All authors can be divided into three categories: those who read reviews of their books, those who don’t, and those that do and claim they don’t. It would be fair to say that all authors can also be divided into those that are successful enough to ignore reviews, and, well, all the others (like me).
Let’s start with the second of those ways to divvy up the authorial pool. Unless you’re a truly successful author (by whatever measure you personally find to be relevant), you probably spend at least a few moments a few times a week looking for visible evidence that the reading public is aware that you exist. When day follows day with only negative evidence to be found, such as an ever-declining Amazon rank, the emerging of a new review – any review – becomes something to be yearned for. It shows that someone not only bought your book, but, by God, they actually read it, too!
For my part, finding a new review at Amazon or GoodReads is a bit like discovering an Easter egg after the holiday has come and gone. Yes, it’s always possible you’ll stumble on one, but you really didn’t expect to find one just then, now that your book has been out there for so long.
So far, I’ve been lucky with what reviewers have said, so finding a new review has always been a pleasant experience. No one’s trashed my book yet, although I have on occasion been puzzled by what someone has written (could they have been reading two books at once and confused the plot lines)? But that’s all just part of the mystery and the risk of placing your precious book out there, for all to see and read – or even misread.
There’s also the sometimes seemingly random association between the numerical rating assigned by the reviewer and the textual review that accompanies it. A few days ago, Therin Knite provided this tragi-comic summary of almost all the possible scoring variations you might experience (it’s part of a multi-part blog series she calls 80 (Short) Facts About being an Indie Author, and you should check it out).
Every now and then, though, you open your book page at Amazon or GoodReads and not only find a new review, but one posted by someone you never knew existed who not only loved your book, but also picked up on all of the bits that made you smile when you wrote them, and which you hoped might make a reader smile as well. That can really make your day. It can also recharge your writing batteries, providing the incentive to get back to that sequel draft that you somehow haven’t gotten around to working on in a while.
That’s what happened for me yesterday, when I realized that Paul Ruddock, of Echoes of the Pen, had posted just such a review at his blog, as well as on Amazon, and at GoodReads. It begins like this:
Tom Sharpe meets Michael Crichton… What we have here is a real rollercoaster of a thriller, combining home grown and international cyber terrorism, the threat of nuclear war and destruction, and not to mention, some of the funniest and satirical writing it’s been my pleasure to read in a very long time.
But what really made my day was the effort he put into calling out so many elements of the book, its plot, its characters, and its satire. I found myself nodding my head as he checked off virtually all of the aspects of the book that I was happy with.
So what is there to make of those authors that truly don’t read their reviews? Is it because they’re afraid of what they’ll read? That they don’t care whether readers like their books (uh, then why write them to begin with?)
For my part, I have to believe that deep down, it must make a difference to every author to know that they’ve succeeded in connecting with a reader.
And if you never read your reviews, you’ll never know it.
(Thanks, Paul)
I always read them. But, I read all of them with a grain of salt. Whether it’s 5-star or 1-star, I’m always trying to find the thread of truth. Sometimes, it’s there. Sometimes, it isn’t. I once had a 5-star review on one of my books that was a complete rewording of the back cover… and then included a link to the reviewers web site at the end. It’s since been removed. But, I have a few 5-star reviews that say pretty much nothing. Who knows if they read the book or not. But, in the same respect, that same book has two 1-star reviews that say nothing as well. For all anyone knows, it was a drive-by review. I’d rather have a 2-star review that tells me something about myself as a writer and how this particular reader felt, than a 5-star that pretty much says squat. 😉
Thanks for the comments, and I agree. Although it’s great to get a good review, it’s even better to get a review that makes you realize something you hadn’t thought of before. I’ve gotten some very helpful tips from some reviews, and I try to keep them in mind in my ongoing work.
Speaking of which, I just visited your site. Great stuff, and I picked up some good tips from your Ten Best Social Media Sites post. I look forward to exploring your work further.
Not having published my first book yet, I can still only imagine the delight of receiving a complimentary review, positive or otherwise. I suppose the closest feeling I can equate with it is when I first started blogging, and when after awhile I slowly started to get the occasional ‘like’, and eventually some actual comments and feedback. I do agree that a detailed review should include more than just a rehash of the introductory blurb, though If someone simply takes the time to say thank you or that they enjoyed a book, then that’s to be applauded too.
Quite right you are, and I expect more people would post brief reviews at Amazon if they knew how influential they can be. Not only do they give the author an incentive to soldier on with the next book (good news for the reviewer if she liked the first one), but I think that many readers look for a critical mass of positive reviews before deciding to take a try themselves. And books with a larger number of reviews are more likely to be featured on various platforms So even a positive one sentence review at Amazon and/or GoodReads is a real help to an author.
I would be a total liar if I said I could take or leave reviews; I want them and, of course, I hope for feedback (hopefully good) that shows a reader has actually been that; someone who has read and thought about the story I have told. But you can’t magic reviews into existence, and I’ve come to the conclusion that releasing your writing into the great unknown means that, in some ways, it is no longer your own.
Right, heart hoping but expecting disappointment, I’m off to check Amazon.co.uk and .com for any new reviews on my ebook!
I hope there’s a happy surprise waiting for you!
A related temptation, of course, is checking your Amazon rank. If you’re already giving in to the temptation to do that more often than you’d like, here’s some dangerous information for you: you can also check your rank at the U.S., Canada, India and Germany sites. Often you’ll find that your book is doing better at one of those sites than in our back yard. Interestingly, the consolidated reviews will show up at each of the sites, which is a good thing.
No new reviews! It all seems to have stuttered to a halt. Oh well! At least the ones I have are positive! As for rankings, that would be just too depressing!
Reblogged this on echoesofthepen and commented:
Had forgotten about this great response i had to one of my reviews awhile… Just as an author appreciates a review of their book/s, reviewers also appreciate the occasional response too… Thanks Andy