This blog post is for authors, but I do explain things for the reader gaze, but expect excessive amounts of gifs as we discuss book reviews.

In the indie author community, it’s generally frowned upon for authors to leave book reviews good or bad for other authors. Expect a written explanation, a visual, and a video to cover all my basis and the different ways people process information to explain my position.

Here’s some reasons I’ve heard:

1. Authors can unintentionally end up showing favoriticism.
2. Authors can end up making or breaking another authors career.
3. Ratings good or bad can affect an authors stats. So, authors should avoid wading into the pool of another authors work out of fear of upsetting the balance.
4. Reading a review by an author may leave some authors feeling sensitive about their work/baby.

If any of the above reasons/actions occur then I will address them to the best of my ability with a heart of producing a positive outcome without defensiveness.

These are very valid reasons. But to ensure everyone is operating from the same starting line, I do not discuss or post about my DNF’S, 1-star, or 2-star reviews on my blog or any book review sites. I have done so in the past, but have more recently decided against such actions. It’s been about a year, by my best estimation.

General Philosophy:

Not writing a review for the books I love almost feels like someone is telling me that I’m not allowed to be a reader anymore. While, of course, that’s not what detractors mean. Many authors can and are separating the two. I can’t personally help, but take it that way because sharing my thoughts and joys are part of the reading process. And If I can help someone else find their next joyful read then so much the better. When I am reading and reviewing a story, I am very much taking off my authorial hat and putting on the snugger-fitted knitted cap of a reader. Frankly, it fits better if Imposter Syndrome is to be believed, lol.

In general, I tend to give a pass to grammar issues and formatting quirks present in books regardless of publishing method. And I do my best to try to put Trad books and Self-pub books on equal footing with my praise or lack thereof when I’m rating. I would like my genuine feelings about sections or parts of a book (at the most) to serve as a helpful critique for the author in the future. Or a reminder of how involved I was in the story (at the least).

Confronted Reasons:

Reason 1: Having a favorite author(s) is part of the process of being a reader. However, if this creates unfair readership patterns or vortexes around certain authors, I’ll expand that list of favs to include as many authors as possible. I do not currently have any favorite authors.

Reason 2: I do not possess the bandwidth to make or break an author’s career. If my platform changes, I hope to introduce a myriad of authors to my fans as I read more broadly than typical book reviewers.

Reason 3: One bad review has never ended a career. If you ever doubt it, go back and read 1-star and 2-star reviews for your favorite books for a quick boost. Bad reviews can also be great advertisements, check out bad reviews for gummi bears on Amazon, lol, there hilarious. No one has banned gummi bears. But to address my role, 3-star reviews are solid books. As for, 4-star reviews bringing down rankings, my review will not be your last. I’m already speaking it into existence.

Reason 4: I had the same reaction when a reader left a lengthy three-star book review. I wanted to rage, but it’s come to be one of my favorites. Why? Because she loved it enough to analyze it, pick it apart, and write a lengthy expos on the character’s feelings. It proved that she took the journey and it left a mark. That’s why I write my spoilery book reviews to let authors know that I too took the journey and it left a mark. But sometimes some separation is needed to see it as such. Don’t read my reviews and put any more weight behind them than it being just another reader. And if something is said that comes across the wrong way then know, without an email, that you already have my apologies. And I respect if your response to me is:

If my opinions or reviews on any of the above issues change, then I will come back and update this post. For now, here’s my rating system explained:

Sometimes other people just explain it better. I totally agree with this lovely reader.

Check out how this tiktoker explains 3-star reviews and follow her handle in the video if you want to see more.

Disclaimer:

This blog post was not directed at any one comment or author. It is merely an explanation of my role in the ecosystem. Spurred on, if anything, by numerous posts of authors warning other authors not to leave reviews. This is my personal stance. Just a formal declaration of my beliefs (for curious minds) as I plan to continue to leave reviews. If anything else, feel free to contact me.

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