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Fine Art Photography Explained

 

                 The term fine art photography is probably a new term but it is so often heard now that it is a category by itself under the art of photography. Some people may, of course, be confused by the term 'fine art' being combined with 'photography'. Since photography is an art form by itself, it is actually quite natural to combine it and come out with a fine art category. Fine art, as we all know, is a form of art that showcases the artist's skills in his or her masterpieces. Now, in this type of photography, instead of using brush and paint and canvas, the artist uses modern equipment, the camera, to express his creativity and piece of art. Thus, the artist cum photographer creates a masterpiece using light, camera, lens and digital photo editing. Yes, this category of photography doesn't merely mean the artist capturing pictures using his camera. Rather, the artist will capture images in a creative manner and further enhance his images using skillful photo editing. The image will be edited, or 'painted' using the computer, in such a way that it ended up as a beautiful piece of art instead of just a plain photograph. Some photographers may scoff at this category of photographer artists and say that this group depends too much on the computer to 'save' their lousy photography skills. But let it be known that more often than not, the photographer is actually a very creative photographer who is able to capture creatively composed shots and then use his editing skills to further turn the images into works of art. The photographer is not merely relying on computer photo editing to save his 'lousy photos' but instead, he is using his artistic computer editing skill to further enhance and bring out the beauty of his work of art. It is rather similar to an artist who uses different colors to bring out his work of art. Many people also tend to confuse an artistic photographer with a photographer who uses too much photo editing to enhance his photographs. To differentiate between photographers of different categories, you only need to look at his work. An artistic photographer will produce shots that are artistic, with depth and a composition that is similar to paintings while photographers of other categories, such as photojournalism or sports, will have a totally different style of composition, lighting and editing. Nowadays, this special category photography can be applied to almost anything. If you want your pre-wedding photographs or even wedding day photographs to resemble that of an artistic masterpiece, all you need to do is to look for a skilled, creative fine art photographer to take gorgeous shots of you on your special day. You will not regret having such beautiful pictures of your wedding day or of you and your husband as photographs will last forever!

The Digital Art Photography and Illustration Revelation

 

                 The Digital Art Photography Revolution: The term "digital art photography" has been made popular in recent times, due to the use of application software that can greatly enhance the final look of a printed photograph. Definition Of An Art File: An art painting, either in oil or any other medium, can be photographed with a digital camera and the digital file is opened on any software that can enhance the resolution of the print. These software programs have been used lately, by experts to enhance digital photography to such an extent that the result prints look appreciably better than the original art painting itself. A lot of people have been testifying to the fact that art photography enhanced by these software programs, bring out a lot more detail of an art painting than may be instantly observable on the original. Places To Get These Free Software Programs: To get a software program that can digitally enhance the final print of your photography, you may type "photography software programs" or "digital photography enhancement" on any search engine and you will find relevant software programs that you may download for free, with all its functionality. Try the functionality one after the other, to find the functionality that produces the best result. You may also go to help topics to find tutorials on how to effectively use them. Website To View Typical Enhanced Digital Art Photography And Make Some Money: You can purchase art photography files, at sites that offer good quality products whose prints you can be sure will be beautiful. Some sites offer limited prints for their files that is their files are programmed in such a way that the buyer can only print as many as he or she has paid for. Some sites also provide ready made prints that are transported to the buyers address framed or unframed. There are also a few sites that offer unlimited number of prints but they do not sell in this type of format to a large number of buyers, usually a few buyers before they revert to the more recognized format of limited prints. You should also learn as you view these sites by comparing their products with what you are working on. When you decide to buy the works you may do so and you may print the art files and observe this phenomenon for yourself and eventually make it a decoration work or you may print numerous copies and give to your friends as a gift of love or to promote your site.

Fine Art Photography - Interior Design

 

                    Fine art photography can give a contemporary touch as an interior decoration element and can be framed choosing from a wide selection of matting and framing solutions to suit the interior decoration of the living space or office. If you feel that your living space needs a change of mood, adorning the walls with fine art photography may be the right solution that could give the necessary impact to bring about such a change. Black and white photography in particular, has been regarded as an interior design element for many decades and has been used to give a classy modern touch to any interior living space. Using the latest printing technology, fine art photography can be reproduced on canvass, stretched and hang directly on the wall to give a cool modern look to your interior decoration. Fine art photography is also regarded as a valuable investment by art collectors, especially when the piece is signed by the artist. As an element of interior decoration, various subjects of fine art photography could suit different living spaces. A living room could be adorned with a variety of subjects according to the feeling the dwellers want to impart to it. Evocative black and white photographs of a city such as Paris, Venice or Rome for example, may give a romantic feel to the living space. Flowers may also impart a similar feel and basically any subject portrayed in a way that evokes romance, in any of the endless forms the theme can take. It is said that photographs of natural landscapes have a soothing effect on the interior space where they are placed, which could affect in a positive way the mood of its dwellers. Color landscapes of sunsets or sunrises for instance, could bring a relaxing and inspiring mood in the living spaces and are particularly suited for bedrooms living rooms and halls. Seascapes, pictures of beaches, lakes and basically any photograph with the theme of water, can be a good choice for the bathroom, where they may resonate with other decoration items and accessories having a similar theme or color. Imaginative photographs of food, still lives with vegetables, fruits or photographs with a Mediterranean feel are often chosen for adorning the kitchen walls. The choice of color or black and white photographs, is normally made according to the style of the interior, the furniture and the other decorative elements. Sometimes a colorful framing is used with black and white photographs and often this contrasty combination works well making the black and white image stand out. The color of the framing is normally chosen according to the color scheme of other decoration elements, furniture, accessories, etc. Fine art photography, as compared to other forms of fine art, has the added element of being realistic. This intrinsic element of the medium, has the power of strongly engaging with the viewer. In fact, the subject of a photograph is always real, even when it is portrayed in a surrealistic manner. Reality, as pre-visualized by the eye of the artist photographer, is converted into a two-dimensional art form. A good fine art photography image embodies in itself the real world, or an interpretation of it, and the unfathomable world, to which aesthetics, creativity and inspiration belong to.

Definition of Art Photography Female Form

 

                  I have a giant pet peeve when it comes to what Americans "think" is art photography of the female form. Most people think of the photographs in Playboy Magazine as being art photography. I don't. Fundamentalist would on the whole classify art photography of the female form (especially the nude) as pornography. It's definitely not that. So what is it? First of all when you think of people photographing the female form, especially the nude female form, there is a whole hierarchy of classification. I would put pornography at the very bottom and I definitely would not define it in any way as artful but rather degrading. At the very top of that hierarchy would be art photography of the nude female form. When you gaze at an artistic photograph of the female form right away you can tell that the model is being posed and lit with the utmost respect. Always try to decern the intent of the photographer. Is he/she being gratuitous in any way or is the photographer trying to make a statement about the beauty of the human body. Look again, do you get the sense that the photographer is honoring the subject matter by rendering an image that speaks first and foremost to the viewers highest sensibilites. Do you get the feeling that the nude is being photographed as though it were akin to a lovely landscape? A good example of art photography of the female form are the images of Alfred Cheney Johnston who was the premier Ziegfeld Follies photographer during the Jazz Age. Most of his photography was of the stars of the Follies. But it was discovered after his death that he'd done a number of photographs using nude models. If you look at the photographs of his clothed models right next to those images of the nude models you will fine no difference in his intent to take artful photographs. In all his images he shows nothing but a fine artist's artistic approach to shooting photographs of the female form. You can see that his intent is always to glorify women and their place in the world. So the next time you look at a photograph of a woman, I hope you will have a better understanding of what constitutes art photography of the female form. Art photography will ALWAYS be based in integrity and the classic rules of the fine arts.

The Magic of Art Photography

 

                     One of the most emotional components of photography is the study of art photography. People naturally love or despise a photograph much as they love or despise a particular painting or sculpture. Art photography has the ability to move viewers past just looking at an object or image to seeing an emotion, a passion or a concept that stirs the thoughts as well as the feelings within an individual. What is it about art photography that moves people and invokes emotional responses? Often viewers themselves cannot determine exactly what causes this extreme response within themselves when presented with an image. Some of the most famous art photographers such as Ansel Adams, Anne Geddes or Dorthea Lange all had a specific topic or theme they photographed, often representing the images in ways that were not typical of how they would normally be viewed. The following artists have all contributed to the development of art photography by using themes in their photography: * Anne Geddes - famous for her many pictures of babies, this art photographer is one of the most well-known modern photographers. Her works are often featured on cards, calendars and books. * Dorthea Lange - best known for her amazing and haunting photographs of the depression, Dorthea Lange also did some photographs capturing the internment of the Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Due to the sensitive nature and political climate of the time, many of these photographs were not released until 1972. * Ansel Adams - amazing and breathtaking photographs, usually in black and white, of nature at its finest. Ansel Adams used his camera to show the world the beauty of National Parks such as Yosemite. * Galen Rowell - famous adventure photographer that has captured wildlife and nature from around the world. His photographs range from the wildlife and terrain of Africa through to the Antarctic. * Henri Cartier-Bresson - these strikingly moving photographs of people of all ages are very thought provoking. While some of the subjects of the photographs such as Truman Capote and John Houston are well known, many of the photographs are of everyday people with no special fame or renown. * Jim Brandenburg - this artist features very close up and detailed photographs of wolves in nature. Brandenburg often spent literally hours waiting in extreme conditions for just the right angle and shot. All art photography is a combination of luck and technical discipline. Being able to wait for just the right light, expression or movement to capture what the photographer is trying to explore is both an art and a science. Those art photographers that have become famous for their talent and training have spent years developing techniques and styles that make their pictures truly unique. Learning art photography is a wonderful way to capture images to save for future generations.

Sell Your Art Photography in Person or Online

 

                    For the artists who create beautiful, unique art photography, there are basically two ways that you can sell your work. One is to take your art photos to an art fair and set them up in a booth. Art fairs occur throughout most state during the summertime. Another way to display your art for sale is to post it on an online site that offers you a virtual display booth from home. Before creating any type of display to sell your art photography, you will need to research the facilities and determine what your best options are. In addition, it will be beneficial to add other items to the display in order to get more attention from a larger number of people. The more time you take to prepare before displaying the art photos, the more likely your art photography business is to be successful. In order to help you prepare a more effective display for your work, here are some simple tips to get you started: Choose a theme for your photo art business that will help get attention to your display. A theme not only creates more interest, it also provides you with a system for keeping your different photos organized. Look online for websites that have art fairs posted. Different types of events have various fees for registering in addition to providing guidelines by which you must abide in order to create a display on their site or at their location. Choose a photo that you think is your best work. Use this as your main display piece and post it on your booth. Always start your plan by looking into the locations that offer displays for art photography so that you can choose a variety of venues. Local universities, art fairs and various other events may afford you some good opportunities. Select appropriate colors to use for mounting your photos. Even if you prefer to use temporary mounts, this will add a layer of protection to your art work so that it won't become damaged from being handled. Take advantage of every opportunity to build your brand. Always take business cards along to your events and, if allowed, post your photo on the outside of your booth to let customers get familiar with your face and make the connection to your work. These are some simple details that can play a big role in boosting your art photography business. Start your plans early and be ready to make the most of every opportunity.

Special Lighting Required for Art Photography

 

                        It would seem that art photography should be one of the easiest forms to accomplish since the subject usually doesn't move, but unless the photographer uses appropriate lighting the full beauty of the object could be lost in the shadows. For many, art photography has a variety of meanings and for most it is the vision that is visible to the photographer as they attempt to present their view to others. Whether the image is of a person, place or thing, the photograph is considered art by the photographer and many times everyday objects are pictured under certain lighting conditions in order to highlight the shadows, or obscure them, in the final rendition. With today's use of digital technology, photographers do not have to wait until natural lighting is at just the right stage to illuminate their subjects, as was the case a few years ago with landscapes staged as art. Digital enhancements on the computer as opposed to enhancements in the darkroom have opened the windows much wider for art photography to become more easily manipulated than in the past. However, for others taking pictures of art works requires better lighting techniques, regardless of the type of photography used. In some instances of art photography filling in the shadows with well-placed lighting improves the quality while adjusting shadows by the use of lighting can offer a different perspective to the same piece. The ability of the photographer to visualize the outcome before the picture is taken is the sign of a true artist, even with today's digital opportunities. Previously, several exposures may have to have been taken in order to replicate the mood of the picture taken through art photography. Today's digital photography allows the photographer to see the work almost immediately and either accept the outcome or retake the image. As a medium, photography has gained much more acceptance as an art form than it had in the past. Even as recently as 50 or 60 years ago photography was not considered an art form as most believed a mechanical reproduction was not true art. More recently it has been accepted that the eye of the photographer and the images they could see and capture were as much a form of art as a painter with a brush. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism, which provides a visual account for news events, and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to advertise products or services.

How to Start a Fine Art Photography Business

 

                  The definition of fine art, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "art concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects". With such a "wide" definition of "beautiful objects", the beauty is in the eyes of the photographer. Virtually anything can be fine art, a simple household item such as a fork, a nude body, travel, landscape, wildlife, a landscape. Not everyone will agree on what constitutes fine art, many years ago I was awed by the sight of the Sydney Opera House, and thought it was the most beautiful building In Australia. However I remember thinking that it perfectly complemented Australia, it would look pretty silly in the centre of Madrid. However if you don't like the Sydney Opera House, then it does not matter how great the photo you are not going to like it. So whatever constitutes Fine Art photography is a pretty subjective decision. School of Photography give you a good idea of what will constitute in their view Fine Art photography. For many photographers this is an ideal line of work, because it allows you to represent a part of your personality, through your work. It is possible to make a political statement by being a fine arts photographer. A clear analogy here would be the emergence of the acceptance of the gay male in photography, over the last thirty years. In it's wide ranging definition it is possible to be more creative, and in this creativity be more personal. There are a lot of resources on the Web regarding fine art. One of the better ones concerning resources and links is http://art-support.com/links.htm There are excellent links to photographers' web sites, as well as grants available to the photographer. Because the definition of Fine Art photography is so wide, it has perhaps a more specific marketing need. Fortunately there are more ways to market them than just stock photographic galleries It may be advantageous for you to think about engaging the services of a full time sales representative. A sales representative will work with clients in the advertisement industry, the travel industry, and also graphic design firms. The advantage of employing a sales rep is that it leaves you free to create without the hassle of "cold selling". If you are not a natural salesperson, it may be better for you to consider someone else doing the selling. That person should also be able to evaluate the true value of your work, be experienced enough to know where to get the prices, as well as having a proven track record in negotiating the best prices. There are other advantages as well. Companies using a wide and diverse range of photographs, such as advertisement agencies, will have more time for a sales rep, who has a large portfolio of work, from different clients, than from one single photographer. By the nature of their work sales reps are normally found in larger cities and towns, they will have a large client base of their own, and will probably promote your work in specialised areas, such as food photographer, or portrait photographer. So how does the relationship work? Normally the sales rep will already have their own business, and they will work for you on a commission only basis. You will pay them approximately 30 percent of the assignment fee, that is the net fee, not the final figure with expenses added on. How to work out if this relationship will be advantageous to you, balances many factors. If you have developed a highly personalised style as a photographer, then you need to target specific areas to sell the photographs. Perhaps you do not live in a large city and have the right contacts. You have already made a portfolio of work that you would like to specialise in. It may not be cheaper for you to hire a rep, because you may still have to advertise locally to maintain your own business that you have developed, but you are paying a rep on extra sales that you did not have before. It will certainly increase the profitability of your business if you have no time to devote to increasing the number of your clients. You have decided that this path is for you, - how do you go about it. One idea is to investigate the names of the best advertisement agencies nearest to you, your local reference library can be of assistance here, as can yellow pages. You can phone them direct and ask them the names and the contact numbers of their reps. The Writer's Digest publish an annual "Photographer's Market Book", this book now lists photographic reps, and it will also help you market your work with lists of fine art reps, as well as galleries and stock agencies.

Getting Started in a Career in Modern Art Photography

 

                  Modern art photography has become a popular art form that is recognized around the world. Unlike simple amateur photography, today's modern photography comes with a high price tag. It includes a large range of topics including nature, portraits, journalism, and those photos used to express glamor and beauty, in particular those in the world of fashion. The photos used to convey modern art are intense and often provoke emotion from the observer. Some modern art photographers have been the recipients of accolades or awards for their accomplishments in their photography careers. Thought-provoking photos that symbolize war and combat are just some of those which have gotten the highest levels of recognition and praise. Creating the exceptional results of this caliber is in the hands of the photographer. Although having the right equipment to get these results is essential, so is having the skills and the imagination that goes into these incredible works of art. You will need to start with a digital or SLR camera, a number of accessories including UV filters and assorted lenses that will give you more options for creating a professional looking photo. Many of today's modern digital cameras also give you the option of turning your photos into videos. Having the right equipment for your photography needs will help you develop your skills and learn the techniques that make your art work stand out from the rest. It will give you more options for taking photos that have the features that people will want to look at. When choosing your equipment, you will want to consider where you will be taking photos. Different types of equipment are required for indoor photography than for photos taken outdoors. Tripods are useful for keeping cameras steady and preventing blurring while accessories such as camera cranes, remote heads and dollies can help you give your photos a more professional appeal. Brands matter when it comes to getting a professional quality camera that will get you the results you want. You can get digital SLR cameras that are made for modern art photography in top names like Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Sony and Olympus at prices that range from $50 to those which cost $2000 or more. You also have more options for storing and printing your modern art photography today. Flash drives and memory cards are used to transfer images to computers or printers where you can store, edit or print according to your specifications.

FAP - Fine Art Photography

 

               Fine art photography (FAP) refers to photographs that are made in the creative vision of the photographer as an artist. Fine art photography generally stands in contrast to photojournalism, which is a visual account of news events or a record of things, places and people. Commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to advertise products or services, is generally held apart from fine art as well. That said in my experience the commercial and journalistic often slops over into fine art. If one reviews the history of photography it quickly become clear that well made image narratives, produced for journalistic or commercial purposes, frequently become objects of art. Often but not always this transition takes place well after the journalistic or commercial significance has passed. If one examines the enduring images from the great photographic publications of the past, the truth of this can easily be verified. Today many truly great images can be seen on the web, produced from the present journalistic and commercial traditions. I could find no generally accepted definition(s) of the terms "art photography", "artistic photography" or "fine art photography. Definitions are found in articles, essays and reference books in all media forms. What seems to be lacking is the generally or universally accepted part. (see: Wikipedia-Fine-art photography for examples.) The balance of this essay is more personal opinion dependent than academic. One significant difference between an artistic rendering and fine art is the level of emotion created by the image's narrative. An artistic rendering, of a really great image. that is creatively presented is surely art. Fine art takes that rendering one or two steps further into an emotional place that transcends the propose or location. Art in general and fine art almost always has a transcendence or universality that just images can not quite match. Fine art melds together all the compositional, technical and transcendence qualities to give it and its narrative a true universality. I have been at this photography business, all be it hesitantly at first, since I was 11, that is (58 years). Over that time I have made images for just about any purpose one can imagine. In my mind or better to my taste, I have created fine art works in most if not all of them. The exception is probably in the classification snapshots. Got a few really good ones but no true art. In attempting to create the best possible images, of what ever subject and purpose was holding my interest, I found my creative vision could often be satisfied. I should also note that while my vision was frequently satisfied, my technical competence or the limitations of the equipment of the day, did not always yield stellar results. A truly artistic image, regardless of subject or purpose has the qualities, often intangible, of what I call fine art. I have some training and education in art history. I understand the principles of composition and most of the technical aspects of most, if not all art forms. Don't misunderstand, I claim no pretense to full competence for any except photography. As I Found It and Ideal Totem (my two stock photo services) hold well over 4,000 images (at the time of writing). A very high proportion of these stock images qualify as art. They are good and well presented, even the textures and patterns tell their story well. Some are probably even great. Perhaps not quite as many as my ego would like, but still a good number. None are true Fine Art. A small percentage of my work has been selected to be offered as, highly limited, special fine art editions. These editions will be presented in physical format that has the same listing quality as the images themselves. In a world of Fine Art images are often classified the same way as paintings. For example: Impressionism, Abstract, Realism and so on. Fine Art implies the imposition of the creative mind over reality except in the Realism school. Impressionism is more concerned with the spirit of a subject than accurate rendering. Abstraction realities on a different external world view often reducing the subject to geometric shapes, lines and zone of color. The photographer can and does do this too. His tool box is different. Gone are brushes and palette knife. He substitutes one technology for another. Digital based art and modern photography is that, has the potential to become over produced and ubiquitous. No matter how good a work is, if reality and uniqueness are not preserved then it becomes ordinary and cheep. The power or feeling created by the image as not been lost it is the commonality that causes it to become devalued.

The Illegitimate Book Reviewers And How to Spot Them

 

Authors need book reviews to sell their books, and of course they want great ones. Authors who learn their craft, do their research, and produce quality, well-written books deserve good endorsements, and by putting in the proper time and effort, such authors usually receive glowing praise from reviewers. But even good books can receive bad reviews-and I don't mean reviews that say negative things about the book. I'm talking about ones written by people not qualified, no matter how highly esteemed, to write them. Why are they not qualified? Because they do not read the books. Let's face it. Books are a business, and reviewers know authors need them. Free reviews are becoming harder and harder to find. Reviewers are now being paid for their services, and they should be; their time is valuable, and reading a book and writing a decent review can take many hours. Authors need to be prepared to pay for the service and to realize it's a business investment, just like advertising and marketing, where money is invested in hopes it will result in book sales. But unscrupulous people-let's call them illegitimate book reviewers-are willing to prey upon authors' needs. They realize they can make money off an author without providing a legitimate service. Let's say you make $100 for every book you review, and it takes you eight hours to read a book. That's $100 a day. But wouldn't it be nice to make $200 or $400 or $1,200 a day? What if, instead of reading the books, you just skimmed them, or you just regurgitated what the back cover said? Think how many fake ones you could pump out, and how much money you could make, while giving authors what they want. So what if the review is only four sentences? As long as you give it five stars at Amazon, the author will be happy, right? Cha-ching! Sadly, yes, in many cases, authors have been happy. But mostly they are first-time or self-published authors new to the business who got lucky getting accurate descriptions of their books. I've known many such authors rave about how their book was rated by one of these "esteemed" or "top" reviewers, often one close to the top in Amazon's rankings. Early on when I started offering book reviews, I realized it was unlikely I would ever be ranked in Amazon's Top 10, not because my reviews lacked quality or I didn't cover enough books, but simply because I was not a robot, and I actually read the books. If you look at Amazon's list of top Amazon reviewers, many of them have reviewed over 5,000 books. If you are a service with several reviewers on staff, that number is understandable, but most of the top ranked are individuals. How can this be? Even if it's your full time job and you could read a book a day, or even two books a day, that's only ten a week or about five hundred a year. You'd have to have been reviewing at Amazon for ten years to break 5,000. Okay, I guess that's possible, but take a look at some of the top ones on Amazon. Some of them have posted on up to fifteen books a day. Yes, some of them are legitimate and write quality write-ups, so I don't mean to disparage those individuals. Granted, a few of these people might be speed readers, but the jury is still out on the legitimacy of speed reading. I had a friend who claimed to be a speed reader. I gave her three mystery novels to read that she returned to me the next day. When I asked her whether she had figured out who the murderer was in one book, she couldn't remember "whodunit." If you're reading so fast you can't retain the basic plot, you're not really reading the book. Worse, some of these write-ups have nothing to say that an author can even use. I've seen some that are only three or four sentences of plot summary without anything that states the book is "good, excellent, engaging, or not to be missed." An author can't get a blurb for a back cover if a review only summarizes but does not rate the book's quality. Still worse, many of what authors hope will be useful endorsements for their books end up, because the books weren't read but text was quickly reworded from the back cover, with characters' names misspelled, factual errors about the plot, and sometimes even mistakes about the theme, content, and whole point of the book-all dead giveaways a book was never read. Sometimes the plot summaries then only result in confusion, and if a reader is confused, he's not going to buy a book or waste his time reading it. Some authors might not care about such details. If the review is good, it's good enough to sell books, right? But if it's misleading, readers are not going to be happy when the books they buy do not reflect what is said about them. Hopefully, when readers have those experiences, they'll know better than to trust those reviewers again. Sadly, as long as money is involved, illegitimate reviewers won't be going away any time soon. But as an author who is payin

Steps on Becoming a Book Reviewer

 

So you want to be a book reviewer. You love to read books and you think you can make some extra money by writing book reviews, or maybe you're an author who is a bit frustrated that you can't get reviews so you decide to start reviewing books yourself, or you think by writing reviews, you might get people interested in reading your books. Those are all great reasons to become a book reviewer, but how do you go about it, and what standards or guidelines do you need to follow? Book Reviewer Qualifications In this Internet age, anyone can be a book reviewer, but some basic qualifications are needed to become established as a reputable and reliable one. You don't need a Ph.D. in English, you don't have to be an expert in anything, and you don't have to be an author. But you do need to have a good command of the English language and be able to express yourself well. You also want to have a professional attitude, be fair, and be thoughtful about how you express your opinion, not only reacting based upon your own preferences but also considering the book's intended audience and what you think the majority opinion may be toward the book. In short, being balanced yet honest are key qualities for a successful book reviewer. Getting Started People get started reviewing books in numerous ways. Many authors begin by swapping books and writing reviews for each other as a way of mutually supporting their fellow authors. You might want to begin by writing reviews and posting them at Amazon or Barnes & Noble's websites, or any of the reader/book lover sites such as LibraryThing. You might even decide to set up your own blog or website where you can post your book reviews. Today, many bloggers are their own independent book reviewers. If you don't want to run your own blog, you might connect with bloggers to be their guest book reviewer. Don't overlook the possibilities of reviewing online or in print-potential homes for your book reviews are endless. If you really want to learn the ropes of book reviewing, you may want to start out by writing reviews for an established book review service or publication. While print publications are phasing out book reviews, many magazines and newspapers still carry reviews. Some of these publications have an established book reviewer or book review team while others solicit reviews. Send a query to the publication and ask whether it would be interested in a review of a specific book, or whether you can write reviews for them-many of them receive books in the mail that they might be willing to send you. Online review services, including Reader Views, Review the Book, and Feathered Quill Reviews also have book review teams. Many of these services are set up so readers can choose the books they want to review. Some of these services offer monetary compensation for reviewing books while others offer only a copy of the book to be reviewed as compensation. In either case, it's a great way to get started earning your book reviewer credentials. Finding Your Niche as a Reviewer At first, you might want to review any book you can to earn your credentials and become known as a book reviewer, but over time, you might decide you want to become an expert reviewer for certain types of books, such as romance novels or self-help. Several reviewers/bloggers exist who focus solely on one type of book. If you are already an author, you may want to review books similar to yours, whether they are mysteries, thrillers, or cookbooks. If you have certain credentials, such as being an archeologist, a history professor, or a licensed psychologist, you may want to focus on reviewing books in those fields. If you're a stay-at-home mom, you may want to review children's books or parenting books. And by all means, don't forget the self-published authors. Yes, you might like to read John Grisham's novels, but he probably doesn't need your book reviews to boost sales, so consider writing a review for a self-published author who just wrote his first thriller and is trying to get exposure. That way, you will both be doing each other a favor, promoting the book together through your review. Self-published authors can be extremely grateful for your help and then refer their friends to you so you can quickly build your credentials and clientele. Reviewing for Money When you start out being a reviewer, you probably want to review some books for free just to get your name out there and build up your credentials. You might offer your services to the members of an authors association and give a special low price for a review. Many authors are not going to pay $50, much less $600 for a book review (yes, there are reviewers who charge $600), but they might be willing to give you a copy of their book and $25. As you become known and increase your credentials, you can always charge more. Don't be embarrassed about charging to write reviews. You

Book Marketing - 3 Tips For an Online Book Review

 

Book marketing used to require live book tours, where authors visited bookstores all over the country, making speeches and reading from their books. These tours were supplemented by book reviews in newspapers and magazines. Reviewers in those print media would receive complimentary review copies, often in pre-publication form as Advance Reading Copies (ARCs). Today fewer publishers are willing to pay for live book tours and few authors enjoy the hassles of 21st century air travel followed by impersonal hotel rooms. These days more and more authors and publishers are turning to online reviews, especially reviews published in the Amazon online community. Amazon has become so critical to book sales that publishers now send ARCs to ordinary people who are the most prolific and effective online reviewers. Authors allocate a hefty portion of their publishing budget to getting online book reviews. Yet many authors hold inaccurate beliefs about what they need to get an online book review. The steps are actually quite simple and easy to follow. First, there is no need to pay anyone to write a review for your book. You will be wasting money and you will most likely not get a quality review. A better idea: Use your book review budget to buy extra review copies and send them to the reviewers who seem most suited to review books in your field. If your book is a how-to manual for training an adopted dog, look for reviewers who seem to like books about dogs. Some will even mention the breed of their dog in their reviews and/or online bios. Second, offer reviewers a complete hard copy of your book. A hard copy doesn't mean a hard back book; most reviewers will work with paperbacks. However, reviewers often resist reading pdf copies online and they most likely will balk at the idea of printing their own copy of a 250-page book at their expense. With the increasing popularity of readers, these preferences may change. Always ask before sending a pdf file and be prepared to offer a print copy. Third, after someone agrees to review your book, simply send the book. You do not need to send promotional material. Editors of print book review sections and managers of book stores will be concerned with the book's publicity plans. Most online reviewers are ordinary people who just want a good book. Do not write to the reviewer asking, "Where is my review?" Reviewers tend to have stacks of books on their coffee tables, all awaiting review. They may choose not to review a book if they realize they would have to write a negative review, especially if the book appears self-published or from a very small press. While it's nice to get a thank you note after a review, this step is not at all necessary. Even more important, do not complain about your review. A few negative or neutral reviews might actually help your book. Readers realize you didn't get all your friends to write puff pieces.

My Game of Thrones Reading Adventure

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

First things first. I'm such a big fan of the HBO series A Game of Thrones. I can honestly say I may never have picked up the books if I hadn't watched the shows. If you're thinking "How can you watch the show and then read the books" I always try to read the book before the tv/movie, but I loved the show so much that I knew there had to be more details that I was missing, so I started A Game of Thrones about a year ago. Yes, a year ago! A Game of Thrones is over 800 pages in hardcover form, so it's not easy to carry around. I decided to get the e-book for my iPad, but I would only get like 10 pages and then a tweet/email/gchat would distract me.

Each chapter of A Game of Thrones is told from a different point of view so at first it was difficult keeping track of who was where. Reading A Game of Thrones was about studying the characters and how the book is different from the show. I found that the book and the show are really close, but you do learn more about the past and Ned's promises to his sister Lyanna. There are a number flashbacks and dreams that were never shown on the show that I'm glad I got to learn about. Some people only got creepier in the book. Yes, I'm looking at you Cersei Lannister! If you love the show and are looking for a fantasy novel then pick this one up! Don't let the size of the book or the hype deter you, it's a great read.

I loved A Game of Thrones so much that I started Clash of Kings, book two in the series. Interesting side note a number of YA authors are big fans of A Game of Thrones, the books and the show!

Guest Post: Letting Go of Plans to Make Way for the Real Story

Please help me welcome Nichole Giles author of DESCENDANT. Nichole is guest posting on letting go of plans.



When I first started writing Descendant, the entire concept revolved around the fact that my main character, Abby, had some extraordinary abilities. Originally, she could do a lot of other things, but as I got writing the story, I realized that I was in over my head, and that the story was going to be way too complicated. If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up with a story about another super hero.

Don’t get me wrong, super heroes are extremely cool. I’m a big fan of super heroes. But as I got to know Abby and Kye, I realized that they are so much more human than anything else. And rather than make them invincible, I allowed them to keep the powers that sort of made them who they are, and then I gave the rest away to other characters, or dropped the abilities altogether.

Once I made that decision, the story came alive in a way it never had before. I figured out where their powers came from, why they each have the abilities they do, and why those abilities are so important to the story. Also, it was doing this that brought up Abby and Kye’s connection, and the history behind it. That connection has become a backbone for the plot, and one of the things that keeps them moving through it.

By letting go of what I thought this story was going to be, I discovered what it truly is.

Abby and Kye’s journey has evolved over a long time, and the story has changed dramatically in the process. But the things that have remained consistent are Abby’s ability to Heal others, and her intuitive ability to See things. The love story hasn’t changed much either, actually. It’s just become deeper and more refined. So there’s that.

I’m a fan of love stories, so everything I write will involve some romance. It’s just who I am as a writer. Love at first sight? Check. Long lost kindred souls? Check. People and circumstances trying to tear the lovers apart? Check. And guess what? Other than the love at first sight thing (which was part of the very, very first draft of this story forever and ever ago) Abby and Kye’s story evolved organically. Most of what happens between them wasn’t planned in advance.

A bit of trivia: there is one scene that started it all, including the special abilities and everything else that evolved from that. It’s a scene between Abby and Kye. While it changed somewhat in the revision process, it is, to me, the truest part of the story.

Anyone want to guess which scene it is? Leave your guesses in the comments for a chance to win a signed Descendant bookmark.

 
About DESCENDANT: Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed-or cursed-with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he's a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she's not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it's not only Abby's life at stake.

Praise for DESCENDANT: "A hot new spin on paranormal, Descendant is refreshingly imaginative and powerful. I can't decide which was best -- piecing together Abby's sinister past or keeping up with her heartbreaking future. If you like your YA laced with melt-my-heart romance and a good helping of heart-pounding suspense, you'll love this book!" -- Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of The Breakaway

"This debut novel delivers in all the right ways, with heart-pounding action and a delicious romance that sweeps centuries. I loved it!" --Elana Johnson, author of Possession and Surrender

Thanks for participating! And don’t forget to enter the Descendant Blog Tour giveaway provided by Nichole Giles!

HERO'S GUIDE BLOG TOUR

I'm so happy to be part of the HERO'S GUIDE BLOG TOUR! I just finished THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING THE KINGDOM and it's so funny. This is such a special occasion, because I have had authors, bloggers and reviewers on my blog, but this is the first time I've had a prince! Who is this prince? Well you can learn all about him below! The tour is just getting started, so there will be a giveaway, a twitter chat, and hello did I mention a prince?

Prince Liam
Occupation: Prince, hero
Affiliation: Founding member, League of Princes
Kingdom of Origin: Erinthia
Current Residence: Royal Palace of Harmonia
Parents: King Gareth & Queen Gertrude
Sibling: Princess Lila
Longtime Foe: Deeb Rauber (a.k.a. the Bandit King)
Likes: Saving lives, exercise, capes
Dislikes: Evildoers, bards, melon
Signature Move: The Double-Flip Half-Twist Disarming Sword Thrust with a Cape Flourish
Quote: “I am Liam of Erinthia. And you can consider yourself rescued.”
Little Known Fact: Once defeated a team of bandits while armed with nothing but an empty birdcage and a lemon wedge.

Storming the Castle Giveaway: The first THREE entrants today will receive signed copies of THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE and EVERYONE who enters is eligible to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice. You will need this SECRET CODE to enter the giveaway: Prince Charming. Enter here. *Update the link is working*

Twitter Chat: Join New York Times Bestselling author Marissa Meyer and Christopher Healy for a Twitter Chat on fractured fairy tales on Monday, June 3rd at 9pm ET. Hashtag #talesretold. There will be giveaways!

Tour Stops: If you want to link to other stops on the tour – you will find those here: http://waldenpondpress.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-heros-guide-heroes-guide-now-with.html

Review: Such A Rush

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Source: Advance Readers Copy

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars


I love the gritty trailer park feel of Such A Rush. Leah is a girl who has every reason to be dysfunctional and yet she is kind and has a quiet fierceness about herself. The more I read about Leah the more I wanted to protect her.  Most people have made up their mind about Leah and they judge her for her looks and for where she comes from. Instead of lashing out Leah shows how strong she really is.

Greyson, her boss's son treats her like dirt and accuses her of sleeping with his dad. Greyson is such a jerk considering that Leah has always had a crush on him. Why are guys such jerks sometimes?

There are moments where you see how sheltered Leah really is, like the fact that she doesn't know how to drive or swim. Then there are other times where she uses her looks as a shield. When her best friend Molly convinces her to go to a party Leah dresses like the girl they all expect her to be. People call her names and treat her like crap and Molly is no where around. I don't think Molly was always a great friend.

Jennifer Echols gives you the most dysfunctional mother I have seen in YA literature and while I get that its a main obstacle I really wanted someone to be there for Leah. I wish the mother-daughter role had been developed a little more.

I think contemporary fans will really enjoy Such A Rush.  Such a Rush is my first Jennifer Echols novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future. I would love to see a follow up novella to check in on Leah.

May What I'm Reading Now

Hi All! Here is my schedule. Feel free to join me and then we can discuss. Also I am always up for taking recommendations. If you check my blog often you will find I add and remove books just depending on my moods. What are you reading or looking forward to reading this month?

Currently Reading:



Currently Audio Book:



Next:


Just Finished:



A little side note but I want to celebrate that after almost a year I have finally finished GAME OF THRONES and yes I loved it!

Signed Book Giveaway Hop

I'm so happy that Kathy has a signed book giveaway hop, because I collect signed books and if you have visited my blog before then you know that most of my giveaways are signed books. So I searched and searched for the perfect book and I decided on Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers. I have met Lisa a few times and last year I picked up an extra copy of Personal Demons to giveaway on my blog. So today is that day! All entries must be via rafflecopter form.


a Rafflecopter giveaway