Fantasy book reviews

[Jmock]

Having done some research into the publishing industry with the hopes of finding a place for my book, I have seen some things that drive me to despair for my fellow creatives. Namely vanity publishers who have no quality threshold and will take on anything you give them in order to make money.

I've seen some things published by vanity publishers that has some potential and others that really need to be re-thought. It made me sad that these guys who have worked so hard to come up with an idea and follow through with it aren't given the constructive criticism they need to really polish their work and come away with something unique.

It's something I've always feared when showing people my work. I've worked in the creative industry since I was 18 years old and I know how thick skinned you need to be to carry on with your ideas. I've always been afraid of being told I was good rather than bad because I always think of those poor bastards on X factor and sing their hearts out, only to be laughed at by millions. Somewhere along the line the support of their friends and family would have done more damage than if someone stepped in and said something like, "You're tone deaf. Might want to work on that."

Anyway...I've been looking for decent reviewers for the fantasy genre but every one I come across is either very expensive and wants to go through it line by line with me (which makes me feel like it would no longer be my work) or are snowed under by people wanting their work reviewed. I'm just wondering if there are any smaller reviewers that I might send my work to and if anyone has any suggestions? Cheers.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I'm confused - are you already published and looking for reviewers, or an aspiring writer looking for experienced feedback? I've never known any reviewers to want to do a line by line, which sounds more editorial.

 

[Jmock]

I'm as published as far as self published counts, which (no offence meant to any self published peeps out there) I don't really count as anything much as literally anyone can do it. So I suppose I would consider myself more of an aspiring writer looking for experienced feedback.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I would consider myself more of an aspiring writer looking for experienced feedback.

Then hopefully we'll be able to help you here.

Once you reach 30 posts you'll be able to post up the first 1500 words of your current Work in Progress (WIP) to the Critiques section:
https://www.sffchronicles.com/forum/critiques/

Before then, you might find some useful references in the Writing Resources board:
https://www.sffchronicles.com/forum/writing-resources/

Just like with professional combat, fiction writing depends upon a range of technical considerations. You could help yourself by looking more closely at these - Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer gives a general overview and is very accessible. Save the Cat by Snyder is a personal favourite for covering character development arcs - and especially the use of internal conflict.

Even then, it's still a leap between thinking what you know to do and actually doing it. But once you've submitted something here for Critique, you should at least get a number of pointers to help you rethink your opening, and apply similar criticisms to the rest of your story. After, it's come back, rinse and repeat, until you're happy that you're doing what you need.

Hopefully it'll all help.

 

[Jmock]

Then hopefully we'll be able to help you here.

That's fantastic. Thank you very much.

 

[The Judge]

And this thread might be of interest.

By the way, the reason Brian said about putting up your current WIP in Critiques, is that the subforum is purely for non-published work, so the self-pub'd novel doesn't qualify. But anything you learn from comments on book 2 can easily be translated into what needs doing on book 1 (if anything), and as and when you get beta readers, they can look at book 1 for you, of course.

 

[Overread]

Anyway...I've been looking for decent reviewers for the fantasy genre but every one I come across is either very expensive and wants to go through it line by line with me (which makes me feel like it would no longer be my work).

I think you mean editor rather than reviewer?

As for line by line consider that its not so much that they will change every line to make it not your own; but rather that they will help ensure that you've used language correctly (within your writing style) to best present your work. Snippets of work can give some idea as to your general direction and what might need changing; but in the great scheme of things sometimes you have to look at a work as a whole in order to appreciate the interactions within it.

It's a bit of give and take too; you'd discuss with the editor/reviewer what changes might be made and at the end of the day you can ignore everything they say if you so choose. Most writers work with an editor and in general it helps their work rather than hinder it.

 

[Jmock]

But anything you learn from comments on book 2 can easily be translated into what needs doing on book 1

Most writers work with an editor and in general it helps their work rather than hinder it.

Thanks guys. This is really helpful. I'm sure that an editor would be very useful. I've been given advice and pointers from people in the business and I've taken it on board. I suppose I'm just dubious of a back seat writer. It's also the case that they're usually quite expensive...I guess I'm might have to fork out for it.

 

[Jmock]

Once you reach 30 posts

Just as an aside as I'm new to this forum, what counts as a 'post'? I ask because I'm used to things like Facebook and Twitter more than I am forums.

 

[Overread]

It will be a cost; but once you've got your work done and polished up as best you can a good quality editor is worth the money. It will help polish your work further and often as not remove a lot of childish or basic mistakes in the writing. It's very easy to get blind to our own errors in things and in many books its also possible to miss out key details (because the details are fresh in your mind as you write it so you neglect to put in the detail for the reader).

 

[Brian G Turner]

Thanks guys. This is really helpful. I'm sure that an editor would be very useful. I've been given advice and pointers from people in the business and I've taken it on board. I suppose I'm just dubious of a back seat writer. It's also the case that they're usually quite expensive...I guess I'm might have to fork out for it.

Critiques is a good place to get pointers on basics you may or may not be able to improve upon. For example, in my very first critique here it was pointed out that I really didn't understand POV use - so had to go and learn something about that before submitting again.

An editor is perhaps best for helping see how you put everything together, and suggest improvements. There is a lot of variation between different editors in terms of style and degree of feedback. It perhaps helps most to find someone who has direct experience of the genre you're looking to publish in.

Just as an aside as I'm new to this forum, what counts as a 'post'? I ask because I'm used to things like Facebook and Twitter more than I am forums.

Pretty much anywhere except the General Boards - ie, Lounge, Introductions, Humour, etc. That way post counts are more typically built on contributions to discussions on SFF in an SFF community, rather than on off-topic chatter.

 

[Jmock]

Thanks.