I would also add that as far as the quality of the reviews I've received for my 3 self-published books, IndieReader has the best stable of reviewers. Just not as much clout as Kirkus. And IndieReader costs less. So if you want a solid appraisal (for promo/cover blurb, or just for yourself), I'd recommend them.
Mar 2, 2023·edited Mar 2, 2023Liked by Shelby Raebeck
The rejections that say things like "We know how hard it is to be rejected" or "We know how hard it is to submit your work" feel unctuous to me, even though the editors mean well. I guess. And Kirkus (or Jerkus as some call it) is notorious for gratuitous nastiness. I wrote about it here in passing and posted that substack on a listserv (I'll keep it anonymous) and people defended Kirkus as determined to help readers avoid bad books. And "objective"! Someone even felt that need to defend Virginia Kirkus--who died in 1980.
I'll add that free reviews and competitions are likely to be as murky as swamp water. I earned a semifinalist placement in one genre competition where it was clear that one reviewer really carried the vote for my work. In another, where I didn't make it past the first cut, another reviewer fell madly in love with the book. Based on my reviews from anthologies I'm in, people either wildly love my work or they hate it. No one disputes that it's well-written, at least. But it inspires an intensity of passion which suggests to me that I'll never get out of the obscure hole I'm in. Ah well.
I also bring a wealth of experience to the discussion, and what I've learned is to take all of it--good AND bad--with a massive dose of salt. In the long run, it's all subjective and based on the mood of the times. I've had stories that no one will touch that I've put aside for ten years, then, ten years later when I start submitting the stories again--bam! They get picked up, with raves. I keep joking that I'm writing ten years into the future (and I write science fiction, soooo). But the ten-year thing has happened often enough that it's not so much of a joke.
loved this! So true. Last yr I received very different two letters about the same 2 poem submission. They took one, and remarked about my glowing phrasings, word choice, and meaningful writing, (etc); The rejection letter was the opposite extreme- I just plain wrote someting 'no one in their right mind would want to consider, and I ought to just give up' type of thing. What was interesting is that both emails came the same day. So weird!
What a stunning experience. We theoretically know the whole process is subjective but this Kirkus deal is insane.
In a way, I feel better after reading your account, and in another way a bit exasperated. Your advice, however, is spot on. Thank you so much for sharing - all of it.
I paid a nominal fee for feedback on three poems I submitted to a literary journal. Among the somewhat helpful comments was a snarky one—I don’t like this poem. In the following sentence , the editor said “please submit again”. My head is spinning.
Thanks for this. Wonderfully said and right on time for me. I'm in the middle of an agonizing self publishing process and I think I can go another day! You did us all who are writing silently, without an apparent audience, a great favor. Thanks again for sharing your story in such an eloquent way. Donna Miller
Shelby Raebeck, you are right that getting reviewed is unpredictable and often arbitrary. I live in the Midwest, but many biased reviewers prefer writers on the East Coast and falsely believe that the Midwest is an intellectual desert. There is also prejudice against writers who discuss the Jewish, Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, Native American, working-class, feminist, or GLBTQ experience in their books. Someone should compile statistics about what gets reviewed and what gets good reviews. Best wishes!
Thank you Shelby! To underscore your advice re: what is most important--the writing. I often remind myself that even if I only three people are impacted by reading something I wrote, that's enough for me. It's not quantity, it's quality. Nadjamaril.com
Thank you for sharing! It is savage and only the thick-skinned keep sending it out. The worse ones for me have been submitting novels by email and getting a rejection back in minutes.
I would also add that as far as the quality of the reviews I've received for my 3 self-published books, IndieReader has the best stable of reviewers. Just not as much clout as Kirkus. And IndieReader costs less. So if you want a solid appraisal (for promo/cover blurb, or just for yourself), I'd recommend them.
Thank you for sharing this beautifully written assault on the vagaries of the editorial process. Writing is no business for people with thin skins.
The rejections that say things like "We know how hard it is to be rejected" or "We know how hard it is to submit your work" feel unctuous to me, even though the editors mean well. I guess. And Kirkus (or Jerkus as some call it) is notorious for gratuitous nastiness. I wrote about it here in passing and posted that substack on a listserv (I'll keep it anonymous) and people defended Kirkus as determined to help readers avoid bad books. And "objective"! Someone even felt that need to defend Virginia Kirkus--who died in 1980.
I'll add that free reviews and competitions are likely to be as murky as swamp water. I earned a semifinalist placement in one genre competition where it was clear that one reviewer really carried the vote for my work. In another, where I didn't make it past the first cut, another reviewer fell madly in love with the book. Based on my reviews from anthologies I'm in, people either wildly love my work or they hate it. No one disputes that it's well-written, at least. But it inspires an intensity of passion which suggests to me that I'll never get out of the obscure hole I'm in. Ah well.
I also bring a wealth of experience to the discussion, and what I've learned is to take all of it--good AND bad--with a massive dose of salt. In the long run, it's all subjective and based on the mood of the times. I've had stories that no one will touch that I've put aside for ten years, then, ten years later when I start submitting the stories again--bam! They get picked up, with raves. I keep joking that I'm writing ten years into the future (and I write science fiction, soooo). But the ten-year thing has happened often enough that it's not so much of a joke.
loved this! So true. Last yr I received very different two letters about the same 2 poem submission. They took one, and remarked about my glowing phrasings, word choice, and meaningful writing, (etc); The rejection letter was the opposite extreme- I just plain wrote someting 'no one in their right mind would want to consider, and I ought to just give up' type of thing. What was interesting is that both emails came the same day. So weird!
elaine reardon
What a stunning experience. We theoretically know the whole process is subjective but this Kirkus deal is insane.
In a way, I feel better after reading your account, and in another way a bit exasperated. Your advice, however, is spot on. Thank you so much for sharing - all of it.
Wow. Your Kirkus ordeal was definitely eye-opening. Thank you for sharing.
Great piece, Shelby. Thank you for sharing the story of how arbitrary assessments can be.
I paid a nominal fee for feedback on three poems I submitted to a literary journal. Among the somewhat helpful comments was a snarky one—I don’t like this poem. In the following sentence , the editor said “please submit again”. My head is spinning.
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for this. Wonderfully said and right on time for me. I'm in the middle of an agonizing self publishing process and I think I can go another day! You did us all who are writing silently, without an apparent audience, a great favor. Thanks again for sharing your story in such an eloquent way. Donna Miller
Why did I think Kirkus was that pillar of objectivity, lol! Thank you.
Honestly, the “write, reach out and remember” principal could apply to the simple posting of a newsletter. For example, substack. Good stuff.
Shelby Raebeck, you are right that getting reviewed is unpredictable and often arbitrary. I live in the Midwest, but many biased reviewers prefer writers on the East Coast and falsely believe that the Midwest is an intellectual desert. There is also prejudice against writers who discuss the Jewish, Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, Native American, working-class, feminist, or GLBTQ experience in their books. Someone should compile statistics about what gets reviewed and what gets good reviews. Best wishes!
Thank you Shelby! To underscore your advice re: what is most important--the writing. I often remind myself that even if I only three people are impacted by reading something I wrote, that's enough for me. It's not quantity, it's quality. Nadjamaril.com
Thank you for sharing! It is savage and only the thick-skinned keep sending it out. The worse ones for me have been submitting novels by email and getting a rejection back in minutes.