Fear your readers!

[I, Brian]

The more I look at comments here on chrons, and the books we talk about, the more I realise just how diverse the sf/f genre is.

I don't simply mean in terms of themes - I mean in terms of structure and writing as well.

For example, with science fiction, there is a die-hard group of readers who demand to know the full details of the physics you're using in your world: if you don't explain it enough, they will abondon you. Yet conversely, there is a die-hard group of readers who can't stand to know the full details of the physics you're using in your world: if you explain it too much, they will abandon you.

Issues I've noticed with fantasy is that some people just want to read something simple and predictable as an escape - the enjoyment is in the familiarity. Others want to read something complex and demanding - the enjoyment is in the unfamiliarity.

And yet I figure most aspiring writers are worried most about the gatekeepers - when perhaps we should fear the readers!!

Okay, so word of mouth helps guide people to books they may enjoy based on similar tastes, and so forth.

Even still, it has to be woefully depressing for any newly published author to find that they will inevitably hit criticism and complaints, published across the web, because they were the wrong type of reader for the book they read!!

Now I understand why people insist on treating fantasy and science fiction as separate genres, and additionally deconstructing these into subgenres.

[Boneman]

Yup - comes under the category: I-bought-your-book-so-I'm-entitled-to-criticise-because-it's-not-what-I-would-have-done, despite the fact that they're never going to do it in the first place. Thank God we all write for ourselves...

[Interference]

Although there's a street-cred in a published book that isn't available to earlier drafts of a manuscript. As such, a lot of things which we might, here, tear apart can be accepted on a first read, when it comes between glossy covers, even if it completely shatters the boundaries of known physics. Someone somewhere will be fascinated enough to work out why and how it does said shattering. Blogs will spring up, web-sites focussing on this or that aspect of the author's Universe will expand as real science catches up etc etc etc.

[Toby Frost]

You're absolutely right, Brian. One of these days I'll write a list of stupid criticisms that come up on Amazon: I wanted a different book, it was delivered late, there was this joke on page 52 that fell flat, and so on (the real morons give no reason at all). Then there's the worry that what you've written, although perfectly good, might not be saleable because some idiot in marketing doesn't think it's sufficiently like Writer X (I don't think many marketing people read books - they just have a list of other books to compare them to), or, as you suggest about fantasy, the Powers That Be have decided that escapism and complex writing are incompatible. And of course the more books that get shot down like this, the less the chance of anything lastingly good being written, as opposed to something that will sell a few copies before it's forgotten.

The fact is that you just can't please everyone. If someone accuses me of doing something dodgy, I'll tell them that they're wrong - otherwise, all I can do is keep going and hope that the book cover (of which most authors get no say at all) will indicate the sort of book that it is, and put off people who would have enjoyed hating it.

[Rosemary Fryth]

I am dreading my first negative review. However I accept that it is a fact that if you are an author you must take the bad with the good.

As a reader I look less at the mechanics of the writing, and judge a book wholly by how I answer the following questions:

'Was I entertained by this book?'
'Did the author succeed in keeping me absorbed from cover to cover?'
'Was I distracted easily during the reading of the book?'
'Did I feel compelled to purchase follow-up titles?' (if a series or a trilogy)

That is how as a reader I determine the worth of a book. I also supply the same process to my own trilogy.

'Are there returns on the book?' So far, no.
'Are they progressing onto the rest of the trilogy?' Yes, the majority are.
'How are my sales?' Very good, given the time the trilogy has been out.

So the conclusion can be drawn - that people are buying my book because they are liking what they are reading. I look no further than the hard data supplied by my sales report pages.

[Montero]

I do seem to be mentioning John Barnes a lot on here at the moment. His blog, Approachably Reclusive, has some nice comments in it on readers reviews and emails. Quite near the beginning of the blog he explains the various standard letters he writes back to people as a heavy hint on how to avoid getting one of those when you write to him.
http://thatjohnbarnes.blogspot.com

[Boneman]

Originally Posted by Rosemary Fryth

I am dreading my first negative review. However I accept that it is a fact that if you are an author you must take the bad with the good.

Perverse isn't it? We can get 500 good reviews but we remember the one bad one. Glad is seems to be going well for you Rosemary - long may it continue. (And all the Chrons Authors!)

[Montero]

Originally Posted by Toby Frost

You're absolutely right, Brian. One of these days I'll write a list of stupid criticisms that come up on Amazon: I wanted a different book, it was delivered late, there was this joke on page 52 that fell flat, and so on (the real morons give no reason at all).

It is sad there are not two sets of reviews on Amazon - service reviews and product reviews. There are service reviews on all their subcontractors and private sellers, but not on Amazon itself. Maybe we should start a campaign for that......

Also just to say as a reader I tend to discount some reviews when assessing books.
I look at what the author's description of the plot is
I then look at readers reviews.
Moron reviews I ignore.
Pedants reviews I usually also discount - unless it is a pedantry I care about
Sometimes a damning review with reasons gets me to buy the book - because I think the reasons the other reader doesn't like the book are reasons I would like the book.
I have on occasion bought a book without a reader's review.

My preference would be to have the first page of the book available on each sales page, so I can get an idea of the style of the author before publishing - the way I used to take a book off the shelves in a shop. Some are available, many not.

[Anne Lyle]

I'm not too worried about moronic reviews, as they say more about the reader than the book. I've seen an increasing number of 1-star reviews on Amazon from members of the Amazon Vine program (which I think gives away free Kindle books on the understanding that you'll review them) - people get sent books they don't like, then give 1-star reviews presumably in the hope that Amazon won't send them any more of that sort of book!

Negative pro reviews (or well-argued amateur ones) on the other hand are bound to hurt. I'm waiting in trepidation at the moment, as my ARCs (advance reading copies) went out to reviewers just before Christmas...

Logically, I accept that I can't please all readers. I've read plenty of perfectly good books that just weren't my cup of tea, so it would be hypocritical of me to get all riled up because someone said "I don't like romance in fantasy novels" or "there was too much swearing". On the other hand if they say my characters are dull or the historical setting is inaccurate, I'll know I need to do better!

[psychotick]

Some of us writers are a strange sort (I speak of myself here). I got one negative review for Maverick and it felt like I'd been king hit, even though the review was next to meaningless. Then last week I got a five star review for All The Stars, which was so effusive with praise that I simply felt embarrased to read it.

So what does that say about me? I take the negative to heart and yet can't accept the positive? I expect that I'm not alone.

Cheers, Greg.

[Scarfy]

Originally Posted by Anne Lyle

I'm not too worried about moronic reviews, as they say more about the reader than the book.

Aye! Here's a good example: having read the first edition of my first book and not liking it, the reviewer decided to apply his 1-star review to the second edition, a complete rewrite and not the book they read..!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R16G5...tag=&linkCode=

(I didn't solicit any of the comments, by the way - these were done by fans and well-wishers)

Originally Posted by Anne Lyle

I'm waiting in trepidation at the moment, as my ARCs (advance reading copies) went out to reviewers just before Christmas...

I'm sure you'll be fine, Anne. Angry Robot are increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with, so they clearly have an eye for great books

[Overread]

Critique of ones creations is always something one has to contend with when one chooses to distribute their works to an audience other than themselves. Same for any creative art from drawing to photography to writing; though with the time scales involved its no surprise that writers tend to get less experience with regard to critique of their more major works (as opposed to shorter stories) simply as the time scale of production is far greater (as say compared to taking a photo).


I would, however, say that the important part isn't to fear your readers/reviewers/publishers/marketing theorists (ok maybe you can fear the last lot ), but rather to choose who is and who is not important to listen to.
Choosing wisely who to and who not to listen to needs experience and you're bound to make mistakes early on in weighing up the importance of the opinions that get thrown at you.

[Stephen Palmer]

I really enjoyed my first terrible review - the one-word "appalling". Gave me faith in humanity.

[Anne Lyle]

Originally Posted by Scarfy

I'm sure you'll be fine, Anne. Angry Robot are increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with, so they clearly have an eye for great books

You're too kind!

I now have two ratings on Goodreads (well, three, but one was posted so soon after the book giveaway was announced, I'm not convinced the person has read it). A 5 and a 3, which is nice - all 5s is just embarrassing, like a query letter that states that all your family and friends love your book!

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by Anne Lyle

one was posted so soon after the book giveaway was announced, I'm not convinced the person has read it

One of Amazon's most prolific reviewers immediately comes to mind, who almost certainly has never read any books she reviews, but instead simply rewrites the publisher's synopsis as a review.