As a first-time author (my novel THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN is published on Thursday, September 2) I am interested in the comments of other authors on the subject of book reviewing. Things are obviously changing fast as newspapers and magazines fight for survival and curtail the space available for book reviews. The buzzword beamed at us fledgling writers is 'internet' and we are told that we must tweet and facebook and blog ourselves shamelessly around the net. In other words we must become our own publicists. Indeed there is a unexpectedly huge bookblog network out there and already I am receiving reviews and comment (favourable so far!) from all corners of the globe and groups I never knew existed. The danger, as with all of our current modes of communication, is that it all joins the ceaseless internet babble of half-formed and instantly forgotten opinions. Is this a substitute for the old order of thoughtful and considered press criticism? If not, what else is there?
As a first-time author (my novel THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN is published on Thursday, September 2) I am interested in the comments of other authors on the subject of book reviewing. Things are obviously changing fast as newspapers and magazines fight for survival and curtail the space available for book reviews. The buzzword beamed at us fledgling writers is 'internet' and we are told that we must tweet and facebook and blog ourselves shamelessly around the net. In other words we must become our own publicists. Indeed there is a unexpectedly huge bookblog network out there and already I am receiving reviews and comment (favourable so far!) from all corners of the globe and groups I never knew existed. The danger, as with all of our current modes of communication, is that it all joins the ceaseless internet babble of half-formed and instantly forgotten opinions. Is this a substitute for the old order of thoughtful and considered press criticism? If not, what else is there?