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The Romantic Times Review
By Nancy Lindquist | March 27, 2007
A few months ago I paid for an ad in, The Romantic Times Book Reviews. It’s a magazine devoted to promoting and reviewing romances. They break them down by genre and are quite well known and well liked.
The edition I’m in is going to be handed out at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Houston at the end of April. I’ll be there.
I got my review yesterday. It was three stars out of five. I’m very pleased. Only three stars and I’m happy? Am I nuts? Yes, but that’s not the point here. RT is notorious for being a tough nut. They don’t hand out many stars above three and three is darn good for a new author. I’ve seen them give one star to books I love, so the worry I would be trashed is over.
What matters with RT is what they have to say about your book. “How to Conjure a Man” got a wonderful review.
I love all my reviews. All have been very thoughtful and kind. As much as I love them, I adore the reviews that get that the book is humorous, as well as sexy. A couple reviews have mentioned the humor and those are the ones I want to frame. I write funny. Not holding your sides and puking funny, but darn amusing. I read books with tension beyond romantic tension and serious slaps of reality, but I don’t write them. I can’t. I just don’t look at life like that. I find funny in strange situations. So the reviews that mention it, and the Romantic Times review was one of them, are cherished. They get me.
I don’t want everyone to read my book. I want people to read it who appreciate it and like my writing. I know that’s what everyone wants. I can join the club. Sounds simple enough, but I’ve not always been so enlightened
At first I wanted everyone under the sun to read, “Conjure.” I wrote a book I am darn proud of and I wanted it out there for the whole world to see. I now realize that was pretty conceited of me. Not everyone likes romance, not everyone likes erotic romance and not everyone likes funny in their erotic romance. Gee, looks like I’ve painted myself into a niche market.
That’s okay. All I want to do is carve out some loyal readers who like my voice and make them happy. Maybe if I was younger I would vehemently pursue the NYT bestseller list. I don’t know. I’m not relaxed about my writing at all. I’m very aware of my sales and spend money on ads for my book. I’m not writing and promoting in a vacuum. I want readership, but not any readership. The right readership.
I liken it to tightrope walking, but not just any tightrope. First I have to find the right circus, then the right ring. The tricky part all starts after that.
Gee, I remember a time when I thought all a writer had to do was write. Boy, was I naive.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I know! I often wonder if I’d be this driven to get published if I knew what all it entailed back when I was… six. Yup, that’s when I knew I was doomed.
If you’d like a bit more notice, I’d be glad to hook you up with my friend Barb at Front Street Reviews. (if you’re nice to me, I’ll even consider reviewing for you. I usually review music-related nonfiction for Barb.)
Congrats on the ad! I think it was wise planning to take the ad out for that specific issue. Hope it generates lots of sales.