Kevin Eagan is one of a team of editors at Blogcritics Magazine and founder of There There Kid, a blog focusing on cultural and literary criticism. He also writes a weekly feature for Blogcritics called The Early Word, where he talks about some of the latest fiction books being released by both big and small publishers. In this interview, Eagan talks about Blogcritics, his blog, and he offers his critical insight into the slippery slope of book reviewing.
Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Kevin. How and when did Blogcritics Magazine get started and how long have you been an editor here?
Blogcritics has been around since 2002, but I've been involved with the site as a writer since October 2007 and as an editor since March of this year. I haven't been here nearly as long as some of the other editors - some have been here since the site launched - but I've certainly experienced a lot of different opportunities and challenges since I started working here. The BC Books section is especially interesting because of our diverse group of writers, and being an editor here has introduced me to new books and critical approaches I may not have found otherwise. We certainly cover nearly every approach to book reviewing you can find out there.
On average, how many books does BC review a month?
The number of books we review in a given month varies, but we do cover most of the major releases coming out each month. Because of our large and varied collection of writers, we cover everything from the latest bestsellers to the most obscure indie novels, so readers will find plenty of ways to discover new books. We have a very sizable Graphic Novel/Comic Book section plus several reoccurring features that focus on specific genres. We also run a weekly feature called The Early Word (fiction and non-fiction) that fellow BC Books Editor Gordon Hauptfleisch and I update weekly to give readers an idea of new books coming out each week.
I'm sure many readers who are also writers are wondering, "How do I write for Blogcritics?" Could you offer some tips?
Well, other than reading our submission guidelines which are linked at the bottom of our front page, writers should definitely come into the whole process with an open mind and a willingness to dive in deep and really understand what they are reviewing. Often, new writers come in treating their Blogcritics Magazine experience as an extension to their own blog, when it is really a separate and completely different experience. Blogcritics functions as a fully fledged online magazine and our articles appear in Google News and Yahoo! News, so we have pretty high standards in terms of content. However, Blogcritics Magazine is a good place for both new and established writers to expand their talents and gain new exposure.
Article comments
1 - Kevin Eagan
Thanks for the interview, Mayra!
2 - Mayra Calvani
Thank YOU, for your thoughtful, insightful answers!
3 - Margay
Thoroughly enjoyed the interview! There's a lot of useful information in there, so thanks for sharing, Kevin.
4 - A. F. Stewart
Terrific interview, I liked your opinions on how to handle reviews.
5 - Joy Delgado
Thank you Mayra and Kevin. I am always looking for different people's take on writing reviews for poorly written books. I like the way you address this issue.
Joy
6 - Margot Finke
What an interesting life Kevan Eagan has. Answering your questions gave me a peek into his world. Thanks Mayra
Margot Finke
"Rattlesnake Jam"
Rattling good fun
with Gran and Pa
7 - c hoare
A fine, solid interview. Makes me more interested in Blogcritics magazine -- I think I'd better drop you a line.
Chris H.
8 - Val MacEwan
This interview should be recommended reading to all prospective reviewers. Here I am reading it, a year later, and it still informs and is timely.