So you didn't like my book 1?
I recently got a pretty scathing review from a same genre author on one of my works, criticizing the writing in book 1. I admit, I could have written book 1 better. But I've written four and a half novels since 2012, plus several short stories and every time I write, I improve. I'm nearly 40 now, I've been writing for 20 years; seriously for about 4 years. I am only just getting started though. I have at least 3 partially complete manuscripts which I will be submitting to agents and publishers once complete.
I'm generally cautious about reviewing same-genre authors myself. My preconceptions about what makes good and bad fantasy would make it difficult to be objective. I don't like to leave harsh, overly critical reviews. If I don't finish a book, I personally don't feel inclined to review it. I know this isn't really what Goodreads is about and a lot of people choose a different approach. I'm as guilty as the next man of tittering away while reading one of Khanh 'The Grinch' [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4...] hilarious, ultra-critical reviews, or my BFF Inge's GIF filled treats:- [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...] her reviews of the Fifty Shades Trilogy are truly awesome.
However, moaning about my writing and stating you couldn't finish my book is NOT going to entice me to quit. It won't make me an enemy of yours, but you will have lost a potential friend. I don't know if I'm out-selling you, or if I've got more fans than you. You won't discourage me though. All the negativity ONLY encourages me to work harder, write more, writer better and kick some literary ass.
Have you ever heard the first Beatles album? It's called 'Please Please Me' and I'll be honest it pretty much sucks. There are only a couple of songs on it you'll know unless you're a hardcore Beatles fan. Have you ever read The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett? I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. He's my idol. I've read more Pratchett than any other author, but 'The Colour of Magic' wasn't a great book. It was a laugh, it was enjoyable, but it's a pale shadow of his later books.
The only way to get good at anything is to do it badly, do it again better, then rinse and repeat. I love telling stories, inventing worlds characters and conflicts. I love surprising my readers and encouraging people to question.
I actually love giving my first book away free! I currently estimate over 18,000 people have read my free, series opener The Last Dragon Slayer.
I don't write to get rich, or become famous. I write to be read and to improve. Read my first book! Tell your friends to as well! It's free, you have nothing to lose. But don't think that's the best I've got. book 1 is just me warming up, stretching my fingers and having a dabble. The best, is definitely to come.
I will find an agent and get published traditionally, and my books will end up in major book stores. I'll either get published or die trying.
That's my attitude. If anyone ever tries to put YOU down or discourage you from pursuing your dream - don't let them. You'll always have negative people in your life, putting barriers in your way. The only way to live though, is to kick those barriers down and storm forwards. Never take your eyes of your goal and you'll definitely get there in the end.
Martyn Stanley
I'm generally cautious about reviewing same-genre authors myself. My preconceptions about what makes good and bad fantasy would make it difficult to be objective. I don't like to leave harsh, overly critical reviews. If I don't finish a book, I personally don't feel inclined to review it. I know this isn't really what Goodreads is about and a lot of people choose a different approach. I'm as guilty as the next man of tittering away while reading one of Khanh 'The Grinch' [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4...] hilarious, ultra-critical reviews, or my BFF Inge's GIF filled treats:- [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...] her reviews of the Fifty Shades Trilogy are truly awesome.
However, moaning about my writing and stating you couldn't finish my book is NOT going to entice me to quit. It won't make me an enemy of yours, but you will have lost a potential friend. I don't know if I'm out-selling you, or if I've got more fans than you. You won't discourage me though. All the negativity ONLY encourages me to work harder, write more, writer better and kick some literary ass.
Have you ever heard the first Beatles album? It's called 'Please Please Me' and I'll be honest it pretty much sucks. There are only a couple of songs on it you'll know unless you're a hardcore Beatles fan. Have you ever read The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett? I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. He's my idol. I've read more Pratchett than any other author, but 'The Colour of Magic' wasn't a great book. It was a laugh, it was enjoyable, but it's a pale shadow of his later books.
The only way to get good at anything is to do it badly, do it again better, then rinse and repeat. I love telling stories, inventing worlds characters and conflicts. I love surprising my readers and encouraging people to question.
I actually love giving my first book away free! I currently estimate over 18,000 people have read my free, series opener The Last Dragon Slayer.
I don't write to get rich, or become famous. I write to be read and to improve. Read my first book! Tell your friends to as well! It's free, you have nothing to lose. But don't think that's the best I've got. book 1 is just me warming up, stretching my fingers and having a dabble. The best, is definitely to come.
I will find an agent and get published traditionally, and my books will end up in major book stores. I'll either get published or die trying.
That's my attitude. If anyone ever tries to put YOU down or discourage you from pursuing your dream - don't let them. You'll always have negative people in your life, putting barriers in your way. The only way to live though, is to kick those barriers down and storm forwards. Never take your eyes of your goal and you'll definitely get there in the end.
Martyn Stanley
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Kathryn
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Sep 28, 2016 02:17AM
keep your chin up, always! don't let the negative reviews ever stop you from telling your story. :) after all, everyone has different tastes, and you can't please them all.
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Thanks Kathryn. I try... It's not easy though! :)
There will always be those who don't like the work that we do... But you're right about keeping improving, you can always improve and get better with time persistence! And of course, focus your energies on those who appreciate your work :)
And I agree with Kathryn! Cheers!
And I agree with Kathryn! Cheers!
Thanks Isis! I'll be seeing you about a cover for Deathsworn Arc 5 soon! I wish you'd read more of the series so you understood what you were painting! :)Book 4 was awesome. The more I look at your vision of Vexis, the more I like it.
Hi Martyn,I read your words with great interest and empathy from the point of view of someone who is not a published author but who loves reading and also spends a lot of time writing all sorts of bits and pieces. My favourite genres are historical fiction and fantasy of all kinds. I read your first book awhile ago now and loved it. Unfortunately there will always be those who do not like the books authors write no matter how good they are as Isis says. I think your attitude is so positive. Never let the negative ruin your talents. Keep writing Martyn. Your books are great! That is why I follow you on here. Leila.
Thanks Leila, I really appreciate the kind words! I hope you'll read the rest of the series one day. You DO have to learn to have thick skin when you put the fruits of your creativity up for public criticism. We're all only human though, and some criticism is constructive, useful and worth paying attention to. I wish in many respects I'd gone down the trad-pub route, at least then my books would never have been allowed to be released while they still contained minor grammar issues. I've worked really hard to make sure the entire series is a close to 'right' in terms of the text as I can, but I still find errors. I even found a missing 'the' in my fourth book last night and I thought that was more or less perfect!Thanks so much for following me. I would really appreciate a short review and a rating! Especially if you enjoyed book 1!
Martyn
Yes, you are so right Martyn in that some constructive criticism is always useful. The other kind is not worth worrying about really. There's always someone! (smiles) My personal opinion is that with a debut book it is possible there might be issues with a few grammar errors, but if the book is well written and 'grabs' me I don't have a problem with that. Yes, I should read the rest of your books and I will. The problem with owning a Kindle is that I never know when to stop and have hundreds of books collected. lol. I will leave you a review Martyn. No problem. Leila.
Thank you so much Leila! You've brightened up my day! :)Martyn
Done it Martyn! I rarely include spoilers in my reviews instead I try to comment on on why I have enjoyed the book. I hope I have managed as lucid a review as possible. There was so much to include. Take care.Leila
Your concern over reviews and your need to refute a negative one is wasting your time. They're simply one person's subjective opinion and should not illicit an emotional reaction, or the need to provide an explanation.First of all, reviews are NOT for authors - they are for other readers. What one reader considers a fault, may become the selling point for other readers. You don't know what readers are thinking, or what they take from review comments.
Secondly, every review should be considered a gift. Based on what a reviewer writes, you can agree or disagree, and you can make changes or not. But in fact - none of that is relevant. The important part is that you appreciate that someone read your book (or part of it) and took the time and effort to write a review. That is the whole point - getting people to read your work - right?
Thirdly, reviewers are not expressing their opinion to help you become a better writer. There are lots of books/videos/courses/seminars/etc. out there for that purpose. Learn your craft and practice to get better, but take the reviewer comments out of the equation. They are simply one reader's opinion.
Lastly, a negative review gives your positive reviews credibility. In a world of bogus promotions/reviews - that's a real plus. No book is going to be loved by everyone and every reader knows that. Many potential readers check out the negatives and the positives and find the balance they need to decide if a book is for them. Never underestimate their prowess in finding their right book.
My advice - forget the reviews - you have no control over them and they shouldn't be your concern. Keep writing, keep getting better, and appreciate your readers. I'm sure you will succeed.
I appreciate that. For the most part I DO ignore reviews, occasionally, one gets to me - as it would to everyone. Of course I read reviews, any writer who claims not to read reviews is a liar. Everyone IS entitled to their opinion. I'll be honest I think you've misinterpreted the spirit in which this post was written. I was really hoping to inspire my fellow authors to be positive and to not let negative reviews deter them. Reviews ARE for readers, however there are two kinds of negative reviews, those with meaning and content and those which are suspiciously vague. I always try to learn something from a negative review, and use any criticism to up my game. For that reason I find those reviews with nothing to learn from within, particularly frustrating.
I do however strongly agree with David Bowie on playing to the gallery:-
https://youtu.be/cNbnef_eXBM
There are some things you can take from reviews and some things you can't. You can't change a character on the whim of a reader. It's a fine balancing act. Please try to see this post in the spirit it was intended though. One encouraging people to try and stay positive and to not let negativity deter them.
My point was to emphasize that reviews represent only one subjective opinion, and are usually written with readers in mind. Why put so much emphasis on them? Why would they provide better advice than your beta readers and editors? How can they elicit such a strong emotional response from writers claiming to be professional authors. Reviews are part of publishing, and most new authors do read their reviews. Controlling them, worrying about them, and trying to make use of them, ranks up there with controlling the weather - it can't be done, so why bother to try. They are outside of the writer's control.
Your comment: "... hoping to inspire my fellow authors to be positive and to not let negative reviews deter them..." I encourage a positive outlook, but I also encourage a professional and realistic approach. As for the spirit of your post, it's lovely, but I disagree with your premise. Not letting negativity deter the creative spirit is wonderful, but when writers put that same work out into the literary arena, it's business.
They need to be prepared for public opinion, and able to handle the negative. No concessions are made for new writers. I think too many of them seek endless encouragement, instead of honing their writing and business skills to deal with the reality of the literary marketplace.
I think any review is good, whether it is positive or negative. However, your first paragraph troubled me. You said you could have written Book #1 better. If you do know that, then you should accept the review for the same premise -- the critique is suggesting also, that it could be better! It would appear that you're letting the review get under your skin because there may be truth to what the reviewer says. And that's called a teachable moment. So accept it, graciously!I waited 15 years to publish my novel and feel I did the best I could, so I can close my eyes to any criticism that comes my way. But I'll always have one ear open, because I can learn from others, too!
Mind you, at my rate, I have about 2 more books to write in my lifetime, so I applaud your ability to pump them out so quickly. I would consider it a compliment that someone took so much of THEIR time to talk about you. And if they are your competitor? Consider yourself flattered that they are studying you so much!
What others think about me is none of my business, my mother taught me. I will live with that. And I'll also live with negative criticism that may come my way. We must become thick-skinned when we put our work out there. If you want to be liked, do charity. If you want to be respected, take the good and bad, say thanks, and move on.
Christine wrote: "My point was to emphasize that reviews represent only one subjective opinion, and are usually written with readers in mind. Why put so much emphasis on them? Why would they provide better advice th..."VL wrote: "I think any review is good, whether it is positive or negative. However, your first paragraph troubled me. You said you could have written Book #1 better. If you do know that, then you should accep..."
You both make valid points. I almost share your view that any review is good. I aren't complaining about getting negative reviews. However I think there are more than one 'type' of negative review. If it's constructive and allows me to learn something it's good. If it's specific and states precisely why a reader didn't like it - that's good because another reader might like the element that the first reader didn't. If it's vague and possible to interpret as a personal attack, then there's little value to it.
I think we can all look back at stuff we wrote a long time ago and acknowledge that we could have written it better. But could we? A few years on, a more books under our belt we have more experience and therefore the tools to write better. When we wrote our first book, we didn't have those tools or that experience, so maybe we couldn't have written it better?
I don't believe in wanting to be liked. Liked is bland, if you want to be liked by everyone, you can't write strong material. If you want your work to be loved by a few, you have to accept it will be hated by a few too.
I honestly don't see a book every couple of years as fast, or pumping them out. I wish I COULD write faster. I'd love to write as my one and only career - then I probably could.
I know we have to be thick-skinned. We also have to be somewhat pig-headed.
You can learn from criticism - yes. However you can't learn much from a throwaway comment and a cynical put-down. I'm a firm believer in freedom of speech. Anyone is free to say whatever they like about me, or my work. However it's unilateral. By that same right, if someone says something I don't like, I have the right to voice my opinion. I don't want to specify exactly who said what - that would be tittle tattle and I'm not for that. However, I call a spade a spade. I'll tell you the kettle's black. I know review represent subjective opinions, I have no complaints about negative review or criticism. I should know I've had a lot! My first book has nearly 300 ratings and 77 written reviews! I have no reason to complain about 95% of them, good or bad. However, I'm the sort of person who doesn't like to remain silent when something rubs me up the wrong way. Neither do I like to point the finger, so making a blog post like this seems a fair compromise! :)
I loved your blog. No matter how good you get there will always be some people who don't like your stuff, so hopefully they have something constructive to say to help you improve. Not just: I hate you and your book and everything you stand for. ;-)
Thanks Gisele! :)How's your novel coming along?
I have an ARC out for it. It releases on the 15th. How is yours coming?
Great news! I hope it does well. Tweet me when its out and I'll retweet it for you. Mine is slow. I'm currently re-reading the series to get my bearings and I have a bit of a dilemma as to where to take it. (see next blog post!)
Happy to! If you want any more advice or help in picking a few readers just pm me! :)
This was such a great blog post. I'm small enough that everyone has been super nice, and so have little idea what it must be like for you.
@Martyn,I will of course take any advice you have to give sir Lol.
@Andrew,
Hi! Im enjoying your book. I hope your stuff gets more exposure. Have you considered a librarything giveaway?
Martyn wrote: "...I think there are more than one 'type' of negative review... If it's vague and possible to interpret as a personal attack, then there's little value to it. ..."Reviews are for other readers and not directed at the author. If you believe it was a personal attack - report it to Goodreads, and if they agree with your assessment, they will remove it. Responding to the review in any way is not only against the recommendations of Goodreads, but very unprofessional.
Reviewers have the right to voice their opinion. They are readers and writing comments for other readers. They are NOT required to provide you with constructive comments - in fact they can say whatever they want so long as it is not, in fact, a direct personal attack on the author. Numerous discussions have taken place over the past years, right here on GR, regarding authors responding to reviews. You should go back and read them. You would get a very clear picture of how reviewers lack any tolerance of authors who refute their reviews or demand they review constructively. Reviewers write comments for each other, and it becomes very clear very quickly that the best approach an author can take is to butt-out.
Do you have the right to comment on their reviews - sure you do. It's free speech - something rubbed you the wrong way, so you can voice your opinion. IMHO This blog is not the smart thing to do. It's new author, amateur, stamping my feet, you hurt my feelings BS. Perhaps a friendly PM to the author who disliked your book, would have been more professional, and more constructive.
Gisele wrote: "@Martyn,I will of course take any advice you have to give sir Lol.
@Andrew,
Hi! Im enjoying your book. I hope your stuff gets more exposure. Have you considered a librarything giveaway?"
Hello Gisele. I just noticed you were on Crosssroads. Sorry about the length, but I loved some of the characters and could not stop. I have had a few giveaways on librarything, and they did fine although the read to review ratio came out to about 10:1. I do spend a little too much time writing as opposed to actually working on adverising my content, I think. Just building relations with other authors and readers is proving to be best.
I'm just starting out on ethan and michelle.
Andrew wrote: "Gisele wrote: "@Martyn,I will of course take any advice you have to give sir Lol.
@Andrew,
Hi! Im enjoying your book. I hope your stuff gets more exposure. Have you considered a librarything give..."
Haha! I hope you like it.
On the contrary Christine, I dislike contacting reviewers directly and I dislike specifically complaining about reviews. This post was more about my attitude to such reviews. I wasn't stamping my feet or asking for a retraction. Yes I was complaining about non-constructive reviews, but I don't think it's unprofessional or discourteous to voice that opinion. I am 100% against reviewer censorship, however I'm also 100% against author censorship. Goodreads recommends against contacting reviewers, I have done, but very, very rarely and I've never been discourteous or rude to a reviewer. I don't think it's good practise to engage with reviewers as a rule. I understand your criticism of this blog post and I respect your opinion. I don't share it though, I wrote this post in the spirit which most of those commenting and liking have taken it. My critical paragraphs at the start of the post were more than anything intended to give the post context. I haven't singled out a reviewer or review. I haven't been rude or discourteous to anyone. I honestly think you've grossly misinterpreted the post. If that is the case, then I apologise. I'm surprised though. Most people seemed to have got the gist of the post and understood what I was getting at completely. My point is simply, 'don't let other's negativity stop you from pursuing your goals.'
Only a tiny minority of avid readers ever post a consumer review on a literary website. As already pointed out, those that do post a review do so to share their subjective opinion with other readers, not as a personal message to the author. Consumer reviews may encourage someone to at least consider reading a specific book, but according to professional literary marketing data and publishers, their impact upon sales is negligible. Sales usually generate reviews, not the other way around.
Based upon the number of aggressive solicitations, offers of free books or promise to swap review for review by some authors, it is apparent that they may be unaware of or just choose to ignore the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulation that requires any consumer review obtained in such a manner to include a disclaimer stating so. Such reviews are viewed skeptically, if not totally ignored, by many avid readers.
