Book reviews
I love to read. As well as being a writer, you will always find me reading a book whenever I have a spare moment. Over the past couple of years I have begun to review books for my fellow authors too. I have come to like reviewing books. However, lately I have realised that there is a very nasty flipside to this. I seem to have gained a reputation as someone who writes well thought out reviews, and when I like books I will give them 5 stars and rave about them and promote them even more than I do my own books. This has led some people to try to win me over so that I will do a free review for them and help them with publicity. I am writing this after a particular bitter taste has been left in my mouth by an author who shall remain nameless.
I would just like to set the record straight for future reference, if you send me a book to review, I will give an honest review. Yes, if I love it I will tell the world and promote it for free, but if I don't really like it, I will also give an honest review and explain what I didn't like.
If I am to give the book less than 3 stars and you've sent me the book I will refer to you before I post the review anywhere.
Getting 1 and 2 star reviews is not nice, and I know how it feels, but I have also learnt over the years that not everyone is going to like my book, and I think it would be cruel to send a book to someone expecting them to give me a five star review just because I sent it to them. Integrity is important to me.
You will also see from my reviews that I am also very fair and will always point out what I do like as well as what I don't like. I will not be held to ransom by someone who wants me to give them a good review for free.
Some reviewers charge a great deal of money to write the types of reviews that I write. It takes time to read a book and write a review.
Anyway, I just wanted to get this off my chest as it has been bothering me.
I don't like being seen as a mug who will give great 5 star reviews for free and then promote books for free. Grrr...
End of rant.
I would just like to set the record straight for future reference, if you send me a book to review, I will give an honest review. Yes, if I love it I will tell the world and promote it for free, but if I don't really like it, I will also give an honest review and explain what I didn't like.
If I am to give the book less than 3 stars and you've sent me the book I will refer to you before I post the review anywhere.
Getting 1 and 2 star reviews is not nice, and I know how it feels, but I have also learnt over the years that not everyone is going to like my book, and I think it would be cruel to send a book to someone expecting them to give me a five star review just because I sent it to them. Integrity is important to me.
You will also see from my reviews that I am also very fair and will always point out what I do like as well as what I don't like. I will not be held to ransom by someone who wants me to give them a good review for free.
Some reviewers charge a great deal of money to write the types of reviews that I write. It takes time to read a book and write a review.
Anyway, I just wanted to get this off my chest as it has been bothering me.
I don't like being seen as a mug who will give great 5 star reviews for free and then promote books for free. Grrr...
End of rant.
date
newest »
newest »
Very well stated, Maria. I can relate to both the honesty and the...angst. When I first had a blog(host failure sent my original blog into Internet-neverland) I happily endorsed books I'd enjoyed, which led to review requests. Sadly, several authors I 'really' liked offered books I 'really' didn't like--from both a personal choice standpoint, and, as Marty mentioned, I had a hard time taking off my editorial hat and letting glaring errors pass without it affecting my overall impression of the book. Oddly enough, I don't have a difficult time stating an honest opinion 'gently' as Joel so thoughtfully offered, but when it comes to the actual 1,2,3...ranking, I agonize, and I'm a bit sheepish to admit I've given a higher star ranking on numerous occasions, just so I wouldn't hurt/offend/irritate and author.I'm not willing to do that anymore. Hopefully, as I rebuild my review cache readers will see that a 3--or even a 2--from me is NOT necessarily a 'bad' review, merely a reflection of MY opinion on the entertainment value of a read in comparison to the MANY books I read.
Thanks for all your comments. I agree, Lainey, when we've read so many books it becomes natural to make comparisons between the ones we are reading and others that we've read before, and I've developed a natural scale rating for books depending on how entertaining they are to ME. This is free world, or it was the last time I checked, and we should all feel free to express our opinions. I do try to be a bit more 'gentle' when it's a review for a new writer or an indie writer. But I also think that constructive criticism helps writers to develop and grow. I've learnt a lot over the years from reading and writing, and through my reviews I try to share that. I think I'm always fair, and would never just write all bad things about a book... there is always something good to say. Like you, Lainey, I used to find it hard to say what I really wanted to when I first started out reviewing, but now I don't see the point of that. All I can do is be honest. I know that will offend some people, but hopefully, as they develop as writers they will come to see my reviews for what they are: the honest opinion of someone who is an individual and all of us as individuals have different tastes, that's what makes the world such an interesting place.
This is such a timely thread for me - thank you! Another writer recently told me they were going to read my story and then said they would review it. I realize that time is precious for all of us and I appreciated the generous offer - so I said I would do the same. Their work was a short story - and, as Marty mentioned, if they wanted my editorial advice - I could have given them an earful. :) It was a short story - but the formatting was bad, the flow was poor, the description was non-existent. However, the overall premise was very good. I don't want to post a review because (a) I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and (b) I will not lie. I would be happy to just contact the author and let them know how I feel - not in public, but in private. I've had years of editorial experience - but in the past, I've always asked someone before I stick my nose into their work. Any suggestions?
No one knows better than I what a cheerleader you are for books (& writers) you believe in. I'm grateful beyond words for all the wonderful things you've written about my novel. Gotta go now -- thinkin' of you in a cheerleader outfit is gettin' me all worked up.
Terri, I would say that as you really didn't like the story you should contact the author privately and let them know what you think rather than doing a review. For some people, even that will offend them, but the only way people are going to improve as writers is by listening to grumpy old critics like us. I totally understand you not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings and that is always the last thing I want to do when I write a review. I really liked the author who sent me her book, and I thought a 3.5 star review wasn't too bad, so I didn't contact her privately before publishing it. Everyone reacts differently to reviews and I suppose I have now learnt a lesson from it -- it's best to contact someone privately if you know them and have anything negative to say about the book/story and get the all clear before posting the review. It's easy for us to forget how hard-hitting a bad review can be to a relatively new writer. We tend to become thick-skinned after a few years of dealing with the negative reviews. Quentin, thanks for making me smile :)
Thanks, Maria - good advice!! And I'll take it! :)
To explain why would probably shed more light on me than on the work, however, as it is probably a case of genre-reader mismatch. I went into it not only with an open mind, but with some excitement to see what my colleagues were up to. But I don't want to say anything derogatory publicly, as I know how hard it is to persuade readers to take a chance on indie authors in the first place and "bad press" might ruin someone before they even begin.
So, perhaps I won't post any reviews unless they are 4 or 5 star. If the work hasn't been published yet, then I feel some constructive negative feedback might help make it better, but no point in trashing somebody's completed project. There are bound to be books that some people like and others don't, right?