Some
people buy books and enjoy them.
Some
people buy books and look for something to complain about.
Now
I’m not talking about constructive criticism. That I and many of my writer
friends can take. What we can’t stand are trolls who buy our books or eBooks
just to complain about them.
These
are the kinds of people who buy a fantasy book with vampires and get angry
about the supernatural stuff. The kinds of people who say “that’s not real!”
Hey
dumbass it’s not supposed to be real. It’s a fantasy. Vampires, demons and
pixies don’t exist. Neither do goddesses, flying cars or time travel.
It’s
not my fault or the fault of any of my writer friends that you don’t have an
imagination. Scroll down the page and look at the genre next time.
Then
there are kinds of people who buy a romance novel and expect page upon page of
graphic sex then get angry when they actually have to read a story where we do
things like establish characters and the relationships between them.
These
sad saps don’t know there’s a difference between fantasy and erotica. Erotica
is a genre filled with page upon page of graphic sex. Pornography with words.
Yet these imbiciles buy a romance novel expecting Erotica.
Romance
is about the story of two people coming together and having a relationship. The
main focus of a romance novel is the relationship between the hero and the
heroine. The sex between them is an expression of their love for each other.
Usually
in romance novels, the sex scene is the payoff for the relationship that built
for the first second and third acts. As the climax of each act ends, it starts
the conflict for the next act in the story.
Then
there are the trolls who post one-sentence one-star reviews. Like “OMG I HATE
THIS BOOK”
This
is the equivalent of spam.
Seriously,
you hated it enough just to say that you hated it. Put some REASONS down to let readers know why
you didn’t like it.
When
I write a bad review I try to put constructive points in to why I didn’t like
it. I mention details in the story. Plot holes. Underdeveloped characters. Weak
storylines and prose that was awkward. I just don’t write OMG I HATE THIS BOOK
IT SUCKS. I know that the writer may read my review and may get something out
of it.
Then
there are the wanna-be English professors, the who nitpick every sentence
looking for absolute perfect grammar and sentence structure.
No
one tells these dipshits that sometimes a writer is using imperfect sentence
and imperfect grammar structure to make an artistic statement. Sometimes we’re
writing things so a character can have a “voice”. And sometimes we’re just
having fun.
And
the wanna-be literary critics who want a every story to be deep and complex.
They get upset when a genre fiction story doesn’t feature rich literary
elements or thought-provoking social commentary.
They
don’t understand that sometimes a story is just entertainment. And sometimes a
can of beans is just a can of beans. Sometimes a story isn’t meant to be read
into, sometimes a story is just meant to be read.
And
sometimes a writer is just trying to get a laugh.
Then
there are the snobs who want to think that books produced at a publishing house
are better than self-published books. Like having a Dell or Random House label
on a book means it’s better than other books.
Sorry,
they’re just about the same.
I’ve
read books from publishing houses that were absolutely horrible. Bad writing,
bad storyline and weak characters. While I’ve read self-published books that
were well-written and flowed beautifully.
Spelling
and grammar were about the same. I’ve read books from major publishing houses
filled with typos and spelling errors. Books with factual inaccuracies.
So
the only difference between a book from a publishing house and a self-published
one is the label.
Finally
there are the idiots who want to bitch about eBooks having errors. They think
authors should fire the editor or get out of the publishing business.
These
people have no idea how screwed up the technology is for eBooks or the numerous
hiccups we encounter when dealing with different converters.
I
have had eBooks that were absolutely PERFECT in Microsoft Word turn to sludge
due to the conversion process with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Typos that weren’t in the original copy somehow appeared. Letters that were
lowercase mysteriously became uppercase. Letters that were uppercase
mysteriously became lowercase. Entire words misspelled. Fonts getting BIG
all
of a sudden then getting small.
It
made me want to rip my hair out sometimes.
I’d
create new files. Cut and paste to notepad and make a new Word file.
The
problems would still be there in the new upload.
There
was nothing I could do about it. When one computer reads one set of code of
another sometimes it mistranslates things.
Even
after multiple revisions and re-uploads.
Don’t
hold that against the author. They upload a file on their end they thought was
good. They don’t know how to go into ePub, .LRF, .Mobi or whatever and rewrite the entire document
and make it PERFECT.
Just
for you.
I
understand readers are putting their money down for these things. But some of
you are expecting GOLD for just 99 cents.
Seriuously,
some readers expect too much from a book.
Shawn, as longtime wwriter and reader, I have to say this is the best thing and the most effective thing I've read on the subject. And as good as it is, you didn't mention the fact that some of these "reviews" are hatchet jobs, out to knock down a writer if they can. What a cheap way to feel powerful.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, am just grateful that the overwhelming majority of readers are honest and aboveboard and interested in buying and reading a good story.
I just wish with all my heart that every reader on this planet could read this. It wouldn't help the spoilsports, but it might help a few who are borderline.
I count my blessings daily that so many readers are such ardent and longtime fans and I pray God they stay that way
Kudos, Shawn, for an over-the-top job.