Interview with Judi Clark of MostlyFiction.com - Page 6

I basically believe that reading is subjective and one reviewer’s experience does not reflect all readers’ experience. I like a review that let’s me decide if I will like the book, whether I agree or disagree with the reviewer’s opinion of the book.

Do I think there is a lot of facile praise out there? Not among the bloggers and the ordinary people that like to write reviews. Because MostlyFiction.com links to other site reviews, I do read reviews from a lot of different sites. Certainly we all know that the Amazon.com system breeds “friends” of the authors – and sometimes I and the other reviewers are fooled. But, most people are sincere about their comments and reviews. Or maybe, I just have learned how to avoid the unhelpful reviews.

There was a lot of controversy last year between print publication reviewers and online bloggers. In your opinion, what defines a ‘legitimate’ reviewer?

Getting paid and having deadlines seems like criteria that makes one a “legitimate” reviewer. Or maybe that’s just a professional – which probably can be considered the same as legitimate. I love it when MostlyFiction.com is quoted in book blurbs and by other sites. It doesn’t happen often enough, but somehow that makes me feel our site is more legitimate. So by that criteria, I’d say popularity does lend itself to legitimacy as well. Although we have some very fine writing on MostlyFiction.com, I think most people would classify us as "talented amateurs."

What is your stand on paid reviews?

I assume by “paid reviews” you mean that the newspaper, website or blogsite is paying the writer for a review that they asked them to write and not the publisher paying for the review at the newspaper, website or blogsite. If so, then I think that people who get paid to write reviews have generally earned the right to be compensated. I like to read both professional and amateur reviews when I’m trying to decide on a book. I never think, “oh that person got paid so they must have had to say that.” A well written review will always tell you what works and does not work in a book. Even, if someone is writing a fluff review, the writer knows how to get a “didn’t like it” message out. Again, I think reading is subjective, so I don’t think it matters if someone is paid. A well written review is helpful, regardless.

I think it would be cool if I could pay our reviewers.

What about reviewers or review sites that charge authors and publishers for a review?

Article Author: Mayra Calvani

Mayra Calvani is the National Latino Books Examiner for Examiner.com.

Visit Mayra Calvani's author page — Mayra Calvani's Blog