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Re: Re: Re: How the heck did I miss this? (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"I've left the links to her page and to this guide (I'm sure you don't mind that!)" - hmmm.... I'm really not sure about the first bit... :-P
Thanks hon!
CaptainLinkSlut xx
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Aug 20 '04
2:52 am PDT
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Re: Don't forget to tell folks to look at gracef's profile page.... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
I thought I did?!?!!?! :-P
Thanks Bridgette! :-D
CaptainOverusesSmileys
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Aug 20 '04
2:50 am PDT
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Re: Re: How the heck did I miss this? (Reply to this comment)
by dizzybint
Thanks honey! I sure will... hopefully within the week (before the end of your write-off.)
Yep, my alerts seem ok now... for the time being.
Oh and regarding the comment about gracef's profile page: a couple of times for new book reviewers, I've left the links to her page and to this guide (I'm sure you don't mind that!)
Caroline xxx
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Aug 19 '04
8:34 am PDT
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Don't forget to tell folks to look at gracef's profile page.... (Reply to this comment)
by jnbmoore
Lots of good advice there
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Aug 18 '04
7:44 pm PDT
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Re: How the heck did I miss this? (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"It just takes longer to produce a review in the category than in other areas" - that's definitely true... even this guide took me a lot longer to produce than the other two (movies and games) put together!
I like you book reviews anyway, hope you produce more in the near future! :-P
CaptainD
PS - I take it your alerts are back? I was also missing them for a few days.
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Aug 11 '04
4:01 pm PDT
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How the heck did I miss this? (Reply to this comment)
by dizzybint
Well, I know how.. because my friggin e-mail alerts have been screwed up for over a week and I wasn't notified of this one. Sorry.
Funnily enough, I feel most comfortable in books, probably because I love to read so much. It just takes longer to produce a review in the category than in other areas. Your advice, however, is most appreciated and will definitely be taken into consideration. That is, if I can ever get past whatever it is that's getting in the way of writing these days.
Anyway, great advice as usual,
Caroline x
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Aug 05 '04
10:05 pm PDT
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Re: Daaaaaaaave! (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"or one that isn't written in Swedish
"
Dave, old buddy, I don't mind what you write about as long as it's not about Sven!!!!!!!!! (The Swedish England Football [soccer to the Yanks] manager who's dominated the newspapers for a week with his ... away games... - for the benefit of non-European readers who didn't know who I was talking about!)
CaptainNoNotSvenANYTHINGBUTSVEN
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Aug 04 '04
11:06 am PDT
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Daaaaaaaave! (Reply to this comment)
by dpjohansen
hey Dave!
yeah, this was Very helpful.. because i can't for the life of all things Star Wars write a bloody book review (hence I've only written one)
But I'll take your info on board and try again.. maybe I should choose a shorter book, or one that isn't written in Swedish (Bloody Swedes and there stupid language)
Cheers!
~David
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Aug 03 '04
9:09 am PDT
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Re: Re: Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Hehe... the worst culprit has an astronomical name... and the second has a user name with 5 silly balls... no more clues than that!
CaptainCryptic
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Aug 02 '04
12:20 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Tut tut... didn't you read my guide to hosting a WO?!?!? :-P
CaptainIgnoredTutoor
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Aug 02 '04
12:19 pm PDT
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Re: Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by hist
(Actually you were one of the first ones I thought of! :-P)
And *I* wasn't? Hmph...
Actually, I thought you were talking about a different one, personally. :-)
Dave
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Aug 01 '04
11:44 am PDT
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Re: Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by slarter
Entries ready? Hells, no! I've been wicked busy with work, so I haven't written a damn thing in a week and a half. I have, however, begun researching a one-star book, expressly for the purpose of reviewing scathingly...
Cheers!
Simon
... who figures everyone else started early, so he can start late... :)
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Aug 01 '04
5:51 am PDT
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Re: Review writing standards (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"Man, Dave, you really got me going here. Maybe I ought to write an essay of my own. " - looks like you should! (Just make sure to link to mine! :-P)
CaptainD
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Aug 01 '04
1:47 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Simon...
You, picky? Surely not!
(Actually you were one of the first ones I thought of! :-P)
Got your entries for the E & E WO ready to post tomorrow?
CaptainD
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Aug 01 '04
1:46 am PDT
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Re: This is.... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Hey Kath!
Thanks for the kudos! :-) Glad to have made your day - you deserved it!
CaptainD
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Aug 01 '04
1:44 am PDT
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Review writing standards (Reply to this comment)
by adriennefoster
It's always interesting to hear what other people look for in a very helpful review. I agree there are different things to look for between fiction and non-fiction reviews.
What makes me nuts in fiction reviews is when the writer digresses. I've run across several where reviewers like to talk about why they chose the novel or how it kept them up all night. This is the writer talking about himself when he should be focussing on the book and his reaction to its plotline. I try to avoid using the first person as much as possible as that frequently leads to off-topic comments.
Non-fiction is different. When reviewing a cookbook, for instance, I expect to see a lot of first person. Users looking for info on these books want to know about the recipes, practicality, and whether or not the author provides any new tips. How does a reviewer comment on these things without taking said book "on the field?"
Scholarly books are yet another litter of kittens. Avoid first person at all costs. Scholars frown down on academic papers that use it. If a reviewer is too fond of referring to himself in the first person on a tome, he could lose the respect of its target audience.
As for a book's "production values," I'll mention them if something stands out. This usually occurs with small houses or self-published work when the publishers do something that against conventional standards, such as not include a contents page or paginating a book with even numbers on right-handed pages. That's frequently an indication that the book was produced by an amateur.
Man, Dave, you really got me going here. Maybe I ought to write an essay of my own.
Adrienne
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Aug 01 '04
12:41 am PDT
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... (Reply to this comment)
by slarter
...
Hey! I wasn't invited to that get together either! And I like s'mores!
Anyway, good job on the advice, Dave. Incidentally, I pride myself on my pickiness... mwahahahahahaaaa! It's fun!
Actually, it's not. It's annoying. I'd rather just read, rate, read, rate... I hate having to break my flow and write a comment explaining my low rating. Curse those amateurish reviewers!
Grumpy Cheers!
Simon
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Jul 31 '04
1:33 pm PDT
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This is.... (Reply to this comment)
by kamel622
.....awesome Dave!!! A very good help for anyone writing a book review.
Oh and to get a mention too...you've made my weekend!
Keep up the great writing....Make it a fantastic weekend............kath
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Jul 30 '04
3:38 pm PDT
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Re: The "world???" (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"I am so humbled and thrilled that you would say that about me. Thank you!
Excuse me while I go bookmark this page so I can refer to it as often as I want. :-)
What a great thing to wake up to on a Friday morning. "
Well you deserve it matey. (Not sure if you would be quite so exalted if you weren't a Discworld fan though... :-P)
Visit as many times as you want, my friend. More page views for me! :-D
CaptainD
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Jul 30 '04
2:41 pm PDT
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Re: Surely not (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Damien:
It ain't so.
(Dammit, it is, I gotta admit.)
CaptainShamed
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Jul 30 '04
2:39 pm PDT
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Re: hey there... (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"Perhaps other than missing the comparative or superlative modifier " - damn superlative identifier... jumped ship at the last minute, must have scrambled out of the text when I hit the "Post" button... I've put it back now, thnaks for spotting my... er... intentional mistake (just proving my point about how picky book reviewers are!)... Actually the longer I've been here the more ruthless my rating has become... strangely enough, especially in Books!
"wondering how we could be nicer to those writing reviews in the 'books' category" - as an Advisor in Books, I feel most offended that I wasn't invited. What do you mean I'm on the wrong side of the Ocean?!?!?
"Some wanted to leave 'cookies-n-milk' out for them but we finally decided that might not be practical" - mmmm... cookies...
"I think that is when they stuck that raccoon in my sleeping bag! " - that wasn't very nice to the racoon...
"The only thing I might have added is a suggestion to run the completed text through a good spell-check program." - actually I should have put that in, I'll add it to the review soon. Thanks.
CaptainNotAtAllPicky
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Jul 30 '04
2:39 pm PDT
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Re: Good helpful information. (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Hey Phil!
Thanks. I took me a lot longer to write than any of my actual book reviews ever have!!!
CaptainD
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Jul 30 '04
2:33 pm PDT
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Re: Thanks! (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
"Especially if you don't like the book and need to prove to some die-hards why!" - too right... I took some flak off a certain member for my review of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"...
Glad you found it helpful. :-)
CaptainD
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Jul 30 '04
2:32 pm PDT
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The "world???" (Reply to this comment)
by hist
Dave!!
I am so humbled and thrilled that you would say that about me. Thank you!
Excuse me while I go bookmark this page so I can refer to it as often as I want. :-)
What a great thing to wake up to on a Friday morning.
Dave
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Jul 30 '04
7:27 am PDT
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Surely not (Reply to this comment)
by damieng
While even I have once or twice been accused of revealing “Spoilers”
Even you, huh? Say it aint so Dave, say it aint so. ;-)
Great guide, by the way.
Damien
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Jul 30 '04
4:15 am PDT
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hey there... (Reply to this comment)
by sleeper54
..
you said...
"(It also has some of the ruthless raters in epinions!)"
Perhaps other than missing the comparative or superlative modifier ( perhaps 'more ruthless' or 'most ruthless'...?? ) I think that thought is just silly.
Why just last week we 'books bibliophiles' were sitting around the campfire singing 'Kumbaya' ( the s'mores were to die for! ) and wondering how we could be nicer to those writing reviews in the 'books' category. Some wanted to leave 'cookies-n-milk' out for them but we finally decided that might not be practical. I fell asleep before I heard what the final plan was going to be. ( I think that is when they stuck that raccoon in my sleeping bag! )
Anyway, some good ideas here. The only thing I might have added is a suggestion to run the completed text through a good spell-check program. Not the abysmal ( 'did I spell that right?' ) spell-checker that the site provides.
Very nicely done.
...tom...
"Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary."
—Jessamyn West
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Jul 29 '04
7:56 pm PDT
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Good helpful information. (Reply to this comment)
by popsrocks
Thanks for putting it up.
Phil
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Jul 29 '04
7:02 pm PDT
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Thanks! (Reply to this comment)
by agentunderfire
I'm relatively new, but when I first started I could pick up on the fact that the Books category is relatively hard to write for. It's really hard to strike that balance between giving enough story to interest the reader to giving away too much. Especially if you don't like the book and need to prove to some die-hards why!
Thank you for your advice!
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Jul 29 '04
4:47 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Great guideline (Reply to this comment)
by tkd_grant
haha... well if this wasn't associated with the 'Books' category, I'd probably list some names. but that's not the case. :P
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Jul 29 '04
2:49 pm PDT
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Re: Great guideline (Reply to this comment)
by captaind
Hey Grant!
You're certainly not the only one to get a rude awakening... most of my earlist ones got "Somewhat Helpfuls" until I revised them!
(I won't tell who the ruthless raters are if you don't... :-P)
CaptainD
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Jul 29 '04
2:01 pm PDT
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