On Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 5:05:52 PM UTC-6, Bruce wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:21:29 -0800 (PST), Bryan-TGWWW
> > wrote:
>
> >On Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 1:25:52 PM UTC-6, Bruce wrote:
> >> On Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:51:22 -0800 (PST), Bryan-TGWWW
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> >On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 6:10:04 PM UTC-6, tert in seattle wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> not sure how I'd vote on Bryan's literary efforts but at least it
> >> >> has some entertainment value
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >Did you read Winter's Present? Interestingly, another woman in Seattle
> >> >gave it a 1-star review, stating that it was "one of the worst books I've
> >> >ever read." I imagine that many folks would feel that way if they read it.
> >> >
> >> >I've taken to advising folks to give it what I call the Mac Arthur's Park
> >> >test. Anyone who thinks that MacArthur Park is a beautiful song that
> >> >could almost move the person to tears really should read Winter. Likewise,
> >> >anyone who thinks that MacArthur Park is so completely awful, that it's
> >> >actually good in a twisted way should read it. Everyone else (the majority
> >> >of folks) might want to pass on it, though it does have some humor that is
> >> >independent of liking the story.
> >> >
> >> >It is free one last time, from midnight to midnight PST on Valentine's Day.
> >> >
> >> >http://www.amazon.com/Winters-Presen.../dp/B00QJPEI6M
> >> >
> >> >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwYQgk05DY
> >>
> >> I haven't read your book, so I'm not commenting in any way, but who
> >> did you bribe to write that other review? Or did the Amazon
> >> Marketing Team do that?
> >>
> >I didn't bribe anyone. The guy's wife is someone I gave a free advance
> >copy to, and although he gave it 5 stars, I found the review more
> >insulting than the negative one. To suggest that my book is in any way
> >like 50... is no compliment, and he would certainly know that. I think
> >that it was a backhanded slap that was payback for me essentially calling
> >the guy a racist over comments he made about the Ferguson protesters.
>
> No matter how bad 50 Shades is, it sold like hotcakes, so that
> comparison might be a good marketing idea.
>
People who are almost certain not to like it would download it on the free
day, expecting that sort of thing, and they'd be irritated, instead of just
thinking, "This isn't my cup of tea."

Whereas if people read it expecting a romantic love story, and don't
appreciate the humor, or the sexuality, those are just taste things. The
one thing that I am confident that I do deliver is a love story.

The popular book that I'd be thrilled for anyone to mention is The Fault
In Our Stars, even if someone wrote that my book sucked way, way worse than that one, and there are plenty of folks who disliked TFIOS. The negative, 1*
review--and I do believe that it was by a real person who truly disliked the
book--was worthless because it didn't inform anyone. There are dozens of
reasons to dislike my book. She could have spelled them out, which would
have discouraged folks who *should* be discouraged from choosing the book, or
at least paying for it.

I have no idea what that person disliked, but let me pretend that I disliked
a bunch of things about it.

1. It is overly sentimental.
2. Ian is lecherous, and his hypersexuality is a total turnoff.
3. Ann is a needy crybaby who takes advantage of Winter's devotion.
4. What Ann does to her parents is unforgivable, and ruins the entire story.
5. There are too many obscure allusions to literature, music and other
art forms.
6. The writing is amateurish, some scenes are choppy, and the transitions
between scenes don't always work.
7. Winter's parents are unrealistic.
8. Ann's parents are also unrealistic, even more so, and are caricatures of
conservative Christians.
9. The very idea of a three person marriage is offensive.
10. Leaving a central question unresolved at the end of the book is
infuriating, and seems like a cheap device to sell the next book in the series.
11. Winter is not flawed enough, and her intelligence is overblown.
12. The only sex scene that amounts to anything is between one male and two
females.

That's the first dozen.

Buying it is free on V Day, and perhaps you could read it, Bruce. If you
choose to review it, be honest. I don't need your money, and I don't want
false praise.
>
> >Listen, if I had wanted to plant fake positive reviews, I would have, and
> >could have done so. I find it strange that of the well over a hundred
> >folks who downloaded the book on the free days, that there have been only
> >those 2 reviews. I suspect that there are folks who just download every
> >free book that pops up, and read almost none of them.
>
> Buying a book is one thing, reading it is another, reviewing it is...
> I dunno... dedication?
>
> (...)
>
> --
> Bruce

--Bryan