Reviewing the Review

A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote. ~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

I have been waiting for Library Journal’s review of my book (click here to read review). Reader reviews have been fabulous; so have those from my family. (Family members have this funny tendency to say, “It is so well written,” as if they are surprised that I can actually write.)

However, to have a review from a journal is a big deal, and now I have one. It is a good review, EXCEPT there was a glaring inaccuracy. It stood in space for nearly a day, this mistake for everyone to see. However, the reviewer fixed it and in the end, all was well.

Why does this stuff disturb me? It comes down to two issues: 1) wanting readers to get the facts, and 2) how I look if the facts are wrong. The bottom line is I can’t do much about it, so best not to dwell on it. The other thing I can do is be sure I have my facts straight when I review someone else’s work.

Here’s the really amazing part—because of the mistake, I garnered extra publicity. The review had to be sent twice and I got to Tweet and Facebook it twice. Who would have thought that a mistake like this would be a blessing?

 

Bogged and Blogged Down

Writing is no trouble: you just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself—it is the occurring that is difficult. ~ Stephen Leacock

I have blog bog – feeling bogged down by marketing the book rather than working on my next. I am a bit wordless, like a bump on a log. Won’t flog myself for this; instead I’ll take the dog for a jog. Please forgive me, I can’t help being cheesy sometimes.

Elevator Pitch

The writer who loses his self-doubt, who gives way as he grows old to a sudden euphoria, to prolixity, should stop writing immediately: the time has come for him to lay aside his pen.

 ~ Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

This month’s Sierra Writers meeting featured Emma Santa, speaking on Speechcraft for Writers. It was a fabulous. Emma walked us through the steps to create an elevator pitch, a brief summary of what you have to offer. In this case, it would be my book, Free from Hepatitis C.

Here is what surprised me. Six years ago, I did an elevator pitch to a publisher in front of a group and I bombed. I joined Toastmasters to learn how to be a better public speaker so I could do stuff like this. I am not afraid to stand up in front of an audience, but at Sierra Writers, I was nervous.

Fear and self-doubt got in the way. Perhaps Colette is right, a bit of self-doubt may help us as writers. However, self-doubt does not belong in the elevator. Goodness gracious, we spend hours, days, months, and years writing. If I had reasonable doubt about writing Free from Hepatitis C, I would have quit long before it was finished.

So, here is my new pitch:

More people die in this country from hepatitis C than from HIV. Four million people have hepatitis C, most of them born between 1945 and 1965. However, 3 out of 4 people with this disease do not know they have it. Hepatitis C is curable, if it is diagnosed. My book, Free from Hepatitis C tells you everything you need to know from diagnosis to cure. I write with experience, as a recognized expert in the hepatitis C field and a person who has lived with this disease. My book shows you how to live free from hepatitis C.

Feedback appreciated…

P.S. Prolixity means wordy. A prolix elevator pitch is an oxymoron.

My Essential Writing Tools

Consistency of practice is the mark of a master. 

- George Leonard, “Mastery”

The tools I need to write are more than paper, pen, and computer. In order to put in a productive day of writing, I need a good night’s sleep, exercise, and meditation. It also helps to have a schedule, which helps me know when to write. For instance, on days that I have blocked out writing times, I know I will write. It is as if a switch goes on, telling me what to do.

It takes a lot of tools and effort to keep me propped up in front of a computer. However, if I skip meditation, exercise, or sleep, I am useless. These practices make me a more efficient writer, and they keep me alive. I write better, when I am alive.

P.S. It also helps to have a good book and some poetry. Reading can unlock the creative process.