BlogHer - Authors - Comments

It's difficult.

Liz Rizzo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:37:24 -0500

When I write a negative review, I try to be clear about what I didn't like and why, because I've found that readers come from all different perspectives. For example, if I didn't like it because it's too fluffy for me or too simply written, I say that, because another reader might be looking for exactly that thing. I often read a negative review of a book, restaurant, etc. and think, I've got to check that out!

Ultimately, I think mention on blogs equals increased exposure for a book, no matter what the reviewer says. When I read a book I don't like, I dread writing the review. So I try to keep in mind my honest opinion, and share it with my readers for their own appraisal. I try to take the stand of, here's why I didn't enjoy this book.

I can respect peeps who just don't do bad book reviews, though. I'm in the entertainment industry, and if I don't like a movie or television I just keep my blog shut about it!

I think review has to be done by those outside a craft, because when you get too close, you gain too much understanding of the process to be honest and critical.

Liz Rizzo

I blog at Everyday Goddess.

Gosh, I haven't read

sassymonkey — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:10:24 -0500

Gone With The Wind since I was a teen, at which point all my friends thought I was nuts for read such a thick book.

One of my favourite go-to comfort reads is L.M. Montgomery's Blue Castle.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

:-)

Nordette — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:54:48 -0500

That's excellent advice.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Writing a Negative Review

BrownPaper — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:23:56 -0500

I'm a freelance book reviewer, and when writing a negative review, I always imagine I'm saying my words out loud to the author. The review always becomes waaaay more polite, even though my reaction to the book is till the same.

Niranjana Iyer

http://niranjana.wordpress.com

You can write a negative review without being obnoxious

HipMom — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:04:39 -0500

I think it's ok to write a negative review, as long as you can express what you didn't like, as opposed as spewing offensive comments about the book.

"This book could not be any more predictably and derivatively chick-lit
if it was physically passed from Oprah's uterus onto paper made out of
Helen Fielding's afterbirth." is just such an obnoxious (not to mention fairly disgusting) thing to say.

I think you can say you didn't like a book and why without making the author feel like a total loser. Disparaging peopleis never really ok IMO. Constructive criticism is ok, being mean is not.

Thanks Lori

Izzy Rose — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:49:11 -0500

She can email me directly at izzyrose@stepmothersmilk.com

Don't want to miss this fabulous opportunity!

grrrrrrrr

loriluna — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:46:58 -0500

I have forwarded this information to Elizabeth - I don't know what is going on with her email but rest assured I have provided your info to her.

Sorry for the hassle.

Would love to do a signing!

Izzy Rose — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:37:16 -0500

My new memoir based off my blog and published by Random House just hit stores! I would love for it to be featured in the book store and would be thrilled to do a signing if that's something Blogher will support.

The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom is being described this way..."An unvarnished and ultimately reassuring look at the terrors and
triumphs of creating an instant family. Soul-baring, brave, and
genuinely hilarious. Highly recommended!”
–Jennifer Marine, author of No One’s the Bitch

I also ran into a hiccup emailing Elizabeth, but will try again. Looking forward to July!

http://izzy-rose.com/

http://stepmothersmilk.com/

I don't have a problem with bad reviews

christinajeanne — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:11:04 -0500

If people are just giving there opinion. But, I agree that there is a diffrence between giving your opinion and just being mean. I know if someone gave me a bad review I would probably take it really personally and be hurt. Not all authors would be though.

Also

Nordette — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:33:37 -0500

took a look at Worst Review Ever blog. great idea.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

I don't mind honest critique but...

Nordette — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:24:22 -0500

A few times I've been slammed by people that I know had a personal issue with me or a political ideology issue and their so-called critiques have been nothing more than a I-don't-like-her b/c she said something negative about a group or politiican or some person that I love and so I'm gonna get her. You just hope that people reading what such a person has to say sees them and not you when they read the snark.

Book reviewers shouldn't do that, and I suspect bloggers who review books are less likely to do that because they may know nothing about the book author that's personal, but I have seen reviews by supposed MSM "professionals" that I feel have a personal issue with the writer and so are jabbing the person and not the person's work. That sucks.

(Whew! and if you think some people can be harsh in book reviews, you should read more poetry reviews. Poetry critics are evil. LOL)

I've also seen negative reviews of books I could care less about but could still tell the reviewer was enjoying his or her indulgence in snark more than he/she enjoyed doing a real book review.

SM, I working on something right now where I'll be expected to review books and I know I'll have to guard against moments of nitpickiness b/c I don't want to be a harsh critic but I do want to be honest. Yet, I know that there are writers who wear their hearts on their sleeves and if you don't offer a glowing review, they hate you. They really do. :-)

Thank you for all the cool links, and if you have any tips about time management for book reviewers, do tell.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

People need to write what they are comfortable with

sassymonkey — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:06:51 -0500

Some people aren't comfortable writing bad reviews and I know some people will not write about a book if they don't like it. I get that. As a reader though I do like to read bad reviews. Mean ones are easy to dismiss when they appear. But I do find bad reviews valuable - sometimes what the person reviewing the book hated is something I love.

I do think though, that not everyone who has a book blog considers themselves a "critic". I know I certainly don't.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

My worst nightmare!

ShoreBookworm — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:19:37 -0500

So far I have been lucky. But it is my worst nightmare that I and/or my work will be pilloried in a public venue. I would need to be sedated at the merest hint of criticism, never mind some of these diatribes!

There is a difference between scholarly literary criticism, opinion and just plain meanness. Some critics seem to want nothing more than to show off how 'witty' they are, without true regard to the project they are actually supposed to be addressing.

If I am ever so lucky as to be asked to review something, I just hope I can remember what my function is and to be fair to my fellow artists and readers.

Marie

http://nourishourselves.blogspot.com

http://theshorebookworm.blogspot.com

Not Done Yet! Kirtsy! Treat Her Like a Princess!

Lisa Stone — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:22:34 -0500

Laurie I'm so glad to see your terrific book on this list. Here are two more I'd like to see in the store:

Kirtsy Takes A Bow by the Kirtsy crew
http://www.brightskypress.com/infostore/ca.cart.asp?sAction=DisplayList&...

Treat Her Like A Princess: How to help your girlfriend with breast cancer by Denise Hazen
http://www.brightskypress.com/infostore/ca.cart.asp?sAction=DisplayDetai...

They are fantastic. :)

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

Book signing at BlogHer

Diane MacEachern — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:50:52 -0500

Diane MacEachern www.biggreenpurse.com Diane@biggreenpurse.com

My book is Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, with lots of great suggestions on how women can make their money matter to protect themselves and the planet. I would love to do a book signing - thanks for the opportunity!

Diane MacEachern