The Top Two Reasons a Reader Will Leave a Bad Review
By Guest | July 16, 2017 |
By Mindaugas Danys, Flickr’s CC
Please welcome Tamar Sloan as our guest today. Tamar really struggled writing this bio because she hasn’t decided whether she’s primarily a psychologist who loves writing, or a writer with a lifelong fascination for psychology. Somehow she got lucky enough to do both. Tamar is the author of the PsychWriter blog—a fun, informative hub of information on character development, the science of story and how to engage readers. She is also a passionate writer of young adult stories of finding love and life beyond your comfort zone: A Moment for Tara and A Prophesy Awakened.
I have two passions in this world—capturing life in words, and making a difference to others. Becoming a psychologist and a writer has allowed me to do both.
Find out more about Tamar’s books here. Connect with her on Facebook and on Twitter.
The Top Two Reasons a Reader Will Leave a Bad Review
Personally, I don’t leave a review under four stars. I don’t want to inflict the pain of rejection and self-doubt on others when art is so subjective. And although constructive feedback is invaluable in growing as a writer, I don’t believe it has to be done publicly. On the other hand, I also understand that low-scoring reviews are valuable for other readers. That’s the whole point of a review—so others can learn from those who have been here before. We do it with cars and vacuum cleaners and hairdressers. So I respect those who leave honest reviews, whether they be five stars or the heart-ripping single stars.
But a lone star staring at you from your screen, harsh words marching beside them, can be crushing. I think it’s important that writers appreciate why someone would take the time to record this, publicly, and irreversibly.
- You forgot who you were writing for.
As a psychologist, I see this in my clients as they sit in the chair and can’t figure out why their children are running away, why they can’t get that promotion or why their marriage is falling apart. In a nutshell, our egos get in the way. For writers, ego becomes the barrier to a product that ticks ALL the boxes. We believe that our prose is enough, that the three act structure doesn’t apply to this masterpiece. We design our own cover. We want to bedazzle the reader with our knowledge of the working parts of an AK-47. We forgo editing in the rush to get our baby onto virtual shelves.
But that’s not what writing a book is about. Writing a book is about the reader. Not you. Not your creative genius. The reader. Readers are looking for their escapism fix, an emotional rollercoaster, a character they can root for. They are the ones we’re asking to give up their precious, hard won resources up for. Generally, both their time and their money (and even if your book is “permafree,” eventually you’re looking for them to buy one of your books). If we’re asking them to trade their time, time taken away from other pleasures, their family or their sleep, then it’s our responsibility to give them the best experience we can. That means a well-crafted, impressively designed, professionally edited masterpiece.
Skip any of these steps and you risk letting your readers down because you fail to keep your part of the bargain up.
- The reader has a wound.
I deliberately used “writer speak” when labelling this, even though our readers are the reality part of the whole writing adventure. I could use psych speak, and call it their maladaptive schema, their core belief, their cognitive distortion, but my fellow writers intuitively know what I’m talking about when I say wound. It’s the scars we all carry, the pieces of our past that colour our future. Wounds profoundly affect our emotions, thoughts and behaviours. They cause us to do things that are selfish, thoughtless and sometimes damaging.
The act of ignoring the negative impact our words will have on another, or worse still, deliberately seeking to hurt others, is the product of a wound. It’s wrong and it’s not okay—these people are called trolls for a reason–but lashing out serves a function for these people.
What I’m saying is this particular one star scathing review isn’t about you. It’s not a reflection of your writing or the plot/characters/world building that these people seek to tear down. In my world it’s the product of the motto “hurt people hurt people.” It’s about empowering someone who’s been disempowered. It’s about those who feel unseen being seen.
It’s. Not. About. Your. Writing.
How do you know which one star review is which? That one is a little more difficult to answer. I think those who can smooth the raw edges of the hurt and then step outside of their egos are best able to differentiate.
Does the reader have a point? Deep down, were you worried this was a weakness in your writing? Have they reiterated a sentiment someone else has expressed?
Then it’s possible this reader is in the number one category.
For that scenario, take a deep breath, acknowledge the parts of your craft that are still growing and being refined, then come up with a plan to address that. Maybe a course, some time lost in how-to books, a critique partner. Your writing will be stronger for it, and so will your resilience.
Do the words strike a mismatched chord? Does the reader dislike this genre? Do they even sound like they read the whole book? Have they left other one star reviews?
Ultimately consider what this person is gaining by writing these (scathing) words—superiority? Notoriety? Power?
If any of these ring true then you’ve got a walking wound that is lashing out so they can share their pain. Rail at the unfairness of it all (within the privacy of your walls) then pick up your pen or fire up your computer and keep the passion flowing. This review isn’t about your writing.
Have you ever received a one star review? Have you left one? What did you take away from the experience?
Many thanks to today’s guest.
You can read more WU guest posts by visiting this link.
Excellent one-step choice: it’s either the author’s wound (and something you already did suspect), or it’s just the reader’s.
(The only exception I can think of is honest mismatching, where the reader simply didn’t like the story’s approach. That usually comes down to pitching the story to the wrong subgenre, or specific cases like Rachel Aaron getting the review that “dragons who spent the book in human form didn’t feel like dragons.” Those can happen too, especially if we don’t research our genres. But mostly of the time it’s what you said: either a writing lesson to learn, or someone else’s problem.)
This reminds me of the movie Dark Water. I thought it was lovely, but audiences panned it. It was pitched as a horror movie, but it turned out to be a bittersweet story about a murdered child looking for a mother. It was heartbreaking, but not really scary. You’ve got to know what you’ve written.
So true Ken, pitching the wrong subgenre can really make a difference, if a reader feels misdirected, they’ll let you know ;)
I like this post today, very much, Tamar. And your blog PsychWriter looks fascinating. I’d like to read more of your blog and maybe sign up to follow, but I can’t get past the pop up ad requiring visitors to subscribe to your ’19 FREE Books.” Please, no more free books; I’ve had enough of them at this point to be absolutely honest. To your thoughts, negative reviews are part of the literary world, I guess. Taking any review too seriously is a mistake. And some reviewers are just plain angry people who like to bash books or writers. I think if we take all reviews, 5-star, 3-star, or 1-star in our stride, we are better off.
Tamar, is there a way to get around the popup ad? I tried clicking inside the blog itself and got nowhere. Please advise. Thanks!
Hi Paula, I’m glad you think PsychWriter could be useful! I don’t think I’ve ever considered people would want to subscribe without also wanting the freebie! I don’t have anything set up without it, but it’s simply a link embedded in the the welcome email once you subscribe, so no need to download it if you’re not interested :)
Let me know if that’s okay,
Tamar
I found a tiny Close word off the top right of the pop-up.
I enjoyed Tamar’s perspective so much I went to her website and rooted around. This is not the only jewel of her’s I discovered today. Thank you, Tamar! So glad to have made a new friend…especially a smart one! ~MW
Thanks Muffy! It’s always encouraging and exciting to hear people find it useful!
Have a wonderful day,
Tamar
I’ve had a couple of 1-star attacks by trolls on Amazon. In both cases I was able to contact Amazon with evidence of the abuse and the troll reviews were removed. Amazon has an “Abuse” button for reporting troll attacks.
When a troll attacks me on my own blog, I can edit their nastiness into praise, and have done so a couple of times. They find this really discouraging, and they stop.
That’s quite clever Ray, I never considered editing the negative stuff on my blog :)
I never leave a review lower than four stars, either. Our egos are fragile enough without others piling on. I’ll keep your categories of reasons in mind. Great post!
Exactly my thoughts Zan, you never know how deep those words may cut, plus this business is so subjective anyway!
I accept requests from indie authors for book reviews on my blog. I’ve made it a policy to never leave a review lower than 3 stars on Amazon or Goodreads. If I’m reading along and discover that it’s just not for me–wrong genre, too new-agey or implausible (I review science fiction and fantasy), or if it has serious editing problems (I’ve had both of these recently)–I’ll email the author and tell them so, that I’m not going to review it, and give them the feedback privately.
But I’m pretty stingy with 5-star reviews, so most of my reviews are 3- and 4-stars. I love most of this post, but I’m a little taken aback that you would consider a 3-star review to be bad or cutting. If I made a policy of giving nothing lower than 4, I feel like my reviews would be meaningless for the reader, and not the honest review most authors say they are looking for.
I’ve not had a one-star review, but I got a one-star rating on Goodreads from a woman with an unusual and familiar name, someone I’d met before who lives in the town where my novels are set. Her book club had invited me to visit for a discussion and I looked forward to hearing the basis of her negative reaction.
Alas, she wasn’t there that night.
The group also chose my second novel and invited me again. This time, she was the host. Since she was involved with a community issue that runs through the story, I knew we’d talk this time.
She had some good questions and seemed positive toward the book. The first novel never came up and I decided to forget about questioning her.
At the end of the evening, she walked me to the door, took my arm and confided, “I really liked this one.”
A week later, her two-star rating appeared on Goodreads.
Some people are hard to please, huh? ; )
There are so many trolls who love to go around Amazon leaving scathing reviews of books for reasons that really are not helpful to other readers. Some that I have received were because the purchaser was unhappy with Amazon and an Amazon policy. Another was unhappy because the book was a mystery and they only read romance. So why did they buy it, was my thought.
There have been other three-star reviews that pointed out something in the story-line or the craft of writing that was off-putting to the reader, and those I appreciate. I can learn something from those.
As a reviewer, I never leave less than three stars, mostly four, and the occasional five-star review for a book that is outstanding. I have been a professional reviewer since before the Internet, so I take reviewing responsibilities seriously. I point out what is good about a book, and if necessary, what didn’t work for me, especially when it comes to craft issues. If I cannot give a review that is primarily positive, I do not post one on my blog, Amazon, or Goodreads.
Hi Maryann, seems like we’ve had similar experiences. Some reviews just don’t make sense, and the reason they’ve been made public is far more about the reader. The ones that point out any weaknesses can be really helpful. It’s wonderful to see you take your reviewing role seriously and conscientiously, we authors need that sort of thoughtful feedback : )
I sent a review for one book I reviewed before it went out on the shelf. I gave what I felt was a fair review, though my mood was cross. And in writing, any words or moods that come across do so at ten times the strength of face-to-face.
The reason I was cross was because the story was a stereotypical historical setting in the Middle Ages, with people who were too stupid to survive on their own land, and only one wise woman who isolated herself from them (because they were so stupid) and only reluctantly helped them. It was not real for any low-tech civilization (the plowshare was used a lot in those times) because it required too high a suspension of disbelief. Needless to say, I didn’t get anymore books to review. Just as well. Although I did feel a pang, both of regret and “well they just wanted someone to tell them their story was good, and it wasn’t.”
Hi Virginia, it’s really tough when we find a book with flaws. Its such fine balance between letting the author know why we felt disappointed, and acknowledging that fragile writers ego…
I once left a one-star review for a non-fiction book because it was so badly researched and so full of errors. This book was on a topic in which my husband and I are both scholars. The writer was truly out of his league. It wasn’t a nasty review, just a review of some of the huge mistakes and their corrections. I felt that readers should be warned not to trust the information in the book. This was an extreme case of faulty facts and history; I would not have left a low rating for a book that contained a few incorrect statements. The result? The author must have pressured Amazon because they removed my review and left online 3 glowing reviews (and I mean “over the top” glowing) by people who live in the same town as the author. My take away from this is that it isn’t worth the effort to try to help others — Amazon will do what Amazon thinks is best for sales.
Hey Judy, that’s really disappointing! All I hear is about Amazon removing legitimate reviews (when its such a struggle to garner lots of reviews). Incorrect information should definitely be brought to the readers attention…
I will leave negative reviews and I do so in order to warn off other readers against wasting their time. Yes, art is subjective and, no, I don’t want anyone to take my opinion as gospel.
Your article dismisses the notion that the author deserves the low rating given to them, the author bears no responsibility. This simply isn’t the case. Many writers, especially ones who have published a number of books, lose their edge and are published more for their name recognition and dependability than the quality of their writing. For profit publishing houses print those books they think will sell best. Period.
Hi Tom, the first point explores the fact that authors can fail to ‘tick all the boxes’. In these cases a low ranking review reflects that the writer hasn’t met the readers expectations (and right to a quality read). Is this the same as what you’re saying?
Oh, and I’ve been disappointed by popular authors whose next book wasn’t of the same caliber too….
I mean some published writers are simply bad writers. On the one hand, that certainly is a pretty basic checkbox to not have ticked off. On the other hand, bad writing is bad writing and I am definitely responding to their writing.
There is also another reason for a single-star review and that is: a troll. Trolls are sometimes used by marketing people and or other authors (yes it happens) to denigrate a work so as to boost someone else’s book. I’ve even had the reviewer mention the other book, indicating it was far more superior than the one I wrote. Also there are electronic trolls which are “bots” which leave mindless reviews such as, “Not what I was expecting,” (without explaining what they were expecting….) or “Small book, not worth the money, which is silly because the dimensions and the page number of books are always listed, so a reader can see how big the book is and how long it is. It’s a shame authors spend so much time writing and with one sentence a disgruntled soul and wipe out all that energy. A constructive criticism is always welcome…being mean and/or selfish never is.
Goodness, I did not realise that people would go to those lengths! You’re right Allia, that level of meanness is not welcome.
Great topic to explore. People can leave terrible reviews for so many reasons – maybe they have a reputation for scathing reviews and are focused on keeping up that rep. Or maybe they are just having a bad day. As a writer I have zero control over the moods or motives of others when they post a review. All I can do is keep writing and make the next book the best I can (while keeping my ego in check, as you say). Thanks for your helpful insights, Tamar!
My wife and I don’t leave bad reviews either. If a book or movie or restaurant or (fill in blank) doesn’t meet our expectations we don’t disparage the author/business/etc. We’ll give it/them another try (or even another two or three). Most people are trying their best to promote their product/service.
What a timely subject. And really it’s always timely. I can’t tell you how many authors who I personally know (like people who have been inside my house and shared a meal with me) have asked me to write book reviews. When that’s the case, I read my friends’ books, but I don’t write reviews. That’s my motto. I settled on that mindset when someone I adore wrote a less than three-star book. I couldn’t bear to share my honest opinion with the world.
After I finish writing this response, I’ll check out your website.
Thank you.
Hi Heather, I have a similar attitude. I don’t promise reviews because I pride my integrity so want to provide honest feedback, but I don’t have to do it publicly.
Have a great day (and I hope you find my website useful),
Tamar
I usually don’t leave reviews if I don’t have something positive to say. However, I do a LOT of research. I have hundreds of books on the Civil War and have read a good many of them. One book that’s been recommended to me several times sets my teeth on edge. The author has included stories in there as fact that never happened. The events are atrocious and she even admits she can’t confirm the stories, but she included them anyway because they were just so delicious.
Why include things like that in a non-fiction that people are going to read and think are factual when you know they didn’t happen?
The sad part is Amazon keeps promoting this book, so people think it must be a top book on the subject and it’s so poorly researched I want to gag. I’m writing historical fiction and verifying dates and people meticulously and this woman just merrily makes things up as she goes along.
Yes, she got a one star from me and would have received a minus ten if it were possible.
I wish more people would post honest reviews and save me the money invested in books that just aren’t right for me.
It’s great to support fellow authors, but you really aren’t doing readers a service by posting nothing but glowing reviews.
Hi Julie,
All very valid points, it seems the case for non-fiction is quite different. And low reviews that are based on constructive critisism, or valid concerns, should certainly be available for consumers to make informed choices. Thanks for pointing this out.
I never leave one star reviews because I never finish a book that might deserve one. I just can’t do that to another author. I have received one star reviews. One was a source of amusement because the reviewer complained it was a romance novel, and it was as clearly stated in the description. The other one I remember made no sense, saying exactly the opposite of all the other reviews. I have received helpful critiques from reviews and hope it has improved my writing.
I’ve read that you aren’t taken seriously as a reviewer if you only give good reviews. That said, I’ve only given one bad review and it was for an author who has many, many books and each one has been a runaway bestseller. I would never give a bad review for a debut author.
Having read some of the reviews for YA books, I think YA authors have an incredibly tough audience. Reviews by teenagers can be brutal.