From: Kathy McCullough <kathy_at_kathymcculloughbooks.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:00:57 -0800 (PST)

As a debut author of a book for teens that is coming out at the end of this year (and a member of Elevensies, the Live Journal blog mentioned earlier), I've become quite attentive to the reactions to first books by reviewers. As a reader, I've always been awed by brilliant first books, but I believe some (not all!) of them were probably labored over for years, as evidenced by weaker follow-ups that result from tight deadlines (as well as high expectations). And so, again as a reader, I appreciate reviews that do point out that "this is a writer to watch," because it is always nice to see a writer develop. As an author, I actually hope I fall into the latter category in the opinions of others, because while I did labor long over my book, I believe I learned a lot about the craft during the editing process, which I'll be able to put toward my next book, and so on.

I also am aware that it is independent booksellers and librarians who help readers find these books, but it seems like the main way to alert the booksellers and librarians is through reviews. And there are so many books competing for the same eyes. The only thing the writer can do is keep writing, and keep getting better. Which is why we, as a group, need (and appreciate) any help we can get that allows us to do so.

Kathy McCullough http://kathymcculloughbooks.com
Received on Fri 18 Feb 2011 11:00:57 AM CST