* Don't assume that a negative review is an "honest" review. Don't assume that a positive review is a "dishonest review." I love how people who have never read a book (which is indicated next to their name) will congratulate a reader who rips a book to shreds on their "honest" review. How do you know if it's honest, especially if you haven't read the book? Why is their opinion so much more weighty than someone who writes a detailed, well-written review praising the same book?
* And why are some opinions taken as gospel? "Oh, you didn't like this book? You think it's garbage? Well then it must be." Huh? Really? My sisters and I can all go shopping and I may absolutely love something they hate. It doesn't mean a damn thing except that we have different styles and different things appeal to us.
* And why are some opinions taken as gospel? "Oh, you didn't like this book? You think it's garbage? Well then it must be." Huh? Really? My sisters and I can all go shopping and I may absolutely love something they hate. It doesn't mean a damn thing except that we have different styles and different things appeal to us.
* Don't write your review as if your opinion is fact.
Instead of saying, "This book is horrible," you should say, "I thought this book was horrible." Instead of saying "This book was boring," you could say, "I was bored." Do you see the difference? I'm guessing that what bores you may not bore me, and what bores me to tears may be your favorite book of all time.
For instance:
Colleen Hoover loved Infinity + One. It's her favorite book of mine. She loved it more than The Law of Moses and Making Faces (gasp!) However, some of my most loyal readers hated Infinity + One. What does this mean? Does it mean Colleen was lying when she raved about it? Does it mean the reader who loved A Different Blue and Making Faces was lying when she said Infinity + One was "just bad?" NO! Nobody was lying! It's called opinion, folks. It's called personal preference. I've seen comments or reviews where an author or a blogger is shredded and other readers are similarly shredded for their personal opinion on a book. DON'T DO THAT. Don't act as if YOUR opinion is the FINAL VERDICT and everyone else is biased or blind or unintelligent for disagreeing with you.
* And finally, you don't want an author to "take it personal" when you write a review? Then don't MAKE it personal. Don't make assumptions about her or him. Don't assign guilt or motives. Don't scold and MOCK. And don't talk about her character, talk about her CHARACTERS.
Instead of saying, "This book is horrible," you should say, "I thought this book was horrible." Instead of saying "This book was boring," you could say, "I was bored." Do you see the difference? I'm guessing that what bores you may not bore me, and what bores me to tears may be your favorite book of all time.
For instance:
Colleen Hoover loved Infinity + One. It's her favorite book of mine. She loved it more than The Law of Moses and Making Faces (gasp!) However, some of my most loyal readers hated Infinity + One. What does this mean? Does it mean Colleen was lying when she raved about it? Does it mean the reader who loved A Different Blue and Making Faces was lying when she said Infinity + One was "just bad?" NO! Nobody was lying! It's called opinion, folks. It's called personal preference. I've seen comments or reviews where an author or a blogger is shredded and other readers are similarly shredded for their personal opinion on a book. DON'T DO THAT. Don't act as if YOUR opinion is the FINAL VERDICT and everyone else is biased or blind or unintelligent for disagreeing with you.
* And finally, you don't want an author to "take it personal" when you write a review? Then don't MAKE it personal. Don't make assumptions about her or him. Don't assign guilt or motives. Don't scold and MOCK. And don't talk about her character, talk about her CHARACTERS.
