Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2023 discussion

I'm having qualms about the ethics of me participating in this group and me voicing my opinion on other authors' work. I have to be honest, and my opinions will not always be favourable.
What is your opinion on the matter? Should an author/reader not participate in a public group, or is it okey?

Elin wrote: "I'm having qualms about the ethics of me participating in this group and me voicing my opinion on other authors' work. I have to be honest, and my opinions will not always be favourable.
What is yo..."

I think I understand your dilemma, but I have to say, I always appreciate your comments and you have such interesting reading that I enjoy seeing.

I would also miss you input Elin, but I think in this case you need to do what you feel comfortable with.

Elin wrote: "I'm having qualms about the ethics of me participating...

Lady, I would miss you, and I have the same question of myself, but I am not nearly so well/wide read, and I am a fan of a vast majority. I have decided to leave it to ratings vs ratings and reviews, however, so I do not upset anyone, and only if it is most awesome to leave a review! (Like all of your books I so love!)

I have seen other authors puzzling with similar thoughts but personally I never thought that there was anything weird about your posting here.

If I like an author's work I would be quite interested in hearing what they like to read :)

I suppose there is honest, and then there is honest...? I can see why some brutally honest-honest opinions might seem like a conflict of interest or a relationship problem if they wish to participate in the author groups and communities as well.
Likely very few people have a problem with an author-reader saying that you loved this book because XYZ reasons and this other book didn't work for you as well.

It all depends how the author conducts him/herself. I hear tales of authors who join groups just to criticize “the competition” but have to say I have never encountered one. Sometimes people join Goodreads just to promote their own work; I did that at first out of ignorance of the Goodreads culture, I was simply doing what my publisher had told me to do. But I quickly learned my behavior was inappropriate and course-corrected.

Presumably you write in this genre because you’re a fan of the genre, so an author participating in this group wears two hats. I try to make sure my “fan” hat is much bigger than my author hat. When you approach another author’s work in your genre, there’s a particular obligation (1) to try to understand what the author is trying to do and (2) to be honest about your own biases and preferences in the genre. If you approach commentary first as a fan and then with humble self-awareness, it seems entirely appropriate to participate; indeed, you have a valuable perspective as an author, understanding more of the mechanics of writing and the particular challenges of adaptation. My favorite reviews of Austenesque fiction have long been those of an author, Suzan Lauder, and I’m sad she’s no longer writing them!

It came up at the latest JAff reader/writer get-together that an author should not rate or review another author for ethical reasons. Even if to leave a high rating. I stopped doing that when I started publishing but dabbled a little with it this summer. It didn't feel right, even if I only left ratings/reviews for 4 or 5 star books.
This group is another matter. This is where I keep track of my own reading, and the comments I make is what I look up when I am contemplating rereading. (I am not good at spreadsheets and such. Would not like to tackle that to keep track...)
When I said honest, I didn't mean to be mean. I try to be kind, and circumspect. If I thought that a book was boring I will call it a slow burner, or if the first person narrative was badly done, I will simply mention that it was written in first person, etc.
The gloves come off if it is extremely provoking, like a modern I read where Darcy ties Elizabeth’s hands and feet, fill her pockets with stones and throws her into the river to run off with Caroline. Elizabeth drowned and I hated it enough to not recommend it...

I joined this group in 2017, and I absolutely love it. Even if I have been less active, I like to find recommendations her, and my favourite reviewers, that I trust and have similar tastes as are here. If no one mind my small contributions, I would like to continue :)

I can understand the challenge - any time in life we wear more than one "hat" in a situation it is difficult.

I would suggest that openness is key - you review under the same name as you write which is important. I suspect many authors have more than one Goodreads persona which is definitely not honest if they read and review in the same genre as they write.

I am certain you would be missed in this group if you felt unable to participate.

(I can't imagine that the modern book you described had a great deal of following?! It sounds horrendous).

Then , it seems like two separate issues.
being on the group helps you track. and it doesn't seem to lead to leaving reviews. which is your main concern?

in that case I say, please stay with us.

Definitely stay with us, Elin! Even if you don’t write “official” reviews, I love to see what you’ve read and whether or not you recommend it to the rest of us.

I don’t feel comfortable writing “official” reviews here or on Amazon for books that I’ve been involved with at the beta stage, so I kind of get where you’re coming from.

Elin wrote: "It came up at the latest JAff reader/writer get-together that an author should not rate or review another author for ethical reasons. Even if to leave a high rating. I stopped doing that when I sta..."

Wow, you’re a lot kinder than I am! If I thought a first-person narrative was badly done, I would say why I thought it didn’t work, or at least say it didn’t work for me. And I’ve given books in the genre ratings from one star to enthusiastic five stars—always with an explanation of my point of view. I recall one story whose entire premise was based on something that would never ever happen in the Regency (the hero and heroine meeting by sharing a private carriage for an hours-long journey when they were total strangers) so I rated it one star because the author didn’t bother to come to a basic understanding of the era she was writing about. That kind of carelessness is unfair to readers, and I reviewed it as a reader who felt she’d been cheated out of the purchase price. I did take the time to explain my objections and make recommendations for improvement. I guess as a reviewer I focus more on the reader’s feelings than the author’s.

As a writer, when I write something bad I want to know, so I can think about it and improve. If someone hates my work for silly reasons, I can shrug it off. When people take the trouble to express their reasons, I always appreciate it even if I disagree. Authors need to develop a tough shell but remain open to improvement. So in reviewing other people’s work I approach it from the assumption that they would (or should) feel the same.

Like Anji, though, I don’t like to review a book if I’ve worked on it as an editor or beta reader. Not entirely clear about my reasons—perhaps it’s more awkward to review if I am personally acquainted with the author.

I think you are absolutely right there Abigail. The purpose of book reviews is to help future readers. I find I am less forgiving of errors in the genre than I used to be as there is plenty of readily available reference material to avoid errors. Authors do need to have the depth of emotional maturity necessary to be willing to learn from review comments.

I work in a creative role in a very different field and I have to accept and work with on-line reviews. I have definitely acted positively on review comments to improve my products.

"The gloves come off if it is extremely provoking, like a modern I read where Darcy ties Elizabeth’s hands and feet, fill her pockets with stones and throws her into the river to run off with Caroline. Elizabeth drowned and I hated it enough to not recommend it..."

well i don't know what story this is but it sounds like it was probably written in order to make people hate it

Katja wrote: ""The gloves come off if it is extremely provoking, like a modern I read where Darcy ties Elizabeth’s hands and feet, fill her pockets with stones and throws her into the river to run off with Carol..."

I was just thinking it sounds deliberately provoking. And awful.

Elin, chiming in to say that I too have experienced that dilemma, and I'm glad you're staying in the group! The fact that you're thinking about this tension between your reader self and writer self -- and that you're being open about it -- suggests you're not in danger of acting unethically.

I really appreciate what others in this thread have contributed! I'll only add that, as a writer, I hope everyone in this group feels free to express their honest views about books, including mine. Critical feedback is both essential and part of the deal that comes with sending books out into the world.

Mostly, though, I'm here as a reader who, when time permits, enjoys basking in the glory of kind and clever people who love books and love Austen. What a lovely place to visit! Hope I can uphold that spirit, and Elin, I'm absolutely sure you can and do!

What she said! 👆🏻

Who better to provide useful commentary on a new piece of JAFF? I find your reviews (and those of your fellow JAFF authors) extremely helpful because your perspective is already known. If you -- or the many other wonderful JAFF authors -- admire or have concerns about a new book, that's valuable information.

Elin, I find your reviews helpful. I think you should stay and continue on.

I don’t see why any author who is willing to be a thoughtful participant in this group shouldn’t participate and share their opinions.
I think we all have an obligation to be open and honest in our reviews and to review carefully. For instance I don’t enjoy modern variations so i rarely read them and never comment on the setting if I do. I like the Colonel to be named Richard but I don’t ever score a book downwards because the author named him anything else.
I think we have all seen examples of reviews that are unfair and I have to say I’ve rarely seen one from the people in this group.

Also I love having the many authors who are JAFF fans participating here so that we can ask quests of the authors. I have learned a lot about the interesting world of publishing from all of you.