07-22-2012, 08:49 AM | #31 | |||
o saeclum infacetum
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Aside from what I might think of the author as a person (ficbot was taking the time to try to help you), the inference I draw from this about his general writing style in regard to voice and nuance would keep me from wanting ever to read one of his books. Last edited by issybird; 07-22-2012 at 08:53 AM. |
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07-22-2012, 10:20 AM | #32 | |
Apprentice Curmudgeon.
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I have read him, but when much I was younger and he wad still serving his apprenticeship as a professional anus - before he graduated. In my teens I developed a liking for SF. At the time he was not notable, just one of many "adequate" SF writers. Like you, I would not knowingly read anything of his nowadays. |
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07-22-2012, 10:32 AM | #33 | |
Apprentice Curmudgeon.
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I took up a degree of anonymity when blogging became popular. My employers made it clear that their writers would remain anonymous when expressing (unofficial) opinion online - or risk their careers. |
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07-22-2012, 01:52 PM | #34 |
Wizard
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For the first 10 or 12 years I was anonymous successfully. With out a court order to my ISP you could not find me. However, I left that behind. Pros and Cons on both sides, IMO.
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07-22-2012, 01:57 PM | #35 | |
Wizard
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Pretty sure 1992 is the year it went from educational and research only to allow commercial traffic. It is also the year Delphi began marketing the Internet to its subscriber making the first big ISP. I got on via a small local BBS called Cybercomm in 1992 when you had to dial into the BBS, open a terminal shell on their server and fire of a proxy page that Lynx and other early browsers could use to get to the web. Email had a min 30 min delay, but was light compared to other networks. I could have my dates wrong, that was a long while back. |
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07-22-2012, 05:54 PM | #36 | |
Apprentice Curmudgeon.
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I still think that was more fun back in the days of Fidonet, mail-lists and Newsgroups. The web made it into something quite different, totally changed the character. Last edited by DarkScribe; 07-22-2012 at 06:02 PM. |
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07-22-2012, 06:58 PM | #37 |
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I read a blog by some woman or other who saw it as a sort of customer relations exercise. When customers were unhappy enough with her book to leave a scathing review she'd contact them and ask how she could improve it for them. A lot were so amazed by that they changed their review, but a lot of the commentators on the blog said she was just bullying them.
I haven't had any bad reviews yet, but when I do I'll probably just take a few extra pills and shrug it off. Their opinions are just as valid as mine or anyone else's. And at the end of the cliche, if they got something other than what they were expecting that's more of a failing on my part than anything else. |
07-22-2012, 09:59 PM | #38 |
occasional author
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Leverage.
In various disciplines, Engineering, Martial Arts, War, Politics and so on we learn that the proper pressure, the proper hold, the appropriate force vector in just the right place at just the right angle and at the right time will achieve what we want or at least the best we might get. On a site like Mobile Read, I don't want the baggage, good or bad, of my writing to interfere with my presence, so I traipse around as an unknown. That works nicely and I have only been challenged on it a few times. As for reviewers of actual writing, commenters in various places, there are mechanisms that can be applied. 1. silence which is the usual best method (let the writing speak for itself) 2. express appreciation where deserved 3. speaking through proxies, other reviewers, interviewers, agents and publishers 4. round table discussions or speaking at various conventions, meetings I believe that in all of these, mildness in attitude should be foremost in your mind when you speak to what someone else has said. In other words don't make matters worse, and try to avoid suits. The only time I usually go at it with people is when there is disagreement on "dead writers," their works and meanings. There I am one to invoke that famous phrase "I speak for the trees." |
07-23-2012, 08:57 AM | #39 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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(We should probably move on from this particular line of thought...) |
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07-25-2012, 10:46 AM | #40 |
Chasing Butterflies
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I've decided not to respond to reviews at all, though that's hard for me. I'm the sort of person who would like to respond kindly to negative reviews. However, it's come to my attention that (a) some people see that as intimidating/bullying and (b) it can actually encourage trolls to post more nasty reviews in order to waste your time responding.
So I never respond to any reviews. But if someone emails me, I always respond warmly. |
07-25-2012, 03:18 PM | #41 | |
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Although a bad review is disheartening, many people have their minds made up about this topic and nothing I (or any one else) can say or write will make them change. What I would actually prefer is constructive criticism, so that I could (perhaps) revise what is written if it is factually incorrect (which I don't believe it is), but this review, in my opinion, is just unhelpful to me or to the other purchasers of my book. |
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07-26-2012, 05:38 AM | #42 |
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Talking of which, I don't see anything intrinsically wrong with this reply.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R27N0...cm_cr_rdp_perm |
07-26-2012, 03:11 PM | #43 | |
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In fact one of the worst I read was by Matthew Reilly (can't remember which book though), where the hero was in a plane crashing towards the ground, and had around 40 seconds to defuse an atomic bomb, the defuse code was a memorable date for the person who set it (and was German). the hero keyed in the date in US format, (m,d,y) instead of European (d,m,y), which worked. |
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07-27-2012, 05:50 AM | #44 |
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I am not a writer, and I'm coming late to the party ... but I thought, hey, why not add my 2c to the general rumble ...
... from very personal experience I can say that I find it very hard to respect people who are not even able to control themselves. Yes, your ranting and raving might make the person at the service counter move faster just to get you out of his/her hair, and some people consider themselves successful because they can "use" bullying and insults as a tool to get what they want, sometimes. Nevertheless, to me, the mark of "behaving like a grown-up" is (among other things) being able to control yourself and not lose your poise easily. Please bear in mind that you might create that impression when you "respond in kind" to stupid insults. I, personally, prefer to buy books and read books from authors that I can respect, but that, like anything else, might differ for other people. Best regards, Andy |
07-27-2012, 11:01 AM | #45 | |
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In all cases the best response is to say and do nothing. You'll just fan the fires, look defensive, and invite more "back and forth." I don't think the belief that "any publicity is good publicity." As an author you want a bad review to fade away - you don't want to shed a spotlight on it. Just my opinion. |
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