Month: February 2017

Share That Book!

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In UncategorizedLeave a comment

How involved into the book do you get?shutterstock_249074023

When you finish that last page, do you simply close the covers of the book, sigh because it’s finished and go on to the next one?

Or are you a more involved reader? Do you follow the writer’s blogs (thanks for reading!)? Do you rush to write a review or make a recommendation on the site where you purchased the book? Do you belong to a book club where you can meet with other readers and devolve further into the writer’s words, finding hidden meaning? Maybe you do more research on the subject matter of the book if it has sparked an interest? Do you find possible avenues the story line might have taken that other readers might  miss?

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As a writer, we certainly hope you would write reviews and tell your friends about a good book you’ve read. If a spark of interest in a new topic develops for you, then that is a bonus. If we’ve helped you lose yourself in our story, then that spells success.

But as a reader, I value the word of another reader more than I do over fancy blurbs and sales pitches. Nothing means more to me as a reader than to hear somebody tell me how excited they were to finish the book, to gush about how romantic it might be. There might be an involuntary shiver if the story was spooky or horrible enough to mesmerize interest, like an accident you can’t look away from, no matter how hard you try.

When a book is so good that other people are talking about it it’s amazing. Re-hashing key points, and new items are brought up to other people’s attention. Details are examined, details the author may not  even realize would be so important to a reader.

When I’m finished with the book, it’s important to me  it doesn’t just sit on a bookshelf, unless it’s good and I know I will read it repeatedly. No, if it was one I  enjoyed, I want to pass it along to other readers to enjoy. It doesn’t matter if I distribute the book through used bookstore, at my county library, or at the community book deposit. Not everyone can afford the price of a new book. Sometimes even a used book could be out of reach. But everybody should have the opportunity to read-when they want and what they want.

Being able to share a good book with somebody you know who will enjoy it gives you a special satisfaction and you can’t wait to find out what they thought when they finish.

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So, readers, share those books, share your thoughts, and share your opinions good or bad. The more book is talked about the more exposure it will get and more other readers will want to pick it up for themselves.

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Book Joy

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Reading, Writing, Habits, reasearch, internet, library, late nights,, sharing, knowledge, mentoring, support, friendship, authors, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Every reader knows the joy of a new book.

There’s something exciting about spending hours deciding which book to get. It doesn’t matter whether you’re browsing the book catalogs online, wondering the rows of books in the library or sniffing in the clean scent of a fresh book from the bookstore.  Every reader knows that special feeling you get picking out your books.

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When you’ve finally decided and you’re walking home with that new book, there’s an air of anticipation and you want to read right away. Sometimes you may need to put off reading that a new book because of other obligations. But it’s always there in the back of your mind, it’s waiting with a new adventure just for you.

But if one book makes a reader excited, then you’ll be overjoyed to   buy a complete series at one time. It’s like having your birthday and Christmas wrapped up at once- and all the other little holidays thrown in at the same time. When I can buy books in a series, I feel like I want to be shut away from the world for at least a week until I’ve read every one in a row and in order. I rarely buy a series of fiction books in print. Those I buy on the internet; space is an issue, because if I bought every series I liked, I would need to build a new house just to hold my books.

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But when I buy a series of nonfiction reference books, it’s  like I’ve invested in my future. My future as a writer, because these are the books I’m usually buying. And although I may not read them right away, I display them on the bookshelf, in their proper order, waiting for the opportunity to use them for reference. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I will look through each book to see what is  in each chapter, but it doesn’t get quite the attention that a series of fictional books will get. Those I dive right into and become part of the series.

And I must admit as an author seeing your own series ready for purchase-well there’s just no words to explain the sense of awe and pride. Knowing somebody else might buy  your complete set of works or at least what you wrote in that series is mind-boggling. Self-satisfaction doesn’t begin to cover the words.

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If there was a way, I think every writer would like to sit on the shoulders of the reader and gauge their reaction. Do they like your favorite passage, or smile at that little joke you included? Do they hold their breath in anticipation of a climax, do they sign with your ending-content the story ended the way they wanted? If you’re a mystery writer like me, are they following all your clues? Are they catching which ones are red herrings and are they surprised by your ending? Are you getting the right results with each book in your series?

You hope that these questions will come up every time, in every book.

So, thank you to all who have purchased my books; one at a time or in a complete series.

I hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.