Since I've started posting about web promotion for books, I've received several emails and Facebook messaged from authors and indie publishers telling me horror stories about contacting book bloggers and reviewers, saying most of them are unresponsive and sometimes downright nasty. In order to help you guys figure out the elements of this fickle, yet essential relationship, I've invited one of the most important independent book bloggers on the web, right now.
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Dan Schwent is a living legend on Goodreads. He has logged over thirteen hundred reviews (more than twice my number) and is ranked one of the 10 most influential reviewers out there (#7). One thing that should make him interesting to you is that he reviews (almost) exclusively genre fiction: mystery, harboiled, horror, bizarro, etc. He, simply put, is the man. He is the guy you need to impress with your novel. Perhaps even more than me, as much as I don't like to admit it. So without further ado, here is the man, the legend, the Great Dan Schwent, ladies and gentlemen.
How/why did you start writing book reviews?
Prior to Goodreads, I was always pushing books on friends and co-workers. Writing reviews on Goodreads was a natural progression, I guess. One thing that spurred me on was frustration over the lack of useful reviews for books I wanted to read. Witty lines and cat images may be entertaining but they don't really cut it for me.
You are the best rated reviewer on Goodreads that 1) Isn't listed as an author and 2) who actively reviews pulp and darker genre fiction. How did that happen?
I wish there was an interesting story about my meteoric rise. There's always a temptation to read things that I know will be big vote getters but I pretty much just keep plugging away, reading what I want to read. Since Goodreads skews heavily toward romance and young adult, it's hard to remain visible sometimes, but I have a lot of loyal followers who read the same sort of books I read. Having one or two people tell me they read a book because of me means more to me than being #1 in the rankings anway.
I think I gravitate toward crime fiction because it requires the least amount of suspension of disbelief. While I remember reading THE MALTESE FALCON in high school and RED HARVEST around the turn of the century, the Hard Case Crime Series was what really got me into crime fiction. I've read over 70 of their books and things spider-webbed out from there.
How many books a year do you read and in what moments exactly do you read during your day?
Since joining Goodreads in 2008, I've averaged around 140 books a year. This year I'll probably be lucky to crack 100 since I find the woman I'm in a relationship with more interesting than murders and double crosses.
I generally read whenever I can. I'll read for a bit before work, during my lunch hour, and in lieu of watching TV. I'm a pretty fast reader so I tend to make the most of my reading time. I'm also known to neglect household chores when I've got a particularly good book on hand.
When you're reading many books, it becomes difficult to be critical at some point. What makes a book stand out to you? Make makes one terrible? I know I have precise answers to these questions, so I'm anxious to see if you do too.
I'm big on originality. In the same way I have no interest in reading the latest Lord of the Rings retread in the fantasy genre, crime books better bring something new and interesting to the table, be it setting, character or situation. Good writing is always a plus. If a book has an uninspired title or there are clunky sentences on the first page, I'm probably not going to spend time on it. If it's supposed to be a mystery, I'd better not know who the killer is before the 75% mark. One big pet peeve of mine is when characters do obviously stupid things because the plot requires them to. If there's a killer in the house, maybe you shouldn't have sex!
How many review requests do you get per month from author and publishers and how many review copies does it actually translate into?
I probably get fifteen to twenty requests per month. Most of them are for things I'd never read, though. I probably accept two or three. Since Netgalley came along, I tend to get more ARCs from them. In the beginning, I tried to take everything that came through the pipeline but you end up reading a lot of garbage that way. My reading time is more precious than that so I've gotten way more selective over the years.
What is your preferred way of being approached for a review?
I prefer the sideways approach. By that, I mean I'd like some interaction before I get hit with the request. Hell, I knew James Thain for a couple years on Goodreads before I knew he wrote a book! Show me you're a reader first and then maybe I'll be interested in your writer side. Edward Lorn is another great example. I think he's got a big future ahead of him as a horror writer but the thing that got me interested in his books is that he's a great book reviewer and a funny son of a bitch. Things like that get me interested a lot quicker than getting bombarded with spam. A lot of authors send me book requests that feel like having a friend you haven't spoken to in years suddenly asking you to help them move a couch or drive them to the airport.
What is your worst possible story of obnoxious review request?
I don't have any really obnoxious stories I can think of. People spamming me with diet book requests and things of that nature leave me scratching my head, though. Do they even look at the books I normally read?
What's your proudest reviewer moment?
That's an easy question. My proudest accomplishment as a reviewer was when Lawrence Block started sending me things in the mail. That's when I felt like I was doing something right. When your favorite living crime writer sends you something, you drop what you're doing and read it!
How many books are in your proverbial TBR right now?
My to-read pile isn't as huge as it has been at times. I'd say about 75 physical books and 100 eBooks. I'm due to cull it soon, though. I figure if I haven't picked something up in three years, I can probably stand to get rid of it.
I know you're running a review blog aside from your Goodreads account. How is that going? Any other projects you'd like to mention?
My review blog is pretty much just an extension of my Goodreads account with some interviews thrown in. It seems publishers look more favorably upon book blogs but for me, Goodreads is the best and most convenient platform for getting your reviews out to the widest audience. Realistically, how many book blogs can one person be expected to follow?
The only side project I have going on now is photography. Buy Dantastic Photos and support my reading habit!