Live Free or Blog Hard

Hey!  Do you want a copy of Black Halo for butt-fucking FREE?  Look at the BULL SPEC contest in which they ask to create a better backhanded blurb than the one John Scalzi gave me.

I do not wish Sam Sykes dead.

That’s a hard one to beat, admittedly.  But if anyone can do it, you can.  I believe in you…and your ability to make me feel bad 🙁

Also, holy shit, is there seriously only one review by Harriet fucking Klausner on Black Halo? Come on, guys.  I can’t live with this shame.  Give me some more.  If you do, I’ll give you…a prize?  I guess?  No, seriously.  I’ll find one.

But, hey, let’s talk about something new.

That link right thur?   That’s worth reading, especially if you’re a blogger.  My envy of the YA scene grows each day that there are such open conversations and in-depth discussions between authors and readers.  How come we never do things like that?  Huh?  HUH?!

I don’t really follow a lot of blogs anymore, what with the fact that I’ve mailed some of them body parts.  But I share Author X’s lament in that there seem to be too few of them that don’t actually do a lot of talking about books or writing.

To me, the best book blogs are the ones that sort of act as tiny book clubs unto themselves.  The Book Smugglers and Floor to Ceiling Books are two of my favorites because they do just that.  Reviews are there, in addition to news, but they also do a lot of talking about issues in the industry (Ana and Thea brought to my attention the issue of whitewashing on covers, which is something very much worth bringing to everyone’s attention) and they also talk a lot about writing.  Rob Will Review is another good one because he frequently makes the all-important distinction between a book that isn’t good and a book that didn’t work for him, and goes into detail describing exactly why.

I’ve always thought that blogs were better served by performing as hubs for discussion, rather than lists of proclamations, if that makes sense.  Reviews are great, but more because they inspire said discussion, give insight into why something worked or didn’t work, note what themes really struck home and what was just tired, offensive or uncomfortable to read.  These are the sort of reviews that are helpful to the author, the ones we like to read.

“So, basically, Sam Sykes, a good blog is one that conforms to your particular views and/or gives you good reviews?”

Admittedly, I have a fondness for blogs that like me more than hate me (though if you want, you can go find the Book Smugglers’ review of Tome and why it didn’t work for them), but no, I’m not suggesting that the definition of a good blog need be one that is thoughtful and brimming with discussion.

Heck, I’m not even saying that reviews should be written for the author’s benefit (though, as I say, I do sort of envy the fact that YA authors can be so open with their blogging buddies).  Presumably, of all the reasons to start a blog, the best one is “because I have something to say.”  What you have to say should be just that: your opinion with your goals in mind and you leading the discussion, however much or little you want.  If you want gossip, go for it.  If you want reviews only, roll out.  If you want to trash someone, go hog wild.

However, I do think that discussion is the sort of thing that serves everyone.  Presumably, you started a book blog because you want to talk about books.  So you can talk about whatever it is about books that you want to talk about.  And presumably, the readers are there to agree or disagree with what you said because they’re interested in your opinion.  And (most) authors tend to really enjoy talk about their own writing and what you found in their work.  Negative reviews don’t even bother an author that much, so long as they’re saying something.

In general, the only thing I suggest as the one thing for a blogger to aspire to is this:

Honesty.

Be honest in your opinion.  Be honest in your actions.  Be honest in your insight.  Whatever you say, so long as you’re acting with that, will always yield good results.

That’s what I suggest.

And that’s all that it is.