A to Z Challenge – R is for Reviews

Hi all,

Hope you’re having a good bank holiday weekend – tbh I’ve been working most of it so hasn’t seemed much different. Ah well. Today, I wanted to briefly mention reviews. I’ve seen a few things going round lately – authors criticising reviewers for not giving them them 5 stars, reviewers leaving nasty reviews that make authors want to leave the business. It just makes me rather sad. I know, like most authors, that reviews are invaluable. More than that though, it’s a chance for you as a writer to get some honest feedback from a reader on what they liked and didn’t like in your book, what they thought worked and what didn’t.

reviewWhile no one is going to lie and say they wouldn’t love a 5 star review, then any decent author should be happy with one that’s simply honest and fair. If someone doesn’t think  a part of your story works, or they disliked something about it, then that’s their opinion and they have a right to it. Everyone is different and you’re never going to please everyone all the time. At the same time, authors are only human – it takes a lot to put yourself and your work out there, it’s a personal thing and therefore anything that comes back, especially if it’s negative, is hard not to take a little personally (no matter how hard you might try not to sometimes!)

Even that aside though, I love all reviews I get, it means someone has read my work and took the time to comment – how can you not appreciate that? 🙂

Take care x

 

5 responses to “A to Z Challenge – R is for Reviews”

  1. I love your last sentence that is what I feel about my blogging ESP if someone comments or follows that they liked it enough to either want to talk abhor it or have more x

  2. I would hope that reviewers would consider they are reviewing the work of a human being with feelings. There are constructive ways to give feedback or suggestions for imprivement. In the end. As you say, it is just one opinion, and just because they say it diesn’t make it true for everyone else.

  3. It seems like every time I go on Goodreads there’s some new controversy about an author getting into a reviewer for a 1-star review or something :S It’s disappointing that readers and writers can’t live together in perfect harmony, particularly online, but I think as a writer, it’s part of the risk we take when we launch our stuff out there for the world to see.

    great post, Shelli! 🙂

  4. My first review was from a publisher when I submitted my book for publication. Not only did she read it, but she had the other members of her team read it. They all wrote comments for me to consider so I could revise and make it better. It was hard to take but invaluable to me. After all, how many people get that kind of help with a book. I wasn’t a five star review, but it was solid gold feedback. I need that as an author. But I don’t have thick skin. I think a 1-star review hurts for a while, but the best thing to do is learn from it. Everyone has an opinion.

  5. Hi Shelli, I’ve been very lucky with the quality of the reviews for my two published novels. There was once a review of one of my plays that the director suppressed because it was so bad and I’ve not ever read it… anne stenhouse

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