Reviews: Good and Bad
I copied and shared this from a post I saw on Facebook. Since then it’s been copied by several other writers and shared on their FB sites. It really is true. Nothing makes a writer happier than receiving a review that indicates the reader enjoyed the writer’s book. (Of course, nothing makes us sadder than to discover a negative review.)
Monday I discovered another way a reader can make a writer’s day. I was at the gym in the pool prior to starting a water exercise class when one of the other participants came up to me and said she’d just bought my book and was about a third of the way through it and was loving it. She said she laughed out loud at one of the scenes. (And it was a scene that was funny, so that was good.)
I’d been feeling a little negative about my writing that day. I was having trouble with a scene and was wondering if it was worth it. After I left the gym, I was ready to tackle that scene and go on with the story.
Most writers, myself included, don’t make a lot of money writing books. We write because we’re storytellers. We write because creating the stories satisfies some creative need we have. We write because we can’t not write. And yes, I would like my books to be Best Sellers and to receive seven figure checks from a publisher, but until that happens, hearing from readers means a lot.
Warning: There is an extortion scam targeting writers on Goodreads. On May 14, Writer Beware® had a blog about the scam. According to one writer: The scammers threatened to post a blizzard of one-star reviews and ratings if the writer didn’t hand over money to “buy our paid review offers”.
If you are a reader who bases your buying preferences on reviews, be aware that a slew of 1* reviews may not be what they seem. You can read more about the scam at: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/
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How awful of this ‘service’ UGH people can be so ridiculous!Thanks for the warning Great post.Good luck and God’s blessingsPamT
Pam, I knew there were some readers who, for personal reasons, gave low ratings, but to do so as extortion is really low. I’m so sorry for those writers who have been hit by this group.
Thank you, Maris. I share Writer’s Beware post on Facebook. I had not read this one. Grateful to have web info like this. Unfortunately, we don’t ever get paid for the hours we put into our craft, and evil exist to pull us down. (Good idea for a novel???)
Writer Beware should be required reading for all writers. There are some greedy people out there. It’s good that you share it on FB.
Scummy scammers. I sure hope no one gets taken in by it. For myself, I’d probably just say, go right ahead. Maybe a bunch of 1* reviews will make someone want to read it and see why it’s terrible!
Lucy, I just hope readers are smart enough to realize someone giving 1* to all of an author’s novels must have a personal reason that probably has nothing to do with the writing.
Good information. Thanks.
Thanks, Judy.
There is a terrible scam telling writers they must pay extortion or be targeted for negative reviews. Amazon and Goodreads have been made aware of this.
That’s the scam, Jacqueline, that Writer Beware talks about.