Authors should never respond to reviews?

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Amadan

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While I still am quite firm that Authors shouldn't tell reviewers how to review, my thinking on the topic of authors responding to reviews in general has shifted a tiny bit.

We all know that responding to reviews is the Author's Big Mistake. And I agree that probably 95% of the time, it's a bad idea.

But I think this accepted wisdom has gone from being "generally good advice" to taking on the tone of a Holy Commandment Writ In Stone. People say things like "Authors should never respond to reviews," "I think it's wrong for an author to ever comment on a review," etc., and... well, I've seen authors comment on reviews and do just fine. I've had authors comment on reviews I have written of their books, and I was not offended, nor do I think they came off looking like asshats.

It should go without saying that you are taking your online life into your hands if you decide to respond to a review. Anything more than a simple "thank you" is risky, and if you decide to actually correct/take issue with anything said in the review? Well, you're asking for it.

But, I dislike the implication that it is actually immoral or inherently unprofessional even to say "Thanks for the review," let alone to engage in dialog with readers.

I also really dislike the sentiment I have seen some people express that it's "creepy" or off-putting to feel like an author is "looking over your shoulder" by letting you know publicly that they read your review.

As someone who has written my share of excoriating reviews, and who is a staunch advocate of telling authors who don't like nasty reviews to suck it up and cry in private, I still wouldn't write anything that I wouldn't be comfortable defending if the author called me out on it. If the author says "Hey, dude, that's pretty harsh, do you really want to feed me into a wood-chipper*?" I might say, "Okay, yeah, maybe that was a little over-the-top." But I wouldn't cry that authors have no business responding to my reviews because I want to pretend that I am talking about people where they can't see what I'm saying.

Yes, review spaces are for readers, but authors are there too. It's a not "safe space" for you vent in a conseqence-free manner. Feel free to vent, rant, and discuss those authors who would make the finest mulch, but your words are public. Stand by them or STFU.

Honestly, I like it when authors engage in dialog. I find it very entertainingwince when they screw up and make fools of themselves, but I also like it when authors are willing to talk to readers. I am not advocating they should respond to reviews as a normal practice, but the occasional drive-by "Hey, thanks for the review, and by the way, I'm going to do what you mentioned in the next book" does not bother me. Yes, I've even had a couple of authors address flaws/criticisms I pointed out in their books, and they did so gracefully and without incurring my wrath or anyone else's. It can be done.

"Authors shouldn't respond to reviews" should be treated the same as pieces of writing advice like "Don't use saidisms" and "Don't start the story with the main character waking up and looking into a mirror" - it's good advice, and you should be damn sure you know what you're doing if you decide to go ahead anyway, but that doesn't mean no one ever can get away with it.


* I have never actually advocated feeding an author into a wood-chipper.
 

veinglory

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Like every other "rule" it is advice based on probabilities. I credit most people with the sense to know that.
 

electroweakstar

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I've had authors on Goodreads thank me for an honest (usually positive) review. I am of the opinion that authors (and self-pub authors in particular) marketing their works can only do themselves favors by positively interacting with their fanbase.

I certainly don't like seeing authors get defensive and argue with reviewers, but I agree with the whole "thanking someone for the review should be okay" sentiment.
 

veinglory

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As a reviewer, unless they sent me the review copy I find being thanked weird. It assumes I did it for them. YMMV.
 

Lexxie

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I think it depends a little on a few things. There are a couple of authors I have interacted with on Twitter, after I had read and (positively) reviewed their book. I would not mind at all if any of those authors commented on my review, because we are already in contact. It has also happened that authors have e-mailed me about my review, and our interactions have been very nice.

I don't know how I would feel if an author I had never interacted with left a comment on my review, even if I try to keep all my reviews respectful. Even when I don't like a book, I talk about the book only, and I'm not usually very snarky.

I do agree, though, no rules are there to always be followed. And I have to admit that if an author I really love reading, and whom I respect, would thank me for a positive review, I wouldn't mind. But I would mind if an author attacked me because I wrote a negative review of their book.

And readers and authors really are a part of the same community - some write with pleasure, so that others can read (often) with pleasure.
 

Chris P

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In principal I agree, that all rules, when broken, should be broken with deliberate purpose. But, following my own words, I'm not sure under what circumstances I could or should break this rule. I don't see the purpose.

Maybe I'm a purist or simply a newbie when it comes to reviews. I hope to take a "fire and forget" approach to publishing for the sake of my own sanity; I know I'll obsess over every word anyone says if I start trying to follow reviews. That's all in theory, though: I haven't gotten any reviews on Paper Thin yet, so I don't know how tempted I would be to respond. I did have some people private message me about a short story I had published, and I was happy to answer their questions. I've not had an author respond to any of my reviews, so I've not experienced it the other way, either.
 

Chris P

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And readers and authors really are a part of the same community - some write with pleasure, so that others can read (often) with pleasure.

I don't disagree with this, since I like to read about the things my favorite authors like to write about. But something was tickling by brain while I was writing my earlier reply and you using the word "community" clicked on a light bulb for me. Writers have always done book signings, appearances, and carried on correspondence with fans, but with the internet today it seems (alert: perception might not be reality) that interactions with readers are more expected as part of the job than before. With the increased prevalence of self-publishing and self-promotion, are we expected to develop a "community" around ourselves in order to sell books? Is that what us writers are trying to do by responding to reviews? But how much effect on sales does responding to reviewers have? I suspect little. Sure, it costs me nothing to be courteous, but is this really an integral part of promotion? Have I ever bought a book because the author was nice to reviewers? Just thinking out loud here. Something disturbs me about authors responding to reviewers (and how much time they seem to be expected to spend on doing the publisher's job of marketing and promoting), but I can't quite decide what it is yet.
 

Lexxie

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I don't disagree with this, since I like to read about the things my favorite authors like to write about. But something was tickling by brain while I was writing my earlier reply and you using the word "community" clicked on a light bulb for me. Writers have always done book signings, appearances, and carried on correspondence with fans, but with the internet today it seems (alert: perception might not be reality) that interactions with readers are more expected as part of the job than before. With the increased prevalence of self-publishing and self-promotion, are we expected to develop a "community" around ourselves in order to sell books? Is that what us writers are trying to do by responding to reviews? But how much effect on sales does responding to reviewers have? I suspect little. Sure, it costs me nothing to be courteous, but is this really an integral part of promotion? Have I ever bought a book because the author was nice to reviewers? Just thinking out loud here. Something disturbs me about authors responding to reviewers (and how much time they seem to be expected to spend on doing the publisher's job of marketing and promoting), but I can't quite decide what it is yet.

I think the internet is really making things more difficult for all of us! And I truly hope that authors will spend more time writing their next book (yes, I'm looking out for my own pleasure here!) than interacting with people on the internet.

I have bought a couple of books because of reviews, but those reviews were written by people I have a lot of books in common with, and whom I trust.

Most of the time, though, I get book recommendations from good friends, with whom I discuss books with. Not strangers.
 

Theo81

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I also really dislike the sentiment I have seen some people express that it's "creepy" or off-putting to feel like an author is "looking over your shoulder" by letting you know publicly that they read your review.

Well, as I'm the person who said that, I'll explain.

I don't care what an author thinks of my opinion and I don't want them to think anything of mine.

I paid my money, I got my 3 -5 days worth of leisure time. It has NOTHING to do with the author.

My opinion of the work also has eff-all to do with the author.

If I then want to tell other people my opinion, guess who it has nothing to do with.

Authors reading the reviews I write is like being spied upon. I don't want to have to read everything twice to ensure I don't cause any harm or offence. How I say something I am writing, for me, is not the same way I'd say it to them.

If I want to get in touch with them, if I want them to know what I think, I'll do that.

I don't think it's unreasonable for me to want to be left alone. I'm not their GR friend. I couldn't pick them out of a line-up. 80% I will never think of, or read another book by, ever again, mainly due to how I acquire books.

I am not interested in the author. I just want to read a book.
 

Al Stevens

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I have a review I would like to respond to. One of my programming books has gone into seven editions. For the sixth, the publisher mandated an eye-candy format that just would not work for technical text. I was adamant that they not do it that way, particularly since I had already delivered a completed manuscript and didn't want to do a lot more work, so they just went ahead and did it themselves, employing no one who understood programming for a technical edit. Naturally, there were lots of errors. (None of the programming books they produced with that format did very well, as I recall.)

The publisher abandoned the format and let me do it the right way for the 7th edition, and that edition, which was released in 2003, is still selling.

Those errors are mentioned in a one-star review (I think). I would like to respond and offer to send the reviewer a gratis copy of the 7th edition. But I won't. It was all too long ago.

But it still eats at me. The problem is that the reviewer didn't single out the edition--just the title, which reflects on former and later editions.

Oh, well.
 

S. L. Saboviec

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I think the internet is really making things more difficult for all of us! And I truly hope that authors will spend more time writing their next book (yes, I'm looking out for my own pleasure here!) than interacting with people on the internet.

I 100% agree with this sentiment. But as Chris P pointed out, the industry seems to be shifting toward authors promoting their own works. That other thread in this forum asking about what a marketing proposal is made my head hurt. I wanted to post, "ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?" but since it didn't add anything to the discussion, I sulked off in silence. But seriously? Are you freakin' kidding me? If I'm supposed to promote myself, then why do I have a publisher and agent? I can go self-publish or, hey, how about my commission goes up since I'm doing your job for you?

I've wanted to be an author since I was a wee child. I didn't want to be a super-fab blogger with a ginormous fan base; I didn't want to be a rich hobnobber that traveled around the country promoting my book; I didn't want to be the CEO, CIO, and Marketing Director of Samantha Lane, Inc. I want to sit my ass in a chair and write.

Being a professional by trade, I understand that the publishing business is a business first and foremost, and so I'm not going to chuck a wobbly the first time an agent asks me to do something that falls into the above categories. I understand that I can sit my ass in a chair and write for the rest of my life without having to deal with the business side -- if I don't care about getting paid. However, as I foray into the wonderful world of publishing a book, I will try to spend more ass-in-chair time than promoting-myself time.

The clear sentiment that I get from reading these posts -- plus the heaps of advice on acquiring an agent and publishing your book found here on AW -- is that you will be judged on your ability to write. We (the industry, authors, agents, publishers, editors) can't lose sight of that in these debates.
 

slhuang

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There are a few authors who have responded very gracefully to reviews, I think. The advice not to, I believe, comes from the fact that most authors who do respond *don't* do it gracefully. They get defensive, or tell the reviewers they are "reading it wrong" or otherwise insult the reviewers' intelligence and reading skills, and generally just make themselves look like idiots. And I think it's a very easy thing to do and not *think* one is looking like an idiot when one actually is looking like the biggest asshat this side of asshattery, so it's probably best to err on the side of caution.

Here are some authors who have responded to (negative) reviews in ways that only increased my opinion of them:

Jim Hines (oh, I love everything about Jim Hines) ranted against a certain subset of his reviewers for their condemnation of (spoiler alert) the poly relationship at the end of Libriomancer. That blog entry rocketed Libriomancer to the top of my TBR list.

Mary Robinette Kowal got excoriated by Requires Only That You Hate*, and entered the comments very gracefully and humbly to own the places she had failed with regards to race and culture issues and to thank the reviewer and the other commenters for their time and input as she learned more about the situations she'd been trying to write about. My respect for her went through the roof -- especially as Requires Hate was absolutely vituperative when it came to the story's writing style as well as the culture issues in her review (that can't have been easy for any author to read), and also as some of the other commenters took the "a story this badly researched never should have been let out into the wild, for shame" view to MRK's face, and she continued to own her mistakes with enviable grace and zero defensiveness. (There also ended up being an excellent discussion in the comments on language and how non-dominant groups are marginalized by how we categorize communication, which I learned a huge amount from.)

I've seen authors be thrilled about positive reviews, of course, and link to them and/or thank the reviewer, and that never bothers me at all. I can't think of any cases other than the above two when I've been impressed by an author's response to a negative review, but both of those authors made me think better of them by responding, so it can certainly happen.

* For those who don't know, Requires Hate is a scifi/fantasy reviewer who employs a sort of performance rage to draw attention to when authors exhibit race/culture/gender/etc. fail. Her reviews tend to be remorseless and profane, and she's very talented at making people FURIOUS -- authors have gotten incredibly defensive toward her (as in, Author's Big Mistake times a thousand) instead of considering her points in any sort of rational light. Which is why I was so impressed by MRK.
 

Mr Flibble

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But I think this accepted wisdom has gone from being "generally good advice" to taking on the tone of a Holy Commandment Writ In Stone. People say things like "Authors should never respond to reviews," "I think it's wrong for an author to ever comment on a review," etc., and... well, I've seen authors comment on reviews and do just fine. I've had authors comment on reviews I have written of their books, and I was not offended, nor do I think they came off looking like asshats.

It should go without saying that you are taking your online life into your hands if you decide to respond to a review. Anything more than a simple "thank you" is risky, and if you decide to actually correct/take issue with anything said in the review? Well, you're asking for it.

But, I dislike the implication that it is actually immoral or inherently unprofessional even to say "Thanks for the review," let alone to engage in dialog with readers.

That's is how I feel about it exactly. Like all those other writing 'rules', it's more of a guideline imo

99 times out of a hundred, then you aren't going to want to respond. But the furore when an author has the temerity to say something (even something very polite/pertinent/whatever, I'm not talking about the author being a douche), like they just ate a baby or something? Totally over the top.

I've seen authors go hideously wrong in responding to reviews (not nesc. on the review itself even, but in other venues)

And I've seen some seriously classy responses that just made me like the author even more. (Example: Requires Hate ripped a certain author a new one. A thread blew up on a quite prominent forum that he sometimes frequents. The posters were utterly outraged re RH, and started defending the author, blasting RH etc. Then he showed up and, well, basically said 'Actually, she's right, it was shitty, ham fisted writing on my part. Here is where I went wrong and here are some ways I'd do it better next time'. Totally classy)

So yeah, think hard and long before you comment. But it's not a hanging offence just to comment, it doesn't automatically make the author a douche, and I wish (some) people would stop treating it as such. If the author is being a dick...well fair enough. If not, why shouldn't they engage with fans over a review (On the review itself may be a little tacky, but even then I can see that at times it'd be cool)
 

shadowwalker

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I am of the opinion that authors (and self-pub authors in particular) marketing their works can only do themselves favors by positively interacting with their fanbase.

I think there's a difference between interacting with a fanbase and interacting with reviewers. Fanbase implies people who like and follow the author - a reviewer may have only read one book from the author, and is only a 'fan' of the genre.
 

Polenth

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If I know someone, or I don't but they @ me on Twitter, then I say thank you for review. I usually do this via Twitter, rather than on the review (taking away the risk of making other commenters feel I'm ready to pounce on them). And I literally say thank you. Adding more words comes with the risk of sounding snarky or otherwise upset. (I've seen a few, "Thank you for the review, but no one else thought the bunnies were unrealistic." The author really should have stopped at thank you.)

But most times, this isn't what people are doing when they reply. Most people can't stop at thank you. They'll be tempted to keep on talking. Advice given takes that into account.
 

Phaeal

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Authors reading the reviews I write is like being spied upon. I don't want to have to read everything twice to ensure I don't cause any harm or offence. How I say something I am writing, for me, is not the same way I'd say it to them.

Any review I post, my working assumption is that the writer will read it. Since my goal is to be both honest and civil, I have no qualms about it if she does, and I certainly wouldn't characterize a writer read as spying. My review is public -- no one needs to spy to look at it. If I put it out there, I realize I can dictate neither who will read it nor how they'll react.

You can never absolutely ensure that you'll give no offense. Some people do have very thin skins, and misunderstanding is another danger. Common sense dictates that certain things are harm more likely to offend than others: say, calling the author an incompetent hack child molester Nazi scum or claiming that he couldn't write his way out of a douchebag. Common sense of this sort isn't hard to apply, if you care.

If the author gets bent out of shape because you wrote that you didn't care for a certain character or a plot twist, well. As Amadan says, you could be prepared to defend your opinion. Or, as I say, you could just ignore the unreasonable reaction. Or ignore author responses altogether, even the positive ones, if they make you uncomfortable.

I would love to get a thanks from my favorite writers, or any civil comment. Not hinting or anything, just saying. :D
 

JulianneQJohnson

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I think there's a difference between interacting with a fanbase and interacting with reviewers. Fanbase implies people who like and follow the author - a reviewer may have only read one book from the author, and is only a 'fan' of the genre.

I agree with this. A fanbase is a very different beastie than, for example, the place for reviews on Amazon.com. I would find any author response on Amazon out of place, no matter how kindly written. That is a space for people to review the book, not a conversation. There are other places where conversation is more appropriate, like a writer’s blog, facebook, or twitter. The readers there are there to interact with the author.

As I’ve mentioned before, I learned to write in fanfiction, where I had a large group of readers. They would leave comments on the site and I would answer many of them. Some of the old timers on the site frowned upon me for responding too much, but the readers enjoyed it, and they are why I responded. I sometimes wonder if the folks who complained about it were following the “never respond” rule, or simply didn’t enjoy a noob getting so much attention. Either way I didn’t fret about it. Responses were allowed on the site, and my readers enjoyed it.
 

Mr Flibble

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Any review I post, my working assumption is that the writer will read it.

A wise assumption I think

Posting a review (or anything on line) isn't a private thing -- the internet is public. It's not like you're chatting with people in your house about a book (where the author knocking on your door to say 'Hah! I heard that!' would be...disconcerting). More like you're on Speaker's Corner, with a public audience that could include anyone, and the author may be one of them. If you're putting out in public and wanting people to see it, watching/reading could hardly be said to be spying. It might feel like it, I grant you. But if you say something in public to an audience, it's no longer yours. It's out in the wild. Just like a book...

That doesn't mean it'd be a great idea for that author at Speaker's Corner to heckle. But to respond?
 

Fallen

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I'm pretty new to the author side, and I always get that should I/shouldn't I feel.

I thanked two reviewing sites in particular, one gave 5 stars and really pushed my sales up in huge amounts, the other gave me a two star. I'd requested the two-star reviewer. It was good to see that when I did give just a basic "thank you for reading/rating/reviewing", I had a comment back saying she hadn't expected me to say thank you with a two-star review. She then went on to say she'd be open to reviewing anything of mine in future.

I think some reviewers have been burned badly by some authors, especially when they go below three. I know the reviews are for the readers, but I think the relationship between reviewer and author is something different, and one to maintain on a professional basis. A thank you doesn't hurt, but I stick just with that.
 

leahzero

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I've had authors comment on reviews I have written of their books, and I was not offended, nor do I think they came off looking like asshats.

You're looking at the issue too narrowly. It's not just about being offended. It's about feeling like the author is watching.

When we feel like we're being watched, we alter our behavior, both consciously and subconsciously.

If you know an author is actively reading and responding to reviews, you may subconsciously censor yourself in an effort not to offend them.

An author being part of a discussion that is supposed to be all about the READERS will inevitably change it, no matter how polite or circumspect they are.

This is why authors should simply stay out of it. Their mere presence influences the process.
 

MarkEsq

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This is an interesting discussion, and despite not having the time to do so, I'm going to chip in. :)

You're looking at the issue too narrowly. It's not just about being offended. It's about feeling like the author is watching.

True - but I think that's the reality. Now, maybe many reviewers don't realize this is the case, but I suspect that the vast majority of authors do indeed read the reviews of their books. (Yes, me too, though I'm trying to quit. Or cut back. A little.)

When we feel like we're being watched, we alter our behavior, both consciously and subconsciously.

That statement, as it stands, I agree with.

If you know an author is actively reading and responding to reviews, you may subconsciously censor yourself in an effort not to offend them.

But that's on the reviewer. If they don't have the courage to review honestly, well, so be it but I don't think one can necessarily blame the author for that.

An author being part of a discussion that is supposed to be all about the READERS will inevitably change it, no matter how polite or circumspect they are.

True, I suppose. But readers are free to ignore the author or even get something positive from his/her interaction. I'm just saying the author's participation doesn't have to be a bad change.

This is why authors should simply stay out of it. Their mere presence influences the process.

Anyone's presence in a conversation changes it. I see your point, but I think Amadan's was more that it's not always for the worse.

All that said, I'm far from decided on the issue, and I've never commented on any review of my books. Nor do I plan to (despite the temptation on occasion!).
 

Theo81

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Any review I post, my working assumption is that the writer will read it. Since my goal is to be both honest and civil, I have no qualms about it if she does, and I certainly wouldn't characterize a writer read as spying. My review is public -- no one needs to spy to look at it. If I put it out there, I realize I can dictate neither who will read it nor how they'll react.

You can never absolutely ensure that you'll give no offense. Some people do have very thin skins, and misunderstanding is another danger. Common sense dictates that certain things are harm more likely to offend than others: say, calling the author an incompetent hack child molester Nazi scum or claiming that he couldn't write his way out of a douchebag. Common sense of this sort isn't hard to apply, if you care.

If the author gets bent out of shape because you wrote that you didn't care for a certain character or a plot twist, well. As Amadan says, you could be prepared to defend your opinion. Or, as I say, you could just ignore the unreasonable reaction. Or ignore author responses altogether, even the positive ones, if they make you uncomfortable.

I would love to get a thanks from my favorite writers, or any civil comment. Not hinting or anything, just saying. :D

A wise assumption I think

Posting a review (or anything on line) isn't a private thing -- the internet is public. It's not like you're chatting with people in your house about a book (where the author knocking on your door to say 'Hah! I heard that!' would be...disconcerting). More like you're on Speaker's Corner, with a public audience that could include anyone, and the author may be one of them. If you're putting out in public and wanting people to see it, watching/reading could hardly be said to be spying. It might feel like it, I grant you. But if you say something in public to an audience, it's no longer yours. It's out in the wild. Just like a book...

That doesn't mean it'd be a great idea for that author at Speaker's Corner to heckle. But to respond?

But, as I said in the post which sparked this, there's public and there's public, and there I used the analogy of a conversation down the pub. Anybody could theoretically hear it, but it's not including them and they are not part of it. If you want to listen in, fine, but don't butt in.

Now, as it goes I am probably unlikely to give offence and if I did I'd say what I always do when that happens: it's only my opinion; others feel differently.

The worst I've said on GR was that I'd stopped reading a book at page 85 because I found the characters 2D and uninteresting. If the author challenged me over it, there's plenty more I could say but didn't because I happened to type that review on my android yoke music player thing when I was still learning how to make it work, but the point is I don't want to have to deal with that. I don't want to have to think about it. I don't want to have a conversation about it particularly not with the author.


You're looking at the issue too narrowly. It's not just about being offended. It's about feeling like the author is watching.

When we feel like we're being watched, we alter our behavior, both consciously and subconsciously.

If you know an author is actively reading and responding to reviews, you may subconsciously censor yourself in an effort not to offend them.

An author being part of a discussion that is supposed to be all about the READERS will inevitably change it, no matter how polite or circumspect they are.

This is why authors should simply stay out of it. Their mere presence influences the process.

This, too.
 

Mr Flibble

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But, as I said in the post which sparked this, there's public and there's public, and there I used the analogy of a conversation down the pub. Anybody could theoretically hear it, but it's not including them and they are not part of it. If you want to listen in, fine, but don't butt in.

Well, again there I'd say mostly people don't butt in - but every now and again they do, with something pertinent because they couldn't help but overhear*...happens all the time in a pub, and thus some friendships are made. Sometimes it feels rude, and sometimes it doesn't, depending on how it's done.

But it's still public. Out there. I mean when I talk in the pub, I am aware that other people can hear me (and most especially I am aware if I, say, were gossiping about X and he's two feet away.... if he hears me, I'd be surprised if he DIDN'T say something)


*I am mistress of 'Saying something loudly into a sudden lull in the convo so the whole pub can hear it...' :D
 

Susan Coffin

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My attitude is, "What's the point?" in reading reviews, therefore I don't see any point in responding to them. People have a right to their opinion.

I would probably thank reviewers who gave all favorable and hand them gold stars; thank and stand up for myself to reviewers who gave me favorable/unfavorable reviews; and then probably work up a good argument for those who did not like my work at all. Otherwise, I would be going through and posting a general thanks to all those who reviewed my work.

To me, it's wasted time I could be working on something new. :)
 
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