Book reviews and ethics

Why would anyone go to the trouble of reviewing books and even setting up a blog to do so? After all, a review of anything is just the reviewer's personal opinion. Reading is subjective. But reviewers are critical readers and members of the buying public; the more books we read, the more selective we become about standards of writing and good storytelling.

Freelance books journalist, Alison Flood writes a fascinating article in the Spring edition of 'The Author', the journal of the Society of Authors on the ethics of book reviews. Apparently some review bloggers are actually charging authors to review their books 'nicely'. I'm pleased to say that I'm not one of them and I wouldn't like my followers to think that charging for reviews is regular practice by book bloggers. Some writers have apparently admitted to paying for 'nice' reviews and/or bigging-up their own work in print under various akas, otherwise known as sock-puppetting.

Alison also highlights the tendency of some over-zealous authors to post their own, or friends' and relatives', glowing reviews on Amazon. You can always spot these by the excess of superlatives and overblown adjectives, something that, ironically, doesn't fool anyone and is more likely to deter people from buying the books. Even publishers and agents are not exempt from underhand tactics when it comes to getting good reviews, it seems. Amazon is trying to put a stop to it but quite how they will identify who is genuine and who is not, is puzzling.

With newspapers reducing their reviewing staff and review pages and authors being expected to do most of their own marketing, book bloggers are in great demand. I'm flooded with requests from self-published writers to review, mainly, their e-books, something I don't do, being addicted to the look, touch and smell of good-quality traditionally published print books and having avoided the urge to rush for a 'must-have' e-reader I will never use. I may change my opinion in the future, but for now that's how it has to be.

My life as a book blogger began during a slow period when I had time on my hands. I hadn't expected it to take off the way it did, I enjoyed it and I'd had plenty of reviewing experience as a journalist when I edited my own theatre column and I've been an avid reader since I learnt my first words. I'm enthusiastic about recommending books I rate highly and I do criticise where I feel it's due - that's how writers learn, from criticism - but if I really feel a book is poor, I usually avoid reviewing it. I do benefit from free books from authors and traditional publishers who ask me to review their books unconditionally but many of the books I review are those I have selected in bookshops and bought and paid for myself. Some come from my vast store of books built up over many years, for I review older titles as well as those just launched.

I suspect that paid-for, biased book bloggers are pretty thin on the ground but it only takes one or two bad apples to taint the whole barrel once the issue is highlighted and I would be sorry for blog readers to get the wrong impression about the vast majority of us.

Short stories in peril campaign

Many writers, like Ian Rankin for example, began their careers with short stories on BBC Radio 4 and now it looks like the opportunities for short story writers are in jeopardy. The Beeb has reduced its short story quota on Radio 4 from five a few years ago to three and now to one a week.

The Society of Authors has taken up the cudgel and launched a petition on the National Short Story Week website and anyone who wants to sign it should log on to (www.ipetitions.com/petition/noshortstorycuts) At the last count it had attracted over 6,500 signatures, so let's keep it going.

Author Sarah Dunant was hoping they would reconsider. She says: 'When it comes to fiction radio excites and exercises the imagination in a way no other medium can manage. Nowhere is that more perfectly illustrated than the short story where, within 15 short minutes, one can be transported into a different world. It is a cheap yet invaluable example of radio at its best. It feels both mad - and sad - to think that Radio 4 would somehow be better without it.'

Sarah Dunant



BBC Controller Gwyneth Williams said the number of short stories on Radio 4 would be diminished from 150 to 100 from April 2012, some of them would premiere on Radio 4 Extra and that she hoped to broadcast short stories more on Radio 4 Extra.

Society of Authors' Short Story Tweetathon

To back up their campaign, and to celebrate the short story, The Society has launched a Short Story Tweethathon (#soatale) on Twitter for five consecutive weeks, beginning last week with Ian Rankin. Five first line contributions will be tweeted by Simon Brett, Neil Gaiman, Joanne Harris and Sarah Waters. Tweeters can complete the next four sentences, to produce a short story in 670 characters. Every hour, the best lines will be selected and the resulting short stories will be published on the Society's website where rules and stories can be viewed (www.societyofauthors.org/soa-short-story-tweetathon-soatale)  The BBC are currently showcasing shortlisted entries for their own short story competition.

In addition to the cultural and creative impact of the BBC short story cuts, the Society of Authors is concerned that the new scheduling will restrict linked themes and creative programming and that the proposed time slots will limit the audience. BBC Director General Mark Thompson and Chair of the BBC Trust Lord Patten are reviewing the proposed cuts but more signatures are needed.
Log onto Twitter every Wednesday at 11am if you would like to take part in the Tweetathon. Retweet via http://bit.ly/SoAtale

Campaigns for books and World Book Night give-away

Listed on the Society of Authors' website are a number of campaigns on the lookout for supporters to uphold the rights of writers and the future of books; some are under threat from lack of funding and others from annhilation by new technology or overzealous political correctors.

To help prevent our libraries from cuts and closures:

• Voices for the Library - http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/
• The Library Campaign - http://www.librarycampaign.com/
• Campaign for the Book - http://alangibbons.net/

If you're against vetting in schools and visa restrictions on visiting artists and academics, try the Manifesto Club - http://www.manifestoclub.com/

To join the campaign for all UK children  to become readers, log on to the Just Read Campaign - http://www.justreadcampaign.co.uk/ and if you truly believe that e-books and readers are likely to sound the death knell for the printed book, join The Campaign for Real Books - http://www.campaignforrealbooks.org/

If you're a writer, you might want to sign the petition of the Libel Reform Campaign - http://www.libelreform.org/ or any of the following:

• The National Campaign for the Arts (which represents all the arts) - http://www.artscampaign.org.uk/
• Save the Arts, organised by the London branch of Turning Point Network - http://www.savethearts-uk.blogspot.com/

The Largest Book Give-away Ever

You have until 4 January 2011 to become a book giver for World Book Night (WBN), which will be inaugurated on Saturday, 5 March, just two days after World Book Day, the national reading campaign. A million books will be given away by 20,000 dedicated readers to the public in the UK and Ireland and the event will be broadcast by BBC2.

One of the 25 chosen titles

If you would like to participate, you will be expected to say in about 100 words why you want to give away 48 copies of your favourite book chosen from a selected list of 25 titles. Recipients may be reluctant readers or people who don't have easy access to books, bookshops and libraries. To enter, log onto http://www.worldbooknight.org/

Alan Yentob, Creative Director BBC and member of WBN editorial committee said: 'BBC2 will host World Book Night from its inception on December 2 through to the event itself on 5 March. Whether as a giver, recipient or viewer, we hope that BBC audiences will be inspired to get involved with this groundbreaking project.'

Author Margaret Atwood said: 'When Jamie Byng told me about World Book Night, I was amazed not only by its magnitude but by its simplicity. The love of writing, the love of reading - these are huge gifts. To be able to give someone else a book you treasure widens the gift circle. I was thrilled to be asked to support World Book Night, and doubly thrilled that The Blind Assassin was chosen to help launch it. Long may its voyage be!' 

The campaign is supported by such high profile people as Colin Firth, Antony Gormley, Seamus Heaney, Damien Hirst, Nigella Lawson, JK Rowling and many others and is backed by The Booksellers Association, The Publishers Association, Independent Publishers Guild, The Reading Agency, libraries, charities and other organisations.