Where Have All the Reviewers Gone?

 Q: Publishers Weekly has let go of some its reviewers and is reviewing fewer mysteries. PW is one of the top reviewers. Which reviewers will take their place? Kirkus? Booklist? Library Journal? Or maybe some of the private reviewers. Do reviews matter to you? Do you think they influence readers? Who do you count on for reviews and why?

 

- from Susan

 

So many professional book review options have disappeared over the past 20 years that this is just another cut into the fabric of traditional book publishing. Whole sections or pages of newspapers dedicated to helping readers find the books that might interest them have vanished. Heck, so have the newspapers. Volunteer online reviewers have tried to provide something similar. Some are better at the job than others, but they do love books and that matters. I hear that they’re now overwhelmed by authors begging for their attention.

 

There are only a few big-time, celebrity-blessed “book clubs,” but the rush to purchase those fortunate books chosen demonstrates that readers really do want some help sorting through the thousands and thousands of books available every year, from romance to military history, most self-published.

 

Libraries still count on the few professional review organizations aimed at them, but I think – do not know – that those reviewers only look at traditionally published, hard cover editions that libraries demand.

 

Some legacy magazines will promote a book via a review. Call me cynical, but I notice that frequently the author has some connection to that part of the publishing world or is perhaps a cosmetics or design professional trying her hand at this other thing.

 

Meanwhile, a relatively new phenomenon is at work: “influencers.” For some reason, hundreds of thousands of people make all kinds of decisions based on TicToc personalities who may or may not have a modicum of expertise about whatever they’re plugging (often for money), be it clothing, vitamins, or books. I saw a demonstration of their power outside a Books Inc. store in San Francisco where I and other Sisters in Crime authors have read. There was a line stretching down the block, around the corner and up the next block one day. I asked someone in line (they were all young women) who they were waiting for: An influencer who had taken some of her posts and turned them into a book about dating. 

 

I tip my hat to the New York Times for maintaining a whole Sunday section dedicated to book (and now audio of books) reviews, some by staff, some by other writers. That’s the place where at least a handful of crime writers get some serious attention. For the record, one of my books was reviewed nicely in the Crime round-up once. Did it spur sales? Not that I could tell, although my traditional publisher was reluctant to share even a dollop of information about sales the following couple of weeks. So, brag point, but not a career-maker.

 

Don’t forget bookstores. They may not be reviewers per se but these are our people. They love books, they treasure authors, they are eager to tell readers about the books they’ve discovered. Bless them!

 

What I’ve noticed and benefitted from is the generosity of other authors and significant book world people who have blog sites like this one. As readers will see soon, we have guest posts coming up, two of many that Minds authors make space for to help other authors get some visibility for great new books. Jungle Red Writers’ seven popular crime writers share space all the time. Terry and I were both invited to talk about our new releases to JRW’s big readership just last week. Everyone’s best friend, Dru Ann Love, a passionate reader but not writer, has a whole system set up to serve as an ongoing platform to which she invites a steady stream of crime fiction authors every week. Online venues like these seem to be replacing the missing reviewers even though they’re not actually critical reviews but friendly promotions. 

 

I’m not a great fan of Amazon as a review site for several reasons. One, because I’m not good at soliciting reviews from individual readers. Second, because the people who elect to review anyone’s book can be so off base as to be weird, but their one-stars are still counted. Ex: “I hated the book because the delivery person left it outside in the rain, so it was wet and I couldn’t read it.”  Third, there have been so many documented cases of authors manipulating the review system to get themselves phony five-star reviews. 

 

So, I’m left with the dilemma: Write anyway, knowing that unless lightening strikes, I will continue to scrabble around the edges for some attention for any new book, or give it up and concentrate on the garden and mastering the best recipe for carrot cake?

In the meantime, feel free to buy, borrow and review any of these wherever you like!