Never a dull moment...
Here on Goodreads! Every time I try to leave a comment, I get a pop-up warning me not to argue with reviewers. LOL! Don't worry, I learned that lesson a loooooong time ago!
(This is a repost from a couple days ago. Triberr was down, so hardly anyone saw it the first time.)
I remember when I was a rank newbie (way back in the Dark Ages - aka, four years ago) and my poor, sensitive baby-author's heart sank every time I got anything less than a 4-star review. (Which meant I was pretty depressed most of the time. My early reviews were fucking dismal.) Adding insult to injury, a lot of these reviews were just plain wrong! They'd misspell my character's names, or spoil the plot. And of course, I thought it was my duty to set them straight.
*siigh*
I'm sure most newbies these days already know this, but - don't do what I did. Even if you're right, you'll just make an ass of yourself.
Besides, even bad reviews can do you good. Dear Author ripped me up one side and down the other on Once a Marine, and the next month, I sold over a thousand copies.
Which isn't to say it doesn't still hurt hearing reviewers snark about something I worked my ass off on. It's especially galling when the book gets marked down because it's a short or a novella.
Part of the problem is that readers read so fast these days, they miss a lot of the depth and detail - aka, the stuff authors agonize over. From the complaints I've seen regarding "too much drama" in my books, I'm not even sure most people bother reading blurbs anymore. A quick look at my website should be all anyone needs to figure out I'm not a rom-com writer.
Tiny segue here... the other day I stumbled across the Yelp page for one of my fave local restaurants, and was surprised to see the place's relatively mediocre rating. I've been there many times and always found the food tasty and the service prompt and friendly.
So I started skimming the reviews, and ended up scratching my head. One reviewer complained about the blandness of the macaroni and cheese. Um, hello? It's mac n' cheese.
Someone else snarked about the place's decor and said it was trying too hard to be hip, "as if anyplace in Monterey could be hip." (This guy was, predictably, from hip, happenin' LA.)
Anyway, my point (and yes, I do have one, aside from the fact that I apparently live in Dullsville) is that whether you're talking about books or restaurants, it's all about managing your expectations. You LA hipsters looking for a good time - keep your foot on the gas 'til you get to San Francisco. If you're looking a certain type of book, read the fucking blurb first.
Don't diss something for not delivering what it never promised in the first place.
(This is a repost from a couple days ago. Triberr was down, so hardly anyone saw it the first time.)
I remember when I was a rank newbie (way back in the Dark Ages - aka, four years ago) and my poor, sensitive baby-author's heart sank every time I got anything less than a 4-star review. (Which meant I was pretty depressed most of the time. My early reviews were fucking dismal.) Adding insult to injury, a lot of these reviews were just plain wrong! They'd misspell my character's names, or spoil the plot. And of course, I thought it was my duty to set them straight.
*siigh*
I'm sure most newbies these days already know this, but - don't do what I did. Even if you're right, you'll just make an ass of yourself.
Besides, even bad reviews can do you good. Dear Author ripped me up one side and down the other on Once a Marine, and the next month, I sold over a thousand copies.
Which isn't to say it doesn't still hurt hearing reviewers snark about something I worked my ass off on. It's especially galling when the book gets marked down because it's a short or a novella.
Part of the problem is that readers read so fast these days, they miss a lot of the depth and detail - aka, the stuff authors agonize over. From the complaints I've seen regarding "too much drama" in my books, I'm not even sure most people bother reading blurbs anymore. A quick look at my website should be all anyone needs to figure out I'm not a rom-com writer.
Tiny segue here... the other day I stumbled across the Yelp page for one of my fave local restaurants, and was surprised to see the place's relatively mediocre rating. I've been there many times and always found the food tasty and the service prompt and friendly.
So I started skimming the reviews, and ended up scratching my head. One reviewer complained about the blandness of the macaroni and cheese. Um, hello? It's mac n' cheese.
Someone else snarked about the place's decor and said it was trying too hard to be hip, "as if anyplace in Monterey could be hip." (This guy was, predictably, from hip, happenin' LA.)
Anyway, my point (and yes, I do have one, aside from the fact that I apparently live in Dullsville) is that whether you're talking about books or restaurants, it's all about managing your expectations. You LA hipsters looking for a good time - keep your foot on the gas 'til you get to San Francisco. If you're looking a certain type of book, read the fucking blurb first.
Don't diss something for not delivering what it never promised in the first place.
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