tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post4764126453991224563..comments2024-03-29T07:13:35.033+00:00Comments on RJ Scott - Author: Random thoughts on reviews, writing and Lord of the Rings...RJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451151020470211560noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-66751685073361009332012-01-30T07:19:30.958+00:002012-01-30T07:19:30.958+00:00Really? Gone??? ROFL... interesting... I have one ...Really? Gone??? ROFL... interesting... I have one reader who consistently gives me 2s, and sometimes the odd three. That reviewer gave decisions a 5...I was stunned and so damned pleased! ROFL... Hugs Rj xxxrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-83476107588164516112012-01-30T07:18:13.196+00:002012-01-30T07:18:13.196+00:00Looking at it objectively is so difficult when it&...Looking at it objectively is so difficult when it's *your* baby that is being critiqued... and hey, if we weren't hyper sensitive maybe we wouldn't be writers of feelings? I don't know...<br /><br />Offsetting bad with good HAS to be the way to look at it. It has just taken me a while to get there...<br /><br />RJ xxxrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-61557046580481250212012-01-30T07:15:49.196+00:002012-01-30T07:15:49.196+00:00Too right... one man's goose and all that... W...Too right... one man's goose and all that... We can't all like the same things...Rj xxxrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-19497358844927648002012-01-30T01:10:15.746+00:002012-01-30T01:10:15.746+00:00RJ I love your blog post. I've struggled with ...RJ I love your blog post. I've struggled with the rating issue myself, particularly on GRs, and I've come to realize that ratings and sales are not at all conducive. There often does not even seem to be a correlation. My best selling books--those I've sold thousands of copies of--only have a couple hundred ratings on GRs. And my lowest rated books on GRs are my best sellers. Goodreads is merely a tool. Although I love my readers who are GRs members, I also know that the GR audience only makes up a very small percentage of total sales. <br /><br />As far as low ratings go, every author, regardless of how popular they are, gets both good and bad ratings. You can pull up one of JK Rowlings books, which have thousands of 5-star ratings, and still find quite a few one-stars. <br /><br />The two things that are most difficult for me about GR are not the ratings themselves. I tend to get my feelings hurt when there are disparaging comments in response to a critical review. It feels like it did back in middle school when a bystander on the playground was laughing while someone bullied me. I think that is more my own hangup than it is anything specifically wrong with GRs or its participants. The other thing is that feeling of invisibility. Reviewers write their reviews for the benefit of readers, not authors. But as both a reviewer and an author, I know that the authors are the ones who tend to hang on every word of the review.It is very difficult to stand by silently while I'm being skewered, and comments are flying back and forth as if I either do not exist or am insignificant. Again, it is not the fault of the readers/reviewers, but rather a hyper sensitivity on my part.<br /><br />I think the only effective way that I've been able to deal with my own insecurities is to try to offset the bad with the good. When I look at overall ratings and see that I have far more 5s and 4s than 2s and 1s, I have to ask myself why I'm getting so worked up over a few negative remarks. What really matters is that far more people view my work favorably, and I have the ongoing, ever-increasing sales to prove it. If I can just talk myself into looking at it objectively, then I'm able to get beyond the depression.Jeff Ernonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-27412408507584518352012-01-30T01:10:05.575+00:002012-01-30T01:10:05.575+00:00It sounds like you've come to a really good pl...It sounds like you've come to a really good place regarding reviews! As a reader, I have to confess that I'm pleased my average rating on GRs is 3.30 - I obviously don't just rate everything a five, which I swear some people do.<br /><br />I remember a bit of that HoT dust-up. The person in question has since quit GRs in a snit, complete with account deletion, so - the review and commentary should have ceased to exist. :)ChaoticChrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-34951482020145790892012-01-29T20:03:37.847+00:002012-01-29T20:03:37.847+00:00I gave a one star yesterday :(....it's not lik...I gave a one star yesterday :(....it's not like I wanted to, I don't like hurting any-one's feelings but I didn't like the book. Everyone is different, thank the good Lord or else we would live in a boring ass world!Jaimenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-77677586831019065342012-01-29T17:39:09.545+00:002012-01-29T17:39:09.545+00:00Thank you Jean. That is a lovely thing to say. So ...Thank you Jean. That is a lovely thing to say. So pleased you enjoy and interesting to hear that statement again 'I like what I like'. HUGS Rj xrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-71249788896096086092012-01-29T17:37:09.528+00:002012-01-29T17:37:09.528+00:00I can't say I don't look at ratings but I ...I can't say I don't look at ratings but I don't go to sites to read them because they really mean nothing to me. I also like what I like and I don't think I ever read a story of yours that I didn't like. Some people like a lot of sex but I like the sex light and more to the imagination and emotion. Love your stories. Jeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-81273130665483729072012-01-29T16:29:43.831+00:002012-01-29T16:29:43.831+00:00I am so much like that... I like what I like... xx...I am so much like that... I like what I like... xxrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-70336084241773440652012-01-29T15:04:41.061+00:002012-01-29T15:04:41.061+00:00I can't imagine you ever got a one star rating...I can't imagine you ever got a one star rating! Seriously though very good article, I don't worry about the individual ratings on GR, I like what I like.Josienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-13773156509077574092012-01-29T14:35:29.304+00:002012-01-29T14:35:29.304+00:00I am so there with you... it is a hard lesson but ...I am so there with you... it is a hard lesson but one that is worth it in the end... I am nearly there...<br /><br />And good luck with the not obsessing... eat chocolate instead... my motto... xrjscottauthornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7131988310809850503.post-89076003330518798742012-01-29T14:32:50.470+00:002012-01-29T14:32:50.470+00:00I debuted this month, first with a short story and...I debuted this month, first with a short story and then a novel. I had some 5 stars and 4 stars for the short story and additional 3 stars (and now 2 stars) for the novel. I couldn't do anything the first week after the releases except sit and see what people thought. Then, to my surprise, the short story got a 1 star review and the same person gave the novel a 1 star as well (have no idea if he/she even read the novel or just liked my writing so badly in the short story that he/she decided to give the novel a 1 star as well - it's been known to happen). God, that hurt so bad and I couldn't do a thing for another week. But with the aid of a good friend I'm learning to look past the reviews and focus back on writing. He reminds me that reviews and ratings are very subjective, each based on opinion of a single person.<br /><br />That said, I *always* look at the 3 star reviews when I'm choosing a book, so I'm very grateful when people leave a review with their 3 star ratings. The 5 stars tend to over-praise and the 1 and 2 stars tend to down-talk the books I'm checking out and often be mean just to be mean. The 3 star reviews are usually fair and I can judge whether the things they didn't like is something I generally don't mind in books. I've found some of my best reads by looking at the 3 star reviews.<br /><br />Anyway, I was able not to obsess over my reviews on Goodreads for a few days, so I'm learning!Erica Pikenoreply@blogger.com