Tag: reviews
Share Your Opinions: Why Book Reviews Matter and How You Can Help
“Together we can change the world, one good deed at a time.” ~~Anonymous Whether you’re an author or not, one of the kindest gifts you can give to any writer is a constructive honest review. It doesn’t have to be long or literary or quote specific passages unless you’re writing for a site that expects […]
Why I No Longer Read My Book Reviews
Reviews cause writers angst. We need them, we fear them, and, in my opinion, too often, we take the time to read them. I LIKED MY LIFE came out with two starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, and kind words from Kirkus, but Publisher’s Weekly was decidedly unimpressed. That same pattern followed me on Goodreads and Amazon. Over a four […]
How Book Reviewing Influences My Writing
Before I published my books, and before I understood the importance of book reviews for an author, I always tried to leave a few sentences on Amazon and Goodreads about my reading experience. I’m a great believer in leaving (and reading) reviews for restaurants, holiday resorts, hotels, and other products, so why should books be […]
Book Reviews and the Author Psyche
Authors have a love/hate relationship with book reviews. Reviews improve a book’s popularity. The more popular, the more sales. We want more reviews, but we don’t always like what’s said in those reviews. Here’s the thing, authors should concern themselves with the number of reviews, not the content. The content is for readers. It can […]
Why We Should Reconsider The Way We Review Books
If you are an author, the uncanny ability of book reviews and ratings to fill your day with sunshine or suck you into a storm cloud may resonate with you. I’ve basked in the glow of thumbs-up reviews and ratings, and endured the gloom of a few poor ones, those fretful 1’s or 2’s on […]
Leave E.L. James Alone Already
Recently I was part of a group discussion with some fellow authors on the topic of whether we – as women authors – should publish a bad (or even mediocre) review of another woman author if we don’t like or appreciate her book. If your 3, or 2, or 1-star review will lower the overall […]
Reviews, a Game of Give and Take
We all know how much the world of publishing has changed in the last few years. The gatekeepers have been swept away by self-publishing. Anyone can write a book, and offer it for sale on Amazon. And anyone can write a review and post it. So much democracy! So much freedom! Is this a good […]
But Who will Want to Read it?
An esteemed British writer, one whose novels have been published for half a century, advised me recently not to read my own book reviews – unless they’re written by someone whose opinion you respect. Good reviews will make you vain, they told me, and the bad ones will crush you. Since then, I’ve tried to […]
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