Review spaces could be brutal - people sharing their honest opinion, which sometimes isn't always nice. Authors are protective of their works - it is their little baby. They want to protect their babies and do whatever it takes to make sure they don't get a bad reputation. Even going into review spaces for readers and calling out the readers who dislike their book.
There have been numerous incidents of authors going into review spaces for their own books and getting upset with seeing anything under five-star reviews. 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 (but still show the username of the reviewer so their followings could attack them).
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 current work-in-progress novel is a romance novel. The main character gets thrust into a criminal lifestyle for protection and she ends up falling in love with the gang leader. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea...and I respect that.
So yes, one-star reviews can stab you in the heart. Replying to the one-star reviews are a whole different story and should be avoided at all costs. There is no need to get defensive if someone dislikes your book. They have the right to share their opinion about the book to let other consumers know what they're going to get into.
With that being said, authors, please stay out of book reviews of your books if you cannot handle any negative criticism.
Comments