Hi dear friends,

Today is the last day of Blogoween and the last prompt from Clo @bookdragons.

The topic is: The Veil Is Thin
Explanation – The 31st Oct is supposed to be a day when the veil between our world and the otherworld, is at it’s thinnest. As such, it was originally a day to ward of evil spirits; what spirits are you hoping to ward off? (e.g. paranormal characters, evil characters, writers block, procrastination etc.).

Honestly once again I had to think!

Which is good for my aging brain as it keeps it alert and healthy LOL

I thought about grand plans like warding off hunger, violence etc.

But then I realized that my blog is a book blog *no it’s not about politics or cooking or raising your kids (I am lost enough as it is) so if that’s what you are looking for you are just lost* and that I should go back to the roots!

What does bother me or even infuriate me in the bookish world? What would I need to ward off to live in a rainbow and unicorns bookish world?

Well there is a list.

A LONG list.

Kind of like what you write to Santa Claus and hope to find when you wake up.

Only I am not asking Santa I am asking Samhain Gods and Godesses like Hades, Loki, Odin, Sekhmet, Wocatl …yes yes I researched! What do you think? That these posts will write themselves right from my brain? LOL

Here you have

“Sophie’s list of bookish evil to ward off”

Publishing houses changing covers.

I HATE when they play the “coverus interruptus” meaning go for a completely different set of covers when the first (s) book(s) have already been published. Didn’t they hear about bookstagrams??? Duh.

Authors attacking readers because of a bad review

Yes yes it’s happened and still happens from time to time. But unless the reviewer is really rude or vulgar or … don’t bite him or her! Your book is not meant for everyone, we all have different tastes, that’s a fact. Publishing means being exposed to criticism. If you expect a honest review and maybe want to learn from what readers think to better your writing please don’t use the flamethrower. It’s a very bad idea as books are highly inflammable. And readers do tend to turn into ashes when burnt so if you want to keep an audience but …just saying.

Readers giving 1 star without reading the book

I have written a “rant post” some weeks ago about that one. If you don’t like a book and want to give it one star, fine. We are in a free world and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. But if you haven’t even read the book please abstain. As my grand-mother said “better to keep silent when you have nothing interesting to say”. She was a wise woman, I know.

Authors killing their MC just for the sake of it.

See the post from some days ago on Blogoween and my rant about this one!

Non readers or other readers mocking the genre I read.

I don’t read to gloat about reading the latest Pullitzer (maybe I will read it but not to gloat). I don’t read “serious and non fiction books” to look cultured in social gatherings.  Even if I did read and loved Stephen Hawking’s books. I read to escape, dream, hope. I read to lighten my mood, to ease my soul and believe that the world is not only populated by bad men and women like the TV news would have us believe. I read romance because I am still this little girl whose mom read fairy tales every evening with the prince saving the princes and living happily  ever after. I read romance because I have a tender heart beneath my now weathered exterior.

I read romance is it such a bad thing?

I would like to use Kieth Urban’s lyrics from “Female”when he says  “you hit like a girl but is it such a bad thing?”

So no please, don’t mock my favorite genre.

Publishing houses shunning international readers.

Yes yes I know you will tell me that it’s a question of rights but pardon me if I am sceptical. They don’t sell the ARCs they offer them like a gift. I don’t think rights are really involved. Again I can understand not sending paperbacks or hardcovers as the shipping costs could be high but egalleys, really????

Invite only.

Again I already wrote a post months ago (click on the graphic above) about authors giving ARCs based on invite only. The author and PR asked us to promote without telling us that the ARCs would never be offered after. Because they had decided to invite some bloggers and not tell others.

There is a difference between saying the ARCs will be limited and not everyone is guaranteed an ARC and deciding right from the start to give it to a few select only without telling it outright to everyone helping to promote.

Readers giving 5 stars just to keep getting books.

I abhor dishonesty. Truly despise it. When I read reviews singing the praise of a book and then later when reading other discussions I realize that person did not like the book so much but just gave 5 stars to keep getting ARCs….Let’s just say that I am disappointed.

I review to help other readers first and foremost. Being honest is a no brainer.

How would I help other readers choose their next dream read if I am not honest about what the book made me feel, how he was written etc?

Not being honest in a review won’t help authors in the long run either. Because what you won’t say in your review of the advanced reading copy other “real” readers will say it later. On Amazon. And it will hurt the author so much more! Discredit him or her even.

A low rating review with many solid arguments could even help the author better himself.

That’s it! This is what I’d like to ward off.

Now it’s your turn! What do you hope to ward off today?

Thanks for reading.

Sophie