Welcome to another segment of
"An Interview With A Reviewer"
with our guest reviewer
Elicia Stoll
About The Reviewer, Elicia Stoll
Elicia Stoll is a wife, mother, child care provider, and most recently an editor. Elicia learned to read at a young age thanks to her grandma and Dr. Seuss. Since then she has been reading everything she could get her hands on, including cereal boxes and shampoo bottles. She always thought it would be the perfect job to read and edit books. Well, four years ago she had the opportunity to become a freelance editor. She has edited for numerous first-time authors, as well as established authors, and currently works for Bitten Press LLC as one of their editors. She loves to help her clients make their hard work shine and gets a thrill every time one of her clients publishes a new work.
You Can Follow Elicia Stoll on:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/elicia.seitzstoll
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/StlMomTo2
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/stlmom73
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elicia-stoll-1341153b
Let's show you the review Elicia Stoll posted about Pablo Michaels title, "Jack and The Magical Beanstalk" on Amazon.com on February 19,2016.
"Pablo Michaels' does it again. He has a great knack for storytelling, and this time he takes a childhood fairy tale and makes it sizzle with a whole new adult twist. Jack disobeys his mom when she sends him off to sell their prize dairy cow, and mayhem ensues. Follow Jack, his mother, their two farmhands, the Giant and his slave, and the naked man in the clouds who catches Jack's eye as they take you on a journey you don't want to miss." ~ Elicia Stoll
You can see the review here: Amazon Review
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| http://www.rukiapublishing.com |
For us to communicate with each other and help each other to understand the power of the review!
In general, these segments are to help not only authors understand a few things about the reviews they may get, but it is also for the people who leave the book reviews as well.
We are going to ask the reviewer, Elicia Stoll these questions today.
About The Author
Pablo Michaels disguised himself as a shy, friendly heterosexual during his adolescence, fantasizing other males. Falling in love with another man his first year in college, he followed him to another university to maintain their platonic love, while he continued in his in studies. When he had his first sexual encounter with another man, just before turning twenty-one, he exploded into gay life with lust and anger. He attempted to live his new life naturally, seeking love, ignoring the statistics of the books he read on homosexuality in high school, and proving what he had read was wrong.
He wrote poetry and stories since third grade. When he turned twenty-one, he moved to San Francisco to work and write, experiencing more of gay life. In the 1980's he wrote every chance he had, trying and failing miserably at publishing mainstream fiction. He published his first story in 1986 in a literary magazine. read more...
You can follow Pablo Michaels on:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PabloMichaelsAuthor123/timeline?ref=page_internal
Website
http://www.pmmanmanromance.com/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/pablomichaels1
DitterVerse
http://ditterverse.com/member/michael_t_jordan#
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/pablomichaels/
Amazon Author Central
https://www.amazon.com/author/pablomichaelsauthoramazon.com
Triberr: Michael T Jordan Pablo Michaels :
http://triberr.com/pages/profile.php?pid=38309
http://triberr.com/MichaelTJordanPabloMichaels
http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-details.php?tribe=41465
Google Plus
google.com/+PabloMichaels
Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-pablo-jordan-michaels-31672041
Tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wwwpablomichaels
In general, these segments are to help not only authors understand a few things about the reviews they may get, but it is also for the people who leave the book reviews as well.
Reviews are a crucial element for any book. Reviews help not only the person considering the purchase of a book but they help the author understand how their book is interpreted by a reader.
We are going to ask the reviewer, Elicia Stoll these questions today.
- Do you have a general review rating that you go by? 5stars, 4 stars, etc. What are the deciding factors that you weigh your decision on? (For instance: I gave “Jack and The Magical Beanstalk” 5 stars because…)
- What about Pablo Michaels book, “Jack and The Magical Beanstalk” did you like the best?
- What about an author inspires you to read a book and review it?
- What is your favorite genre to read?
- Are you a plot driven or character driven reader? Why?
- Do you post reviews for all the books you read?
- What happens before you sit down to read a book for a review?
- Do you have a special place where you like to read? Do you need complete silence?
- How many times do you read a book before you actually write the review?
- When posting a review, which sales channels do you typically post to? Why?
- Have you ever had one of your reviews removed from a sales channel?
- How do you think the digital age has impacted literature as a whole?
- Are you an author? What is the title of your most recent publication? Please feel free to share a link for your book here as well.
- How important do you believe reviews are in the purchasing decision process?
It's easy to follow along!
Read through the post, once you reach the comment section...open them up and you will see each question from above listed in the comment thread.
Join in anytime you want, this is not a closed session. We want to help, not limit!
About The Book
In this adult fairy tale young, awkward, young Jack sells their prize cow Pearly White for magical beans to a strange man in a red bikini. Little does Jack’s mother, Lorene, know that the beans grow into a giant, magical beanstalk, high above the clouds?
Jack ascends the beanstalk to a land where a Giant Slave serves his larger Master, Jack begs Slave for food to satisfy his hunger from his long journey. But Jack finds Master hoarding treasures.
Attempting to escape the wrath of Master and Slave with the treasures, Jack encounters a handsome, engaging normal sized human man. Sam lives with others that live naturally without clothing deep in the forest. As Jack ages he becomes a handsome man, just like his father, attracting many men, including the two farmhands, Zeke and Adam.
Even though Jack has enabled the farm to prosper with the treasures he stole from Master and is met with increasing danger, he climbs the magical beanstalk again and again to find more treasures and pursue Sam.
Jack ascends the beanstalk to a land where a Giant Slave serves his larger Master, Jack begs Slave for food to satisfy his hunger from his long journey. But Jack finds Master hoarding treasures.
Attempting to escape the wrath of Master and Slave with the treasures, Jack encounters a handsome, engaging normal sized human man. Sam lives with others that live naturally without clothing deep in the forest. As Jack ages he becomes a handsome man, just like his father, attracting many men, including the two farmhands, Zeke and Adam.
Even though Jack has enabled the farm to prosper with the treasures he stole from Master and is met with increasing danger, he climbs the magical beanstalk again and again to find more treasures and pursue Sam.
Read More...
About This book here: Meet In The Middle Blog
The Interview With Reviewer Ray Sostre
The Interview With Reviewer Muffy Wilson
The Interview With Reviewer Angelica Dawson
About The Author
He wrote poetry and stories since third grade. When he turned twenty-one, he moved to San Francisco to work and write, experiencing more of gay life. In the 1980's he wrote every chance he had, trying and failing miserably at publishing mainstream fiction. He published his first story in 1986 in a literary magazine. read more...
You can follow Pablo Michaels on:
https://www.facebook.com/PabloMichaelsAuthor123/timeline?ref=page_internal
Website
http://www.pmmanmanromance.com/
https://twitter.com/pablomichaels1
DitterVerse
http://ditterverse.com/member/michael_t_jordan#
https://www.pinterest.com/pablomichaels/
Amazon Author Central
https://www.amazon.com/author/pablomichaelsauthoramazon.com
Triberr: Michael T Jordan Pablo Michaels :
http://triberr.com/pages/profile.php?pid=38309
http://triberr.com/MichaelTJordanPabloMichaels
http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-details.php?tribe=41465
Google Plus
google.com/+PabloMichaels
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-pablo-jordan-michaels-31672041
Tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wwwpablomichaels
Don't be shy...Feel free to ask any of us a question at any time!
Go to the comments below, click "Notify" in comments!
Enjoy the interview!
The views in this post and interview are "opinions" based from professional authors, and book promoters. We welcome your opinion but please be mindful of others. This interview session will be monitored for correct content and we reserve the right to delete any offensive posting.
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What about an author inspires you to read a book and review it?
ReplyDeleteIt depends. A lot of times I see friends talking about a book on fb or twitter and I have to go check it out. I also read author bios and take part in a lot of cover reveals and launch parties. Being an editor, I know how important it is for authors to receive reviews.
DeleteI listen to what people say about authors books that are high on their reading list, such as friends suggesting authors and books to me.
DeleteWord of mouth is the best! I tend to have friends who are like-minded, so they probably read things I'd like. And I'm always up for trying out a new author.
DeleteThank you for taking time to join us Elicia. I know you have a busy schedule.
DeleteWhat is your favorite genre to read?
ReplyDeleteI love romance, erotica, suspense ... heck, I'll read a cereal box. lol My favorite though is probably a good erotic story with characters I can dig into.
DeleteI prefer gay romance and escape in mysteries.
DeleteI will read just about anything! I do however, really enjoy a good dystopian book as long as it doesn't go too crazy. The plot has to catch me and then the characters are a plus.
DeleteUntil 8 months ago I mainly read romantic fiction and non fiction books, but since entering the world of book reviews I have read thrillers, mysteries, steampunk (even though I had to look up what it meant first!) It surprised me that I actually enjoyed books that took me out of my comfort zone!
DeleteSteampunk is an interesting genre!
DeleteDystopia is the one genre I have yet to edit. I've only read a little bit about it here and there. Margaret, do you have any suggestions for a must read dystopian book?
DeleteI have several! A few of these aren't the true dystopian, but they touch into the alternate worlds. I'll start with those first: Cynthia Austin's Pendant Series & James WF Robert's Suicide Confessions are both great read but on the opposite spectrum of writing styles.
DeleteLoved: April Adam's Shattered-this is labeled as a sci-fi fantasy novel but it is most definitely an alternate world! Great story!!!I classify it as dystopian because it reflects to "real" earth.
Then of course, I would recommend Sarah Fine's Servants Of Fate-book 1-fantastic book!One of my all time fav's last year was Jan Oliver's "Sojourn" The Time Rover Series is mind blowing. I could probably go on...
There is of course my book, but it isn't a true dystopian, it just touches on alternate time..Dusgadh: Essence Of Life..It was my debut novella and has some criticism for development needs, but still a great book.
Do you have a favorite author of erotica?
DeleteI probably would read anything if OI didn't have something available of my choice. I am like Elcia, I'll read cereal boxes and notes left on the table meant for someone else. I know ads a kid I was reading things definitely not meant for my young eyes.
DeleteAre you a plot driven or character driven reader? Why?
ReplyDeleteI am a character driven reader. I love to know about them and why they do or say what they do. I need to know what makes them tick. Now, I do get slightly annoyed if an author continues to tell me something about a character that has already been established. If she had red hair in chapter one, unless she colored it for some reason, I'm going to assume it's still red in chapter 5.
DeleteI try to write with importance given both to the plot and character development.
DeleteYou do a great job!
DeleteYes, I agree! You did a wonderful job with "Jack and The magical Beanstalk".
DeleteThanks.
DeleteWhat about Pablo Michaels book, “Jack and The Magical Beanstalk” did you like the best?
ReplyDeleteI loved the way Pablo Michaels took me through Jack's life ... his father's death, becoming the man of the house even though he wasn't yet a man, and how through everything that happened to him he grew in to a good man.
DeleteYes I added the history of Jack's father and mother to help develop more of Jack's character.
DeleteDo you post reviews for all the books you read?
ReplyDeleteIf I can give a solid 3 star or above rating, yes. Unfortunately I don't get to read as much as I'd love to since becoming an editor, but I do leave reviews for the most of the books I've read. And if I can't leave a good review for whatever reason if I think the author can get something out of it, I will message them or email them and let them know why I didn't review it. It's surprising how many have been thankful for that. I'm never mean ... just honest.
DeleteI will leave a review for any book I read, excepting those which have a star rating and the rating is under a 3.
DeleteI think that's an awesome attitude and approach to take to reviews. I find some of the 1 and 2 star reviews offensive to authors and if I were an author I would be impacted by them. I don't know how some authors move on from the harsh, not even constructive views some readers opost.
DeleteWhat happens before you sit down to read a book for a review?
ReplyDeleteI read wherever I can, so I don't do any special prep beforehand.
DeleteI try to read in the early a.m. before my husband and dog need my attention. I don't like to be disturbed.
DeleteI have a cat that doesn't like it when I read, so he either sits on the keyboard or gets in between me and the tablet or book. lol
DeleteDo you have a special place where you like to read? Do you need complete silence
ReplyDeleteI usually read in bed or on the couch while my family watches a movie or whatever. No, I don't need complete silence but my children learned early on that unless it was a true emergency, don't bother me when I'm reading. lol
DeleteOn the couch in the living room or in the den at my desk.
DeleteHow many times do you read a book before you actually write the review?
ReplyDeleteOnce is usually enough but if I want to quote a part of it or make a very particular point, I will go back and look it up.
DeleteI skim or read fast on the first read. The second read is more thorough to remember aspects of the story. A third time I may go back if I want to quote a certain phrase or sentence.
DeleteDo you have a general review rating that you go by? 5stars, 4 stars, etc. What are the deciding factors that you weigh your decision on? (For instance: I gave “Jack and The Magical Beanstalk” 5 stars because…)
ReplyDeleteI do 3-5 stars. I won't post a 1-2 star review. I rate a book on its storyline, depth of characters, continuity, and of course grammar and punctuation. I gave Jack and The Magical Beanstalk 5 stars because it was a delightful read with great characters and a storyline that kept me hooked.
DeleteI like to write a review without labeling with stars, but unfortunately Amazon and Goodreads have star ratings.
DeleteI agree with that. Some people only look at the star rating and don't necessarily read the actual review to see why the rating was given.
DeleteWhen posting a review, which sales channels do you typically post to? Why?
ReplyDeleteI usually post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I find that's where most people review, and I figure that's where the review will be most helpful.
DeleteI like to post to Amazon, Barnes and Noble if applicable and Good Reads.
DeleteIt would be nice if someone created a group on facebook, dedicated strictly to posting reviews.
DeleteHave you ever had one of your reviews removed from a sales channel?
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet. If I really like a book a lot, I have tried to post a review under both my real and pen names but most sites won't allow that.
DeleteHow do you think the digital age has impacted literature as a whole?
ReplyDeleteI love the ease in which you can download a book. I also think it's awesome that so many authors are attainable to the reader now. The drawbacks are big ones. Some of the books being published aren't up to par. And I am finding that plagiarism and pirate sites are a huge problem now. There's a new issue almost weekly, if not more often, and I hate to see an author who put everything they had into their work be ripped off like that.
DeleteI have forgotten about the piracy issue. This is a big problem with online books.
DeleteI love being able to get the book I want without leaving my house! Sometimes though, I love the actually feel of the book in my hands.
DeleteWhere have you seen the biggest issue with piracy? Do you have any recommendations for new authors to look out for?
DeleteI haven't seen a particular site. By the time I see anything on facebook about it, the author(s) have had it shut down or at least their books pulled. I would say the best thing a new author can do is to make friends with other authors. It's a pretty tight knit community that looks out for one another. Another thing that's been happening lately is that someone will buy several books from one author then return them within a day or so. I think being able to return a book is crazy anyway because we all know they most likely read it. But apparently that's a new way that books are being uploaded onto pirate sites.
DeleteAre you an author? What is the title of your most recent publication? Please feel free to share a link for your book here as well.
ReplyDeleteI am not an author, but I am a freelance editor and I also work for Bitten Press LLC.
DeleteI am fortunate to have Elicia as my editor. She has been a godsend for editing my books. I really appreciate the time and work she puts into editing my stories.
DeleteAS a freelance editor do you work with all genres?
DeleteYes. I work with all genres. I have yet to turn anything down, and I've worked on some very interesting books. lol
DeleteHow important do you believe reviews are in the purchasing decision process?
ReplyDeleteThey're important, but they don't make or break a purchase for me. What someone else doesn't like may be just what I'm looking for to read. If a book is red flagged for editing issues, I may shy away from it though. I have a really hard time reading anything anymore without editing it in my head. lol
DeleteReviews are not an important factor in choosing a book to read for me.
DeleteAs a freelance editor can you tell us a general rule you go by as far as editorial mistakes/flaws when you are reviewing a book? Is there an average tolerable amount of mistakes that you will overlook? At what point do you say, "enough" when it comes to the editing of a book you are reading?
ReplyDeleteIf the errors could have been easily fixed by the author running spell/grammar check and they didn't bother to run it ... ugh! I feel like if it wasn't important enough for them to do basic editing then I am not going to waste my time being aggravated while reading. I know that writers and editors aren't perfect; I know I'm not, but if I see multiple errors in the first few pages I'm done.
DeleteThat is where Elicia has helped my books, catching errors in the opening pages that are not obvious to me.
DeleteFresh eyes are always helpful. I think I edited and re-edited my book ten times. Then, hired someone to edit it. Even after all those times of fresh eyes and my husband checking it, the process of print/publish messed some things up. It got discouraging, but I am still writing. I have learned many tools of the trade!
DeleteFresh eyes are a must. You can look at the same line 2 or 3 times and not notice something. It's happened to me. During the final edit I'll find something and wonder how none of us caught it sooner.
DeleteI often write a story and edit a few times. Then set it aside and start another story. Later I'll come back to the one I set aside and rewrite the entire story with new eyes. I've done hat a couple of times with the same story.
DeleteThank you so much for helping to support author Pablo Michaels and his title "Jack And The Magical Beanstalk". Please feel free to share with us any additional social networking accounts and/or websites you are associated with. ~ Rukia Publishing Book Promotions
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity! I love Pablo Michaels' writing and am happy to be able to support him.
DeleteThank you, Elicia, for taking your valuable time to stop by and answer questions and make comments on my story Jack and the Magical Beanstalk. I value your comments.
DeleteYou are very welcome!
Delete