# Readers: Does it bother you when authors respond to your reviews?



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

This has been an ongoing topic over at the writer's cafe, and I'm curious to know what the majority of readers here on Kboards think about authors responding to your reviews.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

This is a borderline topic for a board that is NOT the Writer's Cafe -- so, an early caution:  Authors, please do NOT answer unless you can answer PURELY as a reader.  We'll be watching the thread closely.  There's no need to say why YOU as an author, may choose to respond.  The question is for Readers:

If you post a review, does it bother you if the author responds?

Oh, and I'm moving it to the Book Corner as it will likely get more visibility there.


----------



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> This is a borderline topic for a board that is NOT the Writer's Cafe -- so, an early caution: Authors, please do NOT answer unless you can answer PURELY as a reader. We'll be watching the thread closely. There's no need to say why YOU as an author, may choose to respond. The question is for Readers:
> 
> If you post a review, does it bother you if the author responds?
> 
> Oh, and I'm moving it to the Book Corner as it will likely get more visibility there.


Thanks for the move, Ann. Wasn't sure where this topic should go.


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

I don't care for author responses to reviews whether pleasant or not.  If I want a conversation with an author, there is usually a personal website or contact information I can use.  

Strictly my personal opinion, YMMV.

ETA:  I think you're likely to get responses from those who feel really strongly about it one way or the other, and may not find a clear picture of the "average" reader/reviewer.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

It bothers me about the same as authors doing market surveys here (much more if they get argumentative).


----------



## Lindy Moone (Oct 19, 2012)

If by "respond" you mean commenting on a review on Amazon, I don't think it's a great idea for authors to do that -- at least, not as a rule. The reviews are there for readers, aren't they? 

I understand why authors would be tempted to respond, especially to say thanks or if there's something factually wrong with a review, but still think they should contact the reviewer privately. I've been thanked in private.

I don't go back and look at the reviews I've written for Amazon. If an author responded there, would I even know? (Does Amazon give reviewers a heads up if there's a comment?)


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Doesn't bother me.  The onus is on the author to look good, bad or otherwise.  I rarely mind book discussions, but discussion is a fine line with some people and that applies to readers and writers.  

I don't generally like "marketing" questions here either, but for anyone following the fru-fru on a couple of magazine boards and review blogs, I think it's important to have this discussion with readers.  I really think it's important that I, as a reader, respect an author's right to comment just like any other reader would.  I was shocked to learn that some review sites don't allow comments -- from anyone.  Others don't allow them from authors--on any post.  There's tons that do.  There's room for all kinds of blogs, and I'm glad that this one is moderated such that people lean towards respecting one another regardless of our various roles.


----------



## kansaskyle (Sep 14, 2010)

It doesn't bother me, but it seems like an amateur move from self-published authors.  

I actually had one author offer to give me the second book in his series for free if I would give him another chance after I left a 2-star review.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I have received 3 responses to reviews in the past. One was a simple thank you, two were vitriolic attacks. I would rather never hear from an author. The last two are the reason I won't review anymore. I know how to reach them outside of my reviews. I follow a few on FB, or their blogs, ones I know are reasonable as well as being good authors. Other than that, nope, I don't wanna hear an author's opinion about my review.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't like it. If I want to contact an author who is a complete stranger, I know where to find them. Reviews are there for other readers. It makes me uncomfortable. And when I see an author responding to their reviews, its a turn off for me. Many times it also skews the ratings. When readers know that an author hovers constantly and comments back and forth with reviews, they might be more intimidated to leave a review that isn't glowing and 4-5 stars. Especially with an author that loves to interact with their fangirls. Those can get like a mob and any kind of criticism is then descended upon. Its the environment created by such involvement in the readers space. 
I suspect that is why some of those authors have super high reviews that are totally unrealistic in reality. 

Then some authors only comment on the 4 and 5 stars and I think they are ungrateful to reviewers that didn't praise them to high heavens. Then those that comment on all of them the ones on the lower stars come across as defensive and sarcastic. And there are those that find the need to argue about every non 4-5 star they get. Like its beyond them that someone might not think of their book as the best thing evah. Some even argue with 3 stars. I have seen it all and I can't think of any case where I came away with a positive opinion. 

I have even seen it used as a method to eliminate and reduce the lower reviews. Some people get intimidated when the author suddenly shows up and feel bad and change their rating up. And some authors know that.  I have seen that too. 

Just a turn off to me. 

So yes, it bothers me.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Atunah said:


> I don't like it. If I want to contact an author who is a complete stranger, I know where to find them. Reviews are there for other readers. It makes me uncomfortable. And when I see an author responding to their reviews, its a turn off for me. Many times it also skews the ratings. When readers know that an author hovers constantly and comments back and forth with reviews, they might be more intimidated to leave a review that isn't glowing and 4-5 stars. Especially with an author that loves to interact with their fangirls. Those can get like a mob and any kind of criticism is then descended upon. Its the environment created by such involvement in the readers space.
> I suspect that is why some of those authors have super high reviews that are totally unrealistic in reality.
> 
> Then some authors only comment on the 4 and 5 stars and I think they are ungrateful to reviewers that didn't praise them to high heavens. Then those that comment on all of them the ones on the lower stars come across as defensive and sarcastic. And there are those that find the need to argue about every non 4-5 star they get. Like its beyond them that someone might not think of their book as the best thing evah. Some even argue with 3 stars. I have seen it all and I can't think of any case where I came away with a positive opinion.
> ...


See, this is why I *Like* when an author comments. Pretty much tells me all I need to know.

I've also seen some very good discussions with authors who answer questions about one of their books/series/etc that was posed in a review. This leaves me a positive feeling about the author. Sometimes for me, it depends on whether the author hangs out at a site anyway, but mostly it's all about the words the author leaves. Or even another reader. I've seen some readers go nutso on a review--either on a positive one or a negative one. The only difference is that the reader has nothing to sell so they can be rather forceful without any consequence. Although on Amazon I tend to make sure I hide any comments from those people after that as I don't want to be exposed to that kind of comment from anyone.

There are some good review "threads" on Amazon, but by and large the threads can turn into personal attacks (whether the author is participating or not.)


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I think most reviews do not need or benefit from a response by the author, but if the review included a question that could be addressed by the author like, "I didn't understand this part or why this happened" and the author chimed in with his answer, I think that would be cool, but very rare.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

MariaESchneider said:


> See, this is why I *Like* when an author comments. Pretty much tells me all I need to know.
> 
> I've also seen some very good discussions with authors who answer questions about one of their books/series/etc that was posed in a review. This leaves me a positive feeling about the author. Sometimes for me, it depends on whether the author hangs out at a site anyway, but mostly it's all about the words the author leaves. Or even another reader. I've seen some readers go nutso on a review--either on a positive one or a negative one. The only difference is that the reader has nothing to sell so they can be rather forceful without any consequence. Although on Amazon I tend to make sure I hide any comments from those people after that as I don't want to be exposed to that kind of comment from anyone.
> 
> There are some good review "threads" on Amazon, but by and large the threads can turn into personal attacks (whether the author is participating or not.)


Yes, and many times those attacks come from the fans of the authors towards the reviewer for their opinion. This is the environment created because some authors treat their readers and fans like personal friends so some of the over the top fan girls take it upon themselves to defend their "friend". That is usually what I see when I see personal attacks. Some reviewers just give up or delete their review. 
Which of course in some cases is exactly what some fans and authors want. Way to much drama lama for me. On goodreads I can control the comments to my reviews.

And as to answering questions about the book/product. That belongs on the product page. On the very bottom it says forums Start a discussion if nobody has done so. On many products on amazon there are already many discussions. Even many books.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ultimately, it's the author's _work_ that matters to me, not the author.* I find that knowing more about an author is at _least_ as likely to turn me off from their writing as it is to turn me on. In fact, in at least a couple cases I can think of, just seeing an author's photo on a dust jacket was a negative for me (no, I'm not going to name names).

______________
* Realistically, if an author consistently writes books that appeal strongly to me, chances are there is a large commonality between our world views, and we'd likely get along great. On the other hand, the only thing worse than reading a bad book is reading a bad book by someone I personally know and like, so...I'm not sure what this footnote is all about now, so I'll stop rambling.**

** Anyone want to leave a 5-star review of this comment for me?


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

NogDog said:


> Ultimately, it's the author's _work_ that matters to me, not the author.* I find that knowing more about an author is at _least_ as likely to turn me off from their writing as it is to turn me on. In fact, in at least a couple cases I can think of, just seeing an author's photo on a dust jacket was a negative for me (no, I'm not going to name names).
> 
> ______________
> * Realistically, if an author consistently writes books that appeal strongly to me, chances are there is a large commonality between our world views, and we'd likely get along great. On the other hand, the only thing worse than reading a bad book is reading a bad book by someone I personally know and like, so...I'm not sure what this footnote is all about now, so I'll stop rambling.**
> ...


Well, I can only give it 4.5 because of lack of clarity. 

You are right in a lot of cases. I don't like reading author interviews because I've become annoyed at the personal views of an author too many times. And this is for authors whose work I LOVE. But sometimes they just come across badly. So I generally avoid the interviews unless it is on certain subjects.

I don't think I've ever been turned off by an author photo, although I did once think the photo had been severely photoshopped because I had just seen a photo of the author on the web. The two were ... quite different. Probably the journalist caught the guy unawares. Well, he was at a book signing so not completely but the dust jacket and the "real" life shot were pretty different.

I have seen a thread once where a reader commented that they would not buy a book if the author posed with their pet. I thought it odd. But yanno, I guess you gotta filter your books somehow.

I definitely like author comments when they contribute something, but it's also useful to me if they are complete asshats. It's a stupid way to filter books really, but there you have it. I use it as a filter.

There is a way to comment/add a "discussion" thread, but I think a lot of people don't know about it or use it. So maybe they leave a review.


----------



## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

I know writers are readers too and are absolutely entitled to their opinions, but it seems to me that each time this discussion comes up it still divides into two camps - reader/authors and reader/reviewers.  Invariably the reader/authors want that additional point of contact with their readers or another author while reader/reviewers are looking to share contact with other readers.

Of course there are exceptions to every "rule" and I doubt another thread is going to change anyone's mind.  It always shocks me when former reviewers share in these threads that they used to be prolific reviewers who no longer review or we hear from those who would like to review and refuse to do so just because of responses to reviews.

Even if it is a simple "Thank you for reading and taking your time to leave a review."  Why?  Was I supposed to acknowledge the hard work and heart an author put in to making a product available for public consumption?  I have to be careful with the words I use to try and describe how it makes an author come across to me because words like "needy", "stalking", etc. are perceived by some as defamatory, so I'm not really sure how to describe how responses make me feel about an author.  It's kind of like Sally Fields accepting her Oscar - "You like me, you really, really like me!"

I do agree with Maria, author responses to reviews are absolutely another way to filter purchases.  For some purchasers I guess it will be a plus, for others it will be a negative.  The authors will have to decide for themselves whether it is more of one or the other.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I agree crebel, I have mentioned on more than one thread on KB that many authors come across as though a review is expected and required. Its a microcosm problem, where the ones they see are reviewers, but the truth is the majority of readers read a book and then move on to the next one. A small minority are Amazon reviewers and buying a book does not involve a contract to write a review upon finishing.


----------



## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

Hoo boy, I don't want Ann throttling me so this is strictly as a READER: no, I don't want to hear from the author. Any reviews I post are my reaction to the book. If I like it, or don't, I'm going to say so and why. I hope the author takes my comments and either (a) writes a better next book and/or (b) keeps writing good books, but I certainly don't want an author responding, even in a nice way. I'd rather hear from others who've read the book and may, or may not, agree with me. Lively discussions ensue.


----------



## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

Author's responding to reviews skews reviews! It. skews. reviews.

It gets rid of more negative reviews. People (not me) want to be nice. They do not want to hurt other's feelings. Intended or not, author interaction on a product review page impacts the reviews. It may be good for fans. It may be good for the author. Author interaction on a product review page is bad for readers. *It is bad for readers.*

I will no longer buy books if authors are involved in the discussion on the product page. An author can start a fan page somewhere and go get their ego rubbed somewhere where my recommendations are not impacted. My money and time are important to me and I will spend neither on books who's reviews I can't trust. I have had conversations with others complaining because they thought they were tricked in buying books because of high ratings.* I have told all of them to ignore Amazon reviews. Use Goodreads and another site I'm not mentioning here because I don't want authors finding it and destroying the very valuable information I use to make my book buying decisions.

*Raising right hand I hereby acknowledge there are other ways ratings are gamed. Those are not part of this discussion.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

i didn't reply, because there's no "it depends" answer. i write reviews for other readers, not writers, so i don't expect authors to respond. and i don't usually go back and look at my reviews, so i probably won't see the response.

now, does it matter if an author responds to someone else's review? basically, unless there is a factual error in a review, or the author is uploading a new version, i think authors should be writing their next book, not responding to reviews. and if an author seems rude, condescending or confrontational, that author may lose me as a buyer in the future. (i use seems because it is how i read it, which may not be how the author meant it).

lastly, to the OP,


Spoiler



be aware that a number of readers responded to your thread in the WC, and were summarily ignored.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Atunah said:


> I don't like it. If I want to contact an author who is a complete stranger, I know where to find them. Reviews are there for other readers. It makes me uncomfortable. And when I see an author responding to their reviews, its a turn off for me. Many times it also skews the ratings. When readers know that an author hovers constantly and comments back and forth with reviews, they might be more intimidated to leave a review that isn't glowing and 4-5 stars. Especially with an author that loves to interact with their fangirls. Those can get like a mob and any kind of criticism is then descended upon. Its the environment created by such involvement in the readers space.
> I suspect that is why some of those authors have super high reviews that are totally unrealistic in reality.
> 
> Then some authors only comment on the 4 and 5 stars and I think they are ungrateful to reviewers that didn't praise them to high heavens. Then those that comment on all of them the ones on the lower stars come across as defensive and sarcastic. And there are those that find the need to argue about every non 4-5 star they get. Like its beyond them that someone might not think of their book as the best thing evah. Some even argue with 3 stars. I have seen it all and I can't think of any case where I came away with a positive opinion.
> ...


I totally agree with everything you've said. I write reviews for other readers, not for the author, so I find it uncomfortable when the author responds, even if it's to say thanks for the great review, I feel like saying "Er, I didn't write it for you..." In many ways, I wish authors would just stay out of our reader zones and leave us be to discuss things freely. On the other hand, I love that social networking has allowed me to talk with my favorite authors - but if I want to do so, I will seek them out.


----------



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

telracs said:


> lastly, to the OP,
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...





Spoiler



I've seen them and did not ignore them. However, there are some readers that do not go to the Writer's Cafe, which is why I asked here. I see a lot of people responding here that I don't normally see in the Writer's Cafe


----------



## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

It's only happened once. The author thanked me for leaving a review. This might have felt special had I not noticed that she did the same to everyone, both on Amazon and on Goodreads.

What did make me feel uncomfortable was a (different) author thanking me for adding her book to my 'to read' shelf on Goodreads. It felt like she should have been telling me about her giveaway or offering a discount. That she simply thanked me left me with the feeling that I was being watched.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

RM Prioleau said:


> I've seen them and did not ignore them. However, there are some readers that do not go to the Writer's Cafe, which is why I asked here. I see a lot of people responding here that I don't normally see in the Writer's Cafe


Yep: listening (figuratively) to authors' concerns (sometimes bordering[?] on whining) about sales rank, reviews, cover art -- pretty much anything except the actual craft of writing (and I'm not all that keen on that, either) -- is not high on my list of things to spend my spare time on.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

It's interesting to me that the poll shows a pretty even split, but of the people actually posting, most say it does bother them to some extent or at least in some cases.


----------



## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

Slightly off topic, but I won't post a review on a book that has lots of high reviews where 25/25 voted them as helpful and/or lots of low reviews voted as unhelpful. Because I know that the authors "friends" will descend on me like a pack of vultures if I dare to post anything that isn't 5*. So it's not just author-intrusion, and I don't think that some fans even realise how intimidating they are to a reader and potential reviewer.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> It's interesting to me that the poll shows a pretty even split, but of the people actually posting, most say it does bother them to some extent or at least in some cases.


I noticed and found it interesting too.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> It's interesting to me that the poll shows a pretty even split, but of the people actually posting, most say it does bother them to some extent or at least in some cases.


I hate polls, I didn't answer because as usual my answer is not black and white and doesn't fit the possible answers.

I hate when someone tries to poll me for something political or news related as the answer totally depends on the wording. I see the news polls and 70% of Americans support _____, reword the question and suddenly 30% of Americans support ____.


----------



## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

> Author's responding to reviews skews reviews! It. skews. reviews.
> 
> It gets rid of more negative reviews. People (not me) want to be nice. They do not want to hurt other's feelings. Intended or not, author interaction on a product review page impacts the reviews. It may be good for fans. It may be good for the author. Author interaction on a product review page is bad for readers. It is bad for readers.
> 
> ...


This. Reviews are for readers. It's incredibly important that everyone feels comfortable speaking freely when they write a review. Having an author hanging around commenting on reviews, even if it's just saying, "Thanks for reading!" makes it harder to say what you really think. Like you say, it inflates review scores and makes them all less useful.

Seeing an author comment doesn't stop me from buying a book, but I prefer not to see it.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Kathelm said:


> This. Reviews are for readers. It's incredibly important that everyone feels comfortable speaking freely when they write a review. Having an author hanging around commenting on reviews, even if it's just saying, "Thanks for reading!" makes it harder to say what you really think. Like you say, it inflates review scores and makes them all less useful.
> 
> Seeing an author comment doesn't stop me from buying a book, but I prefer not to see it.


As noted in other posts, it is sometimes the readers who make other readers feel uncomfortable. There is no way to make everyone feel comfortable. There's a gal on one of my cozy groups who wrote a review and was vilified in the comments on Amazon for not liking the book. It was readers taking her to task for not liking the book as much as previous books in the series. Every time that author's name comes up in our discussions, or a book by that author comes up, the lady advises them not to read the book and certainly not leave a review. I doubt the author even knew it was going on.

The point I'm trying to make is that while we might write reviews for different reasons, they are public. Anyone can comment. Anyone can misbehave or anyone can be nice. Anyone can become a bully.

That's ONE of the reasons I don't mind if an author comments. They are just another reader/person either behaving well or badly. I'm glad it's up to each individual to decide whether to review book, leave a comment or do neither.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

MariaESchneider said:


> As noted in other posts, it is sometimes the readers who make other readers feel uncomfortable.


Not in the same way. Readers can bully other readers, for sure... but when an author responds to reviews of their own book, even when it's polite or just a "thank you", it's sort of like when someone shows up to a party uninvited and then on top of that, acts like the party is supposed to be for them.



> There is no way to make everyone feel comfortable. There's a gal on one of my cozy groups who wrote a review and was vilified in the comments on Amazon for not liking the book. It was readers taking her to task for not liking the book as much as previous books in the series. Every time that author's name comes up in our discussions, or a book by that author comes up, the lady advises them not to read the book and certainly not leave a review. I doubt the author even knew it was going on.


Yeah, fangirls/boys can be nasty but that's not really the topic at hand - it doesn't mean I'm suddenly comfortable with authors responding to my reviews. The two issues have nothing to do with one another.



> The point I'm trying to make is that while we might write reviews for different reasons, they are public. Anyone can comment.


True... but authors are trying to sell a product and it's unwise of them to do things that make readers uncomfortable.



> Anyone can misbehave or anyone can be nice. Anyone can become a bully.


Yes but we're not just talking about authors who behave badly... we're also talking about authors who respond positively to good reviews. Not only is it uninvited but it can also skew the results - reviews with more comments tend to be bumped to the top on sites like Goodreads. This isn't bullying but it makes it feel like the author is just trying to bump positive reviews of their book to the top. I wish they'd understand that readers don't like being used like that.



> That's ONE of the reasons I don't mind if an author comments. They are just another reader/person either behaving well or badly. I'm glad it's up to each individual to decide whether to review book, leave a comment or do neither.


Authors are entitled to have opinions about other books as readers. But we're talking about authors who respond to readers or reviews of their own books.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think Maria and History Lover have stated the two points of view pretty well. Bottom line: it's a _personal_ opinion or feeling or whatever you want to call it. It's not _wrong_ to feel one way or the other.

BUT I do think it is wise for authors to recognize readers responses may vary and _may not be what they themselves would feel_. It could make them thrilled or uncomfortable, or feel honored or feel creeped out. So my only suggestion to an author considering responding is to make sure they realize that about readers in general and take it into consideration when making the decision and when responding if they decide to do so.

AND, of course, how they respond may affect whether or not someone else entirely decides to buy the book. I don't actually leave reviews myself, but I have read some comments to reviews by authors. In most cases they were pretty benign which wouldn't really affect my decision one way or the other. But some came off pretty nasty, essentially belittling the reviewer who was, after all, just expressing an opinion -- which made me disinclined to purchase the book. And some sounded defensive and dismissive ("so what there are some typos, you should be reviewing the story") -- and yet, I could tell, even just from the sample of the book, that the reviewer's comments were likely valid.

For the record, though, nasty reviewers are also discounted by me -- so those are absolutely the LAST thing an author should respond to. I see a nasty review and it immediately puts me on the author's side: I'm leaning toward buying it. If I see the author has responded in kind, forget it.  Besides, I always figure that sort of reviewer is _looking_ for a reaction and it's usually better for _everyone_ to just ignore them.

I also think that, if you did a real survey -- which this isn't: this is a poll of people who don't mind answering a yes/no question and/or commenting on a public message board they've joined because they have an interest in the first place -- you'd probably find that there are some correlations between how readers feel and the genres they usually read. It would be an interesting thing to try to get some data on.


----------



## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I feel that reviews are meant to be an honest assessment of an author's work, not an opportunity to interact with readers. There are plenty of ways to utilize social media and the author's website for that purpose. 

That said, reviews are intended to either endorse the book to other readers, or to warn them off a book that is poorly written, over-priced, or filled with graphic content that isn't obvious by the book description. Reviews are a way to recommend a book they like or to tell readers not to waste their money. A good review will drive up sales, while a poor one can hinder them. As they are a sales tool I would be turned off if an author responded to a review whether good or bad. And I think responses can intimidate readers from leaving genuine reviews for fear of some kind of retaliation from the author or the fans of the author.


----------



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I think Maria and History Lover have stated the two points of view pretty well. Bottom line: it's a _personal_ opinion or feeling or whatever you want to call it. It's not _wrong_ to feel one way or the other.
> 
> BUT I do think it is wise for authors to recognize readers responses may vary and _may not be what they themselves would feel_. It could make them thrilled or uncomfortable, or feel honored or feel creeped out. So my only suggestion to an author considering responding is to make sure they realize that about readers in general and take it into consideration when making the decision and when responding if they decide to do so.
> 
> ...


I realize this was not the most accurate poll, but I thought the responses here were very mixed, but still interesting to hear the readers' point of view on this issue.

Speaking as a reader, it doesn't bother me if authors respond to my reviews, so long as their response doesn't belittle my personal opinion. I agree that attitude is everything. If an author is being nasty to reviewers, then I won't bother reading any of their books.


----------



## Guest (Sep 20, 2013)

imallbs said:


> Author's responding to reviews skews reviews! It. skews. reviews.
> 
> It gets rid of more negative reviews. People (not me) want to be nice. They do not want to hurt other's feelings. Intended or not, author interaction on a product review page impacts the reviews. It may be good for fans. It may be good for the author. Author interaction on a product review page is bad for readers. *It is bad for readers.*


I've seen people change their reviews and _apologize_ to the author after the author responded. Of course, authors will say this is good for them because they get better reviews. But you are correct, it does skew reviews higher because we've all been conditioned to "if you can't say anything nice.." and for many people once they know the author is reading and responding, they censor themselves to avoid hurting feelings.

Its hard for me to speak as just a reader because while I do review books, I'm rather direct and I'm not someone who apologizes for my honest opinion. (I know, this is shocking!). But I have had enough readers say some variant of "I don't write reviews because I'm afraid I'll be wrong" to know this does stop people from leaving honest but critical reviews.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

What's kind of funny is that, as a reader, I tend to look more at the bad reviews. Reading a 5-star review that simply tells me everything was great does not help me much. Reading a 1- to 3-star review that clearly explains what it was about that book that the reviewer did not like helps me more to decide if that's the exact sort of thing that is a major turn-off for me, too -- especially when several reviewers bring up the same issues. (I'll still take a look at the overall ratings to get an idea how well liked it is in general, but I generally don't actually read the highest rated reviews.)


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

It's interesting to note that Goodreads just recently updated their author guidelines: http://www.goodreads.com/author/guidelines

In it, they say:

_"Don't spam. Do not contact (via comments/messages/friend requests) all or most of the people who add your book or a related work. You should also avoid tactics like thanking everyone who has added your book. Do not send unwanted messages or friend requests. While well intentioned, these kinds of behaviors will result in people flagging you as a spammer, and we will have to take action."_

I thought this was relevant to the conversation here. It seems Goodreads has finally publicly recognized that too much author participation puts readers off and are prepared to take action against it, even when it's seemingly innocent and well meaning, not just the responses to negative reviews (which are equally addressed in another section).


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

history_lover said:


> It's interesting to note that Goodreads just recently updated their author guidelines: http://www.goodreads.com/author/guidelines
> 
> In it, they say:
> 
> ...


I'm not sure sending messages like that would be considered "author participation." I would call it spamming and it is interesting they include in in their "spam" section.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I like their statement though, for a corporation, it really sets out the common sense reasons they are making this general guideline instead of just a bunch of legal black and white rules.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

MariaESchneider said:


> I'm not sure sending messages like that would be considered "author participation." I would call it spamming and it is interesting they include in in their "spam" section.


Yes but many authors don't see it as spam and that's the problem.


----------



## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

> What's kind of funny is that, as a reader, I tend to look more at the bad reviews. Reading a 5-star review that simply tells me everything was great does not help me much. Reading a 1- to 3-star review that clearly explains what it was about that book that the reviewer did not like helps me more to decide if that's the exact sort of thing that is a major turn-off for me, too -- especially when several reviewers bring up the same issues. (I'll still take a look at the overall ratings to get an idea how well liked it is in general, but I generally don't actually read the highest rated reviews.)


I'm the same way. The low-star reviews tend to seem more informative, and sometimes the things people are complaining about make it clear that it's my kind of book.


----------



## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I'd think it strange if an author responded to my review. When I review, I'm thinking of the book, not the author per se (though of course, he/she factors in), so it would be jarring to find a response to my opinion. Intrusive, even. Then again, if Stephen King wants to stop by my review to say hi, well I'm all for it...


----------



## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

MariaESchneider said:


> I've seen some readers go nutso on a review--either on a positive one or a negative one. The only difference is that the reader has nothing to sell so they can be rather forceful without any consequence. Although on Amazon I tend to make sure I hide any comments from those people after that as I don't want to be exposed to that kind of comment from anyone.
> 
> There are some good review "threads" on Amazon, but by and large the threads can turn into personal attacks (whether the author is participating or not.)


The reviews I've seen descend into negativity from reviews/readers are for books where authors have a lot of interaction with the readers. It may not be on that review, it may not even be recent, but there has been a history of that interaction. It's almost like they are defending their internet friend from what they see as a malicious attack. I don't think as many of these would happen if authors had not responded to either that or other reviews.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't follow a lot of such hoopla and only know of the two cases talked about in my cozy group.  In neither case did the author comment, but the fans stepped in and created an atmosphere.  In a third case the author did make a comment (innocuous really. I think it was an attempt for the author to say what he was TRYING to depict in the scene/book).  You're right in that after the author commented, boy did it go downhill in a hurry.  The mudslinging was rather incredible.  A lot of readers did seem insulted at that the author "dared" stop by.  

In an ongoing argument/fight an author certainly isn't likely to clear anything up or add anything.  

I actually own two of the books talked about.  It had nothing to do with the conversations on the forum, but I am pretty sure I won't review either book on my blog.


----------



## FrankColes (Feb 22, 2012)

Chad Winters said:


> I hate polls, I didn't answer because as usual my answer is not black and white and doesn't fit the possible answers.
> 
> I hate when someone tries to poll me for something political or news related as the answer totally depends on the wording. I see the news polls and 70% of Americans support _____, reword the question and suddenly 30% of Americans support ____.


This. As long as the author doesn't expect me to change my opinion (unless I'm factually inaccurate) then I'm not too worried. As a former film reviewer I learned early on that critiques aren't written in a vacuum. Creators always crave critical feedback, so expect reviews to be read, very few ever garner responses though.


----------



## Sandra K. Williams (Jun 15, 2013)

I don't write reviews, but it makes me uncomfortable to see authors respond to them. If the author gives a shoutout on their blog noting they got a great review at someplace .com, that's one thing. Actually going to the review site and posting a response of any kind seems sort of needy. Doesn't the author have books to write or something?


----------



## Nicole Castro (Sep 23, 2013)

I guess it depends what they say back to your review!


----------



## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I can imagine a situation when an author wants to clarify a point for NON-FICTION - but such discussions should be limited to professional publications. For fiction - sorry, completely inappropriate. A sure sign of an amateur.


----------



## FrankColes (Feb 22, 2012)

I guess it’s simple really. If you don’t want your work critiqued don’t write books and don’t write reviews!

Both are fair game for the fully informed, the uninformed, gushing fans or the inebriated.


----------



## drenfrow (Jan 27, 2010)

I don't like it when authors respond to my reviews. I think it does discourage people from writing reviews and I know I have been less honest on a few reviews because I knew the author was in the reading group. I agree with others that *reviews are for readers*.

On Goodreads if I get a friend request I always check to see if the person is an author. I won't say that I _never_ accept a friend request from an author but when they have over 1000 friends, have never reviewed a book, and answer my challenge question (Why do you want to be my friend?) with some variant of "We love the same kind of books!" I hit delete and sadly (and unfairly, I know), my opinion of all authors drops a bit.



NogDog said:


> What's kind of funny is that, as a reader, I tend to look more at the bad reviews. Reading a 5-star review that simply tells me everything was great does not help me much. Reading a 1- to 3-star review that clearly explains what it was about that book that the reviewer did not like helps me more to decide if that's the exact sort of thing that is a major turn-off for me, too -- especially when several reviewers bring up the same issues. (I'll still take a look at the overall ratings to get an idea how well liked it is in general, but I generally don't actually read the highest rated reviews.)


I will read a few 5 star reviews but I do this too. I often get more/better information from lower star reviews.


----------



## Eric Zawadzki (Feb 4, 2011)

drenfrow said:


> *snip* On Goodreads if I get a friend request I always check to see if the person is an author. I won't say that I _never_ accept a friend request from an author but when they have over 1000 friends, have never reviewed a book, and answer my challenge question (Why do you want to be my friend?) with some variant of "We love the same kind of books!" I hit delete and sadly (and unfairly, I know), my opinion of all authors drops a bit. *snip*


I hear you there. I always say that someone with 1,000 Goodreads friends and only a handful of books is on the wrong social media site. The whole point of Goodreads is to have a place to talk about books with people who have read what you read.

I'm also (not) a fan of authors who send me friend requests and not only don't write in any genre I read (I've rated 300 books, so it isn't like my genre preferences are in question) but have absolutely no books in common with me except maybe Stephen King's _On Writing_ (because just about every writer seems to have read that one). Drives me crazy, and I report them, but I hope GR starts cracking down on that nonsense.


----------



## MacTonight (Aug 29, 2013)

If it's to challenge my OPINION, yes. If it's to thank me for taking the TIME to post a review, no.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I have even had a "friend" of the author attack my review on Amazon because I don't post a picture of myself there, so it must not be a valid review.


----------

