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I enjoy hearing from readers as much as I enjoy writing. Don't hesitate to drop me a line.
You can keep in touch using Facebook or Twitter.
Sign up to my newsletter for updates, book release details and more.
Reviews (and beta reading) are vital to an author, especially a struggling indie author. I love to read and collect freebies wherever and whenever I can.
Yes, my tsundoku (an overwhelming wave of a TBR pile) is huge, but I’m beginning to get organized on that: I am now designating short works and some anthologies as inter-beta reads, a necessary short change of pace between longer reads. As an inveterate beta reader (retired after 23 years as a medical transcriptionist and still occasionally tutoring), all of them listed will be read and will get reviews. I initially had just a beta list, with all of them in one long list. Then I added one inter-beta list with short stories, short books, and novellas in one batch (yes, they cannot escape a beta read and a review, either). Now I have gotten smarter and put short stories and anthologies of short stories as a separate group, list page lengths of the longer ones, and even often add page lengths to the longer beta reads. Then when I finish a long work, I can grab an appropriate length inter-read for the remaining time that evening. The ereaders I use (kindle and icecream) let me bookmark the last page/story read, so an anthology serves me for a while–I don’t like reading several short stories in one sitting. This system keeps down the stress level, slots in things that might otherwise get completely overlooked, and uses my time more efficiently. The tsundoku looks much less daunting.
I always keep a word processor page open for comments or edits, because a fleeting thought or impression could mean the world to an author who didn’t quite convey–or managed to state perfectly–what was intended. Catching plot glitches or logical errors (the bad guy shot dead in this chapter is shackled with the other prisoners shuffling off soon thereafter) wins an author’s gratitude. A momentary pause to figure something out needs a note and that leads to a balanced, careful review. I also think through the review on the page of editing/comment notes, so the author gets a look at what I am planning to say (or nearly) when I send the notes.
These small bits of organization helped me read over 250 books last year, and I’m off to a good start for a similar goal this year. Breaking up the pace and genres this way means my brain can ease into downtime and then be ready and willing to jump into another heavy-duty book.
Thanks for sharing your approach, Corine. 250 books a year is an impressive amount to both read and review. Wishing you every success with meeting this number in 2018!