Recently, I came across Beer Can Hill's review of The Parrot Who Thought He Was a Dog. Now, I'm not a bird person – though my felines wish I would provide them with this hearty fare – but I was intrigued by the title and started reading.
The reviewer did NOT like this book. The reviewer was obviously an expert in parrot behavior and care, and explained the reasons the author 1) should never have owned a parrot, 2) the horrific care the parrot received while in the author's care and 3) the reviewer's belief that the first two items should prevent the author from profiting from the life and ultimate death of the parrot.
The author of the book, Nancy Ellis-Bell, could not help but respond to the review – which, for the most part, was balanced and fair in its criticism.*
The author's response is obviously dripping with saccharine-sweet sarcasm in the final portion:
indeed sadden me, but I accept that you have a right to voice your
discordant view. I hope that your parrots are happy and secure within
your obvious good care.
This is not the first time I've seen an author respond to a review they didn't like, and with the plethora of sites like Amazon, blogs, Shelfari, LibraryThing and Goodreads, it will not be the last.
However, I STRONGLY urge writers to avoid giving in to temptation and letting those bad reviews go. It is bad PR to post a hot-headed response – or a defensive, sarcastic response at Ellis-Bell did – on ANY Web site or social network. Those comments, like the reviews, remain online "through infinity and beyond," to quote Buzz Lightyear. They make you look unprofessional, thin-skinned and juvenile.
Is that how you really want to appear to your fans?
Not everyone is going to love your work. That simply does not happen. A reviewer or reader may not like it, or they could get the book and be having a bad day when they read it, or be tired of the genre, have a squalling baby in the background so they cannot enjoy it, or a husband who has to interrupt every five minutes to ask how to wash dishes… It happens. I have reviewed books at three stars when others give them five stars. When I start digging around, I find there is a split among readers – they either loved or hated the tome. That happens, too.
Reader taste is subjective. Remember that.
If a review is a case of sour grapes, let your fans discredit it. Nothing speaks more loudly than a slew of fans who get on a site and give their own positive perspectives on your work.
Do you have any idea how many times I've been on Amazon and decided to write a review because I totally disagreed with what some other person said about a product? Many, many times – though, admittedly I'm usually telling people not to waste their time and money on products friends or family members have obviously given rave reviews to get the creator's Amazon star rating going.
Read the full review and Ellis-Bell's comments at the Beer Can Hill blog.
* Author's Note: I looked at this review as "fair and balanced" because the reviewer was an expert in the field of parrot care. The reviewer did not talk about the writing or plot of this nonfiction tome, but focused on content and that is perfectly acceptable for a good review. As a former journalist who covered animal issues – including those of exotics in the U.S. – I knew some of what the reviewer said to be true, which added to the credibility of the review for me.
The only comments/reviews I reply to are on my website. When someone says the equivalent of, "You suck!" I only say, "This is obviously not the story for you, nor am I the story teller for you. Thanks for stopping by and giving it a try anyway." And that's it. When people leave comments like that on your personal website, they're usually itching for a fight with the author. Don't give it to them.
As for bad reviews, look at the ratio; if you, as the woman above, get 9 good ones for every bad one, just chalk up a bad review as the one you need to get 9 more good ones.
Rebecca -
You are SO RIGHT! James Frey is an excellent example of the old adage, "Any publicity is good publicity."
I can guarantee you are not the only person who decided not to buy after reading the author's comments. In today's tight market, every sale counts, and losing out could cost you that next book deal.
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment!
As a writer (and parrot "expert") who commented on this blog post on Beer Can Hill, I whole-heartedly agree with the statement. You summed up my feelings on the author's reply exactly. I am no stranger to poor reviews. They happen. Get over it.
I think it's a shame that it didn't occur to the author that a bad review is still press and still books sold. (In fact in my comment on the blog I noted that I needed to buy and read this book.) Just ask James Frey. Bad press not a nec. a bad thing. But presenting yourself as petulant and ungracious does not win you an audience. After I read her comments I chose not to buy the book.