Warning – epic whinge ahead!
Do you leave public reviews for books you have read, restaurants you have eaten in, or hotels you have stayed in?
Are you more likely to leave a review if you didn't like the book/hotel/meal, or do you give praise where praise is due?
Do you stop to think how your positive or negative public review might impact on the author, the hotel staff, or the restaurant business?
Personally, if I'm happy with something, I'll go out of my way to praise in person, and leave a public review to tell others of my lovely experience. However, if I have a complaint or criticism, I'd prefer to raise it directly with the person/manager concerned and give them the opportunity to correct the mistake or improve the quality of service. I would only consider leaving a bad public review if my complaint was not acknowledged or acted upon.
You see, I know the damage a negative public review can do and I wish sometimes that people could stop and think before they put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards. A one-star review with a flippant off the cuff comment such as “It’s not my thing,” can do real harm to a business or a book's reputation. Most prospective new customers or readers see the one-star and scroll on, killing the business or book’s prospects of being successful.
I am an author, and if the criticism is deserved, I have no objection to reading a fair judgment of my work. Many readers like to point out where I haven’t got my facts right, and that’s good. It gives me the opportunity to research more thoroughly and correct my work accordingly, though the reader is sometimes misinformed. I could give many examples, but this one will prove my point adequately, I think.
The reader who said I did not understand the British culture in the forties, really frustrated me. She stated that we did not have ‘Santa,’ but Father Christmas. She mentioned that calling your mother ‘mam’ in WW2 was wrong and that ‘mum’ was correct. I did take on board her criticism that trunk dialing was not introduced in the UK until the 60’s, and we spell cheque, not check. (I sometimes use American spelling so as not to upset my American readers.) I edited the book, correcting the genuine mistakes, so I have to thank her for pointing out these small errors.
However, I don’t reply to reviews, as it’s considered ‘bad form’ among authors, but this one really got to me. I think you might be able to tell!
You see, the book was set in Yorkshire, where I live, and if she were alive, I would still be calling my mother ‘mam,’ in the same way lots of people of my generation do. Even younger folks in this neck of the woods use the term, ‘mam’ when addressing their mothers.
Yorkshire people have always referred to Santa Clause, not Father Christmas. The name being derived from a Turkish Christian Bishop, Saint Nicholas, whose legend began with his reputation of generosity as long ago as 300 years after Jesus was around.
Her review, being a long and detailed one, was placed high on the book’s page and is still (I believe,) killing sales of that book, even though other reviews are five stars and glowing with praise. Unfortunately for me, this is the first review prospective readers see, and it is obviously influencing their choice not to purchase.
Thank you for reading this to the end. I appreciate your interest.
So please, when writing a review, be kind, and be fair. Check facts if you have to before slating the author's ability. Your words carry more weight than you might think.
Happy reading
Pearl
Are you more likely to leave a review if you didn't like the book/hotel/meal, or do you give praise where praise is due?
Do you stop to think how your positive or negative public review might impact on the author, the hotel staff, or the restaurant business?
Personally, if I'm happy with something, I'll go out of my way to praise in person, and leave a public review to tell others of my lovely experience. However, if I have a complaint or criticism, I'd prefer to raise it directly with the person/manager concerned and give them the opportunity to correct the mistake or improve the quality of service. I would only consider leaving a bad public review if my complaint was not acknowledged or acted upon.
You see, I know the damage a negative public review can do and I wish sometimes that people could stop and think before they put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards. A one-star review with a flippant off the cuff comment such as “It’s not my thing,” can do real harm to a business or a book's reputation. Most prospective new customers or readers see the one-star and scroll on, killing the business or book’s prospects of being successful.
I am an author, and if the criticism is deserved, I have no objection to reading a fair judgment of my work. Many readers like to point out where I haven’t got my facts right, and that’s good. It gives me the opportunity to research more thoroughly and correct my work accordingly, though the reader is sometimes misinformed. I could give many examples, but this one will prove my point adequately, I think.
The reader who said I did not understand the British culture in the forties, really frustrated me. She stated that we did not have ‘Santa,’ but Father Christmas. She mentioned that calling your mother ‘mam’ in WW2 was wrong and that ‘mum’ was correct. I did take on board her criticism that trunk dialing was not introduced in the UK until the 60’s, and we spell cheque, not check. (I sometimes use American spelling so as not to upset my American readers.) I edited the book, correcting the genuine mistakes, so I have to thank her for pointing out these small errors.
However, I don’t reply to reviews, as it’s considered ‘bad form’ among authors, but this one really got to me. I think you might be able to tell!
You see, the book was set in Yorkshire, where I live, and if she were alive, I would still be calling my mother ‘mam,’ in the same way lots of people of my generation do. Even younger folks in this neck of the woods use the term, ‘mam’ when addressing their mothers.
Yorkshire people have always referred to Santa Clause, not Father Christmas. The name being derived from a Turkish Christian Bishop, Saint Nicholas, whose legend began with his reputation of generosity as long ago as 300 years after Jesus was around.
Her review, being a long and detailed one, was placed high on the book’s page and is still (I believe,) killing sales of that book, even though other reviews are five stars and glowing with praise. Unfortunately for me, this is the first review prospective readers see, and it is obviously influencing their choice not to purchase.
Thank you for reading this to the end. I appreciate your interest.
So please, when writing a review, be kind, and be fair. Check facts if you have to before slating the author's ability. Your words carry more weight than you might think.
Happy reading
Pearl
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