Chinaren's Books

China Ren is a Beboer that has, in all honesty, cast himself into the limelight. He set up his Chinaren's Books Bebo Group page a couple of months ago, where he promised to review stories people wished for him to review. I'm not going to say I didn't appreciate the review I got from him on Geneticide, but it's actually the page he set up with that I have a problem with. He blows his own trumpet, a lot. The entire section where one is meant to describe the group is filled with links to his Bebo Author pages. He never claims to put his own tastes for a genre aside when he reads a book, and gives only his opinion, not a verdict, on a book he reads.

Every blog and forum post that I can see on the page is from him, usually about something he did. And it's not just on his group page. I've seen other pages where he invades the forum space of the group in question to tell even more people about his work. I know authors are supposed to get themselves noticed, but what he does... I'm not very fond on that idea. I've seen similar pages to Chinaren's, but none seem to boast themselves so much.

Another thing he does, worse than other sites I might add, is his certificates. He has three different types - Good Read, Great Read and Awesome. Personally, I think comparing authos likes that is a bit harsh. I know I didn't appreciate the Good Read cert. Not when he immediately gives other authors a Great Read. The star rating is there on books for a reason.

He awards are too impersonal for my liking. Three awards, and that's it. And once he's reviewed you, that's it. He'll leave a public comment on his page, then a few comments later and no one can see it anymore. No archive available to the public. It's just his way of getting noticed!

He even tried to tell me how I should write my book! The nerve! I never make suggestions in actual prose format. I might say where someone can improve, but I never leave the way I would write something. That's downright insulting.

I'm not going to say he's a bad writer, but I cannot judge him fairly after he treated my work the way he did. I find hacking him to piece with this to be much more beneficial for me anyway. Stress relief, and all that jazz.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword... and it won't get me in half as much trouble.