do you have in yo...Mayra<BR/><BR/>I'm curious, how many hours do you have in your day? You certainly are accomplishing more than I am. How-to books, mysteries, children's books and more, just what kind of vitamins do you take?<BR/>LOL.<BR/><BR/>Good luck with this book. I know it will be a big success.<BR/><BR/>ShariAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-20946960697351442152008-11-15T09:53:00.000-06:002008-11-15T09:53:00.000-06:00Thank you for a very informative article, Mayra. I...Thank you for a very informative article, Mayra. I wish your book had been available years ago when I was writing reviews. I never liked to review a friend's book because I felt it might ruin a perfectly good relationship. However, there good things about every badly-written book and I always focused that those.Jean Henry Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146960738692672013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-47071703868672905392008-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:002008-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:00I write - and review gay historical fiction. This ...I write - and review gay historical fiction. This is a small, but growing genre, and generally all the writers who specialise in it, network. So I know most of them, some of them very well.<BR/><BR/>I can't afford to be less than honest on my review blog. The readers of the blog expect it, and they'll also know if I'm being kind to someone simply because I know them. It's hard to say tough things about a book of a friend, but I personally think that I retain respect and integrity that way.<BR/><BR/>I know of at least two review sites - who, when I offered to do reviews for them said that they didn't do negative reviews. what is the point of that? You only need to do a few searches to find sites that never give less than three stars for example!<BR/><BR/>On the other hand - there is a kind of an art to reviewing. Even the worst book has some redeeming qualities, so one should never give a hatchet job, no matter how awful.<BR/><BR/>Erastes<BR/>www.speakitsname.wordpress.com<BR/>www.erastes.comErasteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02203293017233301227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-6072640331053745372008-11-14T22:46:00.000-06:002008-11-14T22:46:00.000-06:00Hi Mayra,Very interesting, informative article. I ...Hi Mayra,<BR/>Very interesting, informative article. I am a great believer in honest reviews. Even if a reviewer has to give a negative review, there is always a nice way of putting it so that authors don't feel as if "their baby" has been vilified. On the other hand, nothing worse than gushy sickly sweet, insincere reviews either.<BR/>I like to think there is a happy medium.<BR/>Regards<BR/>MargaretMargaret Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07123830410502520003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-80752389763043798042008-11-14T19:02:00.000-06:002008-11-14T19:02:00.000-06:00I do reviews, but not "formal" ones. I post very f...I do reviews, but not "formal" ones. I post very few negative reviews. And I do post reviews of friends' books. But I don't consider myself a reviewer.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-59044519014028504782008-11-14T15:56:00.000-06:002008-11-14T15:56:00.000-06:00Great article Mayra! You already know that I revi...Great article Mayra! You already know that I reviewed "The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing" at http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2008/07/slippery-art-of-book-reviewing-by-mayra.html and recommend it to anyone interested in reviewing books.<BR/><BR/>A question posed in your article was whether there can be objectivity in the blogosphere, but I believe this same problem arises in the reviewing community; perhaps on a smaller scale, but it is still there. If I know someone who writes reviews for a paper, why wouldn't I take advantage of that?<BR/><BR/>I don't necessarily agree that you shouldn't review a book by someone you know, as I have done it more than once. I just don't allow my friendship with the person to cloud how I word my reviews. Now, that might be because I don't write caustic negative reviews, but if someone I know has had a problem with a review of mine that was less than glowing, I haven't heard about it.<BR/><BR/>I usually follow a certain format, but length depends upon the book and how much I enjoy or did not enjoy the book. <BR/><BR/>I've always forced myself to finish a book even when I don't enjoy because I feel like the author paid good money to ship it to me. But on the other hand, I wonder if it is adding insult to injury when I email him/her and the review has more negative points than positive ones.<BR/><BR/>Whether bloggers are considered legitimate in some circles or not, these sites are here to stay. And, yes, they have brought literature closer to the public and are helpful for quick glimpses into books. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing your insights with us!<BR/><BR/>Readers - you'll find more reviews of Mayra's work at The Book Connection http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com<BR/><BR/>CherylCherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-40485355342294588872008-11-14T13:51:00.000-06:002008-11-14T13:51:00.000-06:00Hi Mayra, Interesting thoughts about a very sensi...Hi Mayra, Interesting thoughts about a very sensitive subject. Thanks for sharing.Debra St. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154130275058459169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-78221599186482580022008-11-14T13:26:00.000-06:002008-11-14T13:26:00.000-06:00Interesting point of view. Part of the difficulty ...Interesting point of view. Part of the difficulty lies in the definitions. Is an unpaid reviewer (or book critic) any less professional than one who isn't paid?<BR/>We can surely find examples of good and bad reviews by paid and unpaid reviewers. And as for a perfect world, the ethical limits imposed by good newspapers and other publications are absolute but they have practical limitations. As a practicing author, I solicit and maintain contacts with a number of reviewers. Several of them I consider as friends, but it would never occur to me to offer money for a good review. I don't know any reviewers who would accept payola. In looking back over the hundreds of reviews I have written, I would have to set aside the vast bulk of them and a large segment of my network of authors if I couldn't review the work of friends and acquaintances. In my opinion, that's a non-starter. Readers are intelligent enough to sort out the personal biases. The only reviews that should be tracked down and obliterated are those, professional or otherwise, which are direct attacks on individual authors. A rare occurrence. Yes, it's hard, sometimes, to read negative reviews, particularly when it appears the reviewer seems to have missed the point. But then, perhaps there is a message in that, as well. As an author, I have never read a review of my work which didn't tell me something I needed to know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-19839019334434160032008-11-14T10:38:00.000-06:002008-11-14T10:38:00.000-06:00Mayra,It's interesting to read about the controver...Mayra,<BR/>It's interesting to read about the controvery about blogger reviews and "legitimate" reviews. I certainly understand not reviewing the work of friends. It's hard to be objective no matter how hard you try.<BR/><BR/>Ron, I'm right there with you writing a review of a book on reviews. Mine will be a little later in Mayra's tour.Lillie Ammannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01851121176224654240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-46388686798494772062008-11-14T07:59:00.000-06:002008-11-14T07:59:00.000-06:00"In a perfect world a reviewer should never review..."In a perfect world a reviewer should never review a book by a person he/she knows."<BR/><BR/>I once had a - not sure what he was calling himself but for the sake of me not losing my mind trying to think of it, let's call him a psychic - tell me that he couldn't give me a reading because I was too "close" to him. And by close, it didn't mean we knew each other other than the Internet, but still, he had his reasons. I never could understand the reasons until later it dawned on me. The feelings (in his case strictly platonic)he had for me as a friend "clouded" whatever other talent he possessed to do this right. <BR/><BR/>In the case of the reviewer, if you are friends with someone and you want to give them an honest review, you can't. What if you were totally honest with this person because you did like them enough to be and what if this opinion was somewhat negative?<BR/><BR/>It happened to me and I'm sure it happens to a lot of authors. Do not get your friends to review your book. Some will sugar-coat; some will tell you like it is. Their "feelings" are clouded by the relationship and besides you don't want to go to jail for throwing them off the nearest bridge.thewriterslifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09408434848838447115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-54378260762403561012008-11-14T07:26:00.000-06:002008-11-14T07:26:00.000-06:00Welcome to my blogspot, Mayra.I hope you enjoy you...Welcome to my blogspot, Mayra.<BR/>I hope you enjoy your stay here.<BR/><BR/>Morgan Mandel<BR/>http://www.morganmandel.com<BR/>http://makeminemystery.blogspot.comMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-7804497173580532952008-11-14T07:06:00.000-06:002008-11-14T07:06:00.000-06:00That's so true, Ron, about the tricky part. I'm gl...That's so true, Ron, about the tricky part. I'm glad I didn't have to go through that! LOL<BR/><BR/>Thanks for stopping by!Mayra Calvanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01444333264952371471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-71023965806366508942008-11-14T06:59:00.000-06:002008-11-14T06:59:00.000-06:00The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing is an excellent...The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing is an excellent resource for those that want to be reviewers. The tricky part is writing a book review on a book about book reviews. I did and you'll see it next week.unwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11535882737909865934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35940445.post-72048826810361802722008-11-14T06:48:00.000-06:002008-11-14T06:48:00.000-06:00Thanks so much for having me on your cool blog tod...Thanks so much for having me on your cool blog today, Morgan!Mayra Calvanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01444333264952371471noreply@blogger.com