Criticising a book - to the author

My reaction would be similar to yours. I'm currently doing a book review for work. I've met the author and think very highly of him, but the book has some weaknesses. This makes me think twice about how I address these weaknesses. Interacting with the author makes it more real, and it's easier to be negative when the author is faceless. Maybe I should write all of my reviews as if the author will read them.

No. If you crit in any major venue for reviews, like Amazon, I'd say the author is more likely to read your comments than not. Has probably been lurking forever, waiting for SOMEONE, PLEASE! to review his work.

If you're polite and can back up your assertions, you've danced your side of the dance.

I figure it's the same as doing a crit in SYW. If you're honest and not bashy about it, you're being helpful.

Meh. Who can tell with Amazon? You just get your friends to write reviews and tag the negative ones as not helpful. Myself, I discount the highest and lowest reviews and pay the most attention to the mid-range reviews that demonstrate a real knowledge of the work through details and examples.

Any time you post a review online, chances are the author will be able to find and read it (Google Alerts is quite useful for that). Good or bad, as long as a review seems thought out and honest, I don't usually care. Reviews are for the readers, not the author.

It's just those reviews that rant and rave on the negative, and are so poorly written that you wonder at the literacy level of the reviewer and whether or not their internet access should be removed....

No need to feel bad. Everybody's a critic. You just happened to voice your criticisms. Writers need to develop a thick skin anyway, so if an author gets bent out of shape, it's their problem.

At the same time, I've read reviews that attacked the writer and not the book itself, which isn't cool.

You did the right thing, Seun. You gave an honest opinion on the book. It's good the author read the review, as well as commented on it. I don't think it was too smooth not revealing he was the author when responding to your review. Feedback is a great tool for writers. If the reader doesn't like the book, then that cannot be changed. But, if there is poor editing with error, that is something the author has control over.

I'm not commercially published, but I post amateur fiction in a forum where I get a lot of reviews from drive-by readers I don't know from Adam.

I agree that after-the-fact reviews are for the readers, but as an "author," I appreciate the thought-out ones, even if they are negative. I hate "This suxorz!" and "idk, I don't get--what's gong on in what is happen this is not what I know I think I missed something its not work." But I really like the "I liked parts, but..." and then the reader lays out some fundamental flaws in pacing or characterization or points out weak areas in my prose. It's embarrassing as hell, but knowing those things helps. I can't fix what's already been posted, but I can keep these things in mind for the next thing I post.

I think it's important for an author to know how their work is being received, and you shouldn't shy away from being honest. Although, I do think we should always be respectful and polite in reviewing something, whether we know the author will see it or not.

I wouldn't worry about it. I've seen authors go after people for commenting about books on Goodreads as well, demanding to know what they did or did not like if they rated something two stars.

Some people have no sense of boundaries. That shouldn't stop you from voicing your opinion about a book. You are welcome to hate or love any product on the shelves, and IMO, the moment the author sells their manuscript to a publisher, it becomes a product. I would not think twice about telling Dr. Pepper that I think Diet Dr. Pepper is vile. Other people love it. It just isn't for me.

The only time I have been upset about a review is when someone has attributed personal baggage to what I write. Like I'm an overly hormonal housewife in need of a good rogering because I happen to write about characters who have lots of sex.

I guess I'm the only chicken. If I know the author and enjoyed their book I'll give them a review appropriate to the level of enjoyment. If I hated the book of an author I know then I won't write a review at all.

I always cringe a little when someone posts in the "What YA/sci-fi/whatever book are you reading?" threads here on AW that they read a book by an AWer and they thought it sucked. It seems mean to me, but maybe the authors in question are thick-skinned enough to not mind If I read a book by an AW author and I don't love it, I don't say so here in the forum. I value internet friends over the need to review honestly I guess.

This won't surprise you to know, but I've done it before, knowing the author would read what I thought of their book.

As for someone not liking a fellow AWer's book? Say it was mine, I wouldn't care one bit. If you spend time and money reading my book, you also buy the right to an opinion on it.

I think other people have the brains to know if it's a bashy review or "I didn't like it because..."

No author has the right to object to that. You can't legislate someone else's opinion.

Pfft, people are allowed not to like what I write (as long as it's for an actual reason, rather than a perceived fault that isn't there say, but then I just shrug) so I'm allowed to not like what they write.

It might not be my cup of tea, or I feel it has a weak ending or whathaveyou, but I'm not going to say OMG I loved it if I didn't, and I don't expect otehr people to do that to me either. As long as they aren't rude about it. Kinda like taking a crit tbh. If there's constructive criticism I'll take it on the chin, and I expect other writers to do the same. Outright 'It just sucks' etc...not so good. Luckily I haven't had one of those yet, though I've had one or two 'ouch' comments. But those are the ones I look at to see where I coudl improve.

So yeah, as long as it's polite and reasoned, why the heck not?

Be constructive and you'll never have to say you're sorry.
Write the positive stuff before you write the negative. End on a positive note.
No need to make up anything, but there must have been something that attracted you to the book in the first place and kept you reading through it.
Then, go ahead and give it two stars.
Anyone who really cares will read through your review to determine why you gave it two stars.
It's funny. I was heavily criticized on another thread because I choose to have my manuscripts professionally copy edited (strictly for grammatical mistakes and spelling errors; errors in time lines, names spelled two different ways, etc.) before submitting them. That's a good example of why I believe it's important (for me) to have my manuscript in the best shape possibly even though the publisher's own editors will eventually comb through it.
I am not saying everyone should do it, but if my name is on that book, I know that I am the person readers will criticize for any errors, not the publisher or the agent or some nameless editor somewhere.

It's not something I'm comfortable with, although I certainly appreciate that others feel (and do) differently.

On a professional level, it just feels like bad business.

You never know who'll be sitting next to you on a panel or at some other function. You never know who you'll be asked to blurb or who will be asked to blurb your next book. You never know who'll become an ally, who'll wind up an agency-mate, who will share an editor or a publisher. You never know who will become a friend in this business. One of the worst books I've ever read was written by someone I know and like (no, they don't post here as far as I know).

On a personal level, I don't like to make people feel bad. If I didn't like their book, chances are it's just me and whatever baggage I've brought along for the read, and no flaw in their writing or story. Maybe it just wasn't my thing. Maybe I read it at the wrong time in my life and it failed to resonate. So I'd rather say nothing.

At the same time, if I love your book, you'll know it.

As a writer, if you don't like my book, feel free to speak up. As long as you state your opinions in a well-constructed and thoughtful way, I'll respect that. If you just say, "I hated it!" I'll place you carefully and quietly in my "moron" pile.

I'd just love it if someone was brave enough to email me privately to say "You suck hairy goatbitz!"

Every writer lives in perpetual fear that I might choose to write about their book. And if not, they should.

Don't worry. I warn everyone who solicits a crit from me.

The author put it out there, so it's a product, yep. People have different tastes, so it's no surprise when not everyone likes something. If there were errors, particularly.

The author shouldn't really mind, anyway. Book are for the readers, not the author

seun said:

I gave it two stars. There was one for three stars and a few other reviews at four and five stars. Within five minutes of my review, two people had voted it not helpful.

Looks like I'm in the minority for not liking typos and weak writing.

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My experience is that negative reviews get more "unhelpful" votes than positive reviews, because people who liked the book are offended that someone else didn't, whereas people who don't like the book don't go around voting "unhelpful" everyone who liked it.

As for hurting the author's fee-fees: tough. I love it when authors cry (or even better, flip out at a negative review) and make fandom_wank. Do you think James Patterson or Dan Brown cries every time someone slags their books?

happywritermom said:

Be constructive and you'll never have to say you're sorry.

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Quoted for truth.

I welcome constructive criticism - believe me, I know where I think the book might be weak or need help, but nothing helps as much as another writer's viewpoint. And if there are typos, etc. WE NEED TO KNOW! My proof copy was a mess - the publisher has assured me all is fixed, but without another (millionth) reading, I won't know for sure - and I can miss 'em, too. If you find booboos, they can be fixed in the next printing - if there is one!

Lots of authors read their Amazon reviews. If you are constructive - and may I add polite - then you are a help. Isn't it what you would want if you were on the other end of it?

aadams73 said:

As a writer, if you don't like my book, feel free to speak up. As long as you state your opinions in a well-constructed and thoughtful way, I'll respect that. If you just say, "I hated it!" I'll place you carefully and quietly in my "moron" pile.

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Love it - yes!