My literary novel, A Beautiful Chill, adjusted per ABNA and other reviewers' comments, has been scorned!
FYA (not FYI but "for your amusement"):
The situation: I took everyone's comments about my ABNA excerpt (the first 2 chapters and beginning of 3rd) and fixed everything, etc., then reposted the new excerpt--after I was already out of the pitch stage. I thought only that I might gather more comments since using CreativeSpace was still an option for me. Then I noticed a typo in the first paragraph!
It was late so I thought I'll fix it it tomorrow; nobody knows it is there yet anyway. The next day I went to delete it, fix the problem, and repost with a new preview number. But lo and behold! I already had a comment:
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The situation: I took everyone's comments about my ABNA excerpt (the first 2 chapters and beginning of 3rd) and fixed everything, etc., then reposted the new excerpt--after I was already out of the pitch stage. I thought only that I might gather more comments since using CreativeSpace was still an option for me. Then I noticed a typo in the first paragraph!
It was late so I thought I'll fix it it tomorrow; nobody knows it is there yet anyway. The next day I went to delete it, fix the problem, and repost with a new preview number. But lo and behold! I already had a comment:
______________________________
(1 star out of 5)
Anonymous February 27, 2011
I lived in Iceland for a year while I was in the military. I am impressed that the author knows some about Iceland but I have never seen a cliff in Reykavik. I don't think there are any. I have met a few natives of Iceland and although I think they may be a little easier with human relations than some of us uptight Americans I don't think stripping and sleaze would come easy to them. I don't see why men insist women have the same attitude toward sex as they do. We don't. Not sure where this author gets his ideas but I am not interested in the rest of the book. Thanks, but no thanks.
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Anonymous February 27, 2011
I lived in Iceland for a year while I was in the military. I am impressed that the author knows some about Iceland but I have never seen a cliff in Reykavik. I don't think there are any. I have met a few natives of Iceland and although I think they may be a little easier with human relations than some of us uptight Americans I don't think stripping and sleaze would come easy to them. I don't see why men insist women have the same attitude toward sex as they do. We don't. Not sure where this author gets his ideas but I am not interested in the rest of the book. Thanks, but no thanks.
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(Me, again:) Well, I was surprised on several accounts, first that the reviewer had left such a detailed review. But also about the "cliff"--which is in chapter 3 and is not intended to be in Reykjavik but in a dream (presumably in Akureyri, the childhood home of the heroine). The statement about female sexuality is one that I occasionally get from female reviewers. I think I've provided reasons for the character to be that way, which will be revealed through the course of the novel.
So, do the women in this group have a similar feeling about that opening? OK, I know you don't remember it, but she's a nude model in an art class, and as she poses she thinks about her problems, partly involving her childhood abuse, partly her sex industry work, etc. She hates the boys in the class leering at her and eventually runs out. Most readers of the earliest version thought the character was portrayed realistically, although not necessarily comfortably. I guess it's a matter of personal taste. (Note: I honestly do not believe I set out to write a sexy book; I was merely fascinated by the character.)
I just thought I'd share it for its humor possibilities. I am not offend or upset by the comment. However, as many authors know, sometimes the reader doesn't get what we are trying to say and that is frustrating. This was also, the lowest star ranking and the longest comment left for me on the CreateSpace preview page on Amazon. I then went ahead and removed the new excerpt, fixed the typo, but have not yet reposted. I have a secret fear that the negative reviewer will check back and find it missing and think it is a result of that one negative review. That's the humor.
[Ja, I'm ranting again. Must be the effect of mind-numbing from reading truly awful writing from college freshmen --they write worse than middle school students.]
And I'll add the ubiquitous smiley to show I'm not mad: :-)
So, do the women in this group have a similar feeling about that opening? OK, I know you don't remember it, but she's a nude model in an art class, and as she poses she thinks about her problems, partly involving her childhood abuse, partly her sex industry work, etc. She hates the boys in the class leering at her and eventually runs out. Most readers of the earliest version thought the character was portrayed realistically, although not necessarily comfortably. I guess it's a matter of personal taste. (Note: I honestly do not believe I set out to write a sexy book; I was merely fascinated by the character.)
I just thought I'd share it for its humor possibilities. I am not offend or upset by the comment. However, as many authors know, sometimes the reader doesn't get what we are trying to say and that is frustrating. This was also, the lowest star ranking and the longest comment left for me on the CreateSpace preview page on Amazon. I then went ahead and removed the new excerpt, fixed the typo, but have not yet reposted. I have a secret fear that the negative reviewer will check back and find it missing and think it is a result of that one negative review. That's the humor.
[Ja, I'm ranting again. Must be the effect of mind-numbing from reading truly awful writing from college freshmen --they write worse than middle school students.]
And I'll add the ubiquitous smiley to show I'm not mad: :-)
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