But but I DID write it, why isn't it here?

[K.J.]

So in this review process it has come to my attention that one of my books which is up on Barnes and Noble and Amazon, among other places, isn't here on good old GR.

What do we do then?

A second issue: I'm gonna run out of stuff to review eventually. I only have about 2 or 3 books out and the rest are comics that I'm not gonna subject anyone to unless they specifically ask. So I guess I could just go straight to review only?

[Jay]

Hi Katrina, you'll have to add your book here on GR by going to your profile and creating an author profile. It's there you can add the books you've written.

As for running out of books, not many members have more than 2 or 3 books, some only have one so far. You can have one book for review in a group - 12 weeks reviewing and being reviewed - then move to another group with your 2nd book - 24 weeks of the year gone. You can then repeat with books 1 and 2 - 48 weeks gone. That's nearly a year, and you get 8 reviews for each book. You can then look to the next book, or move on to another GR group, or just become a registered reader.

How does that sound?

[K.J.]

Okay I added my book. I knew I could do that, but felt kinda like I was being pushy. I know it's silly!

As for the next part... I tried to follow that. LOL! So I'll just stick to the first book I started and when I run out of "fresh faces" I guess I'll switch. Which leads me to a third concern:

Apparently the fact that the book I chose, which is a collection of short stories, is a bit of a problem review wise. Should we just avoid books like that in the future? I mean, I personally would have no problem reviewing a collection but I'm just me.

[Jay]

Avoid short story collections? Certainly not! I'm about to post a review of Kanwar's book of shorts and it has been an amazing read - so glad I got to review it. The only problem is in people's perceptions of shorts. It is the goal of writers to change that perception, to convince readers about the intrinsic quality of well-written shorts. Groups like ours, who give fair reviews, can only be a small weapon in the arsenal, but lethal nonetheless, in exploding the myth that shorts are lesser beasts than novels. Shorts actually take far more work and thought to do well. It takes thoughtful readers to appreciate that, but they are out there and will appreciate a well-written review, as will the author.

[K.A.]

I have a book of shorts, too, and although I'm currently seeking reviews on one of my novels, if I'm in a future group I may throw that in to the mix. Shorts are a real art form, in my opinion, because every single word counts. No room to stray off into extraneous descriptions or dialogue; you've got to know exactly where you're going and how to get there. I really enjoy reading shorts, too, so I'd hate to eliminate collections from review.

[Jay]

One thing I love about shorts is the way the story is complete in itself, but allows the imagination to run riot thinking about the wider circumstances of the lives of the characters.

[Marie-Anne]

I agree. There is no problem at all with reviewing short stories.