Saturday, November 15, 2008

Who do you see your first commitment being to in book reviewing (besides God)?


This week's Saturday question:

...do you receive review copies of Christian books? If so, do you review them honestly? How do you handle it when you don't like a book but are obligated to provide a review? Who do you see your first commitment being to in book reviewing (besides God)? Yourself? The author? Your readers? Does your review change based on the spiritual content of the book or is it solely based on technical or artistic merit? Have you ever had a negative experience with an author after giving them a negative review? (please don't name names)

Do I review Christian books?

Yes

Do I review them honestly?

I review books. I don't know what dishonest reviewing is.

How do you handle it when you don't like a book but are obligated to provide a review?

I am a book reviewer. My obligation is to do what I do, review the book. If the review rating isn't stellar then so be it. I love all books, maybe not the execution of the story. It is a feat to complete a book, so I give every book at least that respect.

Who do you see your first commitment being to in book reviewing (besides God)? Yourself? The author? Your readers?

The book. I am a book reviewer. My first commitment is to the book, more importantly the story.

Why do I say that? I believe that a book has its own life, almost an eternal life if the book is worthy of constant reprinting. Just like a piece of art or a piece of music, the book defines a culture and it deserves a certain level of respect. When I review a book I don't just look at story, but its build, its cover, its pricing and the story. I use a five point rating system and 4.5 for Romantic Times Magazine book reviews. 4 points in the rating is comprised of the story. The last point goes to the extras that make the book a keeper.

Second to the reader. Third to the author. God above all others of course.

Does your review change based on the spiritual content of the book or is it solely based on technical or artistic merit?

When it comes to Christian Book reviews orthodoxy is important and I include it in my rating regarding theme. What separates a Christian book from an inspirational title is its orthodoxy without it what's the difference between the two?

Have you ever had a negative experience with an author after giving them a negative review?

I had an author upset with my review, because she thought I revealed too much of the story. I only used the summary the publicist and the back cover provided.

The Fantastic Fall Giveaway Contest

Welcome to the 1st ever
TitleTrakk.com Blog Tour!


This week we're chatting about:



The Fantastic Fall Giveaway Contest!


Just in time for the holidays, you could win over
$335 worth of books, cds and dvds!

Sponsored by our friends at:


The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

BOOKS:

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
Rachel's Secret by BJ Hoff
Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
Playing God by Michelle McKinney Hammond
White Soul by Brandt Dodson
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka
Finding Marie by Susan Paige Davis
The Power of Praying Through the Bible by Stormie Omartian
A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George
Evidence for Faith 101 by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz

CDS:

Wake Up! Wake Up! by Everyday Sunday
Rock What You Got by Superchick
Sunday by Tree63
Houston We Are Go by Newsboys (Live CD/DVD)
Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney
I Am Free Worship Collection
Salvation Station by Newworldson
Not Without Love by Jimmy Needham
Pages by Shane & Shane
Colors and Sounds by Article One

MOVIES:

Love's Unfolding Dream
The Ten Commandments Animated
Between the Walls

But that's not all!
We're giving away even more!


During this blog tour (November 10th - 16th) we'll be drawing 2 winners daily from the contest entries to win an additional free book or cd!

Visit the TitleTrakk.com Contest page today to enter the contest and place yourself in the running to receive the Grand Prize, plus all the daily prizes! Deadline to enter is November 17th.

About TitleTrakk.com:
Founded in 2006 by Tracy & C.J. Darlington, TitleTrakk.com is an interactive website spotlighting Christian books, music & movies. Updated weekly, we feature author and musician interviews, album and book reviews, music videos, movie reviews and interviews, book excerpts, surveys, polls, and fun contests. Learn more: http://www.titletrakk.com/about.htm

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