Reviews from

Writing The Great Canadian Novel

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18 total reviews 
Comment from Unspoken94
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I love your books and all the pieces you publish here on
F/S. This particular piece encourages us all "wanna-be's" to
keep pursuing our dream. My book just came out two days ago
and your help and encouragement was invaluable. I only wish I
had consulted with you more often. -Bill

 Comment Written 25-Oct-2017

Comment from sandy montgomery
Excellent
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This says so much that I can identify with. I loved reading your words and the addition of the reviews was icing. I love reading reviews on my work because they are such a sweet sweet review. Thank you for sharing your work.

 Comment Written 24-Oct-2017

Comment from Bill Schott
Excellent
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This is a valuable essay to keep around to remind us that the road is long, and we have miles to go before we sleep, and miles to go before we sleep. The positive reviews are pure gold for the spent soul. Hope you can keep all the balls in the air and shoot a basket once in a while.

 Comment Written 23-Oct-2017

Comment from Ulla
Excellent
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Hi Dawn this is a great piece for the contest. Yeah, we all want to publish, and yet it seems to be such a difficult thing. Publishers don't want to know and to self publish also seems to be a dead end. So where does it all end? I have no answer. All the best. Ulla;)))

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017

Comment from Sasha
Excellent
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YOu cover a lot with this post. Yes, few of us will ever make much money selling our books. Considering the time, effort, and pain we put into writing it (or them) there should be some sort of guarantee of a minimum amount earned. However, that is just now how it works. There have been a few here on FS that have been fortunate to find a publisher but even that is one of the most time consuming and difficult things to achieve. Don't get me started on marketing. Great job with this. I enjoyed it immensely and thanks for the reminder to get back to reviewing your books.

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017

Comment from giraffmang
Excellent
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hi Dawn,

I tell you, I must be doing something wrong. I love writing and I don't mind the editing either.

Recently I've been editing more, getting stuff into shape and working with magazine / anthology editors on accepted pieces (that's the hard bit - someone else mucking about with your vision and themes! lol).

I think the key is finding a method about what works for you, and not trying to 'write by committee' as I see time and time again here on FS.

Good piece.
G

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017


reply by the author on 22-Oct-2017
    I don't mind editing the short stuff - short stories and poems. But completed novels and novellas are SO TEDIOUS. Lol - over and over and over reading the same thing... I love writing too. But fixing isn't fun, or rather, LOOKING for things to fix.

    Thanks very much, Gareth.
Comment from zanya
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Well here's an account, well worth reading, from the 'front line' , as it were of writing -and from one who has experienced success in the field -very enlightening ..and the quote in the notes sends a shiver down my spine lol thanks for sharing that info ..

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017

Comment from Margaret Snowdon
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I thoroughly enjoyed this, Dawn - as I can relate to it in so many ways, as other writers will do. Because I hate editing my own stories, I have 4 hanging about and keep putting off starting - plus the book I'm just about to finish. And, like you, when I do edit, I keep fiddling with the plot and altering things ..... sigh.

This is a great entry for the contest - good luck, my friend.

Margaret

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017


reply by the author on 22-Oct-2017
    Oh, Margaret - your comments are affirming, my friend, and so appreciated, especially from you (as is that special yellow cross)! Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment from RGstar
Excellent
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Good reviews. It is not easy out there. The fact that self publishing becomes cheaper, despite companies charging what they do for purchasing your own book from them, on such deals, see triple the amount of authors publishing, and unfortunately, less reading of them...so we are publishing more, but actually reading less, or even buying far less. Its a sad situation if looking at the reality of things, but that is toady's market..the companies win, unless extremely lucky with a product. As you say, it is important to market well. How you do it, is another matter, for things can almost seem desperate, which puts people off getting it in the first place.
It's very difficult, so the right choices are definitely needed. No author wants a book which none reads. That is always my worst fear, so I wait, and find the way how that will give me the best opportunity of having read. I am asked weekly of when my book can be purchase as would like to buy, but forever grateful I am, it is just a segment of the market. I hope one day to find that opening, or I will not be publishing...which I cannot see happening. Yet! I am not going to settle for 4th best, it must have a chance at being read.

No, I do not have the finance for such publishing as to be seen, yet, I know, in some way, I will get to the last step, so in the mean time, I carry on improving and getting wiser to how.

You wrote brilliantly in your leading into the reviews.
Wishing you much success.
My best wishes.
RG


 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017


reply by the author on 22-Oct-2017
    Oh, so true! There are so many of these places springing up, and what's worse, so-called publishers who will publish anything as long as the writer is willing to pay. It's like a jungle for the newcomer, trying to hack through all the con-companies! Which is all the more reason writers need to stay connected, to network with one another, yes?

    Thank you, my friend - your words mean much to me.
Comment from Asem.inspirations
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Good morning, Dawn: Wow! You are absolutely amazing and i have decided to buy, "JUST BREATHE!" I will go to Amazon and type in your name and the title of the book. I will use my discover card today when I get off from work. When I receive it I will post of picture of me holding your book and my recommendation to the others about your book. I can't wait to check it out.

This share your story entry is wonderful Dawn. I do love to read your posts and I really love it that you are still here in Fan Story. Your reviews are so encouraging. You have shown me that as long as I commit myself to my writing goals and dreams, it is possible. I am not comparing myself to your brilliance, of course but after reading this story I have decided to pull my book one more time to totally perfect it and then I will push it, try my best to market it just to see if I could sell it better than I have been selling it, which is not much at all. Thank you so much for the inspiration, Dawn. You are the greatest.

 Comment Written 22-Oct-2017


reply by the author on 22-Oct-2017
    XXOO You've made me cry.
reply by the author on 22-Oct-2017
    I had to come back to add to my reply because there will always be some who misunderstand - this world can be a cruel place, and we build chips on our shoulders, one blow at a time.

    When I said you made me cry, believe me, lovely friend, it means you did what few can do in a review - in their work? Yes. I'm sometimes moved to tears. But your REVIEW was so incredibly kind, I was lost for words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.