Richard Harrison's Blog - Posts Tagged "reviews"

I read my first entirely unsolicited review recently for my novel 'First Tuesday.' It was very positive - 4 stars and posted on Amazon. Two encouraging reviews followed on Good Reads, which was wonderful, before a very negative and scathing one followed.

I am quite sure my book is not to everyone's taste but it's disappointing to think that someone feels obliged to warn people off reading it all together, rather than offer anything even remotely constructive.

All the same, I have forwarded a copy of it (the review) to several of my friends.
We have all had a pretty good laugh at it.

Several years ago when I first starting writing my novel, I rang an organization in Melbourne (based in Fitzroy from memory) that purported to offer advice to aspiring authors.

I remember speaking to a rather stern and proper woman who assured me 'Well of course it's very, very difficult to get anything published.' She then went on to ask 'Is yours a literary work?

I wasn't even sure what she meant. It's a book I thought before she added 'or more (reluctantly) popular?'

'Oh popular' I replied.

'Yes. Well' she said 'Perhaps not quite so difficult then.'

I am reminded of this conversation when I read some of the negative reviews for my books.

I fear people feel obliged to criticize them for not being something they were never intended to be.

For the record my books will never impress critics and I doubt they will win any awards but if someone picks up a copy to read on the train on their way to work and reading my story helps them wile away the time and put a smile on their face then I am more than happy.