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?