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Saturday, December 15, 2012

1 Star Review, A Writer’s Worst Nightmare


1 Star Review, A Writer’s Worst Nightmare

There it is, the kiss of death. That dreaded topic that comes up often on message boards that authors frequent. It is something that is always discussed but rarely understood. I have to admit that I have never ever personally given a 1 star rating to any person, place or thing. Why haven’t I? You might ask yourself or you could just ask me.  A very simple reason, I flat out think it’s rude. Nine times out of ten someone put hard work into that product, song, movie, book etc. So in terms of books, I’m a writer and therefore have read a ridiculous amount of books. Some books I love. Some books are entertaining. Some books are okay and some books I don’t care for. I try to read books within the genres that I like so there is a huge reduction of the possibility that I will dislike the book. I write horror and paranormal fantasy books so obviously that’s what I like to read. I like zombies and vampires and the occasional werewolf. So I may not gravitate to the books that contain demons, fairies, witches and other supernatural creatures. Surely there are books with these elements within them that I loved. Sometimes a person who claims to hate country music is heard humming a country music song. I’m open to all genres of fiction so why do some readers/reviewers feel to need to simple trash a writer’s life blood (I mean work). My novels are my babies. I view them as my infants/ideas that grow up and become my adult children/books. Would you like it if someone said your kid was a terrible, just plain boring or really short? Here is an example of a 1 star review I read for an author on Amazon I don’t personally know and it’s not me.

            I am not big on giving reviews and hate the thought that I am going to give a bad one. I feel obligated though. This book was just awful. I feel like it must have been written by a 12 year old and if it was, then bravo. The reason I think that is because it was reminiscent of playing with Barbie dolls and the banter back and forth. The main character is not likable but annoying. There is just no depth to any of them. No attachments made...nothing! It sadly isn't even worth the 99 cents it is now.

First let me began by stating I read this book. Everyone has their own opinion but one might want to truly examine their own life happiness when you write a review like this. I kind of view this as a form of bullying. After reading the book mentioned above I instantly thought it was written by a teenager. So there was no way I was going to judge it like it was written by Anne Rice. HINT: It was a vampire eBook. If the thought popped into the reviewers head that it was a kid why would you be so brutal. Have you ever heard of teen suicide? It’s sad but I have noticed that once one or two people give a book a bad review others follow suit and do the same. Hello, if you read the bad review and purchased the book anyway isn’t the joke on you.
I truly take offense to those who bash the other reviewers that gave the book 5 stars. Who does that? Just like you can give a book 1 star. I can give the same book however many stars I want. Why would you bash someone for having an opinion opposite yours?  Sorry for being happy enough to not be rude to a stranger all because of internet anonymity?  If an author whose book you read and dislike is shopping at Target are you going to go up and say all that rude crap to their face? Hell No! I live by the motto that everything I say about someone behind their backs I can say without reservation to their face. Regardless of all I have said previously, one basic fact remains. My parents raised me to be respectful and to have good manners. This may be why the 1 star reviews are so appalling to me. If I don’t like something to that extreme degree I probably wouldn’t comment at all. Remember the phrase “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Enough of my rants.

In closing I will think of the beautiful lyrics song by Jackie DeShannon, Dionne Warwick, The Staples Singers, Judy Garland, The Supremes, Barry Manilow, Ed Ames, Johnny Mathis, Steve Tyrell, Luther Vandross, Aimee Mann, Andrea Ross, Stacey Kent, The Young Americans, Rick Astley, Coldplay and so many others.
What the world needs now is love sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.