It hurts to get a bad review; back when I was freelancing I got both good & bad reviews, so I'm familiar with that feeling. But I think any time an author gets a bad review, she needs to take a step back and think about the fact that there are books she doesn't like, too, that other readers do. No two people have exactly the same tastes; it's inevitable that some people won't like your work simply because of that.

Good thing, too. Otherwise you'd all be after my husband!

Thanks for a thought-provoking post.

As to the untrue/damaging statements, yes, address them, but do so by calling your publicist. Have her (or him) suss it out and see if they really need removing. Sometimes what you see as slanderous isn't really so if you look at it objectively. And, in the hot tip department, there are plenty of times when negative reviews can garner more sales for a book than a positive review. It's human nature to see what all the fuss is about. *lol*

There is actually a flip side to this – For reviewers, be professional, not nasty, and don't make the review personal (i.e. drawing conclusions about the author's lifestyle or mental state from a piece of fictional prose.) You are reviewing the book, not the person. Of course, pro/responsible reviewers already know this.

I've only had one author get defensive at my blog over a review. I think partially that is because I approach each book with objectivity. The other main reason I believe this has been the case is that I write reviews that discuss the highlights and areas where the book fell short of my expectations without trashing it. As Emily says above, this is the flip side of the author/reviewer relationship.

I've never seen the purpose behind a snarky review. I can't say I've ever come across a book that doesn't have even one redeeming quality. A good reviewer can discuss all aspects of a book without insulting the author or his work.

Cheryl