Bev Walton-Porter is an author, reviewer, freelancer, editor and publisher. She's the lady behind the succesful ezine, Scribe & Quill. Her books include Sun Signs for Writers, The Complete Writer: A Guide to Tapping Your Full Potential, and Mending Fences. Her work has appeared in many publications, both print and online. In this interview, Porter talks about her e-zine and about various aspects of book reviewing. She welcomes e-books for review and is currently looking for more reviewers to join her staff.
How long have you been reviewing?
Wow...let me think! About 11 years, when I first became a full-time professional with my writing. I have reviewed books for Inkspot (the awesome site run by Debbie Ridpath Ohi many years ago), The Charlotte Austin Review website (now defunct), Bridges (based out of B.C. Canada), Suite101, Inscriptions, and, of course, Scribe & Quill.
Please tell us about Scribe & Quill.
My site isn't just for book reviews. Scribe & Quill covers many areas related to writing, reading and publishing - including book reviews. I first launched Scribe & Quill as a small e-zine on ListBot in the late 90s and it has evolved into a larger e-zine with 6,000+ subscribers, plus a web site, editing services and online professional writing courses that dovetail with and complement the zine. I think longevity is our greatest hallmark. Scribe & Quill has been around in some form or another for over a decade, and in the online world (especially for small-size e-zines), that's a long time!
What is the most challenging aspect of running a review site?
Finding reliable reviewers who are also willing to review both print and electronically published books. We also like our reviewers to be willing to review any type of book, and sometimes that can be a challenge as well.
How many books do you review a month?
Since we no longer publish monthly, but rather quarterly, we publish five to ten reviews per issue. Due to the influx of review books, it's likely we'll publish additional ones on the site in between issues of the zine.
How many staff reviewers do you have?
Ten, but we are looking for more.
Article comments
1 - Joy Delgado
Mayra and Bev,
Thank you for another great interview. I like how you handle not totally positive reviews, the authors and/or publishers of those books. Very helpful information.
Joy
2 - A. F. Stewart
Terrific observations. I love that you post author press releases on your site; a great idea.
3 - Margot Finke
Mayra, I love Scribe and Quill. Your interview of Bev Walton-Porter shows how multi-talented one lady can be. WHEW! Enjoyed every word, mate.
Margot Finke
"Rattlesnake Jam"
Crazy rhyming fun with Gra,
Pa, and making rattler jam.
4 - Lesa Holstine
Mayra,
What a wonderful job you do with the interviews! Each interview is unique and brings out the flavor of the review site. Thank you.
5 - Diana
Thanks for such an informative interview!
6 - Pauline Jones
Also interesting! I'm learning so much, many thanks!
7 - Margay
Bev, I admire you for your take on reviewers and the question of ethics regarding paid reviews, etc. I think it is important for writers to get that kind of honest review - how else will they learn what appeals/doesn't appeal to the audience? How else will they grow as writers? I enjoyed your interview.