Review spaces could be brutal – people sharing their honest opinion, which sometimes isn’t always nice.
There have been incidents of authors going into review spaces for their own books and getting upset with seeing anything under five-star reviews. Then they’ll take their findings to social media to complain about the review. Sometimes their complaint would be directly towards the reviewer or be generalized. This would then cause fans of the author to go after the reviewer.
Just recently, I saw an indie author complain on social media about getting their first one-star review. I understand how upsetting it could be to pour your tears, sweat, and blood into your work. However, the story may not be for everyone.
My finished novel is a romance novel. The main character gets kidnapped and has growing romantic feelings for her kidnapper. This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And I am completely understanding of that.
So yes, one-star reviews can stab you in the heart. Our stories are our precious little babies and all we want is the best to happen for them. However, replying to the one-star reviews, even if it’s not directly to the reviewer, is unprofessional and quite honestly, dangerous for the reviewer.
Book reviewers should have a space where they share their honest opinions about a book. Book reviewers do it not for the author, but for future readers who might want to read the book. It helps make a reader determine whether the book would be a good fit for them or not. The time when authors get their feedback is when they are editing with an editor and having beta-readers.
With that being said, authors, please stay out of book reviews of your books.
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