Agreed to do book review, and I'm not enjoying the book

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D.L. Shepherd

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First, I hope I posted this in the correct section - if not, I apologize.

I have a dilemma, and I was hoping for some advice. I was asked to do a book review for a self published book. The person who asked me to do the review was not the author, because the author passed away before the book was published, but after writing the first draft. All proceeds of the book are going to a great charity, and the author was published previously by a major publishing house, so I agreed to do the review, figuring it was for a good cause.

Long story short, I am not enjoying the book at all, and I'm having a hard time following it, and I can't see how I could possibly suggest this book to anyone else. But since the money goes for a good cause, I don't want to do a negative review either.

Should I return the book with a note saying as much? I feel terrible about this, especially given the circumstances, (death of the author and money going to charity), and I wish I never agreed to review it in the first place. Any thoughts or ideas?

I'm really struggling with this one. :(
 

CQuinlan

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I would say be polite, professional, keep it about the book's plot, pacing, place (setting) and people (characters) and not the author and be honest.
Misleading the people who read your review and decide to read the book would be wrong and they won't have a problem saying what they think of it. Remember what you don't like could be exactly to someone's else's tastes.

Maybe contact the person who gave you the book, explain and give them the choice of a bad, honest review or none at all.
 

thothguard51

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Give the person who asked the courtesy of making the decision. Explain to them what your issues are and that you are willing to continue but the review will reflect both good and bad points.

I am not sure I understand what you meant about the book was published but after the first draft. Was it ever edited by a professional? Even though the author was previously published does not mean he did not have an editor work with him/her on that book. This may be a reason you are having trouble because an editor has not touched the book...

Whatever you do, be polite and professional...
 

victoriastrauss

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Give the person who asked the courtesy of making the decision. Explain to them what your issues are and that you are willing to continue but the review will reflect both good and bad points.

I've used this tactic in the past, when I was actively reviewing and occasionally would get a small press or self-pubbed book I really could not in conscience review positively. Most of the time I got courteous responses, and the authors (or their publishers) chose to pass.

- Victoria
 

D.L. Shepherd

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I am not sure I understand what you meant about the book was published but after the first draft. Was it ever edited by a professional? Even though the author was previously published does not mean he did not have an editor work with him/her on that book. This may be a reason you are having trouble because an editor has not touched the book...

This is exactly what I think happened. The author passed after the first draft, and the friend had it published through iUniverse in order have the funds all go directly to a cause that was close to the author's heart. I'm guessing that an editor never touched it, but possibly a proofreader did, as I'm not finding any of those types of errors.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'll take all of your advice and will write her a polite letter this weekend and give her the option as to whether or not she wants to go ahead with the review. Maybe, in lieu of the review, I'll also offer to put up a post about the author's cause.
 

Terie

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This is exactly what I think happened. The author passed after the first draft, and the friend had it published through iUniverse in order have the funds all go directly to a cause that was close to the author's heart. I'm guessing that an editor never touched it, but possibly a proofreader did, as I'm not finding any of those types of errors.

It sounds like you've already come up with a terrific compromise, but I wanted to take a minute to address this.

A dear friend of mine passed away a few years ago. She had several manuscripts and was agented, but hadn't yet secured a publishing deal. Her widower decided to publish the books through a reputable vanity press. Any proceeds from sales go to a cancer research charity.

I did the proofreading, and we did it with a light touch. I only fixed actual errors (spelling, punctuation, grammar). We didn't polish or do any of the things that a writer would do during the editing process, because the writer wasn't there to do it. We all agreed that, since the writer was deceased, it wouldn't be appropriate to make any changes other than fixing obvious errors.

Although you're not enjoying the book, I think the writer's friend who published it did the right thing in not doing any more than proofreading in these circumstances.
 
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Toothpaste

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I like the letter idea. You could also suggest, since you find the cause worthy, that you not review it and simply advertise it and the cause. Tell people the story behind the story. Then you are still helping a worthy cause without having to actually review something you don't believe in.
 

Stacia Kane

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It sounds like you've already come up with a terrific compromise, but I wanted to take a minute to address this.

I agree it's a GREAT compromise!!


A dear friend of mine passed away a few years ago. She had several manuscripts and was agented, but hadn't yet secured a publishing deal. Her widower decided to publish the books through a reputable vanity press. Any proceeds from sales go to a cancer research charity.

I did the proofreading, and we did it with a light touch. I only fixed actual errors (spelling, punctuation, grammar). We didn't polish or do any of the things that a writer would do during the editing process, because the writer wasn't there to do it. We all agreed that, since the writer was deceased, it wouldn't be appropriate to make any changes other than fixing obvious errors.

Although you're not enjoying the book, I think the writer's friend who published it did the right thing in not doing any more than proofreading in these circumstances.


First, I am so sorry about your friend.

Second--and please don't read this as a "Yeah, your friend was totes irresponsible by not doing this"--but this is another reason why writers should have some sort of legal arrangement regarding what happens to their work after they're gone.

I personally have already set in writing not only to whom rights etc. will go, but also that in case of unfinished work, or work that needs to be edited, my friend Caitlin Kittredge will handle all such editorial work, up to and including content editing/finishing the book, working in conjunction with my agent, my editor, and those in charge of my literary estate (because she and they all know where the book are supposed to go story-wise etc.).

In other words, Caitlin is authorized to edit/finish my books if I am no longer here to do it. I'm lucky in that I have a good friend who I think is not only incredibly talented, but who has similar tastes and ideas to mine, understands my work and my voice, and who I trust completely. And, you know, who agreed to do it. :)

Like I said I'm not saying it's wrong not to have this or anything, just that since the subject has come up... If you haven't thought of this or made any arrangements, it's worth thinking about. None of us wants to think we're going to die, but considering that I apparently came awfully close to it last year and that was a complete surprise...
 

Terie

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First, I am so sorry about your friend.
Thanks. It's been almost three years, and I still get teary-eyed thinking about her. She was one of the very best peeps in the whole wide world.

Second--and please don't read this as a "Yeah, your friend was totes irresponsible by not doing this"--but this is another reason why writers should have some sort of legal arrangement regarding what happens to their work after they're gone.

Yes. When my friend's widower approached me about being involved in the project, the very first thing I asked was whether she'd left her intellectual property rights to him. Had she not done, I wouldn't have touched it.

I never inquired about whether they'd specifically talked about this before she died. (It was cancer, so they knew it was coming.) He was insistent on the light touch, so either they did talk about it and that's what she wanted, or else they didn't and he took that tack....a tack I agree with if nothing was left in writing as to the writer's wishes.

And to end on a light-hearted note, there was a word missing from a sentence that was the 'key' word in the sentence...one that you couldn't figure out what word she'd meant from the surrounding context. When he sent me the file back after going over the first round of edits, the very first thing I turned to was that sentence to see which word he'd chosen. :)
 

D.L. Shepherd

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It sounds like you've already come up with a terrific compromise, but I wanted to take a minute to address this.

A dear friend of mine passed away a few years ago. She had several manuscripts and was agented, but hadn't yet secured a publishing deal. Her widower decided to publish the books through a reputable vanity press. Any proceeds from sales go to a cancer research charity.

I did the proofreading, and we did it with a light touch. I only fixed actual errors (spelling, punctuation, grammar). We didn't polish or do any of the things that a writer would do during the editing process, because the writer wasn't there to do it. We all agreed that, since the writer was deceased, it wouldn't be appropriate to make any changes other than fixing obvious errors.

Although you're not enjoying the book, I think the writer's friend who published it did the right thing in not doing any more than proofreading in these circumstances.

That's a good point too. I haven't yet written the letter, I'm still wondering how to word it. This will probably be the hardest thing I've ever written. It's just an awful circumstance all around, and I wish I didn't agree to do the review so quickly.

Edited to add, I am sorry about your friend, and that you found yourself in a similar situation to the woman who sent me this work. It must not have been easy.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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If you haven't thought of this or made any arrangements, it's worth thinking about. None of us wants to think we're going to die, but considering that I apparently came awfully close to it last year and that was a complete surprise...

This is something I've never thought of myself. Thanks for bringing this up, it's definitely something I should talk over with the other half.
 

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I have found it best to explain that the book is not the kind you enjoy and you don't feel you can fairly review it. Most people get the encoded 'the review would not be great' and let you back out.

And, um. when i buy a charity book I still expect it to be a good book. If it isn't this does affect how I feel about the author, editor and any reviewers who represented it as a good book. As with Girl Guides cookies, I want the cookies, the money-to-a-good-cause thing is a bonus not a substitute for quality.

I would like to mention a time I took some data collected by a technician who had passed away. I said I would write it up for publication. It turned out to be a bit of a mess and the time it would take to make something of it was more than I could afford. It was awkward to go back on my promise but it was the least bad option.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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Well I finally sent out the letter today. I politely declined from reviewing the book, and I offered to put up a guest post about the charity organization instead. I dragged my feet before writing it, trying to come up with the right way to word it, and I have to say, this was probably the hardest things I've ever had to write.

Thanks again, everyone, for all of your thoughts and insight. I have learned my lesson and will not be so quick to agree to do book reviews in the future.
 

Deleted member 42

Good for you!

It's a tough decision to make, and yes, it's even harder to communicate it without causing offense.
 
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