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

[Stacy-Deanne]

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

[Nicole Hammerstad]

What do they say that bad publicity is still publicity. I am in a writers group and I like the bad with the good then you know people are just trying to be nice. You can learn from it.

[Fran Lewis]

As a reviewer for authors and for 3 sites and an author myself , I try to find the positive in everything that I read. Before agreeing to review a book I do some homework. I try to get a summary from the author about the book and learn more about the genre before agreeing to read it. I do not look at the reviews done by other reviewers. I prefer forming my own opinions. If and it is rare that I do not like a book, I review it on the content and the plot. As an author I feel that if someone worked hard at writing a novel or any book, they put a lot of hard work and effort into it. Looking for the positive is what I do. I might say that the book might generate more readers if the author had and state a suggestion in a positive way. Just my opinion. fran

[Angela Daniels]

As an author, a good review loses some of it's glow if I know the reviewer only posts positive reviews. You can't be sure if the reviewer only posts reviews of books they honestly like or if some of the books got a 'boost' due to the reviewer's good reviews only policy. Also, bad reviews are not fun, but they are often very important feedback for a writer.

Cheers,
Angela Daniels
www.AngelaDanielsRomance.com

[Jamye]

I've only received one free book from a publisher so far but when I review it I plan on being honest! Tactful of course, but what's the point if everyone just pretends to like every book they come across? We know that's not true! I've been really lucky the past couple years, choosing books that I like a lot or even love, but I know that good streak can't last forever. Besides, I feel like blog readers want to get a feel for what books they'd enjoy by getting to know the bloggers' preferences. The way they do that is to see which books the blogger didn't like along with the ones they did. I applaud the honest bloggers out there!

[M.D. Griffith]

I think posting comments on a book is what a reviewer is all about, however, a reviewer needs to remember that they are reviewing a genre that he/she may not like and they need to realize that. If you review that genre that you normally don't read, and then post that you do not like the story, is your review a little skewed? Are you being honest in your evaluation? Just things to remember.....

[Philip Nork]

As a new author I am looking for an honest assessment of my writing skills. I understand that reviews are just opinions, but also know that not everyone can like my book. I'm not looking for a glowing review from each of those who have read it. In fact, some of my worst critics are my close friends...they have been honest and I have learned much from them that I put to use in my next manuscript.

I wish "professional" reviewers were just as open. While it makes me feel good that the "pros" all say nice things, it also makes me wonder how, or why, they became reviewers in the first place. What makes someone a "pro?"

I am open to any and all reviews, so come over to my profile, look at my book blurbs and if you'd like to review it, e-mail me...just be honest through it all!

[Mary (BookHounds)]

I rarely finish a book I don't like and don't see the point in typing up my thoughts on something I didn't couldn't get to the end. I don't think it is fair to review a book I couldn't get through. I do note that I "did not finish" it and let that speak for itself. Life is too short to read something you don't enjoy.

[Literary Kitty]

I actually work as a publicist and I still think that there's a value in negative reviews. The book blogs that are really going to make people want to buy a book are the ones that readers trust. That means they're going to be honest about the book whether it's good or bad.

literarykitty.wordpress.com

[Jeanne]

Twice when authors have sent me their books (self-published, in both cases) and I thought the books were well-nigh unreadable, I've decided not to write a review. It was difficult to be tactful in my email to the authors explaining why not, but kinder than detailing what was wrong with the books on my blog.

I have spoken out in favor of more negative reviews, but only for mainstream books.

[Juju from Tales of Whimsy.com]

I seriously value honest reviews.
Sometimes that means pointing out the negatives and positives.

[Ginger B. Collins]

I have learned so much from this discussion! As a writer and aspiring novelist, I'm encouraged to see your willingness to post honest reviews and agree you can be truthful without being cruel. It's all a matter of taste, and your followers trust your taste because it mirrors theirs.

My blog focuses on the challenges of marketing for first-time authors like myself. It's always been a tough road, but the evolution of the publishing industry has made it even more difficult. With the decrease of book sections in major newspapers and the increase of qualified book reviews online, I believe book bloggers are the key to success for the debut author.

I'd like to do a series of posts on how authors can work with bloggers. If you have any suggestions on this topic or would like to contribute, please let me know.

Ginger B.
http://coppertopcollins.blogspot.com
www.gingerbcollins.com

[John C. Stipa]

"It's always been a tough road, but the evolution of the publishing industry has made it even more difficult."

Amen. The proliferation of the word processor had a lot to do with this. A huge gap has emerged between publishers and authors. There are an overwhelming # of authors, but not nearly enough publishing arms, legs and eyeballs to read all the manuscripts.

Ginger is right: what the industry needs is a method for publishers to separate the people who can write from those that... need to strive to improve (thank you Ginger for that reminder to not be cruel). Book reviewers are perfectly positioned to do just that.