It’s a good book you need to have a look before you can say “everyone says that about their book.”
Enclosed please find a blurb, about this book. Need your help.

Kind regards
Mary Newton

The Blurb.

TO: Elizabeth H. House, Managing Director

FROM: Jean Wahlborg, Editorial Coordinator

RE: Reading Report for “The First Career Reference Directory Alphabetically” by Mary Newton

DATE: November 7, 2007

Please review the reader’s report for the above noted manuscript. I recommend it for publication via our subsidy-publishing program.

“The First Career Reference Directory Alphabetically,” written by Mary Newton, is an ambitious and comprehensive submission that endeavors to inspire the reader to find the most rewarding career path in life. In epic detail, the author explains the importance of researching the elements of a variety of fields to determine if the skills necessary match well with the reader’s interests, aptitude, and aspirations. In addition, the author stresses the crucial nature of becoming computer literate, as nearly all fields require this as a basic skill. Finally, in alphabetical order beginning with “Accountant” and concluding with “Zoologist,” the author provides a long and varied list of career options, many of which could captivate the interest of those seeking to either change or embark upon a career.

Composed exclusively in an informative narrative, the text flows at a brisk tempo, which should maintain the reader’s interest throughout. The author’s vast knowledge of the subject matter is apparent from the earliest passages of the work, which could lend an authoritative air. Overall, the offering is well organized in presentation, enlightening in content, and appears to fulfill the author’s intent.

Mary Newton’s ability to convey her message regarding the importance of finding a suitable career through proper research in an easy-to-comprehend manner could further enhance the appeal of this work.

Books being reviewed can be published in any year; as long as we can identify the book in some way online as being real and not ‘make believe’.

Yes, crazy as it sounds, some members have tried submitting book reviews of books that don’t and never existed.

Thanks!

If some people fault you for this or choose not to read your book review or take it into consideration, fine, that is they choice, but you will reach all the readers who want to hear from the Actual Author. if you worry about what everyone thinks is PC or proper then how can you EVER compete with those who do what it takes, whatever it takes and are relentless in thier pursuits?

I submit that you cannot compete with such individuals and will far so far behind you can never catch up. Writing and getting published or promoting your book or educating humans is not a job for weakness, excuse makers or hiding behind the bushes afraid to speak out and take a stand. Weakness is not an honorable trait, niether is following the crowd, mob or mindless masses. Wake up humans. Think about this issue in a reality perspective. – Lance, out – for now.

Debate with me, for more juicy content and articles, I need material folks to alert the masses.

I don’t consider my reviews of books any more important, however than a reader review, because I like to read.

I have been asked on numerous occasions to review books, both by publishers and authors. Most provide the book for my review, which means I’m a PAID reviewer? Hummm does that also mean my review is trite and predictable – probably not, but the reality is, a paid reviewer is expected to give a ‘good review’.

My own view is, if you read a book and like it enough to make a comment on the book, more power to you. If someone is willing to pay you to put on paper what you like, you go! Collect those dolla’s! If you’re not going to READ the book, paid or not, don’t bother me with your opinion, I don’t care to hear it.

These thoughts aren’t particularly logical or illogical, but they are mine, and I felt like sharing – take ‘em or leave ‘em. Chris hasn’t paid me to provide them, so good bad or indifferent, they are just MY THOUGHTS.

Jan

Susan is a champion in her domain and makes some great points about the Publishing Industry and Professional Book Reviewers. Many of these points Allen you have made and I too. I read a ton of book reviews on all sorts of topics. Currently, I am working my way through this list;

http://www3.sympatico.ca/cypher/list1.htm

And I always read the quarterly book reviews in this list;

http://www.wfs.org/frq.htm

And thus end up purchasing and buying many of those books too. I most, as a reader, appreciate those Interviews, Speeches, Writings or Comments by the author themselves. The second hand hearsay, which is what a book review is, is already removed from the original observations and thoughts of the author and book reviews have so much opinion and often emotional baggage in them when written by a malcontent book reviewer that I question their sincerity.

I want to hear what the author has to say first, and then perhaps entertain trust worthy reviewers, who do not necessarily have my opinions or observational positioning. My comments on this subject come from the perspectives of the writer, self-publisher, reader, Internet Surfer, book review reader and the fact I have family in the publishing industry. Thus these insights are not from inside any C.A.V.E. and have nothing to do with my hardwork and achievements.

Indeed, I have a strong ego, more than most people I have met, but it is an earned ego from doing. It helps me win, innovate, achieve and that is a good thing. Nothing wrong with that. If one does not believe in themselves and their abilities then they will achieve very little. The ego issue is invalid here in this subject of self-review articles for authors of books.

What really changed me to the ego thing was reading the Introduction to “A New Type of Science” by Stephen Wolfram. There was an “I did this” or “I did that in every sentence, sometimes two. I thought, wow, what an ego turn-off, this must be hype, this guy is all ego and I just paid $68.00 for this book? Well, I was not going to waste my purchase so I kept reading.

Then eventually, I read the whole book he wrote. Took me a month, it is huge 1200 pages of small print, calculations and heavy reading, it took me another 2-months part-time to follow all the references that I had highlighted. Now then, although the man has a tremendous ego, his work is still Excellent. I call this an earned ego. Nothing wrong with that.

He deserves credit for his 10-year project. And no one is better qualified to write a book review on that book than the man who wrote it and created this New Type of Science. If someone wishes to label this gentleman ego-centric, fine. But you cannot discount his work and if it takes an ego like that to perform and produce such a work, then we need more people like that, not less.

I therefore dismiss the ego debate and in my opinion the book reviewers in the NYTs or New Yorker have hurt or damaged egos and have been disrespected in the past and often take their anger out on the World by trashing writers they disagree with or have never fully read or come to understand the work itself. This is my logic in this matter. I hope others will indeed think here.

I am glad you 100% see my POV because you are well rounded, grounded and balanced, and successful. I thought that was a given, I am comfortable with your status as a writer. My point of view on this matter is multifaceted.

A self-review is not necessarily a sales pitch, Chris is a wise gentleman, however no one can honestly make that statement as an absolute. In fact books generally contain introductions, notes to reader and forwards. If those are published as articles they would indeed make great reading here at EA. Of course if that were posted, it would be in the book review section and now it would be disallowed. I believe that to be a troubling issue.

I am rather upset at what you wrote about me in Item (2) that really is nasty and mean spirited in my humble opinion, but I will let that one go. Thank you for deleting those comments before you posted them here.

You state; “In the real world of book publishing, online reviews by readers don’t count.”

I submit to you that there is “NO Real World of Book Publishing” and that it is a created world by an Industry whose time and era is ending and therefore, in this venue, which is not the Real World of Publishing, those points are invalid.

You state; “Reviews by pros count. reviews by pros sell books.”

Indeed, but that is off topic. Professional Parasite book reviews only exist because readers are tired of the horrific book reviews by Amazon.com’s malcontents, and worthless dribbling comments on books. I much prefer reading what the author has to say than anyone else twice removed from the situation.

You state; “This blog is meant to be informative and educational and helpful to people who are interested in WRITING and growing, not blowing their own horns.”

Whose blowing their own horn? I grant you status as a writer and validated your erroneous absolute assumptions, as you Attacked self-reviewers as Ego-centric maniac types. You see, it simply is not so, it might be so, but it would not necessarily be so, so standing corrected in this case would be the right thing to do. I believe you are a good person, so I am not worried about it. Indeed in bringing this to Light, I see that a Mirror would be appropriate also for the critic of self-reviewers.

You state; “This is the only blog I participante in. When it gets to be nasty, I’m not interested in wasting my time.”

This is so great of you to participate and give us these juicy comments; “What kind of an Ego-centric so-in-so would write their own book review?” In fact that is the first comment in this Blog and it has helped me write 10 points of contention (I call articles) you call “Ego Rantings” and thus I actually am very appreciative for the help with my article content.

You stated: “ EA is too good to sink to such a level, and I would ask those who participate in this blog to be civil and refrain from insulting participants because their ego is telling them they are right.”

Great comment! In that, as per your advice, I have previously acknowledged all the different sides of this issue in this blog thread as worthy of consideration. If one was to re-read those comments it is quite evident. The Boomerang rhetoric in such a comment from thou, Susan are not facilitating the subject.

Just because someone has an ego does not mean they are wrong. Just because someone has convinced themselves in their belief system that they are balance does not mean they are right. The Ego debate is irrelevant to the actual debate it is akin to labeling your enemy unfit to lead due to their stance outside the social norm; then using guerrilla style rhetoric attacks at their expense. Primate Politics 101. I cannot honor such comments, would recommend adhering to the topic. I leave you with that thought.

I trust Joyce Carol Oates when it comes to recommending or not recommending memoirs, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and feminist literature genres. But I wouldn’t necessarily trust her judgment when it comes to writing reviews on Internet marketing books. As I’ve said before in other posts, the medium is vitally important.

EA is provides material for ezine publishers. That material is produced by authors and marketers who want to see their name in print and have something to sell. A connection is made when the one provides what the other is looking for. Online book reviews are the equivalent of me calling a friend on the phone and saying “Gee, I really liked that movie. You’ve got to see it.” Is that credible? I, and millions of other people, think so.

This is what Seth Godin calls conversational marketing. I trust Seth Godin. He’s one of the pioneers of Internet marketing and has influenced just about everyone who has been successful at it. I think conversational marketing works. I’d guess that Chris Knight thinks so as well since he provides the medium for it to occur.

I am currently reading a book that I plan to review. I will run my review in my ezine. I will also publish it on EA and other directories in hopes that others will see its value and publish it as well. I don’t do this because I want to see my name in print. I’ve been published thousands of times and invited by an agent and a traditional publisher to send my work for their review. I do it because I am marketing my business and I know that this kind of marketing works. It provides value for me, my customers, other business entrepreneurs and their customers and, I presume, you too. It’s a different medium than The New Yorker. It therefore has a different set of rules.

Ed: If you were here, I’d give you a big hug! You are such a love! Where do I send that dollar?!

Personally, there isn’t a book I have read that I don’t learn something from. Some of them have been “sleepers”, but I always learn something.

Now what is the topic again…oh yeah book reviews. I’ll be sure to send in at least a couple from which I have benefited.

Interesting stats on book reviews, Chris. Hm-m-m nine times the views. Thanks for the tip.