I’ve been doing it wrong…
Today I met with an esteemed professional reviewer who reviews kidlit for a Californian newspaper. Not one of the huge papers but big enough. We were at the same event and in true networking spirit someone else introduced me to her :) You see I cower from these pros since last October at the NCIBA I was talking to Jonathan Evison about reviewing his book when I was asked where I review. I mentioned my blog and the woman puffed verbally in my face and said “Oh so you are one of those taking my job.” She worked as a contributor for Shelf Awareness, (which I love) and doesn’t speak for them as a whole. I was hanging open mouthed but Jonathan who apologized to me later like it was his fault smoothed the situation over and I made a hasty getaway.
So today when said reviewer acknowledged me and said “let me give you some advice” I smiled and waited for the crazy. And the crazy came. She asked me if I got books in the mail. I said yes about 30 a month. She gave me a ‘oh how cute you are face’ and said. “You don’t have to read them all to review them all. Just read the first ten chapters, then the last ten chapters. If you don’t feel you got the story completely then check online for the professional reviews. Also I like to check social reading sites for the general star consensus so I can see what the public thought of it too.” I think my ‘don’t look horrified at her’ face translated to confusion because she handed me her card in case I ever needed more advice. She smiled another ‘awww look at you’ smile and actually had the nerve to pat me on the back before she left.
So I stood there, yet again condescended by the pro but this time I didn’t make a retreat. I stood proud and did what I went to do because I know that every book reviewed on my site was read cover to cover…
By: Lydia/The Lost Entwife (@lrpresley)
This is unbelievable to me.
Every once in a while I’ll review something that I did not finish, but I review it as just that – a book I was unable to finish and why and I always link to other reviews so people can get a rounded opinion. But to not read a book and pass it off…? That’s horrid and at the same time, makes a lot of sense.
Some of the reviews I see of books I just didn’t “get” are fantastic, yet when you check reader reviews they don’t get it either. Could those reviewers just been checking the front and back too? Makes you think.
By: Catherine Ryan Hyde (@cryanhyde)
I KNEW IT! I’ve gotten a handful of “pro” reviews, from big review sources, that could ONLY be explained by the reviewer not actually having read it. I’ve suspected this all along.
Thank God for bloggers. I might be wrong, but I think they read, then review. Don’t they?
By: DK (@DKRex)
As a librarian and reader, I would never review material that I hadn’t read (and am typically cautious when weighing a review). It’s a shame the “professionals” think the rest of us fools.
By: Sandra (@Fresh_Ink_Books)
Thanks for writing this, I bet the fur is going to fly on this one. :) I’ve heard similar things said by professional reviewers before and even book award judges. And I cringe when anyone, even bloggers, admit that they “skimmed’ parts of a book and still insist that it counts as reading it. I have too much personal pride and respect for other’s hard work to cut corners and claim a job properly done. My parents and teachers called it cheating, but then I’m old fashioned and actually love reading. I suppose that means that I will never be a “professional” reviewer.
By: Melanie (@melaniegoodman)
Wow. That is unbelievable.
I think I would have just stood there with my mouth hanging open with a look of complete and utter horror on my face.
I’d rather be an amateur reviewer with integrity and read everything before I review it than be a pro reviewer who doesn’t actually read entire books. I would like to believe that person is the exception rather than the rule, but perhaps that’s just denial.
By: Literate Housewife
People will never stop shocking me. Why is it again that we should put professional reviewers on a pedestal? You keep doing what you’re doing. So will I. I think the fact that we genuinely love books and the act of reading them will shine through.
By: Heidenkind
LOL! Hi-larious! I would have totally been like, “Ooh, tell me more!”
By: Damaris (@twitter.com/gcreading)
That would explain why when I read a review of a book I absolutely loved and that reviewer is bashing it or gives it a one star or two, I ask myself “Did we read the same book?” Or “Did she even read the whole book?”
I am sorry you went through something like this. People like that somewhere down the line lost track of how much fun it is reading a book. It’s not just about the review, its about sharing that story you loved so much with others.
WOW just WOW at that woman…
By: Nicole (@wordforteens)
If I have to be a big name professional and do that or a small time blogger but read each book cover to cover…
…I’ll stick to remaining unknown, thanks.
By: Kara@GreatImaginations (@Kara_Malinczak)
Are you effing kidding me? That woman disgusts me. Every book I review on my blog has been read from cover to cover. Know why? Because I love reading! If she doesn’t love reading, I don’t know why she’s even in the business. And it’s horrifying to know she is getting paid for it and doesn’t even give the author their due respect. As far as I am concerned, she can go straight to hell for trying to give her crappy advice and being deceitful.
By: April (Books&Wine) (@booksandwine)
Was her name Harriet Klausner? lol.
That said, I now feel vindicated for not reading professional reviews.
I mean, not that I have ever read professional reviews, even pre-book blogging. Pre-blogging I read based on cover, word of mouth, and the back cover summaries.
By: Elisabeth~Babbette (@read_babbette)
OMG! I can’t imagine reviewing a book I haven’t read completely…unless the review is that I just.couldn’t.finish.it. Wow. What nerve – way to go, Pam!
By: Lisa (When She Reads) (@bluefenix)
OMG I was right. It couldn’t be speed reading. I was wondering why some reviews just don’t make sense. turn out I was “doing it wrong”.
oh well, at least it’s true, at least I can stand up and say with my fellow bloggers and proclaim that I have read the whole book cover to cover and sincerely enjoy the books.
By: The1stdaughter (Danielle) (@The1stdaughter)
Wow. Well, proof there is still more out there to shock me about this insane business.
I can’t even imagine reviewing a book I’d only ever partially read without disclosing that. I guess maybe I’m just deluded like the rest of us idiot book review bloggers. At least I know I can sleep at night. To think, she even has the weight of a paycheck behind her dishonesty…I’d never sleep soundly if I was her. Just disgusting.
By: Dottie (@gymmom_027)
OMG!!! She had the nerve to say that to your face??? Flummoxed here…. So, apparently…. you, as a reviewer, are supposed to just kind of make stuff up…. kind of plagiarize…. kind of lie to your readership…. AND her employers PAY her for all of HER hard work??? *head desk* …..then rinse and repeat….
Dottie :)
By: Valia (@VLSimplicity)
Are you serious? No wonder these awesome books are getting ridiculous reviews if “professionals” are treating them this way! I way rather have my books reviewed by someone who is going to take the time to read them! And sure, if they end up not liking it as much as I hoped at least I’ll know they took every word into consideration!
Just keep doing what you’re doing!!! :-)
By: Julie@My5monkeys (@aprilmom00)
Wow I have been doing wrong–insert sarcasm.
I trust my fellow book bloggers over that of a big name paper sometimes because I know that they will tell whether or not they finished it. I also have a few trusted friends and their reading tastes that I go bye too.
They also give good, the bad and the ugly.
By: Robin McCormack (@robnmccormack )
Picking my jaw up off the ground. Seriously! Well then I guess I’ll keep doing it ‘wrong’ and reading the WHOLE book. Unbelievable. Thanks for sharing this. Now I understand why some professional reviews just don’t make sense.
By: Carissa Elg (@Carissa_Elg)
This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. How can she consider herself a book blogger if she only reads the first 10 and last 10 chapters? (Granted, some are only 20 or under) Was she just messing with you (beyond the obvious) or was she serious? I don’t know why anyone would review a book publicly that they didn’t even read. Bravo to you for standing proud and tall! You go, girl!
By: Katie- Mundie Moms
Oh wow! I was hoping there would be a “ha ha” moment with this, but I’m completely shocked that a reviewer, let alone a professional one does not read the books they review. Seriously!? How in the world can you review a book you don’t read? I guess I’m with you and I’ve been doing it wrong as well. I’ve never written a review for a book I didn’t read cover to cover.
By: Mocha ღ Latte (@CaffeLatteQUEEN)
Well, looks like I’ve been doing it wrong too since I read and review each book I receive. Pfft.
By: Anna
Now I know why I only read blog reviews. And they wonder why they’re losing their jobs…they don’t even do their jobs!
By: Debbie's World of Books (@debworldofbooks)
LOL. And here I thought she was going to say all you have to write is this book is “Twilight meets…” and everyone will read your review.
By: Rachel (@fiktshun)
I often wondered. I never read professional reviews unless an author tweets a link to them because they’re happy reviews and I just can’t help clicking links in tweets…
But it explains a recent review I’ve read on a major publication’s site where there were some incorrect statements about a book I’d read cover to cover. Totally makes sense now.
I can’t imagine talking about something that I hadn’t read from beginning to end. Those chapters somewhere in the middle pretty much contain the whole meat of the story so glancing at the beginning and end really won’t give you the full picture.
And I’m sorry, yeah, you have deadlines, but you’re paid. If you don’t like reading enough to read from cover to cover or you don’t have enough respect for the author to finish their entire book, even if it means staying up all night, working after you’ve punched the clock then I’m sure there are plenty of bloggers who would KILL for your job.
By: Stephanie (@readinasitting)
How utterly disappointing. I’m dismayed to hear this, and hope that this pertains only to this one reviewer. How awful for everyone involved–the hard-working authors, publishers, and reviewers.
By: Cialina (@cialina)
Wait, she’s a PROFESSIONAL? She essentially gets paid for reading PARTS of a book? … shaking my head.
By: Sarah (The Brazen Bookworm) (@brazenbookworm)
Holy cow, yikes, eek, etc. First, kudos for not punching her in the face when she smiled and patted you on the back. I commend you for that. Second, I am horrified that she is getting paid for her reviews when so many great bloggers, Goodreads/Amazon reviewers, etc., read and review simply to share their love of good books with others. What a shame, and how embarrassing for her.
By: Jenny (@mimosastimulus)
No wonder bloggers are taking her job.
I think I’ll stick to reading TRUSTED reviews from bloggers and the public.
By: Pam (@iwriteinbooks)
Wow, I guess I’m just old fashioned and blog BECAUSE I read…not read because I blog. I just can’t get my head around just blogging to get more books I’m not reading fully. Very strange. I’m with you on this. Thanks for the daily dose of crazy!
By: Michelle (@whatsheread)
Wow. How can you call yourself a reviewer if you don’t actually read the books from cover to cover? What about the tone, themes, character development and just the story itself? How can you call yourself a reader? Ugh. I’m slightly disgusted and will just stick with my little ole blog and my reviews of the complete book.
By: Jessica - I Read to Relax (@jessyabookobssd)
Wow. As a book blogger, YA Librarian and reviewer this amazes me on a lot of levels. A. Even if you have the audacity to review a book you haven’t finished…ummm why are you DUMB enough to admit that out loud?! B. I review for three nationally syndicated professional journals (and yes, I even get paid for one) and I would NEVER review a book I had not finished! So many Librarians across the US base all their purchasing on the reviews they read. It is our duty as reviewers to give a full and honest opinion. As a blogger, I also make sure if I do not finish a book (on that rare occasion that I just really cannot get into a book at all) that I am super clear on the fact that I have not actually read the whole book.
I am embarassed for you having to deal with this woman and baffled at her practices in the first place!!
By: Melissa (@bettyandboo)
Well, count me among those bloggers who are doing this book reviewing thing wrong, too. Unbelievable.
By: Em (Love YA Lit) (@loveyalitblog)
Urgh. It bothers me when people talk about books, like they know them, when they haven’t even read them. Sorry, but the bread is not the whole sandwich. I’m having fun picturing all of the faces you must have been making reacting to her nonsense.
By: Madigan (@madiganreads)
Um, wow.
:o
There are no words. There really are none. If she loses her job to a blogger, it won’t be because she doesn’t deserve it.
By: Jordyn (@jordynface)
Oh gosh I am doing it so wrong. What am I thinking reading the entire book?
By: Vy (Vy's Blog) (@VysBlog)
I read this one at least 3 times. Once by myself, then with my brother, and then with my dad. We had a really good laugh at her idea of reviewing a book. All my dad said to me after reading this was, “Well guess what Vy, you’ve been reviewing books the wrong way.” and he just laughed.
By: Dulcy (@mysummergirl16)
You are amazing. I’d either be fighting tears or screaming at her. I can’t stand it when others try to make you feel less experienced or dumb compared to them.
Thank you for being a proud book blogger and setting a great example for the established and very new (like me) book bloggers. The world is a huge place. It shouldn’t be limited by the types of books or reviews or even reviewers themselves.
Everyone has an opinion and a right to share it. (Even if others may disagree with their or your opinion.)
By: Ann Seaton
There are standards and there are Standards. Keep up the good work, Pam.
By: Grete (@bookthing_uk)
Wow that is outrageous! I too have read a professional review and wondered if they’d read the same book. I guess the answer is yes, but not all of it ;)
I just can’t imagine not reading the entire thing, reading is my passion, not a chore. Shame on her and good for us bloggers who do it the ‘wrong’ way. If that is the wrong way then I don’t want to be right!
By: Reese M.
I say “feh” to this woman and move right along. I can understand if someone feels the need to share an impression of a book that they could not/would not finish ONLY if they clearly state that they DID NOT FINISH it and why.
But overall, don’t give this condescending “professional” a second thought. Just keep on doing what you do. :)
By: La Coccinelle
That just seems so dishonest. And these are presumably people who are getting paid to be dishonest!
If I don’t finish a book, it’s usually because I had major issues with it… and I’ll say so in my review.
I read for enjoyment, mostly, so reading just the first and last few chapters seems silly to me; I could miss out on some of the best parts in the middle!
By: Melissa
That is so disturbing. I love that fact that I can trust book bloggers. If we don’t finish a book, we make that clear. We don’t try to fake a full comprehension of the story without really reading it. Just awful.
By: Leeswammes (Judith) (@leeswammes)
It’s obvious, Pam: you read for pleasure and she reads for money. So, whose opinion is “the public” going to value more? Aw, poor woman! She’ll be out of a job soon enough.
By: Wallace (@BookishWallace)
And this is why more of us book bloggers should be able to make money off of our blogs. Not so we can show these snooty people up (that will never happen.. there are snooty people everywhere, even the blogging world), but because book blogging is one of the only large blogging groups with so few of its bloggers making money — even though we are actually covering a wider range of books (and apparently actually READING them) than print reviewers.
What is Shelf Awareness doing with a woman who reviews books that she doesn’t read anyway? That’s completely ridiculous. I like them too – so I hope they have either let her go or asked her to actually, I don’t know, do her job.
By: Teresa (@teresasreading)
Wow, just wow. No wonder bloggers are becoming more influential. We actually read the books! Thank you for making me feel better about myself and my little blog this morning.
By: Carrie K. (@booksandmovies)
This makes it easy to understand why so many authors and publishers are looking to blogs as sources of reviews. Can you imagine working so hard to write a book, and then having a review in a major publication by someone who didn’t even read your book? Unbelievable.
By: Jeanne (@nonnecromancer)
Amateurs Rule!
By: Amy @ Passages to the Past
WOW, I am flabbergasted! I may not be able to write a review as well as a professional, but at least all of the books I review are read in their entirety and I never look to see what other people’s opinions are just so I can mimic them in my own review. What a crock! Now I don’t feel so bad for “taking their job”!
You were right to stand there looking proud!
By: The Sunday Salon – July 17, 2011 (the “bookish links a day late” edition) | BOOKS AND MOVIES
[...] Bookalicious: I’ve been doing it wrong – Apparently, I have, too. Who knew that “professional” reviewers, who review for [...]
By: bermudaonion (Kathy) (@bermudaonion)
Wow, I wonder what she does if a book doesn’t have 20 chapters? I had a “professional” reviewer tell me that blog reviews don’t count because they’re not edited. She said professionals have to prove every point they make to their editor with quotes from the book (which are later removed from the review.)
By: Ryan (@Wordsmithonia)
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to be an “amateur” blogger. If that is what it takes to review books proffesionaly, I’ll pass. I think it’s ridiculous to say you have a true sens of the book when you haven’t read the whole thing. There is so much in that middle section that is needed to understand the whole.
it does make me feel better about the fact that I stopped reading proffesional reviews years ago.
By: Becky (Page Turners)
That is just so super strange I barely know what so say……