Ok. This may end up being controversial, but it needs to be said.

On ARCs, asking for reviews, and the need for kind honesty in publishing, a thread:

1. First, I want to state that there are good reasons behind both sides of the review coin. Authors need reviews. HOWEVER, if you read a book and didn’t like it, you are entitled to that opinion. You are even entitled to post a bad review.

2. Could posting a bad review hurt an author’s career? Yes. Is there now an expectation saying “only post reviews if they’re four or five stars?” Yes. Can this hurt the publishing industry as a whole? YES

3. Hear me out here.

As a reader, if you’re looking at a book deciding if you want to read it, do you want to know if the writing is good? Do you want to know if the plot or characters were compelling? Do you want to know why some people didn’t like the book?

4. For me, that answer is yes. I want to know all of those things so I can make an educated decision on what I spend my time, money, and focus on.

As an author, I understand the pain of bad reviews (1-2 stars). Those reviews can hurt more when there is no explanation.

5. But you know what hurts even more than a star rating with no explanation? A star rating with a cruel explanation.

There are ways to serve readers without bashing the author.

There are ways to be honest without being cruel.

6. Will those reviews hurt? Yes. ESPECIALLY if they come from a friend or a trusted source. But those reviews are also what allows us to grow as authors and what allows us to improve our writing. If multiple 1-2 star reviews say the same thing, the reviewers are not wrong.

7. Likewise, only allowing 4-5 star ratings/reviews builds an unnecessarily inflated ego and does not serve readers well either. Because when a reader hates a book like that, or even wasn’t moved by it—say a 2-3—their voice still needs to be heard for the sake of other readers.

8. The less honest we allow reviews to be—as in requiring readers of ARCS to only review in order to PROMOTE the book—which is not the point of a review, that’s the point of an endorsement—the more we allow a dichotemy to grow in the publishing industry, and...

9. ...and this hurts the book industry as a whole.

It hurts to be told your book isn’t good or the writing wasn’t engaging. I know. I’ve been there.

But the industry requires a thick skin, a knowledge of when to shake those off and when to listen to them.

10. I guess what I’m saying is that readers and reviewers should not have to be afraid of authors if they post an honest review.

11. As an author, it is your job to create a good book and sell it to the best of your ability.

12. As a reviewer, it is your job to tell the truth about the books you read while still being kind to the author and knowing there is a person who will read your review and feel things.

13. Let’s end the stigma of only reviewing books we thought were good. Let’s be kind in your reviews while being honest. Let’s allow readers their voices and learn what we can from them. After all, as authors, in part, we write for the readers, don’t we?

14. Like I said at the beginning, I know this will be controversial. If you choose to comment I ask you to be kind to each other. Remember there’s a person on the other side of the screen.

#WritingCommunity #onreviews #reviewingbooks #authorthread