Another book.........................

[shopperholic]

I wouldn't dream of saying that; I trust what I read but then I'm not looking for something I can discount as false. Do you have evidence there are 'manufactured' reviews? Certainly there are 'verified Amazon' people reviewing......... In any case, does it matter? I've got more things to worry about than book reviews .....

Don't think loveallthingsitallian was worried in my opinion, just commenting. And yes, some are manufactured because as word has it, the author left some reviews herself, is their proof? No of course not, the author is way to good to leave a trail.

 

[Miss Ellie]

'As word has it?' Conjecture, suspicion and supposition. I don't 'worry' - wrong word - I don't care. I have more important things going on in my life than try to pick holes in reviews. It really doesn't matter to me because Life's too short. If I want a book I will buy, if I don't like the sound of it, I won't.

 

[Brissles]

The Queen of the chicklit, churning out dozens over the decades is Barbara Cartland (I once met her when being interviewed as her Social Secretary - that's another story), and its well known that she used the 'same story', only the names and time periods were changed, but it didn't stop her making millions because there was an appetite for them.

 

[shopperholic]

If DF makes a million (but at 99p and free she has a long, long way to go) but if she does good luck to her, I'm the first to congratulate anyone that works hard, but what I wonder if she didn't have all her social media fan base buying, and all that free air time publicising herself, would anyone really know about her slutty "novels" good luck to anyone that makes it through sheer hard work, I just don't think DF has. Jackie Kabler is an author who has been picked up by a real publishing house and she's never mentioned it once on air..............now that's making it through hard work.

 

[louise66]

Reviews are, in the main, subjective. I work in sales, selling electronic appliances/technology, and people want different things from items. I can sell a laptop which is a premium computer but, perhaps, nota gaming laptop. It would be unsuitable for someone whose main use for it, would be to play games. A review from such a person, therefore, may appear rather negative. This does not mean it is a poor quality laptop; rather it does not perform the way the user wants it to. Often customers tell me they base a purchase on Which reviews. Which is paid to publish reviews by the manufacturer, so perhaps ought to be viewed with a little scepticism?

 

[lynnonthelake]

'As word has it?' Conjecture, suspicion and supposition. I don't 'worry' - wrong word - I don't care. I have more important things going on in my life than try to pick holes in reviews. It really doesn't matter to me because Life's too short. If I want a book I will buy, if I don't like the sound of it, I won't.

So what's your problem then.

 

[Honeybunny]

There is clearly a market for chick-lit, after all it is a genre all of its own. You either like it or you don't.

For me a good book has nothing to do with genre and all to do with the quality of the writing. I read masses of diverse stuff including some chick-lit. I just try to be discerning and choose excellent writers such as Lisa Jewell and Maeve Binchy cos there are a lot of books out there, my reading time is limited and life is too short to waste on the rubbish. That doesn't mean that all self-published books are terrible of course, there bound to be a few hidden gems. I just don't think Debbie and Julia are amongst them.

 

[Akimbo]

Debs' genre is not my cup of tea - factual/historical/biographical - but I admire and respect her greatly for having the courage and the ability to write a book. It is easy to say anyone could write it, and criticise the subject, but it is not that straightforward, irrelevant of whether the book is about the theory of relativity, or a romance novel. Actually deciding on the subject matter, is the first hurdle, closely followed by how to pen the opening paragraph. Not so easy.
I want to write a book, involving true crime, in my home town, over the centuries and, despite my having a degree, I am finding it difficult getting started. So intelligence isn't everything, which Debs has anyway. Time is also a barrier to me, as I do work long hours. Presenters at the Q, do not usually do more than 3 hours a day, and not for a full week.

Lou I hope you find the time to do it. You're posts on here are always well crafted imho! Maybe set aside a couple of hours just to scribble down a skeleton outline of the book, not in chapters but just as the ideas start flowing - maybe on a big sheet of paper (A3 or bigger) like a mind-map. Keep a lined pad or your keyboard to hand and if you get actual phrases and sentences (however disjointed) come to mind you can jot them down without worrying you'll forget them. Once you start getting the ideas flowing you'll feel you've made a start long before you need that opening paragraph.

 

[Weathergirl]

For me a good book has nothing to do with genre and all to do with the quality of the writing. I read masses of diverse stuff including some chick-lit. I just try to be discerning and choose excellent writers such as Lisa Jewell and Maeve Binchy cos there are a lot of books out there, my reading time is limited and life is too short to waste on the rubbish. That doesn't mean that all self-published books are terrible of course, there bound to be a few hidden gems. I just don't think Debbie and Julia are amongst them.

I agree with this except that in my case I am very "genre led" in my choices. But then again I am far more of a black and white person rather than shades of grey ; )

 

[Vienna]

Someone once said ( God knows who ? ) that there is a novel in all of us. It would be nice to think that but one person`s interesting story is another person`s sleeping draught. Books are like shoes, one size doesn`t fit all but I`d never buy a book simply because I was part of their gang or because they tried to entice me on air. It makes me feel as if the person doesn`t have enough confidence in their own work when they have to try to push it and as if the quality of the book is secondary to the quantity sold. That`s just my feelings and many an author spent years trying to be published but never gave up because of their own belief they had written something good.

 

[Miss Ellie]

Personally I would not buy a book simply because I was in this or that group, nor would I write a good review to gain some sort of status in a group. IF there are those who would, then that is a matter between them and their conscience.

 

[thatu]

It's easy enough to self-publish. Quality writing is a skill and a gift. Churning out dozens of chicklit stories on one basic theme is writing's version of mass production - no guarantee of quality. I don't begrudge either DF or JR the time and the effort they spend writing and self-publishing. What I do object to is QVC spending my money (and yours - OUR money - from the profits from our purchases) on advertising books that just happen to have been written by and benefit only the odd presenter or two. JR and DF are getting what many authors can't get - free publicity - at our expense. And do they know how to milk it! I wonder if their backroom staff would have as much free publicity for books they might have written.

Edit: let alone someone who's spent thousands of pounds on QVC purchases. Would they advertise her books, too?

 

[Elliementary]

Miss Ellie wrote:

Hear hear! If they have a novel in them and people want to buy it, good for them! I read about someone who developed a debilitating illness. He loves to cruise and wrote a book about his voyages interspersed with incidences of his illness. People loved it. I have actually read a book by Debbie Flint but didn't know she was a QVC presenter at the time I read it. I don't recall thinking anything bad about it. Horses for courses, not everyone wants to read War and Peace!

Do you remember the author's name, or book title? I've got fibromyalgia and CFS, and I'd love to read it.

 

[Miss Ellie]

Miss Ellie wrote:


Do you remember the author's name, or book title? I've got fibromyalgia and CFS, and I'd love to read it.

It's called 'Sicknote Goes Cruising, An Occasional Diary' - you can buy from Amazon and it's by Dennis Richards. I got it on Kindle, I don't know if you can still buy it to download though. Dennis developed ME. Sorry, I didn't register the acronym CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - so it's the same condition as Dennis.

 

[Suki 1]

She has been on about it for months.

This Wales (no offence to our Welsh members) obsession just because darling Dan is living there is wearing very thin. Think Chuntley must have passed the Welsh crown to JR.

Also I wish she would stop telling us Darling Sophie would wear this to her "job in the city".

She has been talking about them since the launch of QVC !

 

[Brissles]

It's easy enough to self-publish. Quality writing is a skill and a gift. Churning out dozens of chicklit stories on one basic theme is writing's version of mass production - no guarantee of quality. I don't begrudge either DF or JR the time and the effort they spend writing and self-publishing. What I do object to is QVC spending my money (and yours - OUR money - from the profits from our purchases) on advertising books that just happen to have been written by and benefit only the odd presenter or two. JR and DF are getting what many authors can't get - free publicity - at our expense. And do they know how to milk it! I wonder if their backroom staff would have as much free publicity for books they might have written.

Edit: let alone someone who's spent thousands of pounds on QVC purchases. Would they advertise her books, too?

Well said Thatu. You've hit the nail on the head. I don't tune in to Q to have self publicity thrown at me for free. On the other hand if Q decided to offer goods with free P & P in return for presenters spouting their own 'free' publicity, then they still have a good deal. But in all honesty it should be stopped. Presenters should not be able to use the QVC platform to promote their side-line businesses, unlike RJ where clearly Q get a cut of the profits.

 

[Sydney Starlett]

On a different note I do wish she would stop wearing the following Join dress........in my opinion it doesn't suit her but if she must wear it then I wish she would refrain from lifting her arms up as I do not need to see her sweat patches!!!!! :sweat:

http://www.qvcuk.com/Join-Clothes-H...html?sc=SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-13-_-118774[/QUOTE]

Now since when has Julia worried about wearing things that suit her? Or in the correct size……...

 

[thatu]

Queen Julia is a very good presenter and gives the relevant information calmly and efficiently but I wish she'd ditch the unconvincing little side remarks like "only joking". I also remember her mentioning her book ages ago.

 

[HYPE in a JAR]

I remember at College being set an assignment to write a synopsis and first chapter of a book in the style of Mills and Boon.

I must have spent 4 hours max doing it and quite enjoyed writing it, despite only having read one Mills and Boon title as research.

Anyway little be known to us out Lecturer actually send them on to Mills and Boon HQ, and out of how many students they actually came back and said to me alone, that they were very interested and I should continue to finish the story and they would be interested to publish it.

Now at age 17, I was like "Pfft!" and not really interested, but I like to think that in a parallel universe I would have a successful career as a romance novelist, albeit for Mills and Boon!

Eat your heart out DF!

 

[May]

I would love to be a fly on the wall in the staff room lol ....back stabbing etc ...I'm just nosey it seems :mysmilie_50: