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GoodReads

Edgy MD Jan 08 2021 09:06 AM

Waddaya do when (a) You regularly like an author, (b) You buy their new book, (c) You dislike that new book, and have clear thoughts about what is wrong with it, (d) You give that book a mostly bad review on GoodReads, sharing those thoughts, directing people instead to better works by the author, (e) You get a public response from the author, who calls your review "so mean"?

cal sharpie Jan 08 2021 09:08 AM Re: GoodReads

You ignore it. Engaging with the author as to why you didn't like their book will get you nowhere.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 08 2021 09:29 AM Re: GoodReads

Wow! Did you feel like it was "so mean"? Or even a little mean?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 08 2021 09:32 AM Re: GoodReads

Edgy MD wrote: Waddaya do when (a) You regularly like an author, (b) You buy their new book, (c) You dislike that new book, and have clear thoughts about what is wrong with it, (d) You give that book a mostly bad review on GoodReads, sharing those thoughts, directing people instead to better works by the author, (e) You get a public response from the author, who calls your review "so mean"? I once put a (mostly) negative review on Goodreads and I later got a "like" from the author himself! I would ignore this person. If he or she is so thin-skinned they shouldn't be publishing for the public.

Edgy MD Jan 08 2021 09:37 AM Re: GoodReads

It wasn't me. It was me wife. If it was me, and I gave a shit review to, and got a response from, Jackson Browne or somebody who maybe tries hard, but has enjoyed a life of sex and coke and farts through silk, and can keep doing that if he wants whether or not his record succeeds, I'd probably shrug my shoulders. Surely he'd forget about his reaction shortly after he wrote it. But if I gave a shit review to say, Freedy Johnston, whose career has been hit and miss, and still depends on the success of his last opportunity to get to his next opportunity, I'd feel kind of crappy. I know how vulnerable a good writer or artist can be. This novelist is probably closer to Freedy Johnston than Jackson Browne.

Fman99 Jan 08 2021 09:55 AM Re: GoodReads

Edgy MD wrote: Waddaya do when (a) You regularly like an author, (b) You buy their new book, (c) You dislike that new book, and have clear thoughts about what is wrong with it, (d) You give that book a mostly bad review on GoodReads, sharing those thoughts, directing people instead to better works by the author, (e) You get a public response from the author, who calls your review "so mean"? I'd probably make fun of them being a big Sally. But I'm kind of an asshole that way.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 08 2021 10:15 AM Re: GoodReads

I'm certain I'd be a hyper-sensitive Sally if anyone cared enough about anything I made to review it. I think a "mean" review would be easier to shrug off. A thoughtful review that points out why the art actually sucks would be harder to stomach. Maybe the rule is to just ignore the critics and maybe that's what this author should've done.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 08 2021 11:19 AM Re: GoodReads

This you, Edge? https://twitter.com/TheKaufmann/status/1347230965974888449?s=20

Edgy MD Jan 08 2021 11:25 AM Re: GoodReads

Wow. THE Kaufmann!

TransMonk Jan 08 2021 11:31 AM Re: GoodReads

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I would ignore this person. If he or she is so thin-skinned they shouldn't be publishing for the public. This is where I would fall. I used to try and review books on Goodreads, but now I only star-rate them...and that's mostly for my personal record-keeping.

Johnny Lunchbucket Jan 08 2021 12:37 PM Re: GoodReads

Goodreads is one of those sites I can't stay signed into. Anytime I wanna look at it I get signed out. When I don't need it, it seems to spy on me

Edgy MD Jan 08 2021 02:17 PM Re: GoodReads

Yeah, I'm not a sophisticated GoodReadser. Edgewife has since reported that the thin-skinned novelist lives on the Upper East Side, which ... come on.

Frayed Knot Jan 08 2021 02:24 PM Re: GoodReads

I can't believe authors would respond to reviews written about their stuff, particularly non-professional ones ... although that comeback from that Kaufmann guy above is funny. You're putting something out there for public consumption with your name on it so you need to expect a certain degree of critique. Or are you under the impression that Everyone is going to universally love it? On a slightly related note, it never occurred to me to scan the internet for stuff on my father until after his death. So in doing so I came across boards similar to this one where guys geek out just like we do only over different topics (or sometimes the same ones given the pct of comic book guys here). Anyway, so most of what I found was either positive or pretty neutral, but there was this one response from a 'Who is Your LEAST favorite CB artist?' thread And while the guy's pick for all-time worst was actually someone else whose name I don't remember and probably didn't know even then, he also tacked on at the end of his post something along the lines of: 'Geez, even that hack Frank Springer wasn't as bad as this guy!!'. I just laughed. I mean, whatyagonnado? There's, what, 750 active ML ballplayers and probably half of them being described as worthless trash at any given moment. It comes with the territory.