(My favorite book by my favorite writer has 52 one-star reviews, so there are at least 52 idiots writing reviews )
Bullet, I know you added that smiley face to your comment so it's likely that you were joking, at least in part, when you wrote it: but I'm going to take it seriously just for now.
We really need to get away from this idea that if someone doesn't like a book that we like then they're idiots, or they somehow lack taste. I really don't like to see writers dismissing readers in this way: we depend on those readers for our livelihoods, and should talk about them with a lot more respect than that.
Hi Kaitie - That's a good question, and part of the answer is when the review had me chuckling (instead of crying) at the content, I was pretty sure I was getting a whiff of troll.
Some of my reasoning: #1 The person that wrote it said (my bold), "It was a pain to read through right from the very start." Given the fact that there are 4 full chapters plus part of a fifth in the preview, I think it's rather strange that anyone would pay 3.99 for a novel from an unknown author, when they disliked it so much from the start.
#2 While he/she said it had shallow characters, predictable plot, and choppy writing, I'm pretty sure the plot is not predictable. In fact, I'm hearing the exact opposite from everyone that's read it. This book is not about 'boy meets girl, they separate and come back together to live HEA'. In fact, it addresses alcoholism, adultery and several other life situations that touched readers enough to provoke tears and perhaps even a bit of anger in one or two of them toward me for certain things I allowed to happen in the story. As far as the shallowness of the characters, I'll leave that to others to judge.
I'm not saying my book is just wonderful - I'm simply trying to answer your question and clarify why I believe I've been visited by a troll with the intent to do damage to me for a reason only he/she knows.
I sold only 1 ebook very late on the night of the 29th, and had this review first thing this morning. This person read my "horrible" book in 4 days over New Years so they could justify writing a review? I'm not buying it.
Having said all that, as I've mentioned before, I know not everyone will like my novel; I don't expect them to. The input I've gotten to this point has been so favorable, I've truly been waiting for the other shoe to drop. But not with such a resounding thud. *sniff, sniff* "Yep, that's troll I smell all right."
Instead of labelling this reviewer a troll we could try to see if there's anything we can learn from this review. And one of the things we can learn is that writers should treat readers with more respect: the only reasonable response to a review, good or bad, is to say, "thank you for buying and/or reading my book."
People are entitled to have opinions which differ from our own and calling them names for daring to disagree with us is just not acceptable. In life or on AW.
Several posts have now been made, by more than one member, in which the reviewer is called a troll, and the only basis I've seen for that is that they've left a review Ann doesn't agree with.
You get a bad review? Suck it up. Be grateful that the reader bothered to take a look at your book. It's just as valid as a five-star review, and if you wouldn't object to one you shouldn't object to the other.
Ann, I can't download your sample as my Kindle For PC isn't working right now: but there are several problems with your book's description in the Kindle shop, and if you've employed similar devices in your book then I'm afraid the reviewer might have a point.
I'm sorry to be so blunt: but you're a professional writer now. You have to cope with these things better. If you think a one-star, three-line review on Amazon is bad wait until your book is trashed on national TV or in the national press. Until you can deal with that with some degree of grace, then you might not be ready to publish at all.