AND THEN THAT HAPPENED

I...have avoided writing this post. I know. It's completely weird! I've been secretly composing this post in my head for the last three years, ever since I started taking this writing thing seriously, and I always knew it would be long and contain so much thanks and gratitude and excitement. I think, though, at some point I stopped believing I'd get to write it. I mean, I'm writing it now and my thoughts sound something like is this actually happening? Is this post actually getting written?

But apparently it is. So.

I keep staring at that little blurb thinking, that's me, that's my book, that's my editor and agent and it all means I have a book that will be on shelves! And the list of people I have to thank for this is so long. Joan, my agent, for taking me on as a client and then believing on me when we went on sub. Julie for seeing something in my manuscript and taking it on. My sisters who made me promise them pets when I signed with Joan and when I didn't deliver, told me I would have to get one when I got a deal (I will, I promise! There will be a cat at chez Daud eventually!). All my beta readers, and the YAH girls and everyone who listened to me cry and be crazy.

I'm so, so blessed in this and I'm still reeling. I am overwhelmed by the amount of support and congratulations -- thank you guys so much! And I'll let you know when this finally sinks in!

TWITTER GIVEAWAY 2010

So, first thing's first. That giveaway that I've been promising since *cough* the end of August is FINALLY HERE. 

The giveaway is fairly simple. From September 18th to the 25th I will put up a tweet every day with the book that is up for grabs and a request for a random number. At the end of the day, I'll head over to random.org, pluck a number from the randomizer and the one closest to that number will win the book! Most of these are going to be galleys I acquired from ALA 2010, but I have a few purchased and new books that I will be giving out as well. Also, I thought it fair to mention that any books that have already been released, but that I acquired as galleys are not up for the giveaway. :) Please feel free (in fact, be encouraged) to link to this post and spread the word. The giveaway starts Saturday, September the 18th!

Secondly, my schedule is still taking some adjusting to and I've been spending every spare minute at work and at home doing school/home work. It's a little sad. AS SUCH, my blogging schedule may be a little erratic and will eventually switch to Mondays and Wednesdays since I have the most theoretical free time then. I may also post a second time today depending on how the world feels about me and I about it. 

Happy Thursday, everyone! 

SEPTEMBER 18 & 19

• To win a copy of BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Magi Stohl reply to @theravendesk with a number between 1 - 100. 
• To win a copy of SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson reply to @theravendesk with a number between 101- 200. 
• Winners will be drawn after 8PM EST. (The winners are @thmafi and @karlaerikacal) SEPTEMBER 20

• To win a copy of THE FRENZY by Francesca Lia Block reply to @theravendesk with a number between 1 - 100. 
• Winners will be drawn after 12AM EST. (The winner is @miahayson)

READERS AND BOOKS AND STUFF

I should be writing, but I've become incredibly skilled at finding ways to procrastinate, so here I am, typing a post into blogger. I might make a new header for this blog, too. And then go ahead and make a cover for my work-in-progress. SPEAKING OF BOOK COVERS. If you are one of three winners of the last Raven's Design contest, please email me (or I shall email you soon) so we can get on starting to design these things.

Anyway. Today's post. I'm pretty sure 90% (and if not 100%) of the people who read this blog are all writers. Yes? Maybe? Probably? I'm also pretty sure that whether or not you're a writer, you're a reader. And a good portion of you are probably reviewers, too.

About a week ago, Sandy wrote a post asking how people felt about writers/published authors reviewing books. And a few days ago, tweets from RomCon popped up in my twitter feed from a panel about review sites and how reviews should be written, etc. And it got me thinking.

As a reader who depends a lot on reviews to guide what I will and will not buy, I want honest reviews of what's out there. Keeping in mind (in my opinion, anyway) that a review can never be objective because reading by its very nature is a subjective activity (huge divide between people who like Twilight and people who don't being the most obvious indicator) I like a review that points out the good and the bad. This doesn't mean I like reviews that bash the author or the writing or who simply say 'This book was atrocious! DON'T BUY IT.' (quite honestly I can't take those reviews seriously).

But it does mean that I like an honest assessment of what the reader thought was the book's flaws, what could have been improved and what didn't resonate with the reader personally. As a writer who hopes to one day be a published author with books on shelves and review blogs, I think this part of the writer/reader/reviewer community is hugely important. No book, no matter how amazing, is flawless. And as a writer, I would like to be able to take all forms of constructive criticism (though I suspect this is easier said than done). Reviews are a part of that.

I think that asking reviewers to only hand out glowing reviews negates the point of the review system. Reviewers are people, too. They have likes and dislikes. And they have a right to dislike a book and point out what about the book they disliked. Like I said in my last post, bashing the author is useless and hurtful and shouldn't be a part of the system. But pointing out in a respectful way what you didn't like about a piece of work shouldn't be looked down on. Reviewers aren't serving the author, they're serving the reading public. They're there to advice readers what to buy, not boost author sales (even though most of us would like that the reviews boosted sales).

So I think it's unfair, to a certain degree, to denigrate the usefulness of a review that points out in a respectful way the qualities of a book that they didn't agree with. Even if that's all the review does.

*though I won't lie and say that I would like to have negative reviews and that I won't rant and rave (privately, of course) over negative reviews that I may or may not receive if I'm ever published. I'm only human after all. ;) 

THINGS TO KNOW

I've been meaning to post something to the blog since Sunday, but recovery has taken longer than I thought. In fact, I don't think I've quite recovered from ALA 2010. The pain from my shoulders from lugging around galleys has descended to my hips. I am doing nothing this weekend aside from languishing in bed all day and typing on my laptop (in bed). NO ONE WILL FORCE ME TO WORK.

But. I have a post for you. On things you should know (that I learned) when going to conferences where there are galleys to snag. And it begins thus:

THE FIVE THINGS I LEARNED AT ALA

1) Come with many bags. Even if you're only going to fill two bag fulls, come with four. This way, you can evenly distribute the weight and your shoulders won't torture you for the next week. Also. One of those bags must be a backpack. Again, this goes to evenly distributing the weight. (I didn't learn this until day two.)

2) Are you a blogger? Tell people that. (Only if it's true. They're going to ask for your web address.) Seriously, young adult publishers love us. They love that we keep up with them, that we advocate for their books, that we're coming to conferences for books that we're excited about. Also. It helps not to look at their name tags. Words like 'editor', 'marketing executive' and 'publicist' are liable to terrify you. (Or me. Maybe just me.)

3) Carry around business cards. I cannot stress this enough. If you start up a conversation with someone and they're more interested in you, they will ask for a business card. Humiliation abounds when you have to say 'No. But I have a post-it note.' v.v

4) Booths usually only display a certain amount of galleys at a time, but if you ask about a certain book, nine times out of ten, they'll be happy to give it to you (assuming they have many galleys and aren't reserving them for something, like an author signing). Don't be shy. They didn't bring the galleys to take up space under tables.

5) Be prepared to be constantly blown away by the amazing, kind, refreshing and talented people you will meet. Also. Don't forget to take pictures with your favorite authors (I can't believe I didn't get a picture with Melissa Marr). It will haunt you forever.

QUICK OF THE INBETWEEN

SO. VERY QUICKLY. I am posting this before I pass out of tiredness in my bed. I went to ALA today. And it was awesome. And I will be returning to it tomorrow and again on Monday. And then I will sleep for weeks at work.


ALSO. I am mourning the USA loss, just like every other soccer-conscious American. I would drape the blog in black, but that would be neither productive nor pretty. So I mourn privately. And cuddle with my hoard of ALA books that are oh so wonderful and pretty. Expect give aways from said stash soon.

*twirls away*