Words of wisdom

Publié par Patrick on Saturday, September 03, 2011
Goodreads has found that it is not in an author's best interest to engage with someone over a negative review. Please think twice before commenting this review.

Goodreads now has this pop-up warning when an author is about to comment on a reader's review.

Good call. . .

6 commentaires:

Xenophon said...

You would think that this would simply be common sense for an author not to lash out at criticism. But it is nice that Goodreads is thoughtfully saving authors from themselves.

Anyone that creates something and puts it up for public review should expect negative comments. Even if it is a piece of their soul that they poured much time and effort into, not taking it personally just goes with the territory.

If an author doesn't have some self-restraint and a relatively thick skin before entering the public arena, they have no one to blame but themselves if they snap and put their foot firmly in mouth then regret it later.

11:00 AM
Michael McClung said...

Funny thing, I honestly am not that bothered by negative reviews or comments: either they are valuable feedback or they are ignorable.

What I mostly struggle with emotionally as a writer is *lack* of reviews. Love it or hate it, just don't ignore it :D

1:22 PM
Bets Davies said...

I agree. The lack of feedback sucks.

My mentor Elmaz Abinader always taught that a) the author says nothing during the oral group critique until everyone is done. b) you may ask for clarifications, you may ask questions. No arguing.

4:20 PM
NoOne said...

Pfft, 'nannyism' strikes again! The vast majority of people are big enough and ugly enough to make their own decisions! If authors want to defend their work then let them have it I say! if they get into a scrap they're not hurting anyone but themselves. Just MHO.

8:17 AM
Elfy said...

On the occasions I have seen an author respond to a negative review it never seems to end well.

11:55 PM
krobinett said...

Whenever I have seen an author get into it with a reader/reviewer at Amazon it always makes the author look pretty bad.

And whenever an author has a snit in his or her blog about negative readers/reviewers it makes them look even worse (think Laurell K. Hamilton and her legendary Negative Readers tantrum on her blog which is still discussed regularly years later at various internet forums and which causes tons of ridicule to pour upon that author's head).

Authors have to have the common sense to realize that everyone's taste varies and when some readers do not care for that author's work it is only natural. Not everyone is going to enjoy everything. And trying to be defensive or argumentative about it merely makes the author look quite immature.

9:14 PM

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