I had such a great response to my post and there were something that I wanted to touch on personally, so I decided to do a follow up post. I wanted to thank everyone, bloggers and authors, who took the time to leave a comment, I really enjoyed reading everyone’s perspectives on the topic.
You can see my original post, here.
Shortly after my post, a few other bloggers also posted about this topic.
I think the main consensus is that regardless of whether is a good or bad thing, there are going to be relationships between authors and reviewers. The type of relationship seems to be the bigger debate.
Most of my author/reviewer relationships would fall in the professional/colleague category. This usually consists of correspondence about their novel, correspondence for an interview. Nothing personal about it. And these relationships are fine with me. I’m the worst person to stay in touch with my offline friends, it’s almost impossible for me to obtain and keep online ones.
Adele had this to say and I couldn’t agree with her more:
I make an effort not to boast or take advantage of these relationships. It’s not advertised on twitter or on my site. I dislike book bragging and I heartily dislike author scalping(so to speak). I have seen how some bloggers will shower authors with attention and then drop them once they’ve gotten a book too – one of the downsides of Twitter is that we all witness it. If I have taken anything away from this blogging biz, it’s the friendships with bloggers and authors I’ve made. We all have books in common but I have made friends with people that have big hearts and an awesome sense of humour. If there wasn’t something else there that I gelled with (besides the books) we wouldn’t have time for one another.
But on the other hand there are authors and other bloggers that I’ve really had a connection with. And I enjoy having those relationships too.
For me, the authors that I’ve shared correspondence with are far outnumbered by the authors that I haven’t. And I don’t spend any less time reviewing one novel over another. I don’t rate a novel higher just because the author has emailed me. Overall, I think I keep my reviews unbiased, of course I’m only human.
Author Lisa Mantchev had this to say about book reviews:
On the other hand, reviewers should strive to be as balanced as possible when writing the reviews, remembering that opinions are just that… opinions… and that taste will vary according to the reader. If you believe something stunk (the characters, the language, the ending) then please say that, but _explain why_.
I’m not known for my snarky reviews but that doesn’t mean that I love every book that I review. I don’t. I do however try to find something positive about every book I read. If there’s something I don’t like about a book I say why, because things that I may have found lacking, may not be the same for anther person. And that only reminds me that reviews will always be subjective because they are one person’s opinion.
Amongst many of the comments that I agreed with, there was one particular comments that I found disturbing. I think what bothers me the most isn’t that this author is wrong, but that this author feels this way.
YA Author had this to say:
Honestly, half the time I feel like I’m back in high school with the bloggers being the “cool kids” and the authors being the “wannabes” constantly sucking up. I’m not saying there aren’t real and genuine relationships out there… I’m just saying that I always find it so strange that these relationships really gain speed right around the time the author is looking to be reviewed. And quite honestly, even though I’m sure that many bloggers can write an “unbiased” review of a friend’s book, I just don’t trust those reviews. If I see a blogger chatting with an author all the time, I’m going to look for bias in the review.
There was also a lot of discussion on who reviews are really for. Are they for the authors, or are they for the readers. It is “politically” correct for an author to post a comment on a review of their novel?
Author Melissa Walker has this to say:
I’m actually really curious as to whether bloggers would rather an author comment on their post… or not. Whenever I find a review, I try to say hi, just to let the blogger know I was there. But is that annoying? I’ll probably keep doing it either way, to be honest, because it’s just my instinct. But I’d love to know what people think!
For me, I’m thrilled when an author leaves a comment or sends an email about my review of their novel. To me it’s almost like a thank you! Not that I think the authors that don’t comment don’t appreciate my review, but it’s just nice to be acknowledged. And almost all of the bloggers I know feel the same. The majority of the time, as a blogger, you wonder if authors even know you exist. It’s nice to know that they do.
In summary, I think having relationships professional or personal with authors is fine. I like that I have access to authors, I would have love to have had that growing up.
And to answer Alea’s question “what DO you do when an author you are friendly with has written a book that maybe is just ok.”
I don’t think I’d have a problem posting a “just okay” review of a book. However, if I was giving say a one star review = I didn’t like it, and I was friendly with the author. I’d probably let the author know ahead of time, maybe even send them the review. I might even go as far as letting the author decide if they’d want me to post the review or not. I don’t think there is anything wrong with not wanting to post negative reviews on your site. I know of some reviewers who won’t review books the didn’t like. Hopefully, the author would respect my opinion.
Related posts:
Great followup post. I kept meaning to write a comment on the first one, but never got around to it.
I love having friendships with authors and I feel that I can several authors my friends. We talk about a variety of things and it’s just great to have that. I also love chatting with other bloggers- this is just a wonderful community to be involved with.
I like seeing authors comment on my review of their book. What’s funny about this is that I got an email from another author asking me my opinion on this earlier this week, and then it popped up again during this discussion from another author.
Anyway, am very tired, so must go. Again, great discussion post!
I’ve really enjoyed reading this discussion. Like you, I love it when an author posts a comment on my blog, whether it’s on a review of their book or on something else. It’s nice to know that someone is reading.
For me, I probably don’t talk as much with authors who contact me because I don’t want to be pushy. I assume they have lots of other people to talk to, but I completely appreciate the time they take to talk to me.
Great post as always Kristi and thanks.
I think I would do the exact same thing Kristi. This discussion has definitely given us a lot to think about
Kristi, I love your attitude (actually, your LACK of attitiude), and so appreciate what you said here: “I don’t think I’d have a problem posting a ‘just okay’ review of a book. However…I’d probably let the author know ahead of time…even go as far as letting the author decide if they’d want me to post the review or not…I know of some reviewers who won’t review books they didn’t like.”
When you’re civil, geniune, and courteous, the author has to respect you and your opinions. Honestly? If you’re about to post something and you feel nauseous or bad about it…to quote Phil Collins (I think?): “Oh, think twice.”
In a nutshell: I give you an “A.”
xo
Great topic as always and a great way to summarize.
I would love to see more authors post comments or even a quick email. It is nice to be acknowledge for your reviews.
Good question brought up: Who are we reviewing for? If it’s for authors I supposed positive reviews only. If for readers- it’s only fair to post good with the bad. Wouldn’t want someone to waste their money on a book they wont enjoy. Though everyone should keep in mind what one person liked another will love..the point is if we all posted good reviews AND bad reviews then the reader has more of a consensus to decide from.
anyways great post!!!
I agree – you have a positive and refreshing view on the situation!
And I always leave a comment, whether the post is a review, interview or guest spot, as a thank you. That blogger or web host took the time to either read my book, put together an interview, or allowed me to have my say on their site in the form of a guest post. I think that is most generous!
L. Diane Wolfe
http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
http://www.spunkonastick.net
http://www.thecircleoffriends.net
My two cents: Big Yes to author comments on reviews
I get so excited if an author leaves a comment on my blog. However, I get excited about any comments I’m a geek like that.
I have met some great authors through blogging that although we’re not BFFs I would not have met otherwise. Both Melissa Walker and Megan Kelley Hall are fantastic people and I am happy that I have gotten to “meet” them because of the internet and blogging. I am not looking for free books at all, they are just the type of person that I would befriend had I met them in another circumstance and I am glad to have had this excuse to do so.
I would feel uncomfortable writing a negative review for an author that I know, but I would try to be as polite and honest as I could. Though I would fret about it immensely offline and probably send a bunch of apologetic emails to said author too.
Hi Kristi! I linked back to your original post on my own blog a few days ago but never got around to commenting here. The feedback you and Steph have gotten has been tremendously informative, esp. as I have always wondered about blogger-author relationships and how they developed.
As far as commenting on reviews, I always acknowledge bloggers with a public thank you and often a mention and link in my blog, regardless of whether the review is positive or negative. I want readers to know I appreciate them picking up my books!
Cheers~
C. Leigh Purtill
Umm…I don’t even know what that last post was about Anon. You lost me in the repeats and I’m not sure if you even wanted a response as much as to rant.
take exception to a certain author’s views and bitchery (yes, my own word) regarding her thoughts. Saundra Mitchell has done nothing but try to alienate her readers, other debs and certain adults.
Her posts are not well-thought out and the bashing or (anonymous) posts she leaves are snippy, derisive and just drive a bigger wedge between the blogging and writing community.
As I see it now, certain 09 debs are becoming more and more annoyingly difficult to work with. I let quantify with some are okay and not as neurotic as others, but enough already. A blogs are to review books good or bad. It’s like a marriage. For Better and Worse, and right now the worst part is taking over.
I’m also becoming extremely tired of these posts about who gets what books, who’s friends with what authors. They do nothing but polarize the dynamic and piss people off.
Just review the damn books and leave the other stuff out of it!
Reposting as the other one got messed up and I can’t delete it. So if the Story Siren could delete the first one.
I’m just annoyed by all these posts about that create a divide between bloggers, writers, readers, posters, etc.
It’s not snark when people get offended. Reviewer X has also been famous for starting arguments amongst the masses and it annoys the hell out of me. IS THAT what blogging has become? poking fun of people?
To the writers out there. NO, we’re not going to like every book out there. No, you’re probably not going to be as big as Stephen King, Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer. Right now you’re psuedo-rock stars. You’re Poison or Motley Crue. Perhaps ONE of you will have the staying power of U2. Realize that, understand that, accept that. Develop a thick skin.
To the Bloggers, you’re job is to give a fair and unbiased review of a book. Whether you’re friendly with the author or not. If you start fawning over a book JUST because your friends with the author, then you’re defeating the purpose of your blog.
But like I said above, ENOUGH of these polarizing posts. Just read the books, write from the heart and so be it.
Kristi, great post, discussion and follow up. Thanks for summing things up and doing it so eloquently. I linked to the original post, and I’ll link to this one too.
It’s good to see a code of blogging ethics emerge in the community. Professionalism should be the aim. It’s also natural to see friendships emerging as we all share a love of books. Nonetheless, I do hope bloggers will reveal the personal relationship when reviewing a book of a friend. Transparency is key.
I should add that although I don’t review books I dislike, it is helpful to have bloggers out there who are reviewing everything on a large scale and rating the books. The best reviews, like yours, point to both strengths and weaknesses as opposed to broad generalizations or mockery. Imagine it is your book on the block. Honesty is important but so is compassion. Criticism should be constructive, not nasty.
As for the question of who is the review for, I don’t think the choice is between readers and authors. The reviews are there to promote books and to connect authors with readers. Blogging is all about bringing people together, not dividing them.
Kristi, I love it when you have this fantastic discussion topics on your blog! It’s interesting hearing what authors and bloggers have to say on the subject.
I do more reviews for FiveAwesomeYAFans on youtube than for my own blog, but I’m very candid about what I think. I’ve give a few neutral reviews but haven’t had to give a really bad one yet. But I’m not worried about it because I review for readers not authors. I’ve been in touch with a handful of authors but I only really consider one of them a friend. The others are more like acquaintances or business associates. Using the high school analogy, I see the authors as someone I’d wave to in the halls or sit by if we had a class together but I’m not going to try to invade their personal space and force them to be my friend. They write the books, I review them. I love it when authors reach out to their readers and I love it when an author comments on my review or reposts my video on their blog. But I never expect them to do so and it is always a pleasure when it happens. And if I was friends with an author before writing a review, I’d still be honest about what I thought. In normal life, I’m a slightly blunt person. I don’t like to sugarcoat things (especially if it isn’t true) to make someone happy. I’d rather tell the truth and have an honest relationship with someone. Of course, I’d try to have some tack when I speak my mind but I’m not going to give someone a good review just because I’m worried they wont be my friend anymore. Authors are people. In life, people will get criticism and they are expected to be able to understand that one person’s opinion is just their opinion. And reviewers are not holy either. Reviewers are just people that like books and have opinions. Rarely ever have I found a reviewer where I agree 100% with everything they say. I have friends that review YA books and don’t always agree with them. I love your blog, Kristi, but there have been a few times that I end up not agreeing with parts or all of your reviews. And that is completely normal, everyone has a different opinion so authors should understand that and reviewers shouldn’t be worried about giving their honest opinion. Both parties should treat the review in a professional manner, no matter if it is positive or negative, and continue to be friends outside of the solitary review.
IMHO, reviews are for the readers.
Authors do read reviews, and we may get something out of the review (good or bad), but the primary audience is the reader.
Sarah Laurence mentioned a code of ethics … a very interesting idea! I think it’s helpful for any blogger to define his/her philosophy of reviewing. Some questions to think about:
Should I disclose where I got this book (publisher, author, library, bought myself in a bookstore, won in a contest)?
Should I disclose my relationship with the author, if I have one?
Do I post only recommendations and good reviews, or do I post ‘em all: good, bad and ugly?
Do I notify authors when I post reviews?
Do I include spoilers? If so, do I warn people?
If I rate books, how do I explain my rating system?
If an author objects to my review, how do I respond, if at all?
Who is my primary audience?
As a tangential side note, I’ll say that I have deliberately sought out certain books after reading negative reviews, and avoided other books that got positive reviews, because the review gave me an idea of whether I myself would like the book, whether or not the reviewer did. So an “I didn’t like it” review isn’t necessarily bad for a book.
Kristi, I am glad you wrote a follow up post.
I can say that it is because of bloggers like you that I was encouraged to create a blog of my own. You have a professional attitude, friendly tone, and are a jewell in this community. I am so glad we have you!
I agree with you and Adele. I have seen so many people use Twitter as a manner of boasting about their relationships with authors and as a source to get books, but then completely drop the authors.
I communicate with most authors in a private arena, like email. I do not feel comfortable posting certain information on Twitter, nor do I believe authors feel comfortable when people are talking with them about ARCs or requesting interviews publicly.
In my earlier post, I explained that I like to communicate with authors; however, I keep my private life private, nor do I interfere in the private lives of authors. I try to keep everything professional, yet friendly. So yes, that means I would love for an author to post comments on my blog or shoot me an email acknowledging a review.
In addition, when I said after I finish working collaboratively with an author on an interview or guest post, I allow them to go their way and I go mine, I did not mean that I know longer want to communicate or work with the author. I meant that I understand they have books to write and promotions to do with other bloggers, so I don’t want to hog their time and attention. However, if an author wanted to continue communication with me, I would invite them to do so and would be flattered. I just don’t ever want to come across as overbearing.
I just want to comment quickly to what Anon was saying. I really don’t understand anything they’re saying.
Saundra Mitchell is not alienating everybody, or well, at least not me. She has her opinions and there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s how she feels, that’s that. Who cares. That shouldn’t affect anyone’s opinion of her. Also, she always posts as herself, not as an anonymous commenter.
And what’s wrong with these discussion posts? Everyone loves them (except for you, apparently) and from what I’ve seen, it helps people to come together, not drive them apart. So I don’t really understand where you’re getting all this from. Same thing with stuff like In My Mailbox posts- it’s interesting to see who gets what and if someone ends up being pissed off, that’s pretty petty of them. Why should we stop doing something harmless because of some stupid person who doesn’t know how to act properly when it comes to other reviewers getting certain books or whatever?
And while Reviewer X has had some not-so-good moments when it came to her brutal honesty, her reviews are some of the best in the YA blogosphere right now.
BookChic, there are things you don’t understand from other mediums of social networking where said author has alienated people.
These posts are derisive and no, not everyone likes them because it’s similar to pointing fingers.
Steph (Reviewer X) may be a good reviewer, but she’s also created lots of problems within the blogging atmosphere and it’s not brutal honesty, it’s picking on a younger, inexperienced bloggers (age wise or blogger newness wise). Why not just review books and leave the politics out of it.
Now do you understand? There’s a bigger picture out there and you only see 1/3rd of it.
I’m very apprehensive about commenting on this post, but I really feel the need to say something, so I’m going to take the anon approach and protect my identity, call it cowardice if you will.
I have to say that I agree with the anon comment above. They were a little brash, yes, but I think what they said was justified. I am sure there are social networking sites that alienate authors just as there are for bloggers.
I’m a fairly new blogger and I had no idea that there was such politics in the blogging community until I started seeing these posts. I don’t think they are necessarily derisive, but I think there is a time and a place for everything, this might not be the correct forum for this type of discussion.
And I also agree with the anon comment about the mentioned blogger. I do not understand the appeal of this person. I’ve seen her ridicule and humiliate her fellow bloggers. If I was an author that would immediately turn me way, I don’t care how popular her blog is. She seems to have a posse of the same people that are fuel to her fire and I’ve come to hold contempt toward those bloggers. It’s ridiculous. Her recent blog was brought to my attention by another blogger, and to say that I was appalled would be putting it lightly. How was that any form of entertainment. It was basically her demanding a book. Rude much? And I was even more appalled that the author found it humorous. Enough of that. I suppose this is neither the time or place for this either.
Slightly related to this, the IMM posts. I do participate in this. And I think it is a good medium for community and connection. I get more visitors and comments on Sunday then any other day. And I think that is the whole purpose. Sure people can focus on the bad side of it, but I think that the good things far outweigh the bad and I’m glad the story siren continued to do it.
That’s it.
Anonymous 12:06, of course I care and I’m hurt and feel badly that you think I’m a bitch. I’m sick and disheartened to think that I’ve alienated anyone. But I do take exception, because I have always signed my name, even if it wasn’t wise of me to do so. My opinions are mine.
To Anon 12:06.
Hmmm, what should I do on a Saturday afternoon? Oh, I know! I’ll call out an author who gives freely of her time, professional talents, and yes, her opinion.
Post your opinion, fine. Be honest, fine. But calling people out and flaming them? Grow up.
Also, your little line about the Debs? Either, you are getting your info from a biased Deb who is sharing confidential information, in which case you should be ashamed, or you ARE a Deb and have seen the fact that nobody, NOBODY in the Debs does more work for that community than Saundra in which case, you should really be ashamed.
Opinions are great. But trying to spread info from a locked community where no one can either verify or deny what you are saying. *shakes head*
Also, notice, I sign my name. All the easier for you to put me on your little black list. And if I’m on there with Saundra, well, I consider myself in good company.
Aprilynne Pike
I can honestly say that I am not a deb and NO deb has ever confided in me. I pay attention to what goes on behind the scenes.
Just call me all-knowing.
And calling out of an author who has caused a youngster to cry is not flaming. It’s calling out an author who has been mean-spirited.
OK seriously….this has gotten WAY out of topic. bottom line is what’s happened’s happened and we must fig out a happy medium. We are all gonna make friends with people whether they are other bloggers or authors but that doesnt mean we all need to separate into our own little blogs and not communicate. friendships are a natural thing and that’s that.
as far as Saundra… well not everyone’s gonna be peachy and rosey nice but bottom line is we are all human and we do things that others might not like.
I agree with Anon on one one def thing: these posts sometimes are alienating to some. I know Kristi didnt mean it as such. But sometimes we use this as an opportunity to point fingers in a very passive aggressive way which helps to make this worse and not solve the problem.
If you have a problem or concern….tell that person please!!! We don’t want wars being started over a miscommunication or whatever. It’s becoming unprofessional.
Thanks Krisit, for letting us vent!
Okay WOW! How off topic did this get!
I just want to remind everyone to refrain from calling someone out! If you want to do it that’s fine, contact them personally, but don’t use my blog as your outlet!
I won’t delete any of the previous comments, but be aware that I won’t hesitate to do so now that you’ve been warned.