Damning with faint praise

I subscribe to Publishers Weekly. I think I need ALL the book news, and goodness knows, they cover most of the big business of it.

I like to keep track of the bestsellers. And I love to know Dr. Seuss is still killing it. New authors. Old authors with new deals. 

And some reviews.

Print edition has over 17,000 subscribers and is read by over 68,000 booksellers, publishers, public and academic librarians, wholesalers, distributors, educators, agents and writers.

Back to reviews because I read them when my magazine arrives in the mail. I SAVOR Publishers Weekly. I treat it like Reader's Digest back in the day. There is a system in place.

PW is:

cover story

top ten this week

bestseller lists

book reviews

book life

whatever story caught my eye

advertisements with new books

The reviews? Some are a bit salty:

"the author fumbles the ball"

"this ambitious swing for the fences connects more than it misses" yay?

"her plot has grown too tangled to satisfy"

Now I ponder, is a review in PW worth it? If the review comes out to a 4 or 5...does that hurt your book? Or, is the clout from having the review in PW high enough to overshadow the rest?

I realize reviews are a hit and miss. Because books and people are subjective.

Some people will love the offering, and some will hate it because it's Tuesday. It is what it is.

But...is damning with faint praise worth hopping in that car?

Always writing*