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Alicia
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Apr 29, 2013 10:55AM

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You may not want reviews like the one this reviewer left, but just based on what I read in other reviews, you're going to get them. And insulting readers/reviewers won't help you.

Did you start off with a warning for these young readers that you have everyting wrong because you are writing fiction?
Writing fiction is not an excuse for doing a poor job. It is a sign of laziness. And blaming a reviewer for pointing out a poor job is the reprehensible behavior of someone who cannot accept the truth. Attempting to deflect blame on the reviewer is not acceptable.

If you are going to write sci fi, you are going to run up against the "geeks," who, unfortunately for you, often know quite a lot about science, biology and DNA. If your book is based on DNA and your science is weak, it is you who has failed, not the reader. The fact that you need your readers to be actively stupid is a problem, because stupid people don't read. You are disrespecting your readers.
They will respond by passing on your books.

If you insist on treating readers with contempt, I hope you'll consider keeping track of how much time you spend insulting them and trying in vain to prevent negative reviews from being written so that later, you can compare it with the amount of time it would have taken to research the science and deliver a satisfying book.

Speaking as a reviewer, I've already decided to "go away" from her books before even reading them, based solely on her reaction to this.
Edited to add: Just to make it clear, this is my personal opinion, not the opinion of the website I review for.

Really? This is the way you treat your readers who are telling you they expected a better product?
The proper response would have been...well...1. NOTHING!!!
As an author you have no right to malign a reviewer just because you didn't like their review. If YOU don't like the review, than YOU can get off of Goodreads! The last time I checked, this site was made for READERS! Not for whiny authors who don't like being called out on their second-rate products!
Besides that, as an author, did you REALLY think every last person who read your book was going to say "WOW! I think I just discovered the next Stephen King!"
Of course NOT! That is ridiculous! Some people will like your book, some people will hate your book. Your JOB as an author is to put the best product out there you possibly can...and sometimes that means researching something as BORING as DNA BEFORE you write a book about it.
You owe this reviewer an apology. The mere fact that s/he took the time to read your book and then write a review about it, means they are your customer. They PURCHASED YOUR PRODUCT! They are more than entitled to their opinion.
Again...if you don't like the fact that this is a forum for READERS, than you should take yourself somewhere else...Like Amazon...Amazon is going all fruity now...you'll fit in well with them.

As has been said a trillion times to SPAs, please for the love of whatever you hold sacred, get an editor!
ETA:In your blog post you state: "To the person that wrote me a review that explained how DNA work". It's "works", not "work". I am not a writer, but I take great pride in my product (given field) and find it sad that such an obvious mistake is made in your post because you are an "author"; check and double-check. JMHO.

Really? This is the way you treat your readers who are telling you ..."
Elly dear, it pains me to see you getting so aggressive. You seemed like such a nice, sunny girl, even if your spelling was all over the place. But I think I know what's wrong: you mention on your blog that you don't have the money to get your book edited. So I'll tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to ask Linda Hilton if she could take you on as her good deed for the year. Would that make you happy?

However, I do have a problem with an author (a newbie) coming onto goodreads and telling readers they "don't want your review".
Goodreads is for the readers. Period.
If an author is on GR, they have to be prepared for the FACT that not EVERYONE is going to LOVE your book!

But I have to point out to you that C Ellis Massey complained on her blog, not on Goodreads. A technical quibble, I know, and I suppose she is now ruing the day she linked her blog to this den of seething wolverines. Just as she is probably ruing the day she made her book free. So many youngsters nowadays don't see the danger of that. I hope you never make that mistake.

Actually, faso or annabeth or whatever, the address of her blog is a goodreads.com address. It is not linked. She linked the goodreads blog to amazon. As you said...not to quibble, but you are technically wrong.
Unfortunately, I paid for my copy.
And she clearly wanted it seen and addressed. Did she or did she not write "To the person that wrote me...". Not to quibble...or anything.