Hi Everyone,
The easiest way to support authors you enjoy reading, is to write a review and rate their books. There is no need to write a full length review, but just leave a couple of sentences stating why you liked it. With all of the social media websites out there, it is even easier these days to share your opinions.
As you know, I believe in honesty in reviews. If there was something you didn’t like about the book, then state why you didn’t like it. However there is one thing I have never understood: the need to be cruel. I don’t understand why people feel the need to belittle others and their work. In the case of book reviews, there seems to be a new trend of being harsh and cruel towards the authors. This is something that I can’t understand. Again, if you don’t like a book, please state why: were the characters too far fetched, were there too many grammar errors, or was it just not the type of genre you normally read. This need to rip into authors and tear them to shreds has to stop. Imagine if you spent months and years working on a project and when you finally unveiled it, the people stated you were horrible and called you names. The characters in fiction books aren’t real, but the authors are. Authors are human, just like readers are human. Remember this the next time you don’t like something. Remember to be factual and to be kind.
I hope that when you read my reviews, you see the honesty and the kindness. I will always state why something doesn’t work, but I will do so in a way that is not cruel towards the author. I also hope that you won’t base whether or not to read a book off a cruel review. People that are intentionally nasty and leave rude comments are only reflecting their true natures, not the authors’ abilities. I hope that each of us remember this the next time we see hateful comments.
Speaking of reviews, I will be posting two of them late tonight or tomorrow morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl
I have had people leave me very bad reviews, usually just one or two words, like “waste of time” or something like that. Apparently, as an author, I’m supposed to be grateful for any review I receive because the person took the time to read and review my book. I’m still not sure how this is true for reviews like these, especially when the book was offered for free in most instances. Believe me, I appreciate reviews greatly because the reader certainly doesn’t have to take time to comment on my book. Still, what does it do for me as an author, to help me improve and grow, with one or two word ugly reviews? Independent authors need honest reviews and constructive criticism, period. I’ve thanked reviewers for their comments when they didn’t like my book because they did it in a way that didn’t belittle me, but helped me. One big lesson I had to learn….even the best authors out there have gotten these types of reviews. There is no novel out there that is universally loved. Authors have to take those kind of reviews with a grain of salt and move on.
Very true Melissa. There is always going to be people that don’t like a book, but hopefully these people can start stating their feelings in a respectful way. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences. Have a wonderful day! ~Ariesgrl