Don’t be scared of poor reviews

A few weeks ago I placed an offer on Librarything for a free copy of Have a Nice Weekend, asking if the recipients could post a review if they so wished. Around 150 people requested a copy, and shortly after it ended reviews started to come in. They were mixed, ranging from four stars down to one. I had always known that a one star would happen sooner or later, but when three came in in quick succession, I was a little surprised.

Now, I had always been told not to respond to poor reviews, as this could make the situation worse. Then last week I read a blog from an author who said she always responds to poor reviews, and in many cases she was able to convert them into three, four or even five stars. So, I thought what the Hell, I’ll respond to one of them.

I should point out now that it was not my intention then, nor is it now, to get the review changed. The reviewer gave her opinion, and that is her right. I am not interested in changing that, nor getting a review that is not honest and heartfelt.

So, I merely commented on her blog, thanked her and picked up on the one point where we agreed – we both like Steely Dan. It also turns out that we both like Radiohead. I haven’t asked her about Willie Nelson yet.

We are now following each others blogs, and who knows, maybe we will even be friends on Goodreads or FB one day. I have read through some of her other reviews, and they are all well thought out and constructive. The fact that she didn’t like my book has no bearing on how I feel about the rest of her reviews. I will even be sharing some that are of interest.

Since her review, I have had two more which were four star, one of which described the book as ‘a little gem’. The other one was titled ‘A Refreshing Change’. The first was from the Librarything giveaway, the other was from a buyer on Amazon UK.

It might also be worth pointing out that my mother does not like my book, and my CEO couldn’t read it because he found it too depressing. Even my friends and family are divided. But all the reviews, positive and negative are genuine.

So, what is my point here? I’m not sure, really. Maybe it’s to say that one star reviews are not personal, and should not be taken as such. Maybe it’s to say don’t be scared of your reviewers – you’re both human, and have different likes and dislikes.

But what I would definitely say is, thank you, Susan.