Interview with a Book Blogger!

Today I’m doing something different. I have Bells (a huge fan who became a close friend -- the image above was taken this year at Lori Foster's Reader and Author Get Together), from Hanging With Bells with me. She’s going to provide a bit on insight on what book reviewers look for in books and how to approach blogs when you’re interested in promoting your work.

Jaime: Thanks for doing this, Bells! Welcome to Romancing the Muses!

Bells: Thanks for having me. I feel so special… and weird because I’m usually the one doing the interviewing.

Jaime: *laughs* You’re so silly. Relax, this won’t hurt…much. First question: Say an author wants to visit your blog or get a review. What is the best way to go about it?

Bells: Most of the authors that I chat with on Twitter will ask if anyone is looking for guest posts for their blogs and that's how I usually get an interview. I have had authors that have contacted me by email as well that were interested on having an interview on my blog. For me it’s best to contact via email or Twitter (where I usually hang out all day long).

Jaime: I know you’re obsession with Twitter! Can you tell us what you enjoy about authors?

Bells: I enjoy authors that seem down to earth such as myself. I tend to gravitate towards more authors that seem to have the same likes that I do. I am all about positivity! I love to laugh and there are so many authors on Twitter that make me chuckle all the time. That includes you as well. That is how we first bonded. Discussing the Twilight movies and what parts of them that made us laugh.

Jaime: Oh Lord, I remember that! Those were the days. I’m aware of bloggers who can be afraid of having authors if they feel they’ll lash out at a less than stellar review, or will argue with the reviewer. As an author myself, I always say it’s best to say thank you or nothing at all. What’s your take?

Bells: That’s kinda hard to answer, because authors are people too. They’re human and have emotions just like everyone else. I know as hard as it must be to want to say something, it’s best not to. There seems to be a lot of backlash when they speak out. You’ll see this on Twitter when an author says something negative and reviewers may start talking.

Jaime: Oh man, I remember the author who had a mug created after she went “snake” on a reviewer. It wasn’t pretty.

Bells: *laughs*

Jaime: Okay, next question: I’ve done posts before where I’ve mentioned it’s best to research book bloggers prior to submitting. Some bloggers prefer urban fantasy, others enjoy erotic romance. How important do you think it is for authors to place their work with readers who will enjoy it?

Bells: I think it’s very important. You want to make sure your book is going to appeal to the person reading it. If you give someone a historical when they don’t like historical the odds are they won’t like it. Sometimes people will enjoy books that aren’t what they typically read, but that isn’t always the case. If you want to get positive feedback it’s always good to check out the preferences of the book blogger you approach.

Jaime: Since our kids are going nuts (they are screaming as we’re doing this interview on the phone), I’m going to wrap things up. So final question: eBooks are becoming very popular. Are you finding you prefer eBooks to print?

Bells: I’m going to say…no. Even though I own a Kindle, I still seem to enjoy reading a paper copy more. I will read from my Kindle if I have to, but most of the time I prefer print. That said, it’s weird because there are times when I get into my Kindle. But there are others times when I go, “Meh.” Snuggling an eReader is not the same as snuggling with a paperback.

Jaime: Okay, I lied. One more question: I do know you read books from authors who are at ePublishers. Do prefer books from New York authors (who are in mass market paperback)? Or will you give anything that strikes your fancy a chance?

Bells: As long as the work appeals to me, entertains me, and has good writing, then that’s all that matters.

This week's eye candy of the week is for Bells. You can find her at Hanging With Bells, which isn’t your average book blog. She also lists new movie and music releases, as well as shares her Hump Day Hottie each week. If you haven’t visited, be sure to swing by and say hello!

Tweets come and go, but the Internet is forever

It still amazes me how much technology has progressed in the past decade. Ten years ago, I was a high school sophomore. I didn’t have a cellphone or a laptop or any cool gadget with which to make my friends jealous. My first car was a 1989 Oldsmobile Cutless that occasionally died while idling at stoplights. I did have a car-phone – one of those dinosaur models you plugged into the cigarette lighter and had to molest in order to get it to dial out. Yes, the Internet was in existence – of course – but this was pre-Facebook, pre-Twitter, and comments made on websites, forums, or any other outlet of the baby beast that became social networking.

Today, the Internet landscape is a horse of a different color. I worked at a local bank for two years, and the entire time I was there, I was made painfully aware whatever remark I made on Facebook regarding the job or my opinion of people I worked with – even if they weren’t “friends” or whatever – could be grounds for termination. Any remark I made about anything, in fact, could be used against me. For example, say Charlie Sheen and Prince were political candidates; if I made a remark about how Charlie Sheen is WINNING, and a bank customer happened to be a supporter of Prince? Yeah, that could land me in some deep doo-doo.

Granted, while these precautions were extreme, there is something to be said about being careful in how you come across to others. As authors – aspiring or otherwise – we assume a public presence whether we like it or not. Especially those of us in the e-publishing world – we are no longer an age of JD Salingers. We can’t produce fiction and hope to be remembered if we become technology recluses. Yes, there are some authors who are more “out there” than others, but the names you remember are typically those with a larger Internet presence.

What does this mean for authors? Well, it depends on the sort of author you want to be, the sort of audience you want to attract, and what sort of image you want to maintain. Offhand, I can think of several authors who are either publicly Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea Party, etc.; while their political affiliation doesn’t influence me one way or another, a diehard Republican might balk at reading something by an outspoken liberal, regardless of the subject matter. It’d be like Dick Cheney going out and purchasing a fictional action/adventure penned by Michael Moore. Not likely. Likewise, if you use your social outlets to graphically discuss sex, you’re going to turn some people off. I know this might be surprising to some, especially considering the majority of us enjoy reading and writing romance and explicit sexual content. Consider the following: my grandfather is a conservative, religious man, a minister, and so sensitive to profanity and sexuality he didn’t like it when I turned on the family-friendly program “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” when at his house. He is also incredibly sensitive to movies depicting the life and acts of Jesus – or really any biblical story – and he doesn’t care for History Channel programs that discuss “the end times” or how various religions interpret their holy books. Does this make sense? Well, yes and no, depending on who you ask. For some, what they do is not who they are; for others, it’s all they are, and to see themselves represented a certain way is insulting.

So when it comes to the monster that is social networking, what is appropriate? What’s not? Ultimately, that’s up to you. Nothing is right or wrong – everything is completely subjective. There is no how-to guide when it comes to dealing with your readers. You just need to be prepared for how others might perceive your actions or statements. If you want to be edgy and potentially offensive, that’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you want to out yourself as a gun-toting, Obama-hating conservative or a liberal flag-burning communist, you need to be aware how that might affect your readership. Remember: you have the option to do or say whatever you like, but you need to be smart enough to know that somewhere out there will be someone who disagrees, and your reputation might hinge on what you say. As long as you don't mind the label you earn, you have the freedom to do and say as you please.