My third crime-themed novel Jäljet
(Tracks) was published in mid-April as an e-book in Finnish.
As hoped, book reviewers have been
active. Reviews have been mostly very good. This third Isaksson
series novel has been complimented of having ”a strong
narrative text, for being descriptive and engaging”.
The
things I've been seeking for in my writing have also been found.
One
reviewer wrote:
“The
environment was described precisely and somehow very vividly. I lived
in Helsinki in my times and
now felt as if I was again walking along its streets. I was impressed
also by the pondering of the deepest feelings of a human mind, which
by no means was left any way superficial.”
Jäljet
has also been thanked for containing humour, ”which lightened up
the atmosphere in a nice way."
By
reading these reviews I've come more and more to a conclusion that
not all the books are for all readers. Easy and clear conclusion as
anyone would understand.
While
other reviewers conclude book being engaging, especially mentioning
that even the descriptive parts don't get the narrative jammed, one
reviewer feels it does exactly that.
As
we take the pluses and minuses, we realize that certain reviewers
clash with each other with their opinions. Of course, they are
exactly just opinions. Not the universal truths either way. Could it
ever be, when there are as many opinions as there are readers.
Readers from different backgrounds, age groups, genders, geographical
locations, levels in society, in different stages of lives, with
different experiences. Plus tastes that vary over genre levels, even
inside them. Also when talking about themes, style and approach.
One
reader loves the psychological approach, the inner monologue and the
first person pondering of dark feelings inside someone's mind. The
other one hates it.
One
reader has a problem with mentioning certain events happening in the
two independent parts of the series, because the reader hasn't read
them. The other ones thank the writer for acknowledging the readers a
bit of what had happened to the characters after the events in
previous books ended. Something that still wouldn't distract the
readers, who haven't read the previous books and would like to.
One
reviewer in the past once mentioned that ”due to many subplots, not
all of them are followed to the end and tied together”. What if the
writer has something in mind? That some of these untied plots end up
popping up back later on in the series as in tv-series Lost?
Maybe two, three, four books later? For a reason so far only known to
the writer. Some readers get the hints and wait for the following
books to find out.
Is the reviewer the one, who gives the
universal truth? As anyone who writes, writers tend to listen to
these reviewers, use the common sense and adapt this feedback to
developing themselves. Surely also strongly following their own
vision. That's what makes them the writers they hopefully are with
their own writing style, tone and voice. The one the readers
dedicated to their writing will recognize sometimes from the first
paragraph.
If reviews were part of a market
research, would you as an entrepreneur change fully your course of
work and products based on the 20 per cent's opinions, who obviously
aren't interested in your work and therefore not even part of your
target group? Or listen to the feedback in a healthy way and follow
more that 80 per cent of the reviewers, who like your work and would
like you to follow your chosen path. Of course trying to at least
maintain your level and even develop your products to become better?
You can always write better.
Over the years, I've been couple of
times hinted by some publishers to follow some action-based techno
thriller writers who are their bestsellers. As if I'd maybe strip
down my language and own voice to follow their path. Change to
something that I'm not. Writing something that I'd never be good at.
Not that I'd even be interested in being.
There's plenty of thinking even inside
my own vision, the genres I've touched and will probably be touching
in the future. Even after all these years, I'm a bit surprised how
literature, which has a crime theme, is often narrowed down to being
exactly a crime novel. As it couldn't contain anything else than just
surprising twists after twists after twists, often for the sake of
it.
I do hope that I can fulfill the
expectations of the readers, who are interested in reading my works.
I don't need to please everyone, but I do hope I please the ones, who
really are interested in my writing.