Reviews actually do matter
Don’t get me wrong — I’ve had soooooo many positive reviews. Thank you to those wonderful people who have posted them! And yet there have been a few zingers. But that’s okay. As John Locke said, “If you don’t have any low ratings, you haven’t sold enough books.”
What I hate to see is a new author, diving into this business, excited, shining with hope, only to be shot down by someone’s pet peeve that really doesn’t apply to anyone but them.
Humor me for a second as I go off on a tangent. When I was in college studying classical piano, my piano professor said something that will stick with me forever. He said that the type of music a student enjoys, reveals more about the student than it does about the music. His example was Bach. For those who are unfamiliar with classical music, in general, Bach is the calculous of music. His fugues, in particular, are quite difficult. Each piano major was required to learn at least one fugue per semester. One semester a student balked. She complained to everyone that she had to learn Bach fugues. The next semester she was dropped from the program. Certain expectations were required at the university. No one cared to teach her what she was missing, because there were SO many talented students waiting to take her place.
In the world of books things are a little different. Ernest Hemingway may not speak to “Twilight” fans, BUT WHO CARES. Reader opinions ALL have merit. Pop culture is in its hay day! And coming from the world of classical music, I find that refreshing. Who cares if someone is “trained” when they read a book. If they like it, THEY LIKE IT! That’s the beauty. There are plenty of genres/markets available for everyone. Pop culture, historical fiction, dystopia, fantasy. Whatever strikes your fancy. Just remember, that reviews will be read by other people, and may affect future sales. Remember, one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Be honest in your reviews. If you hated a book, go ahead and say so. But don’t be cruel. It says more about the reviewer than the book.
Positive reviews are a way to say thank you to your favorite authors. Writers don’t earn big money, and there is almost no recognition involved. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We sit at the typewriter and bleed.” (Quote paraphrased.) Writers are in the book business for the love of writing. That’s basically it. We write. We share. We write some more.
Once again, thank you to anyone who has taken the time to review my books. Reviews are much appreciated. Especially the positive ones!
Happy reading.
~ Annette
