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Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

A Thorough New Resource and #Giveaway: Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents!

When I look at most publishing reference guides, my gut reaction is to think they’ll be outdated before they hit the shelves. So much in publishing changes so quickly! But I knew from the moment I scanned the table of contents from Jeff Herman’s GUIDE TO BOOK PUBLISHERS, EDITORS &LITERARY AGENTS, this would be more than just a reference book. This would be a book I would enjoy.

His Advice For Writers section includes such helpful topics as Dumb-Ass Random Questions and Answers, and Find Your Passion and Piss it Away. These give you some idea of the kind of humor Herman infuses into his writing. The how-to section is thoroughly entertaining and informative. This is a great resource for beginning writers, breaking down the job of a literary agent and the process of writing the perfect query letter, but also addresses topics for the more seasoned author, such  as dealing with Ignored Writer Syndrome and Post-Publication Depression.

If only the advice section was included in this book, it would be worth the price of admission, but moving further into the bowels of the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find amazingly up-to-date and comprehensive listings for everything from literary agents to publishers (big, independent, and university), as well as freelance editors. They even had a section listing Canadian publishers. I discovered many, many publishers that were new to me. I love the way Herman delves deep with many of the literary agents listed within the book, so writers will have a sense of who they are and where their tastes lie.

I’m not alone in finding great value in this book! Meg Cabot says, “I got my agent by using this guide!” Nicholas Sparks says, “I highly recommend Jeff Herman’s Guide. It was the most helpful book I bought about how to get published.”
 
When I was asked if I would like to review a copy of this book, I jumped at the chance. I was offered either a print or digital copy, and I chose print, letting the publicist know I would gladly give it away on my blog when I was done reviewing it. Boy, am I regretting that offer now! I would love to keep this baby on my shelf, and whoever receives my copy is getting a treasure that will serve you as a reference for many years to come.

Fill out the rafflecopter below to enter to win. (Sorry, this is a hefty book, and I’ll only be able to mail out within the US using media mail. But if you’re an international reader and would still like to enter, I’ll offer an ebook of my new young adult novel, FOREIGN EXCHANGE, to one international winner).

More about this book:

If you want to get published, read this book!

Jeff Herman’s Guide unmasks nonsense, clears confusion, and unlocks secret doorways to success for new and veteran writers! This highly respected resource is used by publishing insiders everywhere and has been read by millions all over the world.

Jeff Herman’s Guide is the writer’s best friend. It reveals the names, interests, and contact information of thousands of agents and editors. It presents invaluable information about more than 350 publishers and imprints (including Canadian and university presses), lists independent book editors who can help you make your work more publisher-friendly, and helps you spot scams. Jeff Herman’s Guide unseals the truth about how to outsmart the gatekeepers, break through the barriers, and decipher the hidden codes to getting your book published. 

Countless writers have achieved their highest aspirations by following Herman’s outside-the-box strategies. If you want to reach the top of your game and transform rejections into contracts, you need this book! Jeff Herman’s Guide will educate you, inspire you, and become your virtual entourage at every step along the exhilarating journey to publication. Ask anyone in the book business, and they will refer you to Jeff Herman’s Guide.

NEW for 2015: Comprehensive index listing dozens of subjects and categories to help you find the perfect publisher or agent.

“I highly recommmend Jeff Herman’s Guide. It was the most helpful book I bought about how to get published.”
— Nicholas Sparks, New York Times bestselling author of The Notebook

“I got my agent by using this guide!”
— Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author

“Nothing beats Jeff Herman’s Guide.”
— Jack Canfield, coauthor, Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Jeff Herman has done a service to every writer who wants to make a living in this business. Every author should have a copy on their shelf.”
— Chip MacGregor, literary agent

“Everything you need to get started.”
— Cheryl Richardson, New York Times bestselling author

Jeff Herman’s Guide remains the Rosetta Stone of writerly success.”
— James Broderick, PhD, BookPleasures.com

About the Author

Jeff Herman, a successful literary agent, has sold more than a thousand books to dozens of publishers and, since 1990, mentored millions of writers through this guidebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 16, 2010

SLJ Review!

It always seems to be the days that I'm down in the U.S. (where my iPhone costs an absolute fortune, so I don't use it) when "News!" comes in.

Yesterday I was finishing a bit of Christmas shopping in Bellingham, WA, when a fantastic review came in from School Library Journal! Many of you probably know I've been a little, um, eager to hear from trade reviewers on LOSING FAITH, and School Library Journal? Well, let's just say I'm *thrilled* to have their backing and approval.

I don't think I'm allowed to post the entire review here, but here's a couple of my favorite lines (and if you'd like to read the whole thing, feel free to email me at d(at)denisejaden(dot)com )

From SLJ on LOSING FAITH:
“This thoughtful first novel explores early grief and shows how it can tear at the structure of a family that cannot mourn together…. Brie does not want to mourn alone; she feels angry, guilty, and confused, and she wants answers. Once Brie uncovers the breakaway Christian study group that her sister belonged to, the story becomes a mystery thriller... [R]eaders are taken on a ride through a secret world of religious zeal gone haywire….  The fault lies not in the religion–an earnest Christianity–but in the fanaticism that can happen when people follow a charismatic leader with a personality disorder.With pitch-perfect portrayals of high school social life and a nuanced view into a variety of Christian experiences of faith, this first novel gives readers much to think about.”

Monday, September 27, 2010

Monday News & Reviews

I promised I wouldn't post EVERY review of Losing Faith here, and I won't. But over the weekend, I had some very cool reviews and I just wanted to pick a couple to share with you:

Emilie's Book World shared a review that made me grin from ear to ear, not so much because it was riddled with praise, but more because I felt like she really got the things I would want a reader to take away from the book.

And I couldn't resist posting this one from The Heart of Dreams because it IS riddled with praise. LOL.

Besides those, there are at least ten more recent reviews, most of which you should be able to find through GoodReads.

As for news, I have a couple of pieces...

I have some pending good news, which I should know a bit more about after Wednesday. I know, I'm such a tease, but it's impossible to stay completely quiet about it, but I really can't share yet either.

Also...I'm working on a loose outline for this year's NaNoWriMo! Are any of you doing NaNo this year? I'd love to hear of your plans if you are. My plan (drum roll, please) is to write a companion novel to Losing Faith in another character's point of view. Any guesses whose story I might tell?...

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Will YOU Like Losing Faith?

As I see it, I probably have two categories of blog readers:

Category A: These people are my big supporters. They may be my friends or family, critique partners or people I've met at writing conferences. Or they may even be people who have stumbled upon a description of LOSING FAITH and think they will love it. These people are excited, along with me, about the launch of my first book in just over a month. Thank you! (with a million, gazillion extra exclamation points!) I love words, but I just can't find ones that are good enough to tell you how much I appreciate all of you!

Category B: Maybe you're just here for the giveaways. Or possibly you just stumble upon my blog each time it has an interesting-looking title. You may not have thought much about Losing Faith and whether or not it would be a book you would enjoy. If you're like me, you don't roam around the Internet scouring for the back copy of upcoming books. You wait until you have a hard copy in your hands - either in a bookstore, library, or in your home to see if it's something you want to read.

If you're a Category B visitor of my blog, Welcome! I still absolutely love having you here. And I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to drop by my Losing Faith Page to read the description. I probably wouldn't either. But...if you are kind of interested, and would like a quick and interesting way to find out if my book is up your alley, I invite you to visit the following link:

http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/2010/07/fragment-friday-losing-faith-by-denise.html

April from Good Books and Wine (what a great name, right?!) has put together an awesome vlog. She's very entertaining, giving a short description of Losing Faith and then reading an excerpt of her choice. It was so cool for me to see the excerpt she chose!

So if you have about four minutes to spare, hop on over to her blog and see if you might want to move into Category A! And if not, no worries. See you back here Monday for ANOTHER great giveaway!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Book Reviews Vs. Movie Reviews

I enjoyed reading the wide variety of comments on book reviews and how much they matter yesterday. (Scroll down if you haven't read them yet). I was especially surprised by the fact that many of you would quickly forgo a movie with a single bad review, whereas it would likely take many bad reviews to make you skip over a book, which you would need to dedicate at least three times as much of your precious time to.

And so would I, I think. I've been pondering this. Is it because we rely on a smaller pool of movie reviewers, or because we're dedicated followers of one or two? Is it because we consider the enjoyment of a book much more subjective than the enjoyment of a movie?

My husband and I are followers of Ebert and Roeper. First of all, I love that there are at least two critics in one place there - you're not relying on only one opinion of a movie. We will generally give a movie a chance if it is only one thumb up. I love the "thumbs up/thumbs down" approach, as it is easy to quickly see how the critics felt in short glance. And the thing I love the best is seeing them banter about movies, when I actually get a chance to watch them on TV.

So I wonder, is there a regular book reviewer that you consider a kindred spirit...someone who you feel you can rely on their reviews and know that if they love a book, you likely will too?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Reviews - How much do they really matter?

I saw my first review of Losing Faith this week! It was cause for celebration, first of all because it was a pretty darn good review, but secondly, just because the waiting is finally over. I feel like I’ve been on the edge of a cliff for the last month or so, not knowing how I would feel or react when people I didn’t know started talking publicly about my book. Of course I still need to wait and see how I’ll handle the negative reviews.

Here's a little quote from Crystal from My Reading Room on Losing Faith...

"Suspense, religion, romance, teenage angst, this book has it all and it is all well-done.  Losing Faith was an amazing read that hooked me in the beginning and when it was done I was well-satisfied with the conclusion.  Great from start-to-finish!"

And here's a link to the full review:
http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-review-losing-faith-by-denise_26.html

As the author of a book that’s out there in the wild, I know reviews matter to me. Boy, do they matter to me! But I wonder, as a reader, how much do they matter to you? Do you often search out reviews on certain books, or do you just read the ones you stumble upon?


Personally, I rarely look up reviews on books. Once in a while, if I really LOVE a book, I’ll go searching for negative reviews, just because I find it so incredibly difficult to believe that someone could say anything bad about such an amazing book. And it also is a great reminder of how incredibly subjective this writing and reading process is.

Will you still read a book, even if you’ve read a few negative reviews on it? Or do negative reviews sometimes spur you on to read it, to see what all the criticism is about? I don’t think I’ve ever NOT read a book I wanted to read because of reviews I’ve read. I have read one book that I can remember because the negative reviews intrigued me. I do think I went into reading that book with my mind pre-decided that I probably wouldn’t like it though.

I'm curious, is what people are saying about a book (friends, family, bloggers) a major factor in many of the books you pick up? How likely are you to review a book online somewhere? Inquiring minds want to know!

Reviews are important in that they get the word out about books and authors, especially new ones. But I wonder if there’s much difference to readers in whether they are good reviews or bad ones. The one thing especially helpful about great reviews is that more reviewers may be apt to review it also, which is a great buzz-starter. Buzz is good, I'm not discounting that. I just wonder whether I'm in the norm, just stumbling upon the odd review and hearing about a book I may not have otherwise, or if there are many of you who actively search out reviews and use them to dictate your reading piles.