Saturday 2 January 2016

Good Reviews vs Bad Reviews


As book bloggers writing reviews is our daily „bread“. I wrote a blog last year explaining my rating system. Now, us book bloggers, we talk a lot and we exchange our thoughts on books, but also other blogging issues. I think it happened to all of us that we didn’t like a book and when it comes to writing the review it gets really hard. „How will I write it in a way that the author or publisher doesn’t get upset?“

Well, let me tell you one thing, reviews are not there to please an author! It might sound cruel and we all want to be friends with the authors we like. Yes, Twitter is great and I have met a lot of great authors through it. It’s wonderful to chat with them and I enjoy the contact very much, but I think when it comes to reviewing it’s important to be constructive and honest.

I had cases, where I didn’t like a book and I felt really bad about it. I’ve learned to make the best out of the situation. I write the review, put my honest opinion in it and try to explain the way I felt about a book. There are some book bloggers out there who only post reviews of books they like and everything under a 3* is not going on the blog. For me that’s not what blogging and reviewing is about. There are so many books out there, different genres, authors and stories, so not every book is for everyone. We have different tastes and it’s natural that we don’t like every book. Reviewing is about sharing your opinion on a book, whether it’s good or bad. It is a feedback for the author, but also information for other readers, who are looking for a new book to read.  Of course I always feel a little bad writing a bad review, it’s also harder to find the right words in my opinion. It gets even more difficult when you are supposed to review the book for a blog tour, I always feel kind of bad and I think that will stick, but I’ve learned to write my reviews in an honest, constructive and open way, I include examples and I mention the good as well as the bad things. I’ve had blog tours or publishers who said that they only want 3* reviews or higher ones, I also had authors who mentioned that in emails. Of course all authors want good feedback and for promotions only the high ones count. You can’t please everyone with your stories and you don’t have to!!! Yes, seeing a one star or 2 star review is not nice and some of these reviews are not constructive, but I think authors still have to accept them.

My tip for all the book bloggers: Be true to yourself, be honest and say what you feel, as long as you explain it in your review it’s all good. There will always be authors who don’t like that, but it’s their problem!!!

9 comments:

  1. This is so true and something I struggled with being a new book blogger, but it is definitely something I am going to try much harder with in the new year. I don't think it's something people outside of book blogging think about as if they hate a book they can just slate it to their friends, but it's important as a reviewer to be constructive with your criticism of a book.
    Thanks for a post that has given me an extra nudge to be a little more honest sometimes when it is needed. X

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    1. Yeah, people outside book blogging don't understand that. You can also see it in their reactions to amazon reviews. And their own reviews: one sentence and no explanation. Just be brave!!! x

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  2. I think the same and recently posted a 2* review on my blog. I think that, although you didn't enjoy this book so much, it gives you as a blogger credibility and to the books that you think are worthy of 4 or 5*. You can't possibly like everything you read and think everything deserves 5*, I tend to be wary of those blogs who award every book read as 5*.
    Having said that, I wouldn't over promote on social media a review with a lower rating. Someone has still gone to a lot of trouble with writing that book :)

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    1. Exactly, you can't like every book! People say that they only pick highly rated books and that's why their ratings are high as well. I never over promote in a case like that. Post it once and the other times I don't even tag the author anymore. Thanks for the comment lovely xx

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  3. I think maybe people find it harder to slate a book in a review because the author is more present. For example writing a bad review about a product is easier because the company is likely to be a big brand not one individual. Writing a book review you feel likely to offend an individual, the author, who you likely follow on Twitter. I think that is why it is hard in my case.
    I like to think I do the same as you, in pointing out the positives and well as negatives. But then I do only tend to read books with good reviews in the first place so am saved of the dilemma with really bad ones!

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  4. You might feel you offend an author, but it's not about them personally, it's about the story and as long as you can explain how you feel, it's ok.

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  5. This is so true, for you it may be books but for me it's beauty, and I'm always honest about a product because I want to be honest with my readers! You're probably the same! xx

    Jasmine || http://www.blogsallbeautyy.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Yeah, honesty is really important for me! That also means reviewing a book I didn't like. I see 4 to 5 star reviews only on certain blogs and that's just not true... I can imagine that it is the same with beauty products. Thanks for the comment. Simona xx

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