UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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SpaSpa Awards 2014 - The Results
I added one to the list that wasn't mine!Can I have a complementary banner?
Ha ha! No, but if you ask nicely, perhaps Patti will let you have a pixel of theirs?
I've just joined Bookhippo as an author and given up on it already. It keeps losing my books; attributing books to me that don't remotely have the same author name, my photo keeps disappearing from my profile. My profile says I haven't listed any books, yet search for me by name and the books links are all there!Is it just me, or is this site in serious need of a more efficient interface?
Hi Pete,Perhaps if you address your issues in a private email to crew@bookHippo.uk, we'll be able to help you, and in turn you will be able to help us improve our interface.
Rosen
Rosen wrote: "Hi Pete,Perhaps if you address your issues in a private email to crew@bookHippo.uk, we'll be able to help you, and in turn you will be able to help us improve our interface.
Rosen"
Okay - I'll let them know.
However, a red warning under the 'Editor' profile said that if I haven't got a professional editor in tow, I won't get a look-in anyway. How many indies can afford to employ PROFESSIONAL editors, as opposed to a group of very critical friends? (see my Review on a Clive Cussler novel to see what I think of professional editors! www.goodreads.com/book/show/10783577-...)
A fellow indie and I edit for one another and that's accepted. I've also found any issues I email about (very few) are sorted straight away.
Kath wrote: "A fellow indie and I edit for one another and that's accepted. I've also found any issues I email about (very few) are sorted straight away."Thanks Kath - I've emailed my problems to the crew. I have two more or less permanent editors for my books, both friends - so if I put them down, that should be ok? Or is it because they know and trust you?
Haha! Anyone who knows me doesn't trust me! Ask the Hippo.
Just a question, I assume a small publisher like Safkhet rules out a book being indie?
Kath is quite correct. There are many ways to get a professional quality edit without paying through the nose. I am happy to accept edit-swaps between reputable authors.Whether or not to pay for a professional edit (or solicit an edit swap) is the choice of the individual. However, it is not fair on those authors who get their work edited, if those who don't, expect the same opportunities.
Groups of critical friends can provide superb feedback, but when I compile the newsletter every morning, I have no idea who has talented, helpful friends, and who doesn't.
Rosen wrote: "Whether or not to pay for a professional edit (or solicit an edit swap) is the choice of the individual. However, it is not fair on those authors who get their work edited, if those who don't, expect the same opportunities."Having given up on a few 'unedited' indie books, I can understand and endorse that. Perhaps the website could contain a little bit of advice on the matter - I found the blunt statement off-putting.
Pete wrote: "Rosen wrote: "Whether or not to pay for a professional edit (or solicit an edit swap) is the choice of the individual. However, it is not fair on those authors who get their work edited, if those w..."It's supposed to be off putting. But I'm happy for it to be circulated among this forum that the editor requirement is not a hard and fast rule. The support authors get on here tends to raise the quality compared to books written by authors who work alone.
Gone through the list and clicked all the ones I know.
Jim wrote: "Just a question, I assume a small publisher like Safkhet rules out a book being indie?"There's a 20 author limit on publisher size, so if your publisher fits in with that, you're good to go. :)
It's a job to know, isn't it? I tried to see how many Black Dot Publishing has but I've no idea how to tell from their website.
I just looked on the Safkhet site under "our Authors", and they list 13.
Defining a cut-off point for small publishers is really difficult, isn't it?The trad/indie distinction has become blurred.
When I got there I discovered several other people already agreed with me :-)
Later today, I shall be removing from consideration the books with the least reviews from each category. Books that have been confirmed by UKAKF members will be immune to the sweep.http://bookhippo.uk/awards/list2014.php
Many thanks for your help.
That's a relief - the few reviews that I do get, Amazon seems to delete :((and yet, something objectionable turns up and they refuse to do anything about it!)
I've now created relegation zones.If a book is in the relegation zone for its category when I do my next sweep, it will be removed.
You can save a book by either confirming its details or expressing love for it (the heart button).
http://bookhippo.uk/awards/list2014.php
Thank you for all your help.
Sorry Roz, I've just entered Broken Truce under Sci-fi before noticing that someone (THANK YOU!!!!) had already entered it under Action/Adventure! :/Sorry about that.
Also for some reason it's telling me that the Severance's ASIN doesn't exist. I've made sure it matches the one on its Amazon page but it just doesn't like it. What have I done wrong??? Sorry to be a pest! :/
Which category should Broken Truce and Severance be in?I've added Severance.
Action adventure is right for Broken Truce, Severance should be in Sci-Fi.Thank you!!! ;-)
Rosen wrote: "Sorted."Thank you!!!
Hi Roz, when is the submission deadline??? Just wondering how long I have to submit The Vow.*Edited
It was published in 2012 so it's not eligible, D D. They have to be 2014 publications, I believe.
Sorry, wrong book!!! I meant The Vow, next book in the series!My brain seems to be fried!!!
Sorry but I can't take any more submissions now.
After many days of work, I've cut the data down again.Because there were thousands of books, I've had to use bots to apply exclusion criteria.
I'm afraid that making decisions based on statistics such as ratings, is bound to result in some truly wonderful books getting dropped, but there really was no fairer, efficient way to do it.
The updated list can be found here.
http://bookhippo.uk/awards/list2014.php
However, it still needs work. Please continue to confirm/report/love.
Well, that was nice to look through with a lazy cup of coffee.I don't envy you all this work, Rosen. You deserve a huge reward for your tireless efforts in helping the indie community.
I do hope the thanks you receive far outweigh the complaints.
I'll just pop a link in the morning thread.
Thanks Patti. The long lists are beginning to take shape.Perhaps UKAKF members who are still on the lists would like to save me some work by (double) checking the others in their categories?
e.g. David Leadbeater (Action & Adventure), Will Macmillan Jones and Carl Ashmore (Children's Fiction), Rachel Abbott, John A. A. Logan and Lynda Wilcox (Crime, Thrillers & Mystery | Stand Alone), B.A. Morton (Crime, Thrillers & Mystery | Books From a Series), David Staniforth and Nav Logan (Fantasy), Darren Humphries (Historical), David Haynes (Horror), Matthew Drzymala and Jonathan Hill (Humour), Matt, Jonathan and David S (Psychological), Anna Faversham and Julie McLaren (Romance), Robert Bryndza (Romantic Comedy), Jim Webster and Michael Brookes (Science Fiction), Tim Arnot (Young Adult).
(Kath, Joo and David W have put in a ton of work already.)
Also, at some point, authors with more than one book in a single category, will need to choose their champion.
Yeah, noticed a lot of repeat authors in some categories. Some prolific authors out there!
I've offered to help out for compiling 12 drabbles from 2014 for a drabbles section. If you'd like to help compile the short list then review the drabbles here:http://bookhippo.uk/drabbles_2014.php
Then send me your favourite 12 (or fewer if you wish) via private message.
A big thanks to Rosen for putting this together!
Rosen wrote: "Thanks Patti. The long lists are beginning to take shape.Perhaps UKAKF members who are still on the lists would like to save me some work by (double) checking the others in their categories?
e.g..."
I've copied a list of the books, but I've been on the road and will be again, so I'll not have access to a computer much until the weekend
Done - and thanks for taking on the task of collating these lists. I hope people find the time to do this.
Here is the provisional longlist (drabbles on the way).http://bookhippo.uk/awards/longList20...
Please don't promote it just yet. But do let me know if you find any errors, and click the 'heart' next to any that you think deserve to win.
Sorry I never got a chance to go through the SF, it's been a bit manic here :-(
Rosen wrote: "Here is the provisional longlist (drabbles on the way).http://bookhippo.uk/awards/longList20...
Please don't promote it just yet. But do let me know if you find any errors, and click the 'hea..."
I get a bunch of SQL errors when I load the page:
Warning: mysql_num_rows() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given in /web/bookhippo/webroot/awards/longList2014.php on line 154
Michael wrote: "Rosen wrote: "Here is the provisional longlist (drabbles on the way).http://bookhippo.uk/awards/longList20...
Please don't promote it just yet. But do let me know if you find any errors, and ..."
And they went away when I logged in.
Thanks for letting me know Michael. It would have been embarrassing if I'd sent out all the notifications with it broken!
Wow, well done and apologies for my complete lack of input this year. I have been living under a rock. ;-)Cheers
MTM
First, I need a definitive list of decent indie titles published in 2014.
Please take a look at the list below and:
a) check all your favourite indie titles of 2014 are on there
b) tell me if any of the items listed do not qualify
c) confirm eligibility of books you know
d) show love for books you've read and enjoyed
http://bookhippo.uk/awards/list2014.php
Many thanks. And many thanks to UKAKF for allowing me to post this. Would you like a complementary banner?