Stuart Aken's Blog, page 239

Starring the Reviews

Reader or writer (and hopefully, the latter makes you both, since a writer who doesn’t read is, frankly,not doing the job properly), we consume books and often want to share our opinions on them. So, we review. Many sites where reviews appear use a star system to grade them. I’m not going to list them all, but I’ll use three of the most popular as examples and try to gain a feeling for what reviewers might understand by these gradings.
We all know that 5 star reviews are considered the pinnacle from the point of view of the writer assessing success or otherwise, and thought of as a damn good guide to readability by readers. So, the grading is quite important to all of us. But what does it mean?
If you hover over the stars on Goodreads, you’ll get the following results: 1* Did not like it, 2* It was OK, 3* Liked it, 4* Really liked it, 5* It was amazing.
Do the same for Amazon and you get these results: 1* I hate it, 2* I don’t like it, 3* It’s okay, 4* I like it, 5* I love it.
With Smashwords, hovering over the stars produces no response and I can find no definitions at all on the site (that’s not to say they don’t exist, of course, just that I can’t discover them!).
So, there’s no consistency in the systems. 4 stars can mean ‘I like it’ or ‘I really like it’ or whatever the reviewer considers is the hidden meaning of the Smashwords stars. Similarly, if a book is ‘okay’, then it could be awarded 2, 3 or 1-5 stars depending which system in use. And, I don’t know about you, but I can ‘love’ a book without necessarily considering it to be ‘amazing’.
My point? This system is used by readers to gauge the potential readability of a book. I’m certain that many readers won’t get beyond that * award, making their decisions whether or not to read/buy, based entirely on this rather arbitrary symbol.

The tool isn’t up to the purpose for which it was introduced. Perhaps, as readers, and writers, we should get together and demand that the different sites conform to a uniform system so that everybody knows exactly what is actually meant by these symbols. Or perhaps you like the variations. Either way, I’d love to know what you think.Related articles Usage surges at Smashwords and Wattpad Smash! If the eBook market is Flattening Out Then How Come Smashwords's Revenues Grew by a Third in 2013? Witty's review of Gloria's Revenge by Nelle L'Amour Tips on Thursday: Ratings How Amazon could Improve Book Reviews

What Will 2014 Bring?

Last year, around this time, I produced a blog post on my writing activity during 2012. Because I find it useful to detail my activities, and it may interest those who follow the blog, I’m repeating that exercise today for 2013.
It’s been a peculiar year in many ways. Socially and professionally there have been many events and changes. I retired from employment in April and celebrated my 65th birthday in May. In September, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and, in the same month, our daughter reached the milestone age of 21. In December, my aunt reached the great age of 100. So many reasons to celebrate, and the freedom to do so in terms of travel and time.
I changed from PC to desktop iMac, an investment I’ve really appreciated in spite of a few disappointments (Apple’s definition of ‘intuitive’ is clearly not the same as mine!). But, in many ways this has been a positive change. I’m still learning, though. And, possibly the single most irritating aspect is the lack of a # on the keyboard, an exclusion that makes hash-tagging Twitter and Facebook posts far less simple than it otherwise would be: Apple take note!
I spent a good deal of time editing the first 2 volumes of my fantasy trilogy, since Fantastic BooksPublishing have accepted the work and will be publishing volume one, A Seared Sky – Joinings, soon. I also spent a lot of hours writing book 3 of the series. This year will see the editing of that volume, of course.
I wrote a few short stories and entered a couple of contests, though fewer than I intended. I made a start at writing poetry, and this is an activity I intend to increase over the coming years: it’s a different skill from prose writing and has a beneficial effect on that, developing the understanding of metaphor and simile as well as encouraging brevity.
On the admin side, I’ve continued with research and compilation of details of writing contests and you can find this regularly up-dated information under the Writing Contests tab above. Hope it’s useful.
Much of December I spent in experimentation on social networking. (The chart illustrates the portion of time spent on this) Really, I did this to confirm suspicions I acquired last year about the effectiveness of such activity for an author. It seemed to me that the apparently ubiquitous ‘author platform’ may be less than effective in actually garnering readers and selling books. This year’s activity has confirmed those suspicions and I shall be curbing my social networking activity this year to concentrate on writing, submitting and publishing stories, since it’s apparent that those writers who achieve wide readerships are the ones who publish more work. As I enjoy the actual writing more than any other of the activities that surround authorship, it will be a pleasure for me to take this turn.
I’m also intending to read more. I read 53 books in 2013 (most of them I reviewed as well) and I’ve set myself a target of 52 books over the year, using the Goodreads Reading Challenge as incentive for this. I do, however, expect to exceed this target.

The chart at the top of this post shows the proportion of time I’ve spent on the various activities during the year. It’s noticeable that the activity on which I’ve spent most time is networking. Whilst there’s some satisfaction and much pleasure to be gained from interacting (not to mention the way it can help others), I have my doubts about its real value in relation to the activities of an author. The coming year will see a great deal more actual writing, editing, submission and publishing. I’m a writer, and writers write, after all.
So, to the comparison figures, where I list ‘achievements’ for the year. I gave a list for 2012, which I’ve repeated here, so we can see the comparison with 2013. Please note, it’s the left hand column that shows this year’s activities.
2013                                                                            2012
Published work:None!                                                                          Sensuous Touches, an erotic anthology.Heir to Death’s Folly, a gothic horror short story.Rebirth, my contribution to the sci-fi anthology, Fusion,  published by Fantastic Books Publishing.
Writing Contests:2 entered. No success                                                 4 entered, 1 short-listed.
Social Networking as at the end of each year:2013                                                                            2012Blog: 1181 posts                                                                  1062 posts491 followers                                                              447 followers181,769 page views                                                    85,511 page views29,250 visitors identifying location                           18,882 visitors identifying location
Facebook:Author Page: 569 ‘Likes’                                            379 ‘Likes’Personal Profile: 1,795 Friends                                  1,599 Friends
Goodreads:1,001 books listed as ‘Read’                                       882 books listed as ‘Read’177 Reviews written                                                   130 Reviews written125 titles in ‘to read’ list                                             136 titles in ‘to read’ list3,231 Friends                                                              2,118 Friends
LinkedIn:2,958 Contacts                                                           2,274 Contacts
Pinterest:1,123 Followers                                                          662 Followers7,305 Pins on 33 boards                                            4,774 on 32 boards
Google+:559 in my circles                                                         336 in my circles413 circles including me                                              183 circles including me
Twitter:8,759 Following me                                                    5,110 Following me8,758 I Follow                                                            5,012 I Follow22,033 Tweets                                                            11,823 Tweets
As you can see, my social networks have all expanded quite significantly. However, this increase has had little impact on the number of books I’ve sold, which is you can expect less social activity this year and more in the way of writing. I’ll continue to record that here on the blog.

By all means add me on your social networks: I’m cutting down on the activity, not stopping it completely! Let’s see what 2014 has to offer, shall we?Related articles 2014! New Year, New Goals! Start as we mean to go on!

Happy New Year 2014

Sunset or sunrise? You choose.
Another spell of 365 days has passed. The New Year promises much, is replete with potential. Will we harvest the fruits of our talent and labour? Or will we fritter away the next year, as we might have done the last? That's the beauty of a New Year: it gives us hope and choice. Whether we select 'same old, same old' or opt for 'everything changes' or some road between is entirely up to us.

I prefer the New Year to Christmas. Xmas is all about children (bless their little hearts!) and the commercialisation of ritual giving. But New Year marks a new opportunity, a point of change, a fulcrum for potential.

New Year Resolutions will proliferate; but not from me. I make only one resolution: to make no resolutions.

But I have intentions, dreams, plans, hopes. There will be more books from my pounded keyboard, posts on this blog, tweets via that truncated network, pins to the boards of interest, status updates on the book of my face, additions to the google plus, comments on the output of others. I will read more and record that activity on Goodreads, reviewing those volumes that please me. But, more than anything else, this new season of days will find me writing, writing writing.

I wish all of you all that you wish for yourselves. May 2014 be THE year for all of us!
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Fictional Worlds, by L.A. Alexander, Reviewed.

Subtitled, ‘Traditions in Narrative and the Age of Visual Culture’, this tome of nearly 400 pages of erudition is a considerable piece of work. The book is essentially about storytelling on the screen and is, in fact, part of a series under that title.
Academic, considered, analytical and full of wisdom, it is a book for those working in the film industry, for students of that medium, for critics and reviewers and, ultimately, for those who write screenplays. As a manual for study and an analytical tool for those involved in film, it is a wonderful book.
There are many illustrative case histories: unfortunately, I’ve seen vary few of the many popular films discussed, so this aspect was of less value to me. In any case, although I’ve dabbled in screenwriting and my fiction is visually based, I’m essentially a novelist. As such, I have different needs as a writer. That’s not to say that the book has nothing to offer me. The analysis of story elements and the explanation of story structure are valuable elements and I come away with a deeper understanding of the history and purpose behind story. Myth and legend form the basis of most of what we write today and the discussions of the various root tales are useful and inspiring.
My writing method is that of the pantster. I don’t plan or structure, except in the very loosest way possible. Generally, I start with a theme, develop a story beginning and ending, to which I add characters, and then allow these invented people to determine the route, the journey, of the novel. So, analysis and structural planning are of little help to me; in fact, they can be destructive of a process that relies hugely on instinct and the subconscious mingling of experience, knowledge and emotional elements. Sorry if that sounds pretentious, but it’s the nearest I can find to expressing what actually happens when I sit at the keyboard to create.
Planners and plotters, however, of which there are multitude in the writing world, will find this book invaluable. It guides and explains, suggests analogies, prompts with themes, and labels those elements of a story that such writers need to identify.

So, a book I’d definitely recommend to scholars, scriptwriters, film directors, those with an abiding interest in film, and to those writers who find their creative stimulation in plot.Related articles Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story Five basic elements make up a story

End the Old Year with a Bang.

Just a very quick post today. A plea for your help, and a way for you to aid readers who either have difficulty with small print or who can’t read at all due to poor eyesight. My publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, a small independent concern, is trying to raise cash using Kickstarter so that he can launch a project that will allow the professional recording of books as audiobooks. It’s a great idea, and one that will give pleasure to many, including, of course, those readers who enjoy hearing the words of books as they go about other tasks.
The target is almost achieved and now requires only a few more to pledge a small amount each to reach the total. So, I ask that you’ll do this and make the dream come true.
Simply click here for the link. It’s a simple process. There are even rewards for those who wish to take advantage of such offers. Please make a pledge and get this project up and running.

All the Best for the Christmas Holiday

Twitter Tips for Author Tweeters.

I’ve been using Twitter, as a writer, for a few years now. Recently, I’ve been conducting some experiments and doing a spot of exploration. I thought I’d share my findings, for what they’re worth, with the writing community.
I don’t have a huge following: 8,537 followers, as I compose this post, with me following 8,534 and having made 21,299 tweets. But it’s a lot more than I started with at the beginning of the year: 5,110 followers, following 5,012, and 11,823 tweets. Much of that increase has taken place in the past couple of months, with the bulk of it occurring over the month of December. This is the result of the experiments.
I belong to a group on Facebook, called ASMSG (Authors Social MediaSupport Group), just one of a number of such groups. The basic premise is that we re-tweet and post each other’s links in the hope of increasing our exposure. The group has around 780 members at present and we’re all linked with each other. There’s a good deal of activity on Facebook as well as on Twitter.
One of the things I’ve started to do is increase my re-tweeting of other members’ tweets, and that has had an impact, increasing my following. However, I believe the major contributor to the increase has been my collection of twitter handles that I then tweet; promoting these re-tweeters in groups to my followers. By advertising the fact that a tweeter retweets regularly, you encourage others to follow that tweeter. So, what’s in it for me? Well, naturally, other tweeters see what I’m doing and want to get in on the act. They follow me, retweet my tweets and I then add them to my collection. I use a Word document along with the ‘find’ function to keep track of this activity. Since it takes me about an hour each day to do this, I won’t be able to continue it for long. But the experiment has been very instructive.
It’s clear that re-tweeting the tweets of others is an excellent way of spreading not only their messages but also my own name.
So: Tip 1: If someone retweets something you’ve done, something that matters to you, have the good manners to follow them (if you don’t already) and to RT one of their tweets. You’ll build goodwill along with new followers. And thank them for the RT: your own tweet handle along with theirs will go out to the community and be seen again.
Secondly, I’ve taken to following all those who follow me, regardless of whether I’m fascinated by their activity. This may seem odd thing, but it’s connected me with others in whose tweets and activities I am interested. And it’s resulted in sales of my books. The spread is viral, you see. You’ll notice that my numbers of ‘followers’ and ‘following’ are quite close. This synchronicity seems to encourage people to follow: they see that they won’t be following without being followed back and that’s important to many tweeters.
Tip 2:Follow back those who follow you.
Are you aware that a tweet that starts with a handle; @stuartaken, for example, will go only to your followers and those who follow the named person, and not to the whole community. By starting a tweet this way, you’re effectively reducing your reach. We’re writers: exposure is vital; the more people who see your name/message, the better. So, you need to start your tweets with something other than the @ symbol. Anything will do. You’re a writer: I’m sure you can come up with alternative wording to overcome this limitation.
Tip 3:Never start a tweet with @ unless you specifically want it to be limited in its reach.
Many tweeters use automated direct messages. These are generally ignored by the bulk of tweeters. In fact, it’s not unusual for people to unfollow such tweeters, treating the DM as spam. So beware. If you must send a DM, and I’d advise against unless circumstances dictate it, make sure it’s personal, not general.
Tip 4:Avoid automatic DMs.
Programs, such as justunfollow, allow you to keep track of your followers. There are companies and individuals out there who will follow you until you follow back and then they’ll unfollow you, safe in the knowledge that most people won’t notice this sneaky way of increasing their followers. Using something like justunfollow allows you to keep an eye on those who’ve ceased to follow you and this, in turn, helps keep your followers and those you’re following in some sort of balance. Try it. It’s free, and fairly quick and easy to use.
Tip 5:Use a program to keep your followers in balance with those you’re following.
Hashtags, #, identify areas of mutual interest for tweeters. On your Twitter page you’ll see a heading,  #Discover. I bet most of you have never ventured into this land, however. Hashtags can be attached to any number of subjects. There’s one for Doncaster, one for Kindle, for Mandela, for SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and, of course, WRITING. In fact, you name it and there’s probably a hashtag for it. So, what does this mean? It allows you to join a community with the same interests as you, it allows you to interact with them and encourages those who retweet to retweet your tweets to like-minded folk, thereby spreading your name and messages to those most likely to be interested in the topic.
Tip 6:Use hashtags (the search facility will enable you to identify the exact format you need to use for each specific tag).
One last thing that I suspect a lot of you don’t know (it’s amazing how reluctant users can be to explore websites) is that the headings on the ‘Home’ page have functions. If you click on the tab that says ‘Followers’ you’ll see it lists your followers in date order, with the most recent at the top of that list. You can quickly follow back all new followers from this one spot. Easy.
Tip 7:Explore and use the various tools Twitter supplies for use. They make life easier and save time.
Some general advice, based on my own experience:If you’re using Twitter as writer, you want the maximum audience; don’t make your tweets private or use programs like Truetwit to verify twitters. Whilst such barriers may be useful for private users, they get in the way of easy interaction with potentially useful contacts for those of us trying to spread the word. Keep an eye on spammers: the more followers you have, the more likely you are to be targeted by spammers. (I get about 1 or 2 per week). They attach a URL to your handle and you’ll discover you’re being associated with some unsavoury or money-grabbing organisation against your intentions. It’s not a real problem. Just click on the handle of the spammer and then use the drop-down menu to block them. The tweet will die immediately and the spammer will be brought to the notice of Twitter, who will stop them in their tracks, more or less at once.
A few final words of advice, if you can bear them: beware; Twitter can be addictive. Use it sparingly but effectively. And, if you like the idea of being able to schedule tweets for future dates, try out such programs as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. And make sure your social networks and blog/website are all linked: it’ll save you a great deal of time in the long run.

Oh, and by all means, please feel free to follow me at @stuartaken. I’ll follow you back as soon as I can, I promise!

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A Short Story

Something from my past is now on a great website, where you'll find hundreds of great short stories; Look for it here: 

Bluff, by Susan Yanguas, Reviewed.

Subtitled, a ‘Po-po Poker Mystery’, Bluff is a crime novel, set in USA, with a new detective and a sassy female ‘victim’ paired for the romance element. It is one of a series, hence the subtitle.
I know almost nothing about poker, but that didn’t impair my understanding, or my enjoyment of the book. There is humour, tension, a moral message and a credible outcome in this woman in jeopardy tale. The female character, Abigail, is strong and intelligent as well as ‘model girl’ attractive, which helps the plot and the reader’s enjoyment. The male lead is a detective of Italian descent, who I’ll call ‘Sal’, since great play is made of the fact that his colleagues find his full name more or less unpronounceable.
A good detective read, this book is a step above many others in the genre, simply by the inclusion of corruption amongst the wealthy business class and, in particular, a definite criticism of the American legal system’s vulnerability to distortion through the power of money.

I enjoyed the read. The story held my attention and the characters were well drawn. I recommend it to all who enjoy a good, honest crime tale.

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