[ SECRET POST #4525 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4525 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 25 secrets from Secret Submission Post #648.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

I don't understand why original writers think negative reviews are offensive. I really don't. Enlighten me?

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

Well, they're certainly not going to make a writer *happy*...

I suppose what would take it from "a bit of a downer" to "offensive" is whether it's a review on Goodreads where (assuming I was an OF writer) I'd have to opt in to read it - or something sent directly to me. Who wants "I hate your work so much!" popping up in their Inbox?

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

AYRT: Ugh, I don't think I gave context here. I don't mean people being upset by bad reviews. That's totally understandable. I mean thinking that any bad review is BAD. There seems to be this attitude that online reviews should only be good.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

na

They're also afraid how it will affect sales.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

sa

Publishers can and absolutely will drop authors if sales don't perform like projected, or worse, if they don’t make back the money invested in it.

And both publishing houses and self publishers also will prioritize series that are selling well and getting consistent good reviews.

It's usually the badly behaving authors who display the most paranoid attitude and throw tantrums for even the most minor number of bad or even indifferent reviews, and even a large number of bad reviews don't always mean it doesn't sell well (50 Shades - but really this isn't common), but I can understand why it would be another thing to keep an eye on it.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[philstar22]

Personally, I think it depends. A review with constructive criticism is great. But being nasty helps no one.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

AYRT: I needed way more context. I mean people who believe even constructive criticism is too negative.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

Lol, you can't see why a negative review would hurt someone's feelings? No one *wants* to have their work criticized - it's expected and tolerated but yeah, nobody wants to know that their work sucks.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

AYRT: Well, obviously. But people act like it's taboo to leave negative reviews on original work. That's what confuses me.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, I don't know if it's really taboo per say - as mentioned, it's definitely expected for authors to receive negative reviews. In turn, authors are also expected to grow a thicker skin and not take these reviews too much to heart. While no one enjoys having their work torn apart, it can also be a very good thing to hear constructive criticism.

Re: Secrets you're too lazy to make

[(Anonymous)]

Original writer here!

It's not that we find the reviews offensive. It's that if they're brought to our attention we can't talk back w/o being seen as offended. Reviewers invite us to a "conversation" we can't partcipate in!

A lot of pro authors don't read their reviews positive or negative. They don't have time. The content doesn't help them b/c reviews are meant for readers. And they're done w/ that book anyways. Usually, like 2 years ago. So they can't "fix it." It's published and out of their hands. By the time a book is published, we care about one thing. Did you like the story? Yes. Or no.

There are reviews that are clearly "I didn't like this book as a reader. The story wasn't for me." Or "This book has spelling and grammar errors, beware." And there are reviews that are "I'm going to pretend I'm in the author's writing group/english class and I'm their editor and tell them how to write." The reader review (1 and 2) is fine. The editor review (3) is rude and overstepping especially for pro traditional authors who have an agent and editors that have supposedly done their jobs or else the book wouldn't be published. (Btw, A lot of indie authors also have editors now too.)

So, yeah, authors get offended when people barge into their social media living rooms and tell them they "suck" and "you need to write this way." Especially when the social contract says they can't talk back. It's rude. Feel free to write negative reviews! Just, leave the authors out of it.

If they go seeking out their reviews and get offended. That's on them. Those writers usually aren't as "pro" as they think they are.