Book reviews are everywhere. Social media, retailer websites, on the back of books… Everywhere. So why shouldn’t authors read book reviews?
The majority of reviews aren’t intended for the author – there’s a reason most reviews don’t address the author directly. A review helps readers to decide on whether or not to buy a book. They also indicate whether someone enjoyed reading a book.
When authors read reviews of their books, they’re opening themselves up to criticism, and rarely is it something they can work on. This can lead to all kinds of problems, both for their mental health and for their public relations.
Before we get started, I want to be clear that my opinion on authors reading book reviews isn’t one shared by everyone. Book reviews can be positive! But it’s my belief that, especially without having a clear and involved support system, reading book reviews is mostly bad for an author’s mental health, self-confidence, and motivation to write.
Why is it bad for authors to read book reviews?
Here’s an overview of why it can be bad for authors to read reviews of their books:
- Negative reviews hurt your confidence.
- Reviews aren’t usually written for the author to read – they’re for other readers or notes by that reader on why or not they want to read that book again.
- Everyone’s reading preferences are different – your writing style can be amazing and critically acclaimed and it still won’t be enjoyable for every reader.
- It takes time away from writing.
- Readers interpret stories differently to the writer – you might feel like you’ve nailed a scene or character, but readers might have expected something else.
- Nobody shares the same internal rating system – a 3 might be “Great!” to one person and “Boring” to another person.
- Reviewers should be able to express their honest opinion without worrying about hurting the author’s feelings or being put down by others.
- Reviews aren’t feedback on your book or writing, they’re opinions and recommendations on what the reviewer likes and dislikes.
It’s important to also note that book critics are a completely different issue for authors, and their reviews have more weight than, say, a review on Instagram.
Many authors believe that they can handle a negative review on their book, but everyone has a limit. Reviews written on Goodreads, for instance, can vary from literary criticism to one-word summaries. People review books that they don’t finish – known as DNF – and their comments on why they give up could be “Didn’t like the writing style” to “Awful representation of…”
Add in some swear words and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Discourse in book reviews is also another major consideration. Authors who feel attacked by reviews might lash out, and some have even gone so far as to review bomb other authors or verbally attack reviewers.
Reading and reacting to negative reviews really shouldn’t be done without PR involvement… and even so, that can go poorly too.
Why are reviews important for authors?
This isn’t to say that reviews aren’t important. Reviews are so important to books that there’s a whole system of getting book reviews prior to publishing a launch for both traditionally published and self-published books.
Book reviews can make or break a book launch. The first month of a book being published, reviews have a lot of weight.
A book with mostly 4 and 5 stars in the first month will drive even more purchases… while a book with 3 and under stars in the first month will tell readers to stay away.
But the 5-star rating system is mostly arbitrary. People review books with different things in mind. They might be tracking their enjoyment of reading, as opposed to how “good” the book is written. Or they might be reviewing to let their friends know what books they liked and would read more of.
Or they could be a book critic with a complicated system of ratings.
Book reviews are important to the author without being important for the author to read those reviews.
Should authors respond to reviews?
If an author responds to a positive review, it can only be good for the reviewer and the author, right?
Well… Yes, and no.
I still very much believe authors should stay away from reviews for their own mental health. But responding to positive reviews should help, right?
Getting into a pattern of checking reviews so you can respond to them isn’t going to help, even if you’re only getting positive reviews. The moment that bad review comes in – and it will, because reading preferences are so subjective – it’s going to be devastating.
Responding to reviews could also risk promoting a parasocial relationship with your readers, which is a whole other problem.
What can authors do to cope with negative reviews?
If it’s too late and you’ve already read some negative reviews of your book, the first thing to do is remind yourself that book reviews are opinions.
It might feel personal, but it’s not. Everyone has different reading preferences.
Next, you’ll need support. Reach out to some writer friends or a professional counsellor, therapist, or book coach (if you have one) to talk through your feelings. In the absence of anyone that fits these categories, family and friends will do just as well.
Remember: don’t post on social media. This can worsen your feelings if someone disagrees with you, and it can also draw negative reactions from others. The trick to social media is to not post when you’re feeling emotional – your barriers are down and you might say something you regret.
Throughout this, you’ll also want to do other forms of self-care. Go to your self-care kit for comfort items or use a self-care journal to find affirmations or validation.
Remember: writing is a struggle, but you’re strong. You’ll get through this.