Well, it's almost the end of June already... where does the time go??? I've had to make some decisions these past few weeks on what's best, not only for me, but for you as well.
I'll be forever grateful to Smashwords for giving me a home when I first stepped onto the path of the Indie Author. But like most things in life, opportunities come around and changes are made.
So in a sense, I've moved into a new home, one that better suits me, as a writer, and I hope suits each of you who have read my work. While my collection of poetry and my other free book will always be available on Smashwords, my novels are now available exclusively through Amazon.
These include my Exiled trilogy (The Exiled, The Exiled: Continuation, and The Exiled: Infinity), and my first book set in a pure fantasy world, Province of a Thief. If you've been following along on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saborgman) you of course know that my new novel is close to release.
The new novel is set in the same world as Province, and takes place roughly two years after that. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about it. If you're a fantasy fan, I invite you to pick up a copy of Province. (www.amazon.com/Province-Thief-Scott-Borgman-ebook/dp/B00KR140EO)
I hope the move to Amazon benefits you as much as it does me. If you're an Amazon Prime customer, you've got an amazing chance to pick up those books for free with the Lending Library through Amazon. If you're not a Prime member, I invite you to check it out, it truly is an amazing program.
I hope you're all having a wonderful summer so far! I'll update again when the follow-up to Province goes live at Amazon. No set date yet, but almost certainly sometime in July! And of course, I'll post the cover image on here when it goes live for those of you who happen to check my blog before you hit the Amazon store ;)
Don't forget to check out my Facebook page, and give me a like while you're there, as well as my Twitter @ScottBorgman
All My Best,
Scott
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The Art of the Book Review
I wanted to take time out from editing my latest novel to talk about something very important - book reviews, and just how important they are to Indie Authors.
As an Indie Author, I can attest that I look forward to readers taking the time to review my work, and I'm sure every author, traditionally published and Indie Author alike, feels the same way. Certainly we love to see book sales, but a review of the books that we write means just as much to us.
When we see book sales, it's really nothing more than a number to us. That number represents a copy of our book that was sold, but that's all it does. But there's a reader behind there as well, someone who is more than just a number. It's a person who lives and breathes and has thoughts and opinions about the book. We want to know what those thoughts and opinions are.
Book reviews are the absolute best way for the reader to let both the author and other readers know what they thought of the book. However, like books that can be both good and bad, reviews walk that same path as well.
Now, I'm not talking about the rating that the reader puts on the review. I'm talking about the content of the review itself. Certainly no one expects a review to be its own book, and it shouldn't by any means give anything away (it's a review after all, not a book report), but it should convey the thoughts and opinions the reader had about the book.
To show what I mean, here are a few examples:
'This was a good book, I loved it! 5 stars!'
Or on the flip side:
'Didn't finish it. I got bored after the first two chapters.'
Two reviews (and those were merely examples), one good, one bad. But they lack depth, and in general are not taken seriously by anyone, reader or author alike. Now here's two other examples to compare the first two against:
'This book captured my attention from the first page. The story is filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. (Author) brought the town and the people to life, and the characters' struggles were so believable that I felt as if I were right there, feeling every emotion along with them. Though I felt the book ended sooner than I wanted it to, it was a wonderful book nonetheless, and I'm looking forward to the next one! 4 Stars!'
And the second one:
'I struggled with this book. Though the characters are described pretty good, they felt bland - like they were just going through the motions without feeling. The story bounced between time periods so often that it became confusing, making it difficult to understand most of the time. There were some interesting moments in the book, but they seemed to be over quickly, while other parts that I thought were kind of dull and pointless seemed to drag on forever. 1 1/2 Stars.'
See the difference? The first two examples simply say 'I liked it' and 'I didn't like it', but nothing else. No explanations or reasoning why. They don't give enough of an opinion to help either other readers or the author.
The second set of examples are what other readers in general take more seriously, and what we authors hope to see in every review. The examples not only say that the reader enjoyed the book or didn't, but they expand on those feelings by giving some of the reasons why they did or didn't enjoy the book they reviewed. In addition, whether they enjoyed the book or not, they point out both strong and weak points in their review.
The second set of examples are the kind of reviews that I personally pay more attention to when I'm curious about a book. While ultimately the decision to read a book lies in my hands, I like to know what others thought about the book as well. And they do play a part in my decision. 10,000 people that give a book a 5 star informative review tends to raise an eyebrow, after all. And truthfully, as a reader, reviews like those first examples I typically scroll past without any consideration, because there's simply nothing TO consider.
Switching back to the author's viewpoint, sure we love to see glowing reviews painted in gold, but no book is perfect, and we know that. WE'RE not perfect. We want to get better, and that takes practice, just like everything else. We use reviews as a tool to see what we may need to work on.
And by that I mean the technical aspects of the story, such as descriptions, depth, etc. Saying that Jack should have ended up with Tara instead of Susan at the end of the book isn't what I mean. In fact, a review should never have something like that in them. Little things that give away the story make it less enjoyable for other readers. That's why they're called book reviews instead of book reports, after all.
I realize I mentioned that earlier, but I wanted to stress the point again because one of the things that make books so special is finding out what happens for yourself. It's like the first time I watched The Usual Suspects. Now, if someone had told me how good it was and then what happened, versus how good it was and why they thought so, I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie nearly as much. The same thing applies to book reviews.
Now I'm sure some of you may have that thought running through your head, or have had it at one time or another. You know the one: '(Author) already got money from the sale, what does it matter if I liked the book or not?'
It matters. It matters, it matters, it matters. It matters as much as that sale does, perhaps more. Why? Remember at the beginning when I said book sales are just a number, but authors know there's a person behind that number? Writing an honest, insightful book review brings that person, with their thoughts and opinions, out from behind that number and gives that number a voice.
But it's not just allowing other readers to read your thoughts and opinions on the book. Authors want to know as well. We depend on it, in fact, because like everything else, if we don't know there's a problem we can't work on strengthening our weaknesses in order to become better writers. At the same time, we also like to hear what we've done right.
Think of writing a review like being a coach. Every good coach understands that letting a player know what they need to practice on should be coupled with praising them on what the player's strengths are. It's yin and yang, hot and cold, sun and moon. It's balance.
Balance. A coach who focuses on just the negatives will make a player lose confidence in him or herself and whether it's intended or not, the player will get in the mindset that no matter how hard they work, it won't make a difference. Eventually they'll give up, and the potential that was within them will never have a chance to come out.
At the same time, focusing on only the positives may make that player over-confident and cocky, to the point that eventually constructive criticism goes in one ear and out the other, and the things they need to work on never improve. Once again, the potential that is within them is never fully realized.
So when you grab a book, whether you enjoy it or not, if you're considering writing a review on it after you've finished reading it, keep these things in mind. Make a list of what you honestly liked and what you didn't and go from there.
And remember this: We authors appreciate those reviews more than you may realize. Good, bad, and everything in between, we are grateful for every honest, insightful review.
As an Indie Author, I can attest that I look forward to readers taking the time to review my work, and I'm sure every author, traditionally published and Indie Author alike, feels the same way. Certainly we love to see book sales, but a review of the books that we write means just as much to us.
When we see book sales, it's really nothing more than a number to us. That number represents a copy of our book that was sold, but that's all it does. But there's a reader behind there as well, someone who is more than just a number. It's a person who lives and breathes and has thoughts and opinions about the book. We want to know what those thoughts and opinions are.
Book reviews are the absolute best way for the reader to let both the author and other readers know what they thought of the book. However, like books that can be both good and bad, reviews walk that same path as well.
Now, I'm not talking about the rating that the reader puts on the review. I'm talking about the content of the review itself. Certainly no one expects a review to be its own book, and it shouldn't by any means give anything away (it's a review after all, not a book report), but it should convey the thoughts and opinions the reader had about the book.
To show what I mean, here are a few examples:
'This was a good book, I loved it! 5 stars!'
Or on the flip side:
'Didn't finish it. I got bored after the first two chapters.'
Two reviews (and those were merely examples), one good, one bad. But they lack depth, and in general are not taken seriously by anyone, reader or author alike. Now here's two other examples to compare the first two against:
'This book captured my attention from the first page. The story is filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. (Author) brought the town and the people to life, and the characters' struggles were so believable that I felt as if I were right there, feeling every emotion along with them. Though I felt the book ended sooner than I wanted it to, it was a wonderful book nonetheless, and I'm looking forward to the next one! 4 Stars!'
And the second one:
'I struggled with this book. Though the characters are described pretty good, they felt bland - like they were just going through the motions without feeling. The story bounced between time periods so often that it became confusing, making it difficult to understand most of the time. There were some interesting moments in the book, but they seemed to be over quickly, while other parts that I thought were kind of dull and pointless seemed to drag on forever. 1 1/2 Stars.'
See the difference? The first two examples simply say 'I liked it' and 'I didn't like it', but nothing else. No explanations or reasoning why. They don't give enough of an opinion to help either other readers or the author.
The second set of examples are what other readers in general take more seriously, and what we authors hope to see in every review. The examples not only say that the reader enjoyed the book or didn't, but they expand on those feelings by giving some of the reasons why they did or didn't enjoy the book they reviewed. In addition, whether they enjoyed the book or not, they point out both strong and weak points in their review.
The second set of examples are the kind of reviews that I personally pay more attention to when I'm curious about a book. While ultimately the decision to read a book lies in my hands, I like to know what others thought about the book as well. And they do play a part in my decision. 10,000 people that give a book a 5 star informative review tends to raise an eyebrow, after all. And truthfully, as a reader, reviews like those first examples I typically scroll past without any consideration, because there's simply nothing TO consider.
Switching back to the author's viewpoint, sure we love to see glowing reviews painted in gold, but no book is perfect, and we know that. WE'RE not perfect. We want to get better, and that takes practice, just like everything else. We use reviews as a tool to see what we may need to work on.
And by that I mean the technical aspects of the story, such as descriptions, depth, etc. Saying that Jack should have ended up with Tara instead of Susan at the end of the book isn't what I mean. In fact, a review should never have something like that in them. Little things that give away the story make it less enjoyable for other readers. That's why they're called book reviews instead of book reports, after all.
I realize I mentioned that earlier, but I wanted to stress the point again because one of the things that make books so special is finding out what happens for yourself. It's like the first time I watched The Usual Suspects. Now, if someone had told me how good it was and then what happened, versus how good it was and why they thought so, I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie nearly as much. The same thing applies to book reviews.
Now I'm sure some of you may have that thought running through your head, or have had it at one time or another. You know the one: '(Author) already got money from the sale, what does it matter if I liked the book or not?'
It matters. It matters, it matters, it matters. It matters as much as that sale does, perhaps more. Why? Remember at the beginning when I said book sales are just a number, but authors know there's a person behind that number? Writing an honest, insightful book review brings that person, with their thoughts and opinions, out from behind that number and gives that number a voice.
But it's not just allowing other readers to read your thoughts and opinions on the book. Authors want to know as well. We depend on it, in fact, because like everything else, if we don't know there's a problem we can't work on strengthening our weaknesses in order to become better writers. At the same time, we also like to hear what we've done right.
Think of writing a review like being a coach. Every good coach understands that letting a player know what they need to practice on should be coupled with praising them on what the player's strengths are. It's yin and yang, hot and cold, sun and moon. It's balance.
Balance. A coach who focuses on just the negatives will make a player lose confidence in him or herself and whether it's intended or not, the player will get in the mindset that no matter how hard they work, it won't make a difference. Eventually they'll give up, and the potential that was within them will never have a chance to come out.
At the same time, focusing on only the positives may make that player over-confident and cocky, to the point that eventually constructive criticism goes in one ear and out the other, and the things they need to work on never improve. Once again, the potential that is within them is never fully realized.
So when you grab a book, whether you enjoy it or not, if you're considering writing a review on it after you've finished reading it, keep these things in mind. Make a list of what you honestly liked and what you didn't and go from there.
And remember this: We authors appreciate those reviews more than you may realize. Good, bad, and everything in between, we are grateful for every honest, insightful review.
Scott A. Borgman
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Spreading my Wings
I've been hard at work on my latest project, the follow-up to Province of a Thief. While it's a separate story set in the same world, there are old friends reuniting in it, as well as new ones to meet. Currently it's in the editing phase, and I'm hoping to get it published by the end of June, if not sooner.
In light of that little tidbit of info, I'd like to let everyone know that I've expanded from Smashwords (www.smashwords.com) where I have published my works exclusively, and expanded to Amazon. Currently, only Province is available on Amazon, but if there's interest I would certainly be happy to include my Exiled trilogy there as well.
And with that, I should get back to work... the novel isn't going to edit itself, after all!
In light of that little tidbit of info, I'd like to let everyone know that I've expanded from Smashwords (www.smashwords.com) where I have published my works exclusively, and expanded to Amazon. Currently, only Province is available on Amazon, but if there's interest I would certainly be happy to include my Exiled trilogy there as well.
And with that, I should get back to work... the novel isn't going to edit itself, after all!
Saturday, May 10, 2014
A Weekend Update
Hello Friends!
First, my sincerest apologies for the lack of new material on my blog. Keeping up with the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, and the blog) is something I need to work on. I've been working on a new project, and I have a habit of getting sucked into the writing and putting the social media sites on a backburner. I will try to do better!
I would like to take a moment to give a very heartfelt Thank You to fellow author Carol Kauffman, who has posted an interview with me on her website, Vision and Verse. It's a wonderful site, and I invite each of you to check it out, where you can read interviews with other authors, artists, find out about some new books that are coming out, and more. Here is the website address:
www.visionandverse.blogspot.com
As I said, I have been hard at work on my latest project, which is a follow-up to my last novel, Province of a Thief. It's not so much a sequel as it is a new adventure, though many of the characters from Province do make a return. There are also new characters that are introduced, and a grander story that will be split up into two different books. I'm still working on a title (the tentative one I have is okay but I can do better!)
On that point, I am getting close to finishing the first of the two books... at least the writing phase of it. After that will come the editing and rewriting phases, cover design, and finally publishing it. I was hoping to get the writing phase done this week, but it looks like it will push on a few days into next week.
I hope everyone's had a good week!
First, my sincerest apologies for the lack of new material on my blog. Keeping up with the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, and the blog) is something I need to work on. I've been working on a new project, and I have a habit of getting sucked into the writing and putting the social media sites on a backburner. I will try to do better!
I would like to take a moment to give a very heartfelt Thank You to fellow author Carol Kauffman, who has posted an interview with me on her website, Vision and Verse. It's a wonderful site, and I invite each of you to check it out, where you can read interviews with other authors, artists, find out about some new books that are coming out, and more. Here is the website address:
www.visionandverse.blogspot.com
As I said, I have been hard at work on my latest project, which is a follow-up to my last novel, Province of a Thief. It's not so much a sequel as it is a new adventure, though many of the characters from Province do make a return. There are also new characters that are introduced, and a grander story that will be split up into two different books. I'm still working on a title (the tentative one I have is okay but I can do better!)
On that point, I am getting close to finishing the first of the two books... at least the writing phase of it. After that will come the editing and rewriting phases, cover design, and finally publishing it. I was hoping to get the writing phase done this week, but it looks like it will push on a few days into next week.
I hope everyone's had a good week!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
'Read an Ebook' Promotion: March 2-8
Hello everyone!
I'd like to let you all know that the annual 'Read an Ebook' promotion is taking place once again, March 2-8 at www.smashwords.com.
As always, I am taking part in this wonderful promotion. I have put all three books in my Exiled trilogy into the promotion, as well as my latest book, Province of a Thief.
It's an amazing opportunity for authors like myself that have found a home at Smashwords to give you a chance to pick up books at a lower than regular price. In my case, I have put all of my books on the promotion for free.
Yes, you read that correctly - they are FREE. Simply log onto your Smashwords account, or create one if needed - it's simple, fast, free, and most importantly these days, it is SECURE.
You can either do a search for each one of my books, or simply type in 'Scott Borgman' in the search to go to my profile page, where all of my works are listed as well.
Each of my books in the promotion can be purchased for free by using coupon code RW100 at the checkout.
Thank you everyone for the support! I truly appreciate it, and including my books in this promotion for free is just another way of saying how thankful I am for all of the support you've given and continue to give.
I would also like to invite you to let myself and others know your thoughts and feelings about the book(s) afterwards by writing a review on the book's personal page. Whether it's praise or criticism, I only ask for honest heartfelt reviews.
Have a wonderful week, and Happy Reading everyone!
--Scott
I'd like to let you all know that the annual 'Read an Ebook' promotion is taking place once again, March 2-8 at www.smashwords.com.
As always, I am taking part in this wonderful promotion. I have put all three books in my Exiled trilogy into the promotion, as well as my latest book, Province of a Thief.
It's an amazing opportunity for authors like myself that have found a home at Smashwords to give you a chance to pick up books at a lower than regular price. In my case, I have put all of my books on the promotion for free.
Yes, you read that correctly - they are FREE. Simply log onto your Smashwords account, or create one if needed - it's simple, fast, free, and most importantly these days, it is SECURE.
You can either do a search for each one of my books, or simply type in 'Scott Borgman' in the search to go to my profile page, where all of my works are listed as well.
Each of my books in the promotion can be purchased for free by using coupon code RW100 at the checkout.
Thank you everyone for the support! I truly appreciate it, and including my books in this promotion for free is just another way of saying how thankful I am for all of the support you've given and continue to give.
I would also like to invite you to let myself and others know your thoughts and feelings about the book(s) afterwards by writing a review on the book's personal page. Whether it's praise or criticism, I only ask for honest heartfelt reviews.
Have a wonderful week, and Happy Reading everyone!
--Scott
Sunday, February 23, 2014
A New Look
Hey everyone, I wanted to share the new look for the last book in my Exiled Trilogy. The Exiled: Infinity has had it's cover redesigned by fellow author and cover designer Jess O'Connell. Jess did redesigns for the first two books in the trilogy as well, and did an amazing job. This one is no different. She captured the feel of the book perfectly, and I couldn't be happier or more humbled that she lent her talents in the redesign.
Here's the new look:
I have been working on a new project lately, one that remains within the world where Province of a Thief took place, though it will encompass not only the Province but the entire world where the Province resides. I'm truly excited about it, and though the project is daunting, I am up for the challenge, and am bringing more of the world to life, along with new characters.
Take care everyone, and thank you for your continued support!
Here's the new look:
I have been working on a new project lately, one that remains within the world where Province of a Thief took place, though it will encompass not only the Province but the entire world where the Province resides. I'm truly excited about it, and though the project is daunting, I am up for the challenge, and am bringing more of the world to life, along with new characters.
Take care everyone, and thank you for your continued support!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A New Tale Begins
It's been a few weeks since I posted any updates, and for that I apologize. I sometimes find it difficult trying to juggle my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/saborgman), this blog, my Twitter (Connect with me @ScottBorgman) and working on my newest project - not to mention all the other wonderful things life throws.
In any case, yes, I have begun work on a new book. No major spoiler alerts, but I will say that it is not only a return to the Province where my last novel, Province of a Thief, took place, but an expansion past those borders as well.
Province of a Thief covered only a very small portion of the Province. A very small portion. There is certainly so much more to discover in that land alone - but this project is not going to have things going on in just the Province, it's going to expand beyond the borders, to the other lands beyond as well. After all, what's the point of creating an entire world from one's imagination if one stays within the confines of only a small part of that world?
Some old friends will certainly make an appearance, and new characters are going to be introduced. Yes, I know... that's so vague, Scott, give us at least a hint of what this is about!
War. War is coming. A war of conquest that will threaten to sweep across the entire world and engulf it completely, leaving nothing but ruin in it's wake. Old enemies are going to clash against each other, and new enemies that have never met before will see each other for the first time. Old alliances will have to be renewed and strengthened if there is to be any chance of fighting back the darkness that is looming on the horizon.
In any case, yes, I have begun work on a new book. No major spoiler alerts, but I will say that it is not only a return to the Province where my last novel, Province of a Thief, took place, but an expansion past those borders as well.
Province of a Thief covered only a very small portion of the Province. A very small portion. There is certainly so much more to discover in that land alone - but this project is not going to have things going on in just the Province, it's going to expand beyond the borders, to the other lands beyond as well. After all, what's the point of creating an entire world from one's imagination if one stays within the confines of only a small part of that world?
Some old friends will certainly make an appearance, and new characters are going to be introduced. Yes, I know... that's so vague, Scott, give us at least a hint of what this is about!
War. War is coming. A war of conquest that will threaten to sweep across the entire world and engulf it completely, leaving nothing but ruin in it's wake. Old enemies are going to clash against each other, and new enemies that have never met before will see each other for the first time. Old alliances will have to be renewed and strengthened if there is to be any chance of fighting back the darkness that is looming on the horizon.
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