Mylene Masangkay
Mylene Masangkay posted an updatealmost 4 years ago
almost 4 years ago
I'm nobody. My name is Mylene. I like books. My sentences are usually simple. I don’t aim to impress. But for some reason, in 2019, I’ve been invited by this site to review books for them. They asked for my CV, a link to my blog, and samples of my review. Someone rang to chat with me about it and soon after, I was invited to create a reviewer profile. Prior to a few days ago, the last review I submitted was 8 months ago. It’s because I’m picky. It’s because I don’t want to give a low rating. I choose books I think I'll like but I also don’t want to be dishonest. I told the site people this when they talked to me. I can be ruthless. But I can also be generous with praise. What kind of qualifications does anyone need to be a reviewer? I’ve always thought it’s just the ability to read, process what they read, and write some words about it. For someone to question the validity of my opinion because they don’t believe I’m what labels I attach to myself is so far beyond my comprehension. “So, a writer, huh? What have you published? Where have I read you before? An editor? What books have you worked on?" I know tit for tat (or, in the profession I AM licensed to practise, quid pro quo) when I see it. An implied “You gave me a bad review, I’ll do you one worse.” What is a writer/editor anyway? If children write about their summer holiday for school and go home to mum and dad and say they’re a writer, would that be so offensive? Would that be fraudulent? If someone came up to me and asked me to check their speech for grammatical errors and I did, would it be so deceitful to say, “I edited, ergo, I’m an editor”?  As a WRITER, I understand the pain it takes to come up with any written piece at all, to make all the ideas in my head coherent. To go beyond myself to think of the people who will read my work is perhaps the hardest part of all. I know what I'm trying to say because the ideas have been percolating in my brain for some time. Putting myself in another person's shoes and reading my work from their point of view, that takes work beyond knowing what to say. That takes empathy. And putting your work out there for other people to comment on? That is courage. If I were reviewing as the EDITOR, this review may look something like this: -Move this part to the end. -Does this character ever say something besides "Yeah"? -This is a long sentence. -Why is the character wearing a ponytail now? What happened to the long, flowing hair at the beginning of the paragraph? But I don't review books as a writer or an editor. And we now come to the REVIEWER/CRITIC. When I signed up with the site after ignoring several email invitations, I was enticed by the idea of going through advanced reading copies of books that may eventually become mainstream. Imagine being one of the first to read a future bestseller! I enjoy reading and I can be ruthless about the materials I read. Often, the writer in me does not influence the reader. But on this site, I have made concessions. My considerations include the fact that the writer wants to sell as many books as possible. So, I swore I would be nice. But also: Please give me a crisp, well-written, polished, cohesive book and my 5-star rating will be right there with you! I can't in good conscience tell you your work is good when there are plenty of things I wish were different about it. Or I could, if my name weren't attached to the critique. (Ghost-reviewing, anyone?) Pointing out flaws in someone's work doesn't mean I think of myself as a better writer or editor. I feel awkward about someone else editing or commenting on my work. But sometimes, it takes a fresh set of eyes for a better output to emerge. This is something all writers need to learn how to deal with. Emerging authors need to be encouraged, that's for sure, but readers/reviewers would be remiss if we don't give our honest opinion. On this site, when we choose a book, we're obligated to submit a review before the book's launch date. Once I press submit, I have no control over the write up. I don't know how it gets published. I'm not sure I care because I have a book review blog and I'm not looking to be famous here anyway. I have no desire to dignify suspicions about what I do or prove myself to anyone. I also don't wish to work with anyone who is coming to the business relationship with an unwarranted vendetta. I wish every person who has books up for review on this site or anywhere else the very best in their chosen career, a career that requires that rare commodity of a thick skin. My social media and online accounts have been hidden or modified because I'm experiencing a disruption/discomfort and my business has been adversely affected by it. I plead with this person to stop and to honour his request, I emailed Reedsy and asked them not to publish my review of his book. The following tips, which I hope will not be taken as badly as my well-meaning review, are ones I give myself, which I don't always follow, but may have helped others. - If an author decides on a category for his book, he must stick to that. It can't be fiction in the first few chapters and then, a memoir/biography further along. - Pick a main character, give her a goal, and make sure that every event that happens to that character is relevant to her trying to reach that goal. Everything else is immaterial. My client list is confidential, as I'm sure is true of many professionals. I don't force my services on people and it is a very rare occasion when I beg anyone to work with me. I'm a registered freelancer in my country and I pay taxes on my earnings. At the end of the day, I'm just one person. I'm here to review, not market, your book.

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