As an author, I've a confession to make...I don't read the reviews of my books at Goodreads, Library Thing or Amazon (or other outlets where they're sold). The only ones I see are the ones reviewers send to me directly.

I don't refrain because I don't care what other people think. I do it for my own sanity. Not everyone's going to like a book--and that's each individual's privilege--but seeing the proof that someone thinks your baby is ugly can sting. I'm not totally oblivious. I know the bad reviews are there. I just don't read them.

I see (and hear of) time and again authors who are hurt by a less than favorable review. Whether or not unfavorable reviews hurt sales is not the point of my post (I will say this though...it doesn't seem to have hurt my sales).

I personally don't read reviews when making a decision about whether or not to buy a book. Since I'm a Kindle owner, it's simple for me to download a sample and make my own decision about whether or not I'm going to enjoy the story, the writer's voice and the characters.

That said, I know there are people who read the reviews before deciding to buy. After scanning the reviews of a few "author friends" books, I've noticed a pattern...people who are dissatisfied are far more likely to speak out than those who found the read enjoyable.

Which brings me to the reason for this post...if you've read a book (any book) and enjoyed it, please think about leaving a positive review at whatever outlet you made the purchase. I'm not asking so much for the author as for the potential readers who weigh their decision to buy or not based on other reviews. If you enjoyed the read, maybe they will, too.

I'm wishing everyone a prosperous year in 2011 ~

Happy New Year!

Sandy