Kathleen Marple Kalb: Go Wide

 Kathleen Marple Kalb: Go Wide

Shotgun Honey: Submissions, Queries, and Patrons, Oh my!

 Shotgun Honey: Submissions, Queries, and Patrons, Oh my!

Before You Query....

Before you query….you need to understand a few things.

First and foremost, I am buried in more books—print and eBook—than I could read in a couple of lifetimes. I have books going back more than a decade in my TBR piles. I am much slower now in the wake of events the last couple of years. I am also, after a long hiatus caused by those same events and my grief, trying to find my way back to my own writing and editing work as it is paramount for me to somehow develop some income streams to-- at the very least-- slow down the dwindling of my financial resources. A fast turnaround will never happen here, so if you think I am the key to your marketing plans, you best look elsewhere.

Second, query preference is given to authors I have read and enjoyed before. That is not to say I won’t look at somebody new if I am interested. It is to say that it will take a bit more effort to convince me to take a look if you are new to me.

Coupled with that fact is the fact that I do research on new to me authors. If you are one of those folks who publicly states that reviews do not matter and that you do not read reviews, do not ask me to spend my valuable time reading and reviewing your work. If you are one of those people who espouse the nonsensical idea that a review can be short and can consist of the “I liked it… Best Book Ever” garbage, do not waste my time or yours in reaching out. You do not want a review. You want a rubber stamp of approval.

Third, have an idea as to what I read and review. I will not read a horror novel nor will I read something billed as a “medical thriller.”  I will absolutely not read you book, fact or fiction, that deals with some idea that Big Pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. If you believe that, you are a special kind of stupid. I rarely read science fiction/fantasy. I mainly read mystery in all its many flavors as well as crime fiction and noir.  

Finally, while this policy applies to my review work, it also applies to what projects I will take on editing wise. If you are interested in reaching out, I am at KevinRTipple AT Verizon.net.

Writing 4.7 – Moron (More on) Querying (Brainsnorts Blog)

Writing 4.7 – Moron (More on) Querying (Brainsnorts Blog)

QueryTracker Blog: Five Query Mistakes That Make You Look Like An Ama...

A lot of this also applies to review queries....

QueryTracker Blog: Five Query Mistakes That Make You Look Like An Ama...: A query letter is a declaration, of sorts. It says your book is ready for the world and that you are ready to be its author. Whether you que...

BookEnds Literary Agency: Query Don'ts: Putting a Stop to This Latest Query ...

BookEnds Literary Agency: Query Don'ts: Putting a Stop to This Latest Query ...: There's a new query trend out there, one that isn't helping authors at all, but is driving me crazy. Here is how the query goes: ...

Anne R. Allen's Blog: How to Guarantee Rejection: Top 10 Ways Writers S...

Anne R. Allen's Blog: How to Guarantee Rejection: Top 10 Ways Writers S...: by Anne R. Allen H aving a popular blog has helped me feel a lot of empathy with agents and publishers. That's because Ruth and I get...

Numbers #5, 4, and 3 are especially true here regarding book reviews.

Queries

I am buried in books and am pretty much closed to submissions unless you are an author I have read and enjoyed before. Having written my last column for the Senior News Newspaper books specifically aimed for that market are no longer needed.

If you do query have some freakin idea what I read.

For the record---  I am not reading anything billed as a "medical thriller." With a spouse dying of terminal cancer, I am certainly not going to read a soon to be published medical thriller where a dying cancer stricken woman gets some sort of treatment that turns her into a homicidal manic and she unleashes a reign of terror upon big pharma because they want folks to die from cancer.

I kid you not.

Before You Ask For A Review.....

Have some idea of what I review in the first place. It is not that hard to figure it out and should only take you a few minutes if you just read the review titles here and elsewhere. I don't make it complicated. I don't, for example, review vampire books. That should be obvious!

Also, it is a good idea not to start the query with a general salutation about how good it is to see things going so well in my life and because they are that you--- the self published author who must is so proud to be an "indie"---  knows I can give the book a wonderful review as it clearly deserves it.

Look, love your book all you want. I love mine and get that. But, you lose me from the start when you tell me how good it is to see things going so well. 

Things here are pretty bad. I just don't talk about it as much as I used too because it is depressing and seems to trigger some hate e-mail. From what little I have shared in recent months it should be clear that things are not good. You would have known that if you ever bothered to read anything beyond whatever  my ranking is on some reviewer list somewhere. In addition, no matter what is happening here, the reading and review should only be about the book. Linking that with what I had for dinner or the fact that at this point after five frigging days my foot is not any better and may actually be worse is not a good idea.

So, yes, I am annoyed this morning with some amazingly misguided queries. This time I changed the details so as not to point out anyone by name. Next time I may just copy and paste the query in here and use it a a teaching moment how not to ask for a read and review.

And for the love of god and all that is holy--quit writing novels featuring romantic vampires or zombies! If you must write about them then, for the last time, send them elsewhere.

Via Blood-Red Pencil: Guidelines for Requesting Reviews

Also helps if you make sure the blogger reviews the type of book you write.....

Blood-Red Pencil: Guidelines for Requesting Reviews: Back in June 2013 here on The Blood Red Pencil , I offered some suggestions on taking a professional approach to being a book reviewer, so t...

Before You Ask About A Review....

I remain pretty much closed to review requests at this time. I am still making the occasional exception for authors I have read and enjoyed before, and will make exceptions on a case by case basis for books that directly relate to my review column at Senior News.  The main way to be considered for my Senior News column is to be either currently living in Texas or having written a novel where the setting is here in Texas.

My refusal to accept your book for review is not a reflection of you, your talents as an author, or of the book,  or your mode of publication. It truly is not about you at all.

“Kevin’s Corner” is not a paid review site. I am just one guy doing the level best that he can.  I remain buried with several hundred books going back years. That fact, and the situations with my own worsening health issues and Sandi's terminal cancer, mean that just isn't possible for me to accept still more books beyond what I already have here. 

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--Benjamin Leroy

In case you are not aware, Ben writes a column over at Jeff Cohen's Hey, There's A Dead Guy In The Living Room blog. The blog is always worth reading, but espcially when Ben weighs in on a topic.

Earlier this week he opined on the publishing process and more in his piece "Q&A Day In The Living Room." Ben answers questions about what he looks for in a submission and a lot more. It is well worth your time and can be found here.