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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Internet Has Exploded Again!! - Authors Behaving Badly


Things went to hell on Goodreads again last week.  I was chatting on Facebook when Giselle from Xpresso Reads made a comment on Twitter about another author going off the rails.  I messaged her and she sent me the links.  I followed them and landed at ground zero of a nuclear explosion going off.



It went off when Indie Author Heather White responded nastily to reviewer Andrea Thompson's review of the novel WHEN DESTINY KNOCKS.  You can read the initial review here and then dive into the comments to see where it all goes horribly wrong.  This is the perfect lesson of what not to do if you are an author.  Don't call reviewers douches and morons. It's just a really bad idea.

The author's epic meltdown got a lot of attention. I watched it in real time, hoping to God she would see sense and stop the madness. It didn't happen.  She started going off on another reviewer, Kara of Great Imaginations Book Reviews, for stating she would NOT be reading the book after seeing how the author was behaving. You can see how it gets really bad by reading here.


By the end of the night, the writer had deleted her Goodreads account, deleted her blog, and Twitter.  All of this could have been avoided if she had just realized that Andrea's review was her own personal viewpoint and not said a word. In fact, I thought Andrea's review was pretty fair.


But that explosion has been just one of many in recent history. Now a new blog has started up to attack reviewers on Goodreads for posting negative reviews. It's pretty nasty. You can see it here.  I want to state openly that I do NOT support in any way shape or form authors going after reviewers for negative reviews.  It's childish and bullying.


Two of my favorite reviewers, Lori Parker of Contagious Reads and Ashley of The Bookish Brunette have both posted very irate posts about the recent crap going down on the internet.  You can read Lori's post here, and Ashley's epic two part rantfest here and here.


As an author, I have to say that as a whole we can be a very sensitive lot. We work in isolation, trapped in the worlds of our imagination, and fall deeply in love with the characters that inhabit our novels. Often, we're positive that what we wrote is absolutely magnificent, or absolutely dreadful, and can switch back and forth between these two verdicts in a matter of seconds. We face years of rejection from editors and agents and grasp desperately at the dream of being published despite terrible odds.  We take a ton of abuse from family and friends who try to give us the helpful advice of “Do you realize how many people try to write books? You’ll probably never be published. You should concentrate on something else.”


But we cling to that dream with all our might because, you know, once you're published, the world is perfect, you glow in triumph, and everyone is stunned and amazed at your accomplishment.

Heh.

Then reality sets in.  You worry about sales. You worry about your next book deal. You worry about people hating your book.  You're filled with anxiety.

Now, how you handle this stress is the tricky part.  I suggest margaritas, marathons of Dr. Who, and ungodly amounts of Skyrim.  It works wonders for me!

Other writers, sadly, freak out at every bad review, convinced it will tank their book, ruin their chances of a new book deal, and render their hard-won accomplishments obsolete.  Some writers live and die by reviews. My editor told me she once compiled a huge list of snippets from reviews that directly contradicted each other in order to convince one of her authors not to constantly change her work in progress based on the latest review she read.

Reviews are subjective. People have opinions. What floats someone's boat will sink another's like the Titanic. That's reality. Hell, editors and agents can turn down a manuscript over and over again that one day wins the Pulitzer Prize, or ends up #1 on the NYC bestseller list.  If you're a writer, develop a thick fuckin' skin, because those arrows aint' gonna stop comin' yer way, babe. (said in my Texan accent) The trick is to keep writing your best work, embrace your fans, and realize not everyone is going to like you.

The present day climate surrounding reviews has made it nearly impossible for an author to respond to reviews, even in a positive way. A few bad incidents has created a very tense environment. I am VERY aware of this.  I hope that it will dissipate in the near future and things can calm the fuck down.

I plan to record a series of videos about my thoughts on reviews, how to respond to them, and why they are important.

Meanwhile, I want to share my all-time favorite review with you. It's a 1-star review. I love it. It makes me smile. Why? Because it's passionate, intense, and the book was obviously not what the reviewer thought it would be.  She was expecting a YA vampire romance and got an adult horror novel. Many people have told me they bought my book because of that review! What she hated about the book is the exact same reason why the other people wanted to read it.

Even 1-star reviews can sell your book.

Something to think about....


19 comments:

  1. Wow! I didn't read all of the comments but I read enough to see it was bad. When I write a review I do try to consider the author and as this reviewer did, state that this is only my personal opinion. It seems of late I've been dissed several times by authors for my reviews. One author I gave a 5 star review but stated one thing about the book I didn't like and got blasted for it. I don't mind meaningful discussion but getting called out like that is bad, very bad

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    1. Shirley,

      I don't know why things have gotten so hostile. I can't figure it out. Negative reviews have always haunted authors. I'm not sure why there is an all out war now.

      Rhiannon

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  2. It's disappointing to come across meltdowns like this because as a reader I automatically put writers on a pedestal. I can hardly write an essay much less a book. I read that Heather White throwdown too and the review was subjective and constructive even. I remember one of them mentioned editing the piece and that's important if you are to post your work in public. Typos and other errors are a distraction sometimes your attention is shifted from the story.

    I understand the vulnerability you were talking about, i too am defensive when it comes to my post i wrote for only a couple of hours, I can only imagine what it would feel like from your end. But not everybody likes the same thing so the inevitable negative comment is imminent.

    I hope you stay above it all.

    Thanks for the links too!

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    1. It can be hard to read some reviews, but that is why I don't really pay attention to them after the first month or so after release. I love positive reviews or ones with constructive criticism, but it's hard when they're nastily personal. But that's what my hubby is for! He has to listen to my rants so you guys and gals don't!

      Rhiannon

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  3. It's Special Snowflake Syndrome(TM). "HOW DARE YOU CRITICIZE MY BOOK? EVERY WORD I WRITE IS GOLD AND MY EFFLUENCE SMELLS LIKE ROSES, YOU UNEDUCATED RUBE!" These people are so wholly convinced that they are Pulitzer Prize-quality novelists that they can't take criticism in the slightest. I say to them, "Dear, you are in the WRONG career if you can't deal with a little criticism of your book." Hell, I love less-than-stellar (constructive) reviews. They make me a better writer by making me more critical of what I actually write.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Jessica. I couldn't agree more.

      I take ALL reviews, good or bad, with a grain of salt. I am aware of the fact reviews are subjective. I don't think writers should alter their writing just to suit the viewpoints of reviews. Now, if there is a common complaint (such as the characters are flat, the plot doesn't make sense, etc), then it's time to take notice.

      Besides...if you're a special snowflake, doesn't that mean you melt and disappear with the slightest bit of heat?

      I want to be Teflon woman! :)

      Rhiannon

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  4. I have to admit...in the past I totally fan girled an author that is well known for her meltdowns. I was all like how dare they treat this author that way. Now that I am actually involved in the goodreads community and a blogger. I get it. I have a right to say I don't like something without living in fear of getting attacked. Most people are smart enough to know that reviews on Goodreads are personal opinions. I wish I could go back and change my review of this persons book now that I have some hindsight, maturity and experience in reviewing on my side. However, I just don't do that. Instead I refuse to feature authors like this on my blogs. I don't pimp out their books.
    It's just gotten so out of hand.

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    1. I remember Laurel K. Hamilton's epic "Dear Negative Reader" meltdown YEARS ago. I had already lost interest in the series when it switched from being a procedural to "how many people can I fuck in this book!" But that post made me vow NEVER to read one of her books again. I swore that I would never be so crass to my readership. I have even told people if I ever do anything like that to smack me in the head.

      I do feel bad when I read a particularly nasty review for another author's book. I can only imagine how they feel in that moment. I have seen writers meltdown in real life after dealing with harsh criticism. It's never pretty. But in this age of the new media those meltdowns and tirades that should be personal (and only seen by spouses, best friends, or family members) end up splattered all over the internet.

      I do appreciate your reviews, Lori! I think you and Kami rock! And if you ever have a prob with one of my books, I won't take offense. :) I'll just try harder the next time.

      Rhiannon

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    2. When reviewing I always try to remember authors are human too. So I always find someting positive and really unless it's something I feel really strongly about I just don't do bad reviews. My mom taught me if you have nothing nice to say don't say it!

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  5. Rhiannon, you are a star.

    I can't even imagine what it's like as an author to read a negative review of something that you have slaved over, but is it worth starting a public shit fight over it?

    And bloggers/readers don't WANT to write negative reviews, it's just a reality of reading that not everyone likes the same things.

    Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Kat.

      I just wish authors would realize that their true voice is their writing, not responding with vitriol to a negative review. It's a HARD lesson to learn, but an important on in this business.

      Rhiannon

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  6. Great post chick! You are one of the authors who either take criticism and make the best of it, or let it roll right off your shoulder. And that's one of the things I love about you dude! Seriously.

    Love your face hardcore!

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    1. Thanks, doll!

      I do have my moments. If a review says something about a plot point being weak, or a character not being developed, I do take that seriously and reference other reviews to see if they say the same thing.

      Most of the time, I ignore both good and bad reviews. LOL.

      Love your face, Zombie Queen!

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  7. I heard about this. This is exactly why I don't comment on review, even glowing ones, because I don't want to feel like I can comment on any reviews at all.

    One-star reviews can help sell your book, too. I don't know how many sales I've gotten from one-stars complaining Jenny Pox is full of sex, drugs, and gore LOL

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    1. LOL!

      Dude, that is EXACTLY why I bought Jenny Pox!! When I saw all those reviews saying, "THIS IS A HORROR NOVEL! IT'S SO GROSS! SEX DRUGS WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" I was like "Kindle store don't fail me now!"

      Rhiannon

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  8. I have to just start by saying I was tickled by one of the status updates from that 1-star review of Pretty When She Dies: "Gosh I hate this book but the story is kinda going good! =]" hehehe....

    But anywho. What a slippery slope book reviews (or any reviews, for that matter) can be for all involved. I'm still amazed at how much they can so deeply affect someone's perceptions of the worth of their own work. I certainly hope that book reviewers out there don't treat their evaluations as the final, authoritative word on anything. (Even you, Roger Ebert. Even you.) Cuz they ain't. ^_^

    For my part, I do write the occasional book review. I occasionally have a fairly unenjoyable reading experience, and I try to be honest in the recounting of my impressions. (To be honest, a few times I've chosen to abstain from reviewing a book because to write honest commentary might possibly be taken as mean-spirited, which I never ever want to be. If someone asks me to explain my numerical rating, I'll do so, but won't actively post it on the blog, GR, Amazon, etc). But no matter what my impressions turn out to be, I alllllways have HUGE amounts of respect for each and every author (and I've always hoped that such a sentiment goes without saying, but who knows). Because that piece of written work is a major accomplishment in and of itself, representing an arduous creative process that, in the end, takes on a life of its own--one that the original writer could never hope to control or contain. Individual imaginations will do that. And just as they will run wild in unique ways, opinions will drastically differ, even though based on the same source material.

    At its best, reviewing is still a largely subjective activity. And there is literally no book in existence that is universally loved. It would be nothing but a time-suck to presume that one's own book might be the exception.

    Thank you for sharing this post, Rhiannon!

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  9. Alisha,

    Thank you for your comment. Also, thank you for pointing out that actually finishing a book is a major accomplishment. So is publishing it, whether traditionally or through self-publishing.

    Rhiannon

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Thanks for commenting!