Authors & Reviewers: What Do You Think of Reviewers Who Don't Post Negative Reviews?

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Hi All,

Due to the behavior of certain authors lately, some reviewers only post positive book reviews. Do you agree with this? Do you think it's fair?

I must be honest, I read a lot of review blogs and I have a lot of respect for reviewers who have the guts to post honest reviews, no matter how negative they are. As long as they are respectful, I don't have a problem with that. I think reviewers should post negative and positive reviews of the books they receive. It's fine if they want to give the author an option whether they want the review posted if it's negative. I just don't think reviewers should flat out say, "I don't post negative reviews." Some reviewers say that if they don't like a book, they won't post a review. But since when does being a reviewer require you to like something? I thought reviewers were supposed to review books they've agreed to review whether they liked the book or not?

I hope this isn't the new way of reviewing. When I go to a reviewer's site and see a mixture of positives and negatives, I trust that reviewer a little more than a reviewer who only posts reviews of books they enjoyed. To me that's not really reviewing if you don't display a variety in the type of reviews you offer. I'd skip a review site in a minute if all I'm going to get are five-starred, "glowing eyed" reviews of books. How can readers take that seriously if the reviewer doesn't appear to not like anything? That's why I like sites like Dear Author. They are honest with their reviews and give you a sample of very good book reviews and very negative ones. That's how it should be if you're gonna review books fairly.

I remember one reviewer who said, "I post all reviews. If the authors don't like what I post, they shouldn't have sent me the book." Now that's a reviewer with some balls, LOL.

Just my opinion. What's yours?

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Bookwordlover]

I don't take much credence in a book review site that only has 'good' reviews of books - they can't all be brilliant!

On my blog http://bookloverbookreviews.blogspot.com I give my honest opinion on the books I read - but I always try to be tactful and note a good point or two to help balance out the bad. Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean other people won't. I'm quite selective about what I read though, so luckily I do enjoy a fairly high proportion of the books I read.

I don't believe in paraphrasing the blurb of a book within a review either. I just post a concise summary of my feelings about the book having read it (usually under 100 words). I know I personally don't enjoy reading long-winded book reviews - I want to know whether the person thought it was good/bad within the first sentence or two.

[Ruthie @ Ruthie's Book Reviews]

If I don't like a book I will say so, but I always try to point out the positive of the writing or plot or whatever. And I always say, Don't take my word for it, check it out yourself!

[eugene kachmarsky]

my opinion is that if you write something that you launch into the public sphere, you should have the courage and be prepared to take all opinions of your work. in the real world, Everybody DOES NOT Love Raymond!. the kinds of authors who get ornery about bad reviews are firstly a little too attached to themselves and their self-image and secondly, are patently disrespectful of reviewers' intelligence by expecting them to be nothing more than validating, promotional marketing instruments for the work in question. they expect you to say "i loved this! buy it!" because they're more committed to the making money than to the craft of writing part, which if they were, they would take negative critique into account as a way of evolving as individuals and improving their writing craft.

but it's a different kind of world these days....

[Patricia Ramirez]

It depends on the book. I have posted reviews that contained lines such as "I considered setting this volume on fire and using it to ignite the entire boxed set." Or something to that effect.

I tend to be nicer to self or indie published authors. Just a softey, I guess.

[Jessica Stern]

My blog isn't a review site per se, but it does include reviews. So with that in mind:

I frequently don't finish books I don't like! So the worst you will probably see from me is a so-so, lukewarm review.

But I have started posts on what books I didn't finish, and why - I feel like that adds balance. And I agree, balance is important if you are going to be taken seriously at all.

http://desperadopenguin.blogspot.com/

[Roger "Rocky" Kuznik]

A constructive critical review is good. A number of these from proven reviewers should indicate to the author to keep his or her day job. On the other hand what I've seen and heard currently is that too many reviewers today read off press releases, back covers and what they learn from other reviews to make their call. These do standout and read as a "bland" or "paste on" descriptive words which are used by a number of different reviewers

Rocky Kuznik

[Linda]

I recently received an arc I couldn't read simply because of the writing style, which contained flowery language and non-stop metaphors. I blogged about it, but then asked the reader to go to the Amazon.com "Look Inside" to read part of the book and decide for themselves. Others may love that style of writing.

One type of book that I tend to judge more specifically is the self-help book. If you are going to tell me what to do, what to think, or how to feel spiritually, you better really know your subject and be able to back up your views.

[Sam Moffie]

As an author I have experienced some very bad reviews. I respect the reviewer, because that is their opinion. Rejection and bad reviews are part of our chosen fields.

[BJ Davis]

I usually accept books that I think I'll enjoy, but I have received a few disappointments. I value my readers, so I try to be as honest as possible. I think our first responsibility is to the reader.

Having said that, I do realize the author has put their heart and soul into their book and that it is their "baby" so I try to be careful how I state my feelings about their work. I try to say something good about the book, if at all possible, while also lettting my readers know about its drawbacks.

[Casse (CatholicKittie)]

I don't post negative reviews. I may comment a few bad things on a book I review that I like as a whole. BUT as a writer I will never trash a book I have read. I just won't review it at all. It is pointless. Writing a book is a labor of love and we put ourselves out there for people to read. I think it's rude and just tacky to tear it down regardless how bad YOU think it is. Someone else might like it. Just stick to the facts on a review if you have to. If the plot is weak that is one thing, say that you found the plot, what drove the story forward is weak and unbelievable and why, but to go on about an author's lack of talent or to say the heroine is stupid and ect without telling us WHY you think so, is infuriating when I read that its a sure way to lose readers/followers.
Writers really want specifics about why you personally didn't like the book, not just to be trashed. That's what I keep in mind while reviewing and that's what I want to read while review reading. But I am pretty laid back when I get trashed. Heck I would negative review my OWN first book. I was 18 when I wrote it, it is so TRASH-WORTHY. Take my word for it.

[Elle Symonds]

I share the opinion that it's good to be honest about books, but I also agree with Casse, above. There have been some books that I truly hated and gave them negative reviews - though not without good reason. I tend not to 'trash' books but mainly provide reasons WHY I didn't like it. Luckily the books that I've so far given 1/5 for were bought, rather than sent to me. But even so, if a book was sent to me and it was bad, I would review it truthfully.

And why? Because people read my site and go by the recommendations. If a book isn't very good, then I wouldn't pretend it was, as I wouldn't want any of my readers to go out and buy it, not like it either, and then wonder why the hell I gave it such a sparkling review. I just can't do that.

That said, authors work hard on their books, and to thoroughly trash work immaturely as I have seen some people do (mainly on Amazon) is, as Casse said, tacky. If I'm going to give a 'bad' review, then I explain exactly why, how it could have been better - but that doesn't mean to say that someone else might like it, or even LOVE it.

Authors put themselves up for review as soon as their books are released. And it's obvious that there will be people who love it, and people who hate it.

[Jacqui Stewart]

I don't think I could post a positive review of something I didn't like. I would let the company know first what I felt and give them the option of letting me post it on my blog. However, with that said, what I don't like, someone else might.