Frida Fantastic is a new blog that specifically filters through indie speculative fiction. Frida tries to review at least two books a month in the categories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature.
If you are an author of speculative fiction, you can submit your book, but understand that she is likely to have a very long backlog and she never claims to read all books that come to her. Interested in submitting a review of speculative fiction? Frida is also soliciting guest reviewers.
The Scattering is another blog that specifically reviews and writes about indie speculative fiction. Independent authors that would like to submit to her blog can go to this page. Her focus appears to be in Science Fiction, but check out her site and you may find work that is similar to yours.
Good Book Alert has a half dozen reviewers interested in some good science fiction and fantasy, and they too specialize in indie and small press. They just got started on 4/13/2011 but they have been a part of other communities like Good Reads and Critique Circle and have authors recommending them already!
Are you guys following any speculative fiction blogs out there? Care to share what else you've come across?
Hey Rex,
ReplyDeleteFrida from Frida Fantastic here!
Thanks for the link! I've been curating a list of bloggers who review indie SF as a rule rather than an exception over here: http://indiesfreviewers.wordpress.com/ Let me know if you know of more! :)
I've updated my book submission policy to clarify my system. Basically, I go through all the samples that are sent to me. I look at the most promising 2-3 submissions for the month, and ask for the review copy (usually within 30 days). When I get the review copy, I read the book, write the review, and publish the good reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/Smashwords/Twitter/what have you. Pretty simple.
So this means that not everyone's book will get read, but this is the case for all book blogs. What I can say is that I am always open for submissions. Anyone's work can get reviewed provided that it is good and interesting enough for my target SF audience.
These are the three steps to getting reviewed:
(1) Write a good book (2) Have a good editor (3) Find a blog that's the right fit for your work. Don't hawk military SF at the paranormal blog, and vice versa. Most submissions get passed over because they don't get #2 and #3 right, and so the reviewer can't venture far enough to find out about #1. I know it's not easy, but it's simple. Just get those basics right, and people will eventually find out about your work!
Hope that clarifies things! :)
Thank you so much for clarifying! Cheers!
ReplyDelete