is it okay for an author to ask you to delete your book review from amazon and goodreads?

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AgathaChristieFan

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I'm sorry if this question is posted under the wrong forum... I do book reviews for my blog, and an author contacted me through email to ask me to review his book. I dedicated my time to read it and to write out a thoughtful opinion. I posted on my blog, goodreads, and amazon.

In my opinion, the book had some problems, so I didn't recommend it. I simply said "if you can get past the repetitiveness, then give the book a try." I talked about the good and the bad.

Ever since then, he's been emailing me, trying to convince me I read the story wrong. But I've stuck to my guns. Now, this morning, I get an email with him requesting I take down my review on amazon and goodreads.

What's the protocol? Should I do this? Don't potential readers have a right to know what they're getting into?

Everyone on here always offers great advice--that's why I'm asking. I want to do the right thing.
 

Torgo

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He asked you to review it; you did so honestly; he has no right to ask you to remove it.
 

Ari Meermans

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That author is treading very close to Author's Big Mistake (ABM), and if he comments on the review, he'll have crossed the line. My vote is for stick to your guns and from now on delete his emails unread. You're building trust with your readers in giving honest reviews. Your responsibility is to them, not to the authors.
 

veinglory

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You understand the book reviewing system just fine. The author doesn't. He should be grateful that you haven't blogged about his unprofessional behavior.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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Oh, he can ask all he wants to. Doesn't mean you have to do anything about it.
 

Williebee

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What they said. :)

He has the right to ask, sure. I have the right to ask you to ride a pink elephant across the Appalachian Trail.

You have the right to say no, and would not be unfair to do so.

You'd just make me unhappy. (Ok, not really, but that's the point.)

Go you!
 

Kerosene

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Reading your review, it's not that bad.

I'd say the writer either is a dolt who can't let their child be any less than perfect or just can't take criticism (which is the same thing here).

Place their email under "Spam" and forget them.
 

shadowwalker

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What's that saying - be careful what you ask for?

Leave it. It was honest, and that's what people want.
 

Sheryl Nantus

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If you "read the story wrong" then it's HIS fault for not doing a better job of writing it.

Do not give in to his whining. If he wants to be a real author he'll have to learn to take the good with the bad. If he wants to run with the big dogs he'll figure it out.

Or not.
 

James D. Macdonald

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Authors shouldn't even be reading reviews, far less responding to them in any way whatever.

It isn't possible for a reader to read a story wrong. It is possible (and far too common) for a writer to write a story wrong.
 
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Stacia Kane

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This:

If you "read the story wrong" then it's HIS fault for not doing a better job of writing it.

Do not give in to his whining. If he wants to be a real author he'll have to learn to take the good with the bad. If he wants to run with the big dogs he'll figure it out.

Or not.

And especially this (my bold):

You understand the book reviewing system just fine. The author doesn't. He should be grateful that you haven't blogged about his unprofessional behavior.


What he's doing is completely and utterly wrong. You have zero obligation to remove or change your review, and yeah, he is enormously lucky that you haven't made his unprofessional whining public.

Frankly, it sounds to me as if his behavior is bordering on harassment. I'd delete his emails without a reply, but if he doesn't stop I'd consider formally requesting that he stop contacting you. Tell him he asked for a review and you gave him an honest one, and that's the end of it. And if he doesn't comply, I'd go public.

(Not out of pique, but because it's possible he could be attempting to have your reviews removed, or trying to get people to respond to them or start attacking you online or whatever else. He's probably not doing that or going to do that, but given some of the gross author behavior we've seen in the recent past, I wouldn't be surprised.)

He asked for a review. You gave him one. That's it. You owe him nothing else. You definitely do not owe him your participation in a deception, which is what he's asking for.
 

AgathaChristieFan

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Thanks everyone for the quick reply! I'll stick to my guns and won't delete anything. WillSauger, I'm happy you don't think the review is too bad. I didn't either. I try my best not to be snarky or to hurt anyone's feelings. I was just being honest.

And, Veinglory, if he keeps bothering me, I may blog about it. It really bothers me that I'm being nice by offering book reviews for self-published books (I've heard a lot of sites won't touch them), and now it's not even appreciated because I didn't fawn over the book.
 

Myrealana

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You're reading it wrong?

Did you start at the back of the book? Did you hold it upside down? :Shrug:

Nope. The author is out of line.
 

veinglory

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I review self-published books and get this in one out for 20 or so titles. If you ignore them they give up eventually.
 

Toothpaste

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I . . . just . . . I.

WTF???

Though I have to say, it is nice when things are so clearly black and white. It is rare that one is so clearly in the right and the other person so clearly in the wrong.
 

AgathaChristieFan

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Hey Stacia Kane,
On goodreads and amazon, I was the first review for his book. The only one actually unless by now he has other ones. Maybe that's why he wants them taken down, because it wasn't a 4 or 5 star. At the end of each email (except this morning), he's mentioned that he can't wait to review one of my books.

If he wants to retaliate, then that's on him. He'll have to wait a while before my first book gets published. I'll ignore his emails, and if he gets people to harass me, then he'll show the public his immature behavior. I won't have to. Plus, I'll get more blog hits LOL.
 

Stacia Kane

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Hey Stacia Kane,
On goodreads and amazon, I was the first review for his book. The only one actually unless by now he has other ones. Maybe that's why he wants them taken down, because it wasn't a 4 or 5 star. At the end of each email (except this morning), he's mentioned that he can't wait to review one of my books.

So he's not just a butthurt little whiner, he's a dickhead. What a winner. I'm so sorry you've been mistreated in this manner.



If he wants to retaliate, then that's on him. He'll have to wait a while before my first book gets published. I'll ignore his emails, and if he gets people to harass me, then he'll show the public his immature behavior. I won't have to. Plus, I'll get more blog hits LOL.

And your review is really not that bad.
 

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I agree with Perks' assessment of the situation.

Don't delete your review.

Block his email address.

I'd blog about his unprofessional behaviour, but then I'm mean.
 

amergina

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The author is a git. He's getting upset over a three star thoughtful review?

Ignore him. You're in the right here.
 

shadowwalker

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I don't know if this is good advice (the more experienced can let us both know), but if it were me, I'd blog about "an author", tell the basics, and then explain what you do if asked to review a book (ie, no favoritism, no deletions, etc). That way, it's out there, your position is made clear, and it might save you more of the same with other authors.

???
 
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