Peter Derk asked Peter Derk:

Pete, why didn't you push "Like" on my 5-star review of your book?

Peter Derk Oh, please. A 5-star review? I wasn't born yesterday.

In all seriousness, or as much seriousness as I can muster for Goodreads, I really do appreciate the nice reviews and things people say about my books. And I get steamed about the bad ones. Because I'm a human man and it doesn't feel good when people say bad things.

I don't hit Like anymore these days because, well, I really do appreciate the nice reviews, but I also know that book reviewers don't necessarily want to have a dialog with me, and...it feels a little creepy.

I do my fair share of reviewing, and I have been contacted by authors a couple times. Both for books I gave middling reviews. And...I didn't love it. It was weird.

I also think it can be a little creepy. I've worked/volunteered a few jobs working with youth. If you're a single, adult man working with youth, you learn to stay as far away from creepsville as is humanly possible. Your creepification monitor is very sensitive. Trust me, this might sound weird to you, but any others who've walked a mile in those shoes know what I'm talking about. So, I am super averse to doing anything remotely creepy, which probably hurts me sometimes because it's good to develop relationships with readers, but I'm going better safe than sorry on this one.

There was another event that made me think this way.

When I put out the first book I put out, a book of poems, someone gave it a 1-star review. I knew this person as a friend of friend of friend kind of thing, and I did think it was extremely uncool to give it a 1-star. I went to this person's profile and was looking at other ratings, and was like, "Wait, if you were this charitable all along, what the hell?"

I was seriously considering clicking "Like" on this review. So the person would know I'd seen it. And maybe think, "Oh, yeah. Real person. Not cool."

But then I took a breath and was like, "Whoa." Not like a Matrix whoa, like a cowboy stopping a spooked horse kind of whoa.

I'm not a professional author, but I can still act like one. And a pro can take it when someone dislikes their book. I learned an important lesson from Rocky Balboa: "It's not how hard you can hit. It's how hard you can GET hit and keep moving forward." Rocky was right. Punch drunk, but right. Being a pro is about getting hit and moving forward, not about hitting back.

I didn't hit that Like button. And I decided not to hit the positive ones either. I'm just not like some big time guy, like a Stephen King. If Stephen King liked my 5-star review, I'd be pretty happy. But Peter Derk? Who gives a shit?

I think reviews are for readers. They help readers make good choices on how to spend their time and money. Sure, I look at 'em. And I'm heartwarmed when I see a glowing one. But I have to assume that even the nice reviews were not written to make me feel good, they were written to tell people about a good book. Unless they're by friends and family. Then I figure they're at least kinda meant to make me feel good, and I'm 100% fine with that.

I'm very grateful to anyone who reads my books, whether they end up liking them or not. There are a lot of choices for people out there, lots of ways you all can spend your time, and I'm honored when you choose to spend your time with my books. If you want to be chummy with me, tag me in your review on Twitter or Instagram, or email me. I'm helpfulsnowman on Twitter, Instagram, and gmail. Pretty much everywhere. Also, feel free to chat me up on reviews I do of other books, books I didn't write.

As for reviews of my books, I'll be there, but not in a creepy way. Maybe just looking down like Mufasa from the clouds. Except not dead. And not a lion. And none of you are my kids. I do suspect that some of you have tried to strike up a relationship with a fun meerkat/warthog duo, but that's because you're weird.

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