For those who say Twitter is for the self-involved and the narcissistic only, here is a tiny little PSA: some of us use it as a networking tool. I found my latest writing endeavor there – and it was the only place it was posted. So, nyah.
Thanks to tips from Lisa Johnston, I’ve been writing books reviews for Library Journal for the past couple of years, in contemporary fiction and mystery. It’s been fun but also something I take pretty seriously. I read carefully and weigh my recommendations; Library Journal has traditionally been a collection development tool for libraries. My personal opinion matters, but I have to consider the fact that certain books will have appeal to broader audiences for public libraries, blahblahblah. Enter Twitter.
I follow one of the main book review editors for LJ because she is an absolute riot, and she got my attention by following me (in the Twitter sense, not in some bizarre godawful real life stalking) after some library-related post. She tweeted this summer that they were looking for someone to write a column reviewing memoirs. I jumped and applied. One of my conference buddies had laughed at me once for picking up a crazy-looking title at ALA (oddly enough, reviewed just last week by my co-columnist). When she asked why I enjoyed memoirs, I replied that true stories of people’s messed-up lives always made me feel better about my own. It was a flippant remark, but for the most part, it’s turned out to be true. For every memoir that’s blown me away, for every survivor story I’ve admired, a teeny piece of me has thought “WHEW. I’m SO glad that never happened in my life.”
In any case, long story short, I’m now reviewing memoirs, 5-7 a month, and writing a column for a publication of LJ’s called BookSmack! My first column came out in their September 16th issue http://bit.ly/9MaXXQ and you can get straight to it here: http://bit.ly/dsTeyl Just, you know, if you’re interested. (There are also RSS and email subscription features available on the site… Ok, I’ll stop plugging now.)
I have a co-columnist- the publication comes out twice a month and we alternate the column. I’ve found that it’s a tremendous undertaking, but really, quite rewarding. I’m settling into the format and I find that since my editors loved the take I gave them with my “What I’m Telling My Friends” brutal-honesty addition, I have a freedom in reporting my reviews that I don’t have in my regular reviewing style. It changes the way I read. I’m trying to be just as careful when I approach a book, but I don’t want to be irresponsible when budgets are tighter than ever. It seems that self-publishing is flourishing while loads of crap still get through reputable publishing houses. The mind reels.
Oh, and just in case something untoward should happen to me… yeah. I’d look first at that Wookiee author. He’s not going to be very happy with me, and I don’t think I’ve done a very good job at hiding my whereabouts, or the fact that my toothless lazy hound dog is NOT an exceptional guard dog. Just saying. Thanks.
Categories: American Library Association, Pop Culture, SBC Library Services