Reviews Upside Down
Catching up – as always. Just got two months worth this time, so please be patient all my lovely friends on Google, Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere else. I’m burnin’ the midnight oil. 😀
When I wrote my first review, I got pencil and notepad out and made notes. Names, scenarios – all that stuff. Just in case someone accused me of not having read the book. You never know with people. I don’t operate like that though. When I read a book, I read every word. Whether I like it or not. So…. This can be really painful if you really don’t like what you’re reading. But hey – moving with the times. No – I just say when I really enjoy a read. If I think it’s absolute fetid devil turd, I keep my opinion to myself. I really do not believe that authors should review fellow authors work UNLESS those reviewing authors are Stephen King or one of the great and proven. If you’ve written one book called Taffy Luvs Jones… Well – Nah… If E L James reviewed any of my scribbles I’d laugh so hard I’d…. well… biting my lip here….. Pfff – ha haaaaa!
Anyway. As a buyer of books, I really do NOT like spoilers. Why the hell would I want to buy a book when some reviewer has already shared the plot, the characters by name, the outcome, and then in one really epic dumb sentence – their opinion – especially when that opinion is “This book sux – thers no reelizm to it”. There are a lot of reviewers out there who have donned the mantle of editor, beta reader – whatever you’d like to call it – and go through a book they’ve downloaded one way or another with a magnifying glass. Quite a lot of these people – most – have absolutely no credentials. If you can’t figure out the difference between your and you’re, you really should think before you criticize. Tell me where you’re coming from before you expect me to take, “This is stoopid” seriously. Especially for published indies – make very sure that your published works are immaculate in every way before you comment negatively on others.
After the recent absolutely disgusting Goodreads free for all, I questioned the value of any review, when such troll guys are given free rein all over the place. But after a big think I figured that it’s all good. One way or another this brand new indie world will find its place in the world. And fair will be fair.
Jo Robinson 
September 20, 2013 at 1:05 pm
I always try to be really thorough when I review a book. I always list positives and negatives (and I usually try to focus on the positives). If I don’t like a book, I will say so, but I won’t just rant and rave about it. I do agree that, in the end, it will all turn out fine, though. I think that most people take those crazy ranting reviews with a grain of salt.
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September 22, 2013 at 12:50 pm
I take the ranty ones with a grain of salt too – some of them are really funny. I like reviewers who speak their mind truthfully – you can see who they are, and get that they’re not just being mean too. It’s been disappointing lately with all the review craziness. Now there’s a whole lot of agro on Goodreads again from some reviewers because GR are taking down what they see as abusive reviews. Seems like there’s a fight going on in all corners. As a writer though, I’d rather only leave actual written reviews of books I’ve enjoyed. That’s just the way I am though. I also think it’s not a good idea to leave a really bad review for a book in a genre that you normally really dislike. It’s cool if you do like it, but if not then maybe it could just be the genre getting up your nostril. I don’t get the scribbler guys that beg all and sundry for reviews either – could end up with a sharp nip in the tale. LOL! Touch wood – so far I love all the reviews I received – even my one star. 🙂
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