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Journal

The Reviews

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” — T.S. Eliot

Happy 2014, Indireaders. The 12th of January will mark Indireads’ six-month anniversary. Six months—it feels like a lifetime.

In six months, we’ve done a number of things that were firsts for Naheed and myself.  We’ve dabbled in social media and haven’t quite found a groove yet, but we’re getting there. We’re honing our editorial policies and processes and figuring out how to bring out the best in our writers. And we’re laying the building blocks for a permanent place in the publishing industry.

Indireads’ first book reviews are finally making their appearances around the web. Zeenat Mahal has found her way on to DearAuthor.com, Love Across Borders has its first review on Amazon, as did Andy Paula’s Love’s Labor (both 5-star reviews).

Reviews are the life-blood to any good book’s success. A good review will drive new readers to your book, and in some cases, will generate life-long fans of a writer’s style, characters and plots. At the same time, a bad review may nip a writer’s fantasies in the bud—something that can be remedied.

Bad reviews with constructive feedback should be cherished. Because you can always fix things if you know what’s wrong in the first place. Your next hero can be both manly and sensitive; your writing will improve with practice. Your descriptions can be more realistic, your research can be deeper, and you can always write a better plot. And, as a publisher, you can make sure not to repeat your mistakes.

Indireads has stumbled a few times in the past six months, but we’ve gotten up, brushed off the dust, and started again. We have talent, determination and a great team on our side.

Here’s to always moving forward!

By Sabahat Muhammad

A graduate of the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture in Karachi, Sabahat is a graphic designer, and a senior editor at Indireads.

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