What Goodreads Reviewers May Not Think About

I've read a lot of negative articles about Goodreads reviews, but most of the bloggers focus on the practice of "review bombing", flooding a book with negative reviews; often through a coordinated effort and almost exclusively without the book in question even being read by the aforementioned "bombers".

I want to offer a different take. I publish my own books. Luckily, I don't depend on book sales for a living, though sales would certainly be helpful. My financial circumstances are such that a twenty-dollar book promo is something I have to think about before I click the little submit button. And most ads are far more expensive than twenty dollars. In 2024 to date I've sold a total of sixty-six books. That's sixty-six copies between all my titles combined. My yearly earnings total $22.87. 

Hard work guarantees nothing, but I do work hard on my books. Nope, I'm certainly not the world's greatest writer, but I also don't suck. My very first book didn't even suck, though I had a lot to learn; and the good news is, the writing in my current twelfth book is eons better.

When I'm immersed in writing a book, I inhabit its world. Its characters and settings feel real to me, and sometimes I like the characters so much I wish they were actual people. 

Reviewers, think about something you do that you really care about and that you put a lot of effort into. If you fancy yourself a gourmet cook, imagine slaving all day to create your very best meal, and you serve it to your guests with pride.

"What were you thinking?" one of them spits after taking one bite.

"Is this the first time you ever cooked?" another adds, shuddering.

"Maybe your recipe was written in a foreign language?" a friend asks, trying to be supportive.

Then somebody blurts, "And I hate your dress, too!"

Feels good, doesn't it? What a way to make your day!

See, authors are people, too. Maybe you imagine us relaxing in our lakeside cottage before a roaring fire, maybe smoking a pipe (which I admit would be a bit odd for a woman to do); then taking a break from tapping out our next best seller to run our hand through our treasure chest of cash.

I live in a twenty-year-old starter home, which isn't really a "house"; it's a townhome stuck between neighbors on the opposite sides of the walls. There are extravagances I don't dare spend money on, like new clothes or a full tank of gas. My garbage disposal became plugged a couple years ago, but I can't afford to hire a plumber. I work on an old desktop because I could never dream of affording a laptop computer. My printer stopped working a year ago. My hobbies include: writing.

I'm hardly looking for pity. My life is fine as it is. But in the literary world, I'm nobody. Like everyone everywhere I appreciate a kind word. You certainly aren't required to like any of my books. In fact, you're free to hate them. But a devastating review affects me ~ a lot. Worse is when a reviewer gets personal. One reviewer stated confidently that I used big words that I didn't understand. Like a high schooler, she added. The thing is, despite my current financial status, I still possess brain cells. In school I was tops in my class. I toiled for years in the world of corporate management. This reviewer, however, owns a magic crystal ball, in which she can view all my apparent mental flaws. What's the point of a review like that? Is it helpful? If so, helpful to whom? 

I've gotten two-stars reviews that were constructive. Here's an example:

Inn Dreams

The start of a good book

July 20, 2024

Inn Dreams felt like an outline to a better story. As I read a book, I like to play out the story like a movie in my mind, but it was tough to do that with this one. There were details missing to tie together different “scenes”. The overall plot line of the book was good, and the characters were relatable and supported the story. There is a love story between two of the characters, but it felt rushed. I think their relationship could have developed over the course of the entire book instead of within the first third of the book. I think this story could have been developed into a series of books (maybe 3 or 4 books).

I can absolutely acknowledge the reviewer's thoughts, and she wasn't mean about them. Is that so hard?

After reading a couple of recent personally insulting reviews, I considered quitting writing. That's how devastated I was. (I'm not quitting!)

This post isn't an effort to deter anyone from reviewing, but just know that the author sees your review, too. A lot of us have had very little literary success; we're just "triers", but at least we try. Civility is wonderful. That's all I'm requesting,