Reader, Reviewer...Author: Not Mutually Exclusive
There is a controversy on Goodreads about an issue that I find very interesting (and not just because it happens to be personally relevant). Should authors be permitted to read and review the works of other authors on public platforms like Goodreads, or Amazon, where everyone else can see them? Should they interact with their own reviewers?
From what I've read, both sides of this argument have good points.
Some believe that openly reading and reviewing others' works opens the door to "revenge-rating" and other schoolyard-esque intimidation tactics that wouldn't occur if the author had decided to lie low, or give everyone four or five star ratings.
On the other hand, authors tend to do just as much reading as anyone else--if not more--and shouldn't they be entitled to the same rights as other individuals as long as they are respectful and adhere to the golden rule?
The problem, I think, is that you can't really generalize a situation like this because people are so diverse and unpredictable. We all put our feet in our mouths sometimes, but authors as public figures are doubly culpable because their opinions reflect badly not only on themselves as people, but also on their books and their standing as an author/figure in the publishing industry.
The "just be nice" rule doesn't work, either, because rating everything positively only causes readers to be that much more disappointed and angry when they spend their money on a book on the basis of a favorite author's endorsement, only to find that it is (for them, in any case) crap. Their respect for the writer diminishes as a result. Of course, you could just NOT rate anything, but what's the point in that? That's no fun at all.
My policy when it comes to reviewing is pretty straightforward, and can be summed up in five points. It's probably not the best strategy, but that's why I'm posting this in a blog. Because it will be interesting to see if this generates a debate on the topic. I know for many of you, active GoodReads authors are a hot button.
1. Don't write things that you wouldn't be comfortable having said about your own work. This doesn't mean that you have to coat everything in sugar, but if you tear people's books to shreds you shouldn't be surprised or angered or personally offended if someone one day decides to do the same thing to you.
I am a harsh critic--but I don't hold people to standards any different from the ones that I use for myself. If my characterization falls flat, or if I have a typo on page 345, I'd like to know about it. And if someone gives your book a 1-star rating, well. It's not the end of the world. Oh well. Move on.
2. Be honest, but polite. Don't feed the trolls, but give people the benefit of the doubt. Some people on this site seem determined to provoke others into flames and rants. Others may seem provocative at a glance, but if you talk to them you may realize that their wording was a casualty to the nuance-less black hole that is internet communication. If the person does turn out to be a troll, thank them for their opinion and end it at that. This isn't LOSING. It's being a mature adult.
3. Don't be pretentious. Being an author does not make you a better person, nor does it give your opinions more weight. Going after people for not "getting" your book is not a very nice thing to do. Books are subjective. People may read different things out of them than you intended. Lord knows my books have garnered some pretty interesting interpretations.
But beyond that, it's important that you not attempt to define yourself by the books you read. Filling your bookshelves with nothing but classics does not mean you're Shakespeare. People KNOW that you read other things besides The Great Gatsby. You aren't fooling anyone except yourself.
One of the best things about being a writer is that you get to share all the books that inspired YOU with other people. I always love it when people tell me that they stalk my shelves for good reads (ha!), because I want to support the authors I love. That's why I make my shelves so silly. I want curious individuals to peruse them. I've made so many connections on this site through a mutual love for a book/series. It's wonderful. I hope one day people will bond like that over my books. ♥
4. Accept the fact that you are a biased individual. You, as the author, probably think your books are the cat's meow. Other people might not agree. And since they are paying for your book and you aren't, you might want to pay them some mind. Feedback will never be 100% positive. Just as there will always be someone who hates you for being you, there will always be someone who hates what you write just because of the genre, the topic, or even the fact that you, as a person, wrote it. Sometimes they will have something of value to say. Sometimes they might just say "this book sucks donkey." If you can't think of anything constructive to say in response, don't respond. I, personally, think it's ok for authors to (politely) ask for elaboration in a critical review, but if the person reacts to you hostilely you should probably just leave them alone, lest you be branded as a bully. (And if the person makes it clear that they don't WANT you commenting on their reviews, then you are being a bully, even if you are being polite.)
5. Be your own worst critic. I am! And it works. If you are hard on yourself, then nothing that anyone says will come as a surprise to you. It will also make you better at picking out your own errors. Don't be afraid to cut out unnecessary descriptions, adverbs, adjectives, punctuation, and italics. If you are constantly chanting "I am not perfect I am not perfect," then when someone tells you "You are not perfect," you will just be like, 'Yeah, so? :D' Plus, it will make your own reviews that much better when you provide concrete examples for why YOU didn't like a book.
And that's a wrap! What do you think?
From what I've read, both sides of this argument have good points.
Some believe that openly reading and reviewing others' works opens the door to "revenge-rating" and other schoolyard-esque intimidation tactics that wouldn't occur if the author had decided to lie low, or give everyone four or five star ratings.
On the other hand, authors tend to do just as much reading as anyone else--if not more--and shouldn't they be entitled to the same rights as other individuals as long as they are respectful and adhere to the golden rule?
The problem, I think, is that you can't really generalize a situation like this because people are so diverse and unpredictable. We all put our feet in our mouths sometimes, but authors as public figures are doubly culpable because their opinions reflect badly not only on themselves as people, but also on their books and their standing as an author/figure in the publishing industry.
The "just be nice" rule doesn't work, either, because rating everything positively only causes readers to be that much more disappointed and angry when they spend their money on a book on the basis of a favorite author's endorsement, only to find that it is (for them, in any case) crap. Their respect for the writer diminishes as a result. Of course, you could just NOT rate anything, but what's the point in that? That's no fun at all.
My policy when it comes to reviewing is pretty straightforward, and can be summed up in five points. It's probably not the best strategy, but that's why I'm posting this in a blog. Because it will be interesting to see if this generates a debate on the topic. I know for many of you, active GoodReads authors are a hot button.
1. Don't write things that you wouldn't be comfortable having said about your own work. This doesn't mean that you have to coat everything in sugar, but if you tear people's books to shreds you shouldn't be surprised or angered or personally offended if someone one day decides to do the same thing to you.
I am a harsh critic--but I don't hold people to standards any different from the ones that I use for myself. If my characterization falls flat, or if I have a typo on page 345, I'd like to know about it. And if someone gives your book a 1-star rating, well. It's not the end of the world. Oh well. Move on.
2. Be honest, but polite. Don't feed the trolls, but give people the benefit of the doubt. Some people on this site seem determined to provoke others into flames and rants. Others may seem provocative at a glance, but if you talk to them you may realize that their wording was a casualty to the nuance-less black hole that is internet communication. If the person does turn out to be a troll, thank them for their opinion and end it at that. This isn't LOSING. It's being a mature adult.
3. Don't be pretentious. Being an author does not make you a better person, nor does it give your opinions more weight. Going after people for not "getting" your book is not a very nice thing to do. Books are subjective. People may read different things out of them than you intended. Lord knows my books have garnered some pretty interesting interpretations.
But beyond that, it's important that you not attempt to define yourself by the books you read. Filling your bookshelves with nothing but classics does not mean you're Shakespeare. People KNOW that you read other things besides The Great Gatsby. You aren't fooling anyone except yourself.
One of the best things about being a writer is that you get to share all the books that inspired YOU with other people. I always love it when people tell me that they stalk my shelves for good reads (ha!), because I want to support the authors I love. That's why I make my shelves so silly. I want curious individuals to peruse them. I've made so many connections on this site through a mutual love for a book/series. It's wonderful. I hope one day people will bond like that over my books. ♥
4. Accept the fact that you are a biased individual. You, as the author, probably think your books are the cat's meow. Other people might not agree. And since they are paying for your book and you aren't, you might want to pay them some mind. Feedback will never be 100% positive. Just as there will always be someone who hates you for being you, there will always be someone who hates what you write just because of the genre, the topic, or even the fact that you, as a person, wrote it. Sometimes they will have something of value to say. Sometimes they might just say "this book sucks donkey." If you can't think of anything constructive to say in response, don't respond. I, personally, think it's ok for authors to (politely) ask for elaboration in a critical review, but if the person reacts to you hostilely you should probably just leave them alone, lest you be branded as a bully. (And if the person makes it clear that they don't WANT you commenting on their reviews, then you are being a bully, even if you are being polite.)
5. Be your own worst critic. I am! And it works. If you are hard on yourself, then nothing that anyone says will come as a surprise to you. It will also make you better at picking out your own errors. Don't be afraid to cut out unnecessary descriptions, adverbs, adjectives, punctuation, and italics. If you are constantly chanting "I am not perfect I am not perfect," then when someone tells you "You are not perfect," you will just be like, 'Yeah, so? :D' Plus, it will make your own reviews that much better when you provide concrete examples for why YOU didn't like a book.
And that's a wrap! What do you think?
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Hi Nenia. I don't know you, you don't know me, but I followed a link. :)
Obviously authors are readers, and readers like to discuss. But the discussion only works if the playing field is reasonably level, or if certain boundaries are set. An author on GR or on Amazon is a separate creature from the many readers who might purchase their work. A reader is one person, but an author is one person + fans + expectations. So the way they interact with their readers and the way they talk and discuss other people's work has more impact than any one nameless reader does.
I'm not saying it's fair, but it's reality. As an author you have a lot fewer choices in what you can say and how you can say it than I do. You get judged by a different set of standards, and you have a much louder platform than I have. If I pan a book, the only people who take notice are my friends, and maybe the author. If I were an author and I panned another author's work, particularly in the same genre that I write in, then it's going to create difficulty with people perceiving it as unethical, as shoddy, as an attack, etc. and when this happens you often get legions of fans conducting spin-off wars of their own. If you interact with someone who writes you a negative review it gets even worse.
I am friends with several authors on GR. It still bothers me if they suddenly enter a discussion I am having about their work. It feels intrusive and rather stalkerish. It also limits what I think I can continue to say, especially if I wasn't thrilled with the book. If they were just another reader, I wouldn't have this response.
From your blog it sounds like you want to be both the reader on a level playing field who writes and discusses reviews, and an author reacting in a give and take among friendly peers and fans. In the 3 years I've been on GR I have never seen that work except to a limited extent in authors' personal book groups where the boundaries are very clear.
There is a distance between readers and authors. To the average reader, an author is an intimidating presence and one who will tend to make them stop talking and slink off rather than opening up.
Obviously authors are readers, and readers like to discuss. But the discussion only works if the playing field is reasonably level, or if certain boundaries are set. An author on GR or on Amazon is a separate creature from the many readers who might purchase their work. A reader is one person, but an author is one person + fans + expectations. So the way they interact with their readers and the way they talk and discuss other people's work has more impact than any one nameless reader does.
I'm not saying it's fair, but it's reality. As an author you have a lot fewer choices in what you can say and how you can say it than I do. You get judged by a different set of standards, and you have a much louder platform than I have. If I pan a book, the only people who take notice are my friends, and maybe the author. If I were an author and I panned another author's work, particularly in the same genre that I write in, then it's going to create difficulty with people perceiving it as unethical, as shoddy, as an attack, etc. and when this happens you often get legions of fans conducting spin-off wars of their own. If you interact with someone who writes you a negative review it gets even worse.
I am friends with several authors on GR. It still bothers me if they suddenly enter a discussion I am having about their work. It feels intrusive and rather stalkerish. It also limits what I think I can continue to say, especially if I wasn't thrilled with the book. If they were just another reader, I wouldn't have this response.
From your blog it sounds like you want to be both the reader on a level playing field who writes and discusses reviews, and an author reacting in a give and take among friendly peers and fans. In the 3 years I've been on GR I have never seen that work except to a limited extent in authors' personal book groups where the boundaries are very clear.
There is a distance between readers and authors. To the average reader, an author is an intimidating presence and one who will tend to make them stop talking and slink off rather than opening up.
Hello random traveler!I agree with all that you've said, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of those issues you've raised have been caused by people not abiding by those five golden rules I pointed out.
If authors were unanimously receptive/gracious/respectful about negative reviews, there wouldn't be so much controversy over these author/writer interactions. Because it wouldn't be that big of a deal. A few rotten apples spoil the whole cider. I think I'm mixing my metaphors... but you know what I mean, I hope.
You've pretty much got me down pat, except I like interacting with negative-leaning reviewers too. Some of the best feedback I've gotten was negative, and one of them, way back when I first started writing, actually led me to conduct a complete overhaul on my story's ARC. Readers have some good things to say!
Also, I freely admit to being stalkerish. I probably scare people, liking all their status updates and commenting on their posts. The thing is, I'm so excited that people are actually paying MONEY for MY books that I have to go out the moment that I get the notification and flail. *flails*
As for the issues you've pointed out with writers reviewing and whatnot, I've already gotten some flack for that. But I was a reviewer before I became an "author" (at least on GR, anyway lol), so that's who I really feel loyal to.
Thanks for such a thoughtful response!
Christina wrote: "Kate brings up some great points. Maybe if the author put up a blog encouraging readers to ask anything, bring up grievances, etc., to create a dialogue on something besides the review itself?Som..."
I literally saw "vent on their review" and came running here to see if I qualified as a bad reviewer and hopefully a future author.
That's something I worry about, Nenia, because if I do EVENTUALLY (fat chance, but one will dream) become a published author - not a self-published, because I'll probably still review books - I won't be able to even keep my reviews up.
But I don't really want to ever have to take them down.
I think you're a wonderful reviewer, Oceana! Of course, I may be biased since you haven't reviewed anything by me yet. OH HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED.But as long as you don't hold people to different standards than the ones you hold for yourself I think you'll be fine. I can be a bit bitchy in my reviews, but I don't say anything I'm not secretly already thinking about my own work. :P
Nenia wrote: "I think you're a wonderful reviewer, Oceana! Of course, I may be biased since you haven't reviewed anything by me yet. OH HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED.But as long as you don't hold people to differ..."
OH I WILL SOON
I PROMISE
But I won't make you sad. I can't do that to you. But I'll be honest. <3
See, if my friends ask me to critique their English stories (which I usually rip to shreds since they're all about teenagers falling in complete love within two pages and a day), I'll ask them to tear mine apart as well, so we'll be even, and I'll get critique too.
Unfortunately, I often don't since they can't find anything. Not because it's perfect, duh, but because they barely read and anything that sounds okay to them is OMGEEE PERFECT HOW IS THIS NOT PUBLISHED
Including Instagram Dance Mom fanfiction - they love to rave about how awesome that is. (UR THE COCOA TO MY PUFFS, UR THE SPRINKLES TO ME FLAKES DON'T DIE REBECA), so I don't trust them.
At all.
I practically have no self-confidence unless I compare my work to another student's in my class, and then I'm like FUCK YEAH I'M AWESOME.
But that's because we're teenagers and I'm the only one who writes and reads. No offense, but they truly sound like kindergartners when they write. Therefore, my work sounds fantastic when I know it's probably crap.
... What does this have to do with anything I just mentioned...?
Yes, please do be honest! <33EEK. I've heard some authors cry when they get bad reviews. I hope I never made anyone cry. ;___;
*shameful silence*
No, I totally get what you're feeling. That happened to me back in college. You have to have a solid grasp of the mechanics of writing in order to help someone with the technique. I think that's why a lot of really badly-written books sell so many copies. Most people simply aren't at the level where they can see all the errors that, to others, are glaring.
But I guess that just means there's something out there for everybody! I mean, at least they're reading. :)
People are dumb. And dumb shit sells.I figured out the publishing industry!
BTW Nenia, I've cried at a bad review. To be fair, I had my period, I hadn't any food that day, and I was stuck writing dumb shit hoping it would sell. LOL. OH and the review was actually really mean. Like, let's point out how much you suck, step by step. I don't normally cry. I just go, Oh...well...I guess I'll crawl back into bed because I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR. And considering the amount of negative reviews I get, this happens often.
Being a writer is fun. Oh, and I agree with your post. I'll still review honestly, even though I've been retaliated against, even when it pisses authors off. Because I'm not here to make friends. I'M HERE TO PARTY.
Man, I'm tired. I should probably get off your post.
Karina, you are ALWAYS welcome on my posts. ♥(And that goes for the rest of you knuckleheads, too!)
That really sucks. I don't think authors OR reviewers should be deliberately mean--especially not to someone as nice as you are! But hey, the joke's on them because you got their $$ and any publicity is good publicity. So ha!
That's how I think about it, anyway. ;)
Ooh! That's a good one. I think I wanted to write something like that down but I couldn't figure out how to phrase it. :)
The only exceptions, I think, are memoirs, in which case the discussion should be limited to what the author put in his work. Nonfiction also, if the author's credentials or experience in that field is dubious/biased from a research standpoint. Yup, yup.