Odyssey Reviews: Still Here, Albeit Occupied and Harried.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Still Here, Albeit Occupied and Harried.

I am still here, I am still reading (although slowly) and I took a break from Self-Published works to read "Good Omens"; and another work by SM Stirling. I will resume reviews soon.

An author interview is possibly forthcoming; barring the *Outlook Express Disaster has taken that away permanently as well. Speaking of the Outlook Express disaster; I lost a good 26 previous queries which I had stored in a special folder... so if you submitted a query for a review, please resubmit just in case.

*Something mysterious happened with my Outlook Express where it simply decided it wasn't going to bear the burden of my huge mail storage a moment longer, and it completely crashed; taking the whole archive with it. Of course, I had it set to clean up my msn mailbox every time it downloaded mail, so there's nothing stored on hotmail. ::eep::

I learned my lesson and my apologies for the inconvenience. Please direct your anger towards Microsoft.

Steph

Welcome to Odyssey Reviews

We specialize in reviews of independently published or self-published books. We prefer science-fiction, fantasy and mystery novels. We also prefer books that have received at least a basic editing.

Please read this welcome post for a detailed list of submission guidelines.

We accept books in hard-copy and in some cases, in e-book format.

Books that receive a 5-Medallion rating will be featured on our Amazon Listmania "Notable Self-Published Fiction" list. Exceptionally good examples may be awarded the Odyssey Reviews' Award of 'Indie' Excellence. This is only if we believe this book is something we think ought to be in commercial bookshops.

The Medallion Ratings

What do the Medallions mean?:

We've huddled together and summarized what a medallion rating means on Odyssey Reviews, however there are grey areas, and sometimes other factors may affect a rating. We also do half-medallion ratings, but this list should offer some clarification. Please note that half-ratings do not apply on Amazon, so we will round up to the next whole star--however the medallion rating is the true rating by Odyssey Reviews.

* 1 medallion: This book is barely readable--it needs serious revision by the author. It is likely that Odyssey Reviews would simply set the book aside rather than submit a scathing review.

* 2 medallions: This book is not very good; but it has good 'bones'. Requires revision by author. We will not post a review for a book of this rating.

* 3 medallions: This book is neither great nor terrible. It is forgettable; the style, draw and originality of the story leave more to be desired. Revision could improve it significantly.

* 4 medallions: This is a good book. There are some flaws here and there that affect the whole.

* 5 medallions: This book is above standard; and kept our reviewers reading. Earning five medallions also gets a book on our "Notable Self-Published Fiction" list on Amazon's Listmania.

Be an Odyssey Reviewer!

Yes, you too can be a reviewer!

We are here to serve the Self-Publishing community, and therefore, you cannot come into it with lofty standards. It's all relative. An Odyssey Reviewer must know that good stories come in all shapes and sizes. The reviewer must be able to recognize 'good bones' in a story, and they need to approach each book with perspective.

If you think you can do that, then we want to meet you.

Join the small group of Odyssey Readers today. For more information, go to this welcome post, and use the submission email address to introduce yourself.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Still Here, Albeit Occupied and Harried.

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