MONDAY MASHUP – September Edition: Author Fakes Reviews, Ebook Pricing War, New Adult Fiction & More!
Welcome to our new feature where we talk about random things we’ve seen around the blogosphere. It could be an interesting article, a book trailer, maybe a fun piece of news we feel you should know about, and maybe even a stylish pair of shoes or handbag we’ve seen (if Laura has her way!). Basically it’s a bit of a mashup! Enjoy….
What Kind Of Reader Are You?
I absolutely love this article, I came across it first of the Paperback Dolls Facebook page make sure you click the update link at the bottom with more options on too. It gave me may a chuckle try to peg what each of my fellow BCC reviewers are. Book buster *ahem* Gemma, I’m looking at you! Carolyn, I gave up trying to work out what you were 
I can’t decide what I am, a bit of a cross between chronological reader, audiobook reader, sleepy bedtime reader and the re-reader (well before I became a reviewer anyway). Indecisive me?! What about you?
Source: The Atlantic Wire
Harry Potter Producer To Make Shadow and Bone Film
This one is rather exciting, DreamWorks and the producer behind the Harry Potter films are going to be making a film adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s book SHADOW AND BONE a YA trilogy about an orphan girl who can harness rare magic. Rebecca reviewed the book back in May and absolutely loved it, giving it a rare and raving 5 star review (review here), it’s one I will definitely be heading down to the cinema for. You can also check out the rather cool booktrailer below.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
$28,000 A Month Reviewing?!
This is an article I saw on The Sweet Bookshelf and I have to confess it makes me a little sad. It’s not the first time I’ve seen people charging for reviews, but Mr. Rutherford featured in the NY Times earns $28,000 a month writing positive reviews for authors. Here’s a little quote:
But not just any kind of review will do. They have to be somewhere between enthusiastic and ecstatic.
Ok, I know what you’re thinking… that’s a lot of money! And holy crap, it certainly is! And for something I do for a simple love of books, for free every week myself. But there is something in my humble opinion, a little soulless about churning earn lots of positive reviews whether you agree or not for money. Perhaps I’m just an old book romantic, but my reviews are honest, about sharing my love of stories with like minded people. I would hate to change that. But perhaps I’m naive to think everyone thinks like that.
Source: NY Times
Author Fakes Reviews
And talking of faking positive reviews…this month author R.J. Ellory has admitted to writing positive reviews about himself and criticising rivals under pseudonyms on the internet:
Over the last ten years I have posted approximately 12 reviews of my own books, and I also criticised a book written by Stuart MacBride, and another by Mark Billingham, both of whom had done nothing to warrant such criticism.
This I regret deeply, but time cannot be turned back. I have apologised for what I have done, and I hope in time that we can move beyond this.
Hmm, a rather grim act I’m sure you’ll all agree. But I also think it was a brave act for Ellory to come forward and be honest and apologise. Although I’m sure MacBride and Billingham may have stronger views on the subject. In general I think it’s fair to say any form of a fake review whether for monetary or personal gain is a pretty poor show.
Source: Telegraph
Ebook Pricing War
I wrote last month about the arrival of The Nook in the UK next month, and it definitely seems with Christmas around the corner that companies have got their ebook guns out and are readying themselves for war. Sony and Amazon have gone head to head in a bit of a crazy ebook pricing war, slashing up to 97% off some books prices!! Only last week Carolyn posted on our Facebook page that the new James Herbert book ASH was available of the Kindle for an amazing 20p! Where the cover price itself is in fact £18.99. This is a consequence of Amazon price matching a promotion Sony was running on the book. At first I was a little concerned worried about the impact of this on authors, but it seems Herbert is one happy author.
“at one point I was selling 10-20,000 copies a week,” [...] “I’m still getting royalties as if it were full price … so I’m a really happy bunny,” said James.
But, he does then go on to point out that he is concerned it could set a precedent. As readers will we become used to buying books are these very low prices and will it devalue the price of a book in the long term? Also on a bigger scale what impact will this have on the independent book store? The book market definitely is under going to very major changes at the moment, but I think as huge book fans while it’s nice to enjoy the amazing savings we must remember it’s important to protect the industry we all love.
Source: Guardian Books
Black Dagger Brotherhood Men
This is not a new video, in fact it was posted on YouTube in 2008. But I have been reading through J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series for an event next year and totally loving it! So I came across this video on her Goodreads page and thought I would share it. This is J.R. Ward’s opinion on who would play her characters selected from famous actors. I think the only one that surprised me was Mark Wahlberg as Butch, not what I imagined him to look like at all. I’m thinking older and more muscular, kind of a bit Michael Chiklis, only with hair and perhaps a bit better looking. Any other fans of the series, what do you think?
Daniel Craig To Play Bond In At Least Two More Films
And while we’re on the subject of hunky men! Daniel Craig has this week confirmed that he will play James Bond in at least two more films. Now I think perhaps I’m going to be the odd one out here, but while I appreciate Craig’s many lovely assets (short blue swim shorts I’m looking at you!), I’m not a big fan of his Bond films. I watched CASINO ROYALE and was so unimpressed I have not watched QUANTUM OF SOLACE and do not plan to watch SKYFALL when it’s released. They’re just too bleak for me, bring back the cheese and swag of Connery and Moore any day.
Source: Guardian Books
Books Aimed At ‘New Adults’
I don’t think any of us have missed the rise and rise of YA books. It’s a genre or perhaps an age range is a better description that in the last few years has garnered mass appeal. You wouldn’t blink an eyelid at seeing someone in their 30s or 40s reading TWILIGHT or THE HUNGER GAMES. Whereas, you may have a few years back. This is a trend both authors and publishers alike have clued into. To this end, publishers have created a new genre… ‘new adult’. New adult books will be books where the characters transition from teen to adult through the book and will be aimed at 14-35 year-olds. There’s a good comment on this article actually from author James Dawson (author of HOLLOW PIKE) a YA novel:
I think New Adult is shorthand for ‘older teen’ or ‘more explicit Young Adult’. [...] The problem is that YA sections in book shops are connected to kids books. I suspect that since YA has taken off, parents and publishers are looking for ways to make sure younger readers aren’t getting their hands on unsuitable material and ‘New Adult’ is one way of doing this.
Really interesting comment which I think perhaps encapsulates what publishers are trying to do. I think the problem with YA at the moment is that it can cover a book suitable for someone in their early teens, or a book with explicit sexual content and there perhaps needs to be something to add a definition between the two. I personally would be much more likely to buy a new adult book than a YA one. As I often struggle with YA books being a bit too young and occasionally an bit too angsty for my tastes. But in the long-run I still think I will end up preferring adult books. Maybe new adult will prove me wrong!
Source: Guardian Books
Breaking Dawn Part 2 Trailer
This month I shall leave you with a super exciting new trailer for BREAKING DAWN PART 2 trailer. Oh I can’t wait and already have my husband lined up for babysitting duties! ;-D
12 Comments
I’ve just started reading some New Adult books and I like the theme and age group – I hope to read more.
And yay more Daniel Craig.
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I think I need to read one before I can comment, I’ll be interested to see how they differ from YA.
I knew I would be the odd one out on Daniel Craig
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Specifically aiming something at people between the ages of 14 and 35? Best of luck with that. It’s one thing to have books marketed at teens and to have adults like to read them too, but that age group is so vast that I’m not quite sure what could be aimed at it in the first place. Having the characters age like that is one interesting way of doing it, but that’s not going to prevents 14 years olds from reading about a 30 year old’s sexual exploits later in the series, for example, any more than any other genre already does! Teenagers have sexuality and sexual urges also, but you don’t need to coin a new genre for it. There are plenty of existing YA novels that explore such things already, after all. Sounds less like publishers trying to take advantage of what they see as an emerging market and more of a way to just make a fatter paycheque with meaningless genre titles. It’s an interesting idea, but one that I really do think is poorly thought out and motivated more by money than anything else.
As for the women making so much money through her reviews… I both envy her and feel annoyed at her. She’s making more money in a month than I do in a year. By pretty much spewing BS. Just about any Internet reviewer worth their salt could do the same thing, writing effusive praise that sounds specific but is, in reality, quite vague.
Part of me wishes I could do that. Write such reviews under a pseudonym. I wouldn’t even have to read the book. Just give me titles, author names, and a synopsis. Maybe an excerpt. And I could earn enough money to quit my day job and focus the rest of my time honestly reviewing the books I read for fun.
And that’s where the annoyance comes in. This woman sells positive reviews, makes a crap ton of money, and might not even be compromising her integrity (morality is startling relative and personal sometimes). I can even see how it could be justified. I work at a job where I sell things that I wouldn’t buy half the time even if I could afford them, but I still have to sell them like they’re the best thing in the world and worth every penny the customer pays. Her job is like a lot of jobs out there. I wouldn’t trust those reviews any further than I could throw their writer, but it irks me that people can make a good living doing that, while many of us who are more honest about our reviews couldn’t make in a year of blogging what we do in a week of working our mundane jobs half the time.
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It’s interesting on the YA/ New Adult debate, whether it’s money motivated, I guess as publishing is about making money it must be to some degree. I’m not a huge YA fan, I’m just too old!
I shall remain on the fence on new adult until I try one, I think to some degree they are going to have to be more targeted at the younger audience to make them work.
Paying for reviews, I don’t like it. Like you, part of me thinks wow that is a huge amount of money, I could do it and now even think about it, as you say you wouldn’t even have to read the book. But it feels very empty. And I love books too much I think.
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I loved the what kind of reader are you article. They’re funny because they’re true. I agree with Bibliotrophic, 14 – 35 is a really diverse age group. Not really sure how this is going to work. When I think of some New Adult titles I’ve read, I definitely wouldn’t say they’re suitable for a 14 year old. Beautiful Disaster for instance.
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The what kind of reader article is really fun
I haven’t read Beautfiul Disaster so I can’t comment, but I agree it’s a vast age range.
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I’m with you on the Breaking Dawn 2, I can’t wait! My husband is also booked for baby sitting and the 20+ group I go to the cinema with have already confirmed.
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Yay, can’t wait! I think I need to have a rewatch session of the first four now
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Hey, I’m a recovering Book-buster. I no longer fold the pages over! You’ve all threatened me.
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LOL We’ll help you through your 12 steps – you’re not alone in this. I’m sure there are plenty of recovering book-busters out there. Maybe there’s a support group? ;D
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Ha ha, are you sure you don’t secretly turn pages when we’re not looking?
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I meant *fold*
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