tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post615821532669409889..comments2019-02-26T14:45:32.519-08:00Comments on Brightdreamer's Book Reviews: George Grove and the Dragon (LJ Lawry)Brightdreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11865613230041222153noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post-39378695469163196382012-03-27T13:22:30.155-07:002012-03-27T13:22:30.155-07:00Thanks for that and as it happens I had several n...Thanks for that and as it happens I had several neutral readers go through the manuscript and it was they who persuaded me to publish it. I think I need to find someone who is prepared to be a bit more critical and who simply doesn't like the way I write to give a different perspective on the next one. In the meantime, I'll bear your comments in mind as I get on with the third book in the series.LJ lawryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09287205184704555609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post-29745788940627855182012-03-19T23:11:15.936-07:002012-03-19T23:11:15.936-07:00Just out of curiosity, have you ever asked for a v...Just out of curiosity, have you ever asked for a volunteer beta-reader? Editors are paid; beta-readers can be anyone outside one's immediate circle of friends and family (and associated biases) who has time to read through a manuscript and give a general yea-or-nay on how it comes across. Credit in the acknowledgments page, and/or returning the favor and beta-reading someone else's story, is usually sufficient payment. (It's more of an informal "take a look at this and see what you think" than a professional arrangement.) Ideally, of course, it would then go through actual editing, either by yourself or a professional editor, but the feedback from a neutral reader at least lets you know if the story you wanted to tell actually made it into the manuscript, or if your diamond needs more cuts and polishing before its public debut.<br /><br />It sounds like you have a worthy cause going; strong stories could only do that much more good for it. Best of luck on your future writing!Brightdreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865613230041222153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post-34827431402755094542012-03-17T15:09:20.326-07:002012-03-17T15:09:20.326-07:00Quite honestly, it's not that important. I onl...Quite honestly, it's not that important. I only write to raise money for local good causes where I live and it's just a bit of fun. Paperback sales (only available via my website, local shops and me personally) have raised quite a respectable sum, which is supporting young people to train to be dancers and surf life savers and I'd rather give the money to them than to neutral beta-readers, unless you know of anyone who would be prepared to do the job in return for the satisfaction of helping out a really good community project. All the details are on The George Grove Project Facebook Page.LJ lawryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09287205184704555609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post-14924984331536694502012-02-28T13:29:21.119-08:002012-02-28T13:29:21.119-08:00Sorry I had such a bad reaction, but I have to cal...Sorry I had such a bad reaction, but I have to call 'em as I read 'em. It needed a stronger focus, not so much on the Theme but on characters clever enough and sympathetic enough to make me really care about the Theme. Trim back the tangents and sidetrack characters, make the three boys a little less dense and a little more more pro-active about figuring out their problems and dealing with them themselves, let the idealists pick up a few bumps and bruises on the way to victory (instead of solving everyone's most drastic problems with a little elfin hand-wave for so much of the book), and run the whole thing by a neutral beta-reader, and it would've likely risen a few notches.Brightdreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11865613230041222153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4539985656775482492.post-82720781142853927112012-02-28T10:24:21.969-08:002012-02-28T10:24:21.969-08:00Sorry you didn't like the book but it's re...Sorry you didn't like the book but it's really useful to get a bad review as I haven't had any yet and I wanted to see how I would cope. Thanks for seeing it through to the end, particularly as you hated it so much. I certainly wouldn't have! If I don't like a book, I just put it down and move onto the next one so I do appreciate the time you've spent on mine. Best Wishes LJ Lawry.LJ lawryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09287205184704555609noreply@blogger.com