Author on the Defense Regarding Book Review
By APOOO • Nov 12th, 2008 • Category: Thinking Out Loud •
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As I was perusing blogs today, I ran across one which seems to be a HOT TOPIC right now. Who knew that a free book, won via a contest giveaway, could prompt so much discussion and burn up the book blogger hot lines. LOL. It seems that Jim Michael Hansen, author of the “Laws Thrillers,” sent out copies of his books as giveaways. One of the individuals who received a copy decided to write a review that was not favorable. Now, the author is upset and believes that the ‘negative’ review was not warranted since the book was won as part of a giveaway. I was always told that once you give something away you lose control over what the person does with it. And the recipient could do whatever they wanted with said gift. It seems that the author isn’t upset that a review was written but that the review wasn’t favorable. I wonder if we would be as upset if the review was positive? What do you think?
There’s a saying that ‘one should choose their battles.’ I’m not sure the publicity that this author is attracting is what he wanted. Reviewers walk a fine line with authors…and over the years it’s become increasingly difficult to be honest without receiving backhands from authors who don’t agree when reviewers write something less than flattering. In walking that tightrope, some of us have decided that we will only post reviews for books that we like. This is so unfortunate because it doesn’t provide a balanced view of the book. Given that 90% of us claim that we don’t base purchase decisions on book reviews, why do authors get so bent out of shape because someone doesn’t like their book? It’s just ONE PERSON’S opinion…why bring attention to that one opinion rather than appreciating the 24 other ones that were positive. As much as any of us try, no one is ever going to like everything we do. it seems a waste of energy (and time) to think otherwise.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article. After reading the article, please share your thoughts as to why you agree or disagree with the author.
UPDATE…it was brought to my attention that Mr. Hansen took down his post. So, CLICK HERE to see the review that launched his anger. I wonder why he took his post down. Although out of 4 responses…it didn’t appear that any of them agreed with his assessment. As I said earlier….sometimes we need to choose our battles…cause we can’t fight them all.
DISCUSSION QUESTION
Should a reviewer/blogger, who receives a free book via a contest sponsored by the author, only post positive reviews or thoughts about a book? Why or why not?
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APOOO is a book club and an online author and reader community dedicated to advancing African American literature. Our mission is to expose readers of all ages to a good book in any genre; to support African American authors, books, literary events and bookclubs; to provide marketing resources, tools and tips to authors; and, to promote literacy within the African American community.
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WHAT!?!??!?!??! So just because it was free I can’t say how I really feel??? NONSENSE!!!!!!!!!
I don’t care if I got the book leather bound; if they book did not stand up to par it’s my responsibility as a book blogger/reviewer to let others know where I feel the author fell short in engaging me. Personally, that doesn’t mean everyone will agree with my take. I am only one person and we all have and are entitled to have an opinion.
I am not one to back down from a battle. However, I don’t have to defend my rating or thoughts on a review and authors should understand not everything is for everyone.
Jennifer C.´s last blog post..NaNo WriMo
All I can say is WOW!!!.. on one hand, I would not watn to read anything by the author because of the way he came off over the review.. after all, it’s just a review. Next, just out of cursioity (sp) I want to see for myself – how bad the book really is _ Yes, I did say Bad…
since I have been reviewing books, I can not tell you how many times my heart is in my throat after I hit the send button. I often think, my opinion isn’t that important because who am I but someone that just loves to read. But shouldn’t I be able to voice my opinion and it is up to others to decided whether they want to read it or not… WOW!!! I am soo speechless.
Okay but what if it was a book that you received free via a contest…what if the author wasn’t asking you for a review but sent you the book to help him promote it…assuming you liked the book…would the rules be different…if the book wasn’t sent to you for a review? Just asking…:)
I understand now why folk are reluctant to review self-published books, or any book for that matter. What has happened in the literary world over the last decade or so? We now have a billion so called “authors” and many of them seem to be thin skinned. They act as if they are the second coming of Shakespear and you better treat their work accordingly. The thing about being a producer of any art form is dealing with the critics. Arts, musicians, dancers, singers, writer, actors, etc. all must understand that part of the territory is dealing with critics. Frankly, there are going to be people who love your stuff and then there are going to be those who think that your s**t, is just that. It seems to me too many want the fame and fortune but not enough understand that with that, most artists(in any form of entertainment) give blood, sweat and tears for their art and still don’t gain the respect they think they deserve.
I went to read the review and the comments, but before I got there I had to fall out laughing after thoughts of what I might find. I have no words for this mess. The author is pure comedy!!!
Oh I forgot to include my response to today’s question…if I received a book as part of a giveaway I would not do a public review unless it was going to be a favorable. I treat books won/giveaways differently because they were not sent to me for the purpose of a review. If I don’t like it I won’t publicly state in a blog because it was a ‘gift’ book rather than a review book for me. Now any books that I purchase, receive specificially for reviewing, that I receive as gifts from family/friends (rather than authors)…all bets are off and both favorable and unfavorable reviews can be posted.
However…this is just me and my sole opinion…and I respect that others might not agree. Isn’t the beauty of blogs and reviews…we don’t all have to agree.
Hey Raven…it’s getting so bad that it’s not just SP books…although some of those authors are the worst when it comes to professionalism…a few of them have asked APOOO to remove our reviews from amazon because they didn’t agree with them…sigh.
Deidra…LOL.
Okay based upon what I read from Trish’s blog it sounds like the author was giving away books but he also wanted reviews…ooo ooo shame on him if he didn’t realize that NOT all reviews would be positive. Sorry…a free book does not warrant a dishonest review.
Yeah! He emailed her and asked her to review it from what I read. And I mean it’s one thing to not like the plot or the story! But editing issues…THEY MUST BE TOLD! Lol
Wow, authors really want reviews taken down because they weren’t favorable? Basically, they are saying—feed my ego or else. Why do so many folk think they are the second coming of Shakespear. It amazes me that everyone wants the fame and fortune but most don’t seem to understand that writing, like so many other artistic outputs,is subjective. Everyone is not going to like your stuff. Some of the greats lost blood, sweat and tears over their writings and never lived to see the critical acclaim they receive now.
To Thine own self be true —– Shakespeare said it best.
Poor editing is a big no-no and can break a story.
Raven, I share your sentiments…unfortunately it seems some of the worst writers/authors are the most sensitive…sigh.
Trish–thanks for stopping by and clarification. And yes he is bullying you! I appreciate that you’re standing up for what you believe…as after reading further…I had serious issues with what appeared to be serious heavy-handedness (is that a word…lol). And as I said earlier…when you gift someone anything you lose control over what that person decides to do. If he didn’t want comments/feedback regarding his book he shouldn’t have sent out copies…additionally he shouldn’t have bugged you to ask about it…sometimes silence is golden and it’s better to leave well enough along.
Natasha…yep he opened up a can of worms and a can of whup arze…lol…he must have gotten a lot of flak because he took down his post before I could leave a comment…lol.
Natasha…okay I’m going to subscribe to his feed…hmmm wish I could post the blog here…but given that I don’t want to have to open up a can of whup arze I’ll leave well enough along…lol.
Thanks for posting about this! I think, if nothing else, it has generated good discussion.
I should clarify something: the author didn’t specifically ask the book to be reviewed, nor did I hide my blog from him. Rather, my url was in each email I sent to him, and he even sent me an email from my blog when I had his book in my “Currently Reading” sidebar. When I finished the book, I stated I didn’t like it, and I hadn’t decided whether to review it on my blog, but that I would be honest but polite, which I believe I was. I stated my case for why I didn’t enjoy it, but I didn’t rip it apart.
At this point, I’m feeling bullied by him, and he’s trying to twist the law to frighten me. That’s not right and I won’t stand for being bullied when I’ve done nothing wrong. Copyright laws allow someone to quote from text, and as far as the cover art, I’ve been told, “once he/she “publishes” the cover art on his/her website (or Amazon or BookSense), it’s in play as a trademark, and he/she looses control of how he/she can control it.”
So that’s the story.
trish´s last blog post..I Didn’t Know It Would Be a War
Being the president of a book club I frequently get FREE books from authors asking for me to make them book of the month – On a few occasions I have and it has gone about 50/50. The ones that are great I give the authors feedback and the ones that are not so great I do the same – The ones that we give not so great feedback, the authors “nut up” and say some down right crazy things – So now I am hesitant to read books when authors want to send them to me….
The author in question should be ashamed of himself, no one likes all books, whether they are FREE or not….
Zephanie…I feel you on the authors who nut-up…fortunately we haven’t had that many to do so…but they are so NASTY and unprofessional that it makes it bad for everyone.
I agree with the philosophy that if I buy it I can say what I want, but if I get it from the author, I’m a little more circumspect. Recently, I read and reviewed a book that I had shamelessly begged the author for, and received. I had a serious criticism but I could not bring myself to do that. And then recently the Sunday New York Times Book Review did the book and said something similar to my complaint (only nicer than I would have said it) so at least I felt “vindicated” in my opinion! But it’s hard. We are all humans and nobody likes to feel bad or make somebody else feel bad so it can get sticky out there!
Hey Anne and thanks so much for sharing your comments. I hear you about reviewing books that we request and sometimes beg for. Recently I was upset that I did not receive a book I had requested for review for the APOOO team. Well, a few folks purchased it and have been talking about it around the blogosphere and I have yet to hear one person say that they like the book. Since the book is by a popular author…I’m now happy that we did not receive a copy because we can let it rip without having to be nice because we got a review book. LOL. Honestly…for some of the most popular books…I prefer that it’s a book I purchased. While I will always be honest with my reviews…I don’t believe I need to bite my tongue as much when it’s a book that I purchased vs. only that I requested for review.
Glad to hear you felt vindicated…I understand that feeling.
Writers are supposed to be professional; that means conducting themselves professionally. Having snits is unbecoming.
Dera´s last blog post..Black Republicans. Who Needs Them?
Being a reader and not a reviewer (except of my own personal opinions) I felt that the reviewer was well within her right to say exactly how she felt about that book, She was asked by the author to review his book, whether it was free or paid for should not have any bearing on the review it was given, if it was not a very well written book, IN HER OPINION then it was not, the author asked for and she answered, he shouldn’t have an attitude because it was not what he wanted to hear. He really should take the constructive criticism and work to make his next book better than the last. Basically, what he did was alienate a potential new audience for his books, seeing as how he got angry at the reviewer it seems that the ones who made comments will probably not be publishing any of his works. Also as a reader, if there is a book that I don’t like, I don’t post a review because of the “if you don’t have nothing nice to say, don’t say nothing at all” adage. But the “sour grapes” attitude is very immature.
Hey Susan, thanks for your feedback and I agree that the author is alienating himself from readers…esp. since he continues to post sour grape posts on his blog. Let it go dude!
Yep, I heard about this on another blog. That is one of the risks you take as both an author and as someone who sent out copies (whether for review or for free). Besides, look at how this is getting talked up everywhere… press is still press, even if it is bad.
Avid Book Reviewer´s last blog post..Four Authors for Fall: Jeff Pearlman, Naomi Nye, Hanif Kureishi, and Philip Roth
Once a person has your book (whether it was purchased/given as a gift), they are free to offer their opinion. I started off as a reviewer long before writing my first book. Since I am now also an author, I choose not to write a review for a book that I don’t like. If book club members ask me directly about a book, I’ll give them my honest opinion, but I won’t write the review and post it on amazon or on my blog.
Now if I liked the book, I’ll tell anyone who would listen and I also showcase it on my blog.
Shelia´s last blog post..Why Do You Consider Yourself a Good Man?
I’m actually laughing! What did he expect, readers to read the book and have NO thought about it or be so grateful to receive a free book that negative opinions of said book would be swayed? LOL
Shon´s last blog post..NaNoWriMo – Day Thirteen
“Should a reviewer/blogger, who receives a free book via a contest sponsored by the author, only post positive reviews or thoughts about a book? Why or why not?”
If someone asks an author for a free book by entering a giveaway contest, and then wins and gets a free book, that person is thereafter permitted to say about it what they want, including a negative review. After all, it’s a free country.
That said, however, is the equally OK for the author to not like the person, for turning an act of generosity against him/her, instead of just putting the free item aside and going on to other things. It’s a free country for authors, too.
If I win a book in a contest I don’t feel obligated to review it.
If I read it and like it I might leave a review. If I don’t like it I still might leave a review.
The reviews that are sent me to review, I review honestly. If I don’t like it, I’m not going to say I do.
If you give books out in a contest expect to have some of those winners leave a review. If you don’t want honestly, don’t ask for reviews or give your book out.
contest are great way to promote your book. Have thick skin and take the good with the bad.
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