Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

How do I deal with a bad review?

I am a new author and have been very pleased with some 5 star reviews. However, one reader obviously hated the book saying it too violent and misogynistic to even finish, so she didn't. However, my aim was to create a loathsome character, who is misogynistic and really quite despicable, amd then have the other characters, inculding a strong female lead work against this character.

I feel she finshed the book too early, should I suggest she try and finish it? Then she can re review?

The only way to deal with a bad review is to ignore it (traditionally authors were recommended not even to read their reviews). Being seen to argue with your readers on social media is a bad idea...

If a reader hates a book based on a misunderstanding of what has been written, then her misunderstanding should be obvious to anyone who has read the whole thing, and they will roll their eyes at the reviewer and not the book. In any case you can't oblige her to re-review, and you definitely shouldn't try.

This is not the group for such issues. There are numerous author groups where you can try to get advice.

However, it is not recommended to contact readers.