Filed under: Letters of Opinion, Misc
more cat pictures
Last week we saw yet another author/reviewer contretemps in which an author, upset over a review, engages the reviewer in a comically bad mannered way. When we’ve witnessed this in the past, it almost always seems to be over a C review. An average review. A review that says this book is competent but it’s not for me. Often these reviews articulate carefully exactly the reason a book does not work for the reader.
After some head scratching, I’ve come to the conclusion that a C grade means a failure to many authors. I remember that Jamie Sobrato once wrote that she would rather evoke some strong reaction than a lukewarm reaction, even if the strong reaction was not positive. It might be stating the obvious since I am referencing a post written over two years ago, but Sobrato’s comments really stuck with me. I’ve never really understood it. I might be conflating lukewarm with average, but I don’t think so. Maybe the C review signals to an author that she’s failed to move the reader emotionally and thus is a failure overall.
While readers go in hopeful that they are going to get something better than an average read, the base expectation is that the book is worthy of publication. But let’s be realistic here. No matter how awesome you think your baby is, the fact is with 400 books printed in one month not all of them will be A or B.
We measure books against each other and out of 400 hundred books only a small percentage of those books will be A/B reads for me. I try to pick out the books that are going to be A/B reads and stay away from books that are likely to hit my hot buttons (no lawyer books for me, generally, although I did read the upcoming debut book by author Julie James Just the Sexiest Man Alive which features a female trial lawyer because, well, I had to see how much of it was done right). But back to the topic. Let me give an example
I absolutely adored Kristan Higgins’ Just One of the Guys and I bought ecopies for several people. Catch of the Day, the book that won the RITA was good, but it was not an A book in my estimation. It didn’t have the mirroring of issues that Just One of the Guys had. The hero was a cipher and in the first person, it was hard to see what really was the attraction for the heroine unless it was that she didn’t want to be alone. I felt that one character was absolved of too much sin and the other not enough.
I re-read the Compass Club series this weekend after answering a few private emails about which Goodman book to start with. Let Me Be the One, the first of the Compass Club books, is one of my favorite Goodman books. I think the entire Compass Club series is a phenomenal feat of plotting given that all four books, published in one year increments, have overlapping storylines to the extent that some books contain the very same scenes only from a different point of view.
There is one book in that series that I generally don’t re-read because I find it mostly boring. It is the third book, All I Ever Wanted. That book, if I were to give it a grade, would be a C. Goodman has another series, The Dennehy series, and the only book I’ve ever re-read in the 5 book collection is the last one featuring the lapsed (? don’t know what the word is for a nun that leaves nunhood) nun and the Indian scout, Only in My Arms (captive romance at its best).
The other four were meh to me (to the point I don’t think I could recall the characters or plot if you pressed me). The fact that there are books in Goodman’s backlist that bore me, that I would say are C or average books, doesn’t diminish her in my eyes. She’s a great talent whose writing I find tremendously entertaining. She is a wordsmith and I look forward to reading her books every year.
To any longtime reader of Dear Author, you’ll find that we hand out C reviews for authors we think wrote keeper books (Lara Adrian and Nora Roberts come to mind). I thought Lara Adrian’s first book, Midnight Rising, was a snoozer and her third book, Midnight Awakening, a wonderful take on a tired genre. I loved Angels Fall and High Noon by Nora Roberts but was less than enthused about Tribute. I’m not going to stop reading either author simply because one of their books didn’t resonate for me.
While average means failure to the author (and yes, I am making an assumption here, just go with it for now and take me to task in the comments), to me it means that this one particularly book did not work for me. It was competent. It had good sentence structure. It had a decent plot. It had character arcs, but it lacked something to move it to the next tier of grades.
To some extent I wonder if the grade for the book is conflated with the author. I.e., by saying that a book is average we readers are saying that the author herself is average. Witness Leslie Carroll’s invoking the “ugly baby” accusation to one Amazon reviewer. I’m increasingly concerned about the level of vitriol toward reader reviewers for the average grade. One average graded book means so little to me. It means that this one book didn’t work for me, but I bet I would try the author again under the right circumstances (cover, blurb, recommendation, availability).
So I’m curious to hear what authors think of the C review and what readers think of the C review. Does C mean competent but not Best? or does C mean failure, never to read again?
For me, C means “good but not great.” I liked the book, but didn’t feel that mad urge to rush out and hunt down something else by the same author. Giving a book a C grade doesn’t mean I’ll never read that author again. For example, Patricia Briggs’ Moon Called was very much a “meh” book for me, and I’ve no interest in that series. However, I adored the Alpha and Omega novella and really want to read Cry Wolf.
I think the authors reacting with such vitriol to C grades may feel they personally are being attacked, rather than their work, and as a writer I understand it’s hard to accept criticism of your baby. But really, you have to suck it up and deal with the fact that you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
I’m going to wince at a C review. Naturally I want all the readers in all the land to feel every book I write is an A. Beyond an A. An immeasurable grade of unparelled excellence that has not yet been invented, and no other writer–living or dead–could hope to achieve.
This is never going to happen, but I can still want it.
Wanting it doesn’t excuse attacking a reader for their opinion on a book. Ever.
What is a C book for one reader is an A for another, and a big honking F for yet another–and maybe for some sweet someone that unparelled excellence. Having a hissy fit isn’t going to change that, and it’s only going to make the hissy look like a complete butt.
I hate getting a ‘C’ review. But I hate giving them even more. I want to be moved powerfully by a story, either to hate or love, and when I’m struggling to make a ‘meh’ reaction sound less like damning with faint praise, I feel just awful for the author. I never know if the ‘meh’ is me or the writing - whether on another day, I might have felt more enthusiasm, or if the piece is simply merely adequate. I can only review my reaction on that given day.
The middling reviews I give probably do hurt more because I try so hard to analyse what does and doesn’t work - and when a review is detailed like that, it’s very hard for an author to dismiss it as sour grapes. When I loathe a piece and say so, the author (rightly) can say, well, it’s just her because other people have liked it. When I gush and adore something, then of course no author is going to dismiss my ‘one person’ opinion :)
You speak truth, wise woman. I think some authors believe they’re Emma in ‘Clueless’ - arguing with a teacher to uprate a bad grade. But that’s fiction, not real life. Arguing never convinces a reviewer they’re wrong - it makes them more certain they’re right.
Dear Author is tough on its reviews, and that’s something I like a lot about the site. There are so many review sites that operate within the Cult of Nice and are little more than “precis precis precis - one sentence of review” and give it a high mark. I know many sites which deliberately will not give a bad review at all, will rather not review the book at all than do so, and some that don’t mark lower than 3 out of 5. There are a few reviews on sites, too, that are clear that the reviewer has done little more than read the blurb and perhaps the ending. Then there the sites who DO launch personal bitchy attacks on the author(s), not something that can be levelled at DA.
I appreciate DA’s reviews, and while, like Nora, I would be disappointed to get a C, I would know that at least the reviewer has read the book thoroughly, and has taken notes throughout and gives a full opinion, whether that’s good or bad.
I remember how thrilled I was when DA gave “Wicked Gentlemen” an A- (I think, forgive me if I’m wrong) and I went and congratulated the author because it was a pretty rare mark. It’s like getting a Silver Gilt at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Authors who react badly to reviews disgust me, especially big-selling authors, although it’s pretty disgusting in any author imho. As has been said before on this and other blogs, the best reaction to a good review is “Thank you for taking the time to read my book, glad you liked it.” The best reaction to a bad review is “Thank you for taking the time to review my book.” - or no response at all.
I’d be thrilled not to get an F, to be honest!!
To me, if I write or read a C review, it means that the author had a good story, but it either (a)didn’t connect emotionally, (b)had a few questionable plotting techniques or (c)wasn’t satisfatorily wrapped up. It doesn’t mean it was a bad book, just not a keeper. Quite honestly, about 85% of everything I read is a C, 10% might be a B, and the remaining five make up the A’s, D’s, and F’s.
Which, statistically, is pretty much what you would expect - it’s called a normal distribution. Basically it means that all things being equal, most books will be ‘average’. Sucks for those in the middle, but it’s where most of us are going to be. Which is why I distrust review sites and magazines which only give 4 and 5 star reviews to things - if you love everything you read, then there’s something strange about your taste, so it’s not a hell of a lot of use to me.
I once worked for a company that had recently overhauled its employee review system, and OMG, was there much wailing and gnashing of teeth about it. In the past, the vast majority of employees — C performers — had been rated as “above average.” You really had to screw up to get an “average” rating. The bell curve was still there, but the labels were shifted one over.
Well, when they changed it so that average performance was called just that — average — it was like the world was ending. People were freaking out about losing their jobs. They had never been called “average” in their entire careers at that company and were NOT happy about it. But statistically, average is exactly what they were. Average is not a BAD thing — it’s a statement about where someone fits in the spectrum of employee performance.
I mistrust review sites that only give 4 and 5 stars. They come off as more of a promo mouthpiece than a legitimate source of reviews, IMO.
Well, does anyone strive to become average? Does anyone set a goal to be, or have their work seen as average?
Probably not many.
It seems natural and human to me to feel a sting when our work is deemed average.
Whining or raging about it in public? Big no. Snarking on the reader who so deemed? Enormous no–plus wildly stupid. Sulking (privately or in the company of pals) for a little bit until you remember this is someone’s opinion seems fairly natural and human.
Unfortunately, even doing it privately has its pitfalls since some people consider that even information heard under privilege is fair game to spread around. Unless you vent to a piece of paper and set fire to it afterwards, chances are, someone will hear about your disappointment over a review (or make it up if they have to.)
I completely get the instinctive rage one feels when you get a bad review. Like you said, no one sets out to write an average book, and only the truly deranged would set out to write a bad one. A lot of the sting comes from pure surprise - after all, your friends often like your writing (or say they do) and you will have shown it to a variety of people for preliminary comment and adjusted anything that they disliked intensely. Your editor also likes the story or they wouldn’t have bought it. So when you set a story free that’s been through the process, and you get your first warning that not every one likes it - or that almost everyone hates it - the author is often very ill-prepared for that. How many times have you reacted with fury, then calmed down and got some perspective on the review, your reaction and the importance of both? Most people will do that in every case.
The nutty behaviour of the Victoria Laurie kind seema to me to be authors posting in that first flush of startled outrage, not letting themselves calm down, and bitterly regretting it later. Most of us might make that mistake once or twice, and hopefully learn from it. Some, like L K Hamilton and co, never do.
The nutty behaviour of people like Deborah Anne MacGilivray isn’t an instinctive reaction but a cold-blooded control freakery, determined to ensure they dominate all views of themselves and their work, and not caring who they destroy in the process. To me, this is less silly than psychotic - but also much rarer. If we could get the message through to the Victoria Lauries of the world to shut the hell up for the first week after reading a bad review, that would eliminate 95% of all the hissy fits (but deprive us of much amusement, let’s be honest!)
An author having a fit about a C review and then going after the reviewer is really going to damage them more than the original C review. It really demonstrates petty behavior and lack of control.
My personal reading scale
A = Love it! Would recommend it to anyone. I want to buy everything by this author.
B = Good book.
C = Meh. Would still try this author again if had nothing better to read.
D = Deeply flawed but readable. I probably won’t read this author again.
E = No redeeming features. Painful to read. Couldn’t finish it.
Above all I value accuracy in other people’s reviews. Most stuff is average - any reviewer that doesn’t acknowledge that is of no use to me. As for authors, surely the number of copies sold is a better measure of what people think? Nora is a automatic must-buy for a lot of people, no matter what they might think of individual books. I value authors that consistently hit grades in the range A-C but never go below that.
To me, a C review means I didn’t like the book all that much. It was well written, with an understandable plot and characters, but it didn’t move me. It was one that I could take or leave. I actually think most of the books that I read fall into A or B categories. This is probably because I carefully choose books based on reviews (here and on goodreads), blurbs, authors I’ve liked before, etc. Sometimes I might pick up a book that someone else loved and I don’t, and it’s a C, but most often books that I read end up being a B or an A.
To me, the disappointing thing is when I pick up a book by an author whose works I’ve loved and the book falls flat for me. That doesn’t happen that often, but man it sucks. Most of the time it’s just a one-time thing - I didn’t care for that single book - but I always worry that it’s a sign of a slide into mediocre or even just bad books (Patricia Cornwell’s earlier books vs her later books, for example). And in some series, I wonder if the “C” or “D” book signals the series has jumped the shark. I think this kind of disappointment shows in reviews (especially on Amazon) and the “behaving badly” authors react to that with hurt and fear.
Last but not least - when I was a TA (way back in the 90s), I had students complain over C grades. It seems these days that everyone expected to be a B student, at the very least. C didn’t mean “average” to these students, it meant a poor grade. Dear Author grades fairly, IMO. A “C” is good, but average. However, some of today’s authors might have the same issue with a “C” being thought of as “bad.” I don’t know.
I see a C as the low side of meh, and no author shoots for that. There are way too many books in the marketplace for a C to be good enough.
As for surprising author reactions to a C review, I have a (possibly totally whacked) theory:
If a book receives an F review, it usually dings the book as a whole. When a reviewer gives the book an Epic Fail, whether it’s plot elements, worldbuilding, sexual content or writing style, it’s easy for the author to tell herself the reviewer “didn’t get it”. Your book clearly wasn’t for that reader, therefore the review has less validity and can be discounted.
The C review, however, is often about the author’s execution. The reader wanted to like the book and tried to like the book and therefore (based on my own observations) writes a much more focused and constructive review. Much, much harder for the writer to discount and—if she’s honest with herself—harder to deny.
Because the C review is going to cut closer to home, it’s probably more likely to trigger an overly defensive hissy fit from an author prone to that sort of thing than an F, which can be tossed aside as “she didn’t get it”.
Francois has the same type of list I have. I almost *expect* a C book fom a debut author, and am always pleasantly surprised when it’s better than that.
And, of course, all bets are off if I’ve read other work by the same author and felt strongly (one way or another) about them. If I usually love an author, I certainly won’t stop reading her because she writes one C book. On the other hand, if I try an author and the first book is a C and the next one is a C or D, I just can’t be bothered anymore unless someone I trust tells me, “hey, this one you’ll like.”
I think the reason some authors react so strongly to a C review is the fact that it’s an average grade — and nobody wants to think of themselves or their work as merely average. We all want to be special, lauded, appreciated, popular, etc. It’s the competitive culture we live in.
Would Michael Phelps be getting so many headlines right now if he was a C swimmer? Of course not. He’s an A+ swimmer, which is why so many folks are talking about him. A C review is sort of like getting fourth place at the Olympics. You were okay, but not quite good enough to get a medal and folks aren’t likely to remember you after the games are over. (Yes, I’ve turned into an Olympics junkie these last two weeks. Hence the metaphor).
There are many books folks have raved about (including some on this site) that have been C reads or less for me. Reading tastes are subjective, just like anything else. To me, a C book isn’t a bad book. It just didn’t do anything to really distinguish itself in my mind. A C review wouldn’t keep me from trying an author or reading something else by her. Like other folks have said, a lot of the books I read are C books. It’s the hunt for those A and B gems that keeps me going.
As for attacking reviewers, it’s unprofessional and it’s not going to help you in any way. I always wonder who has enough free time to so closely monitor Amazon and other reviews in the first place and then decides to take even more of their time to fight back. I’ve got a million other, better things to do. Like write. And read.
For me, a C book is usually a meh one, but it can also been one where I loved some things and hated others… loved the romance, but thought the plot sucked, for instance.
For me, a C book is usually a meh one, but it can also be one where I loved some things and hated others… loved the romance, but thought the plot sucked, for instance.
An author engaging the reviewer or the readers anywhere about a review, other than to say ‘hey thanks for reading and reviewing my book’, is a lesson in futility. Unless the reviewer specifically asks the author to stop by and clarify points in the book or asks questions, the author needs to shut up and be gracious. There are a ton of books out there and not all of them get reviewed. A review, good, average or bad, calls attention to the book and that can’t be bad. Well okay, it might be bad. lol.
No author wants her book to be meh or thought of as less than worthy. It always stings to read a less than glowing review. But it happens. And if you write a decent book there’s going to be a mix of meh and whoo hoo in reviews of your book. Not everyone sees the same thing in the same book. Suck it up, shut up, if there are commonalities in the ‘meh’ reviews, maybe learn something from what is being said, but never engage in debate with those who didn’t love it or try to argue your way into a better grade. The whole thing with authors trying to convince reviewers the’re wrong just mystifies me.
To me a “C” review is an average review. That means the book was an okay read but nothing to write home about. I don’t consider it a failure because I would pick up another book from the same author. However, if I find myself feeling that all the books I pick from an author are “C” reads, eventually I will, most definitely, stop reading that author’s books.
The problem, from my perspective, is that an opinion of a particular book is very subjective (I know, I am stating the obvious). Many times I’ve picked books highly recommended here and in other blogs that I felt only deserved a “C”, see what I mean?
“C” is equated more often than not with “mediocre” and that does not sit well with most people, me thinks, and let’s face it, the word “mediocre” does have a negative connotation.
C reviews mean different things to me.
If I’ve read the author before and absolutely loved their books, C just means that I liked the other ones more. The book was good and I’ll get the next release when published; it just didn’t make me bounce and squee like the others did. It could conceivably be an A book for someone who hadn’t read any of the backlist, and I’d continue to recommend the author’s books to others.
C for an unknown author could very well be the kiss of death, so I can understand the concern. The book was something I’d rather not have spent money on, and the likelihood that I’ll purchase anything in the backlist or any future stories is fairly slim. It may not be representative of an author’s work as a whole, but I’m going to assume it is. I would not recommend the book to others, and if asked, I’d steer people in the direction of books I thought were much better.
ps…lolz @ teh bunneh
What is a C book for one reader is an A for another,
That just happened to me, and with the very books that Jane mentioned. I bought “catch of the day” and “Just one of the guys” and if I were to grade them, I would have reversed Janes opinion… I liked, but didn’t love “Just one of the Guys” and Loved ” Catch of the Day”…. thats just the way it goes…
C and 3-star reviews make me wince a little. Personally, I’d rather the reviewer absolutely detest the book than go “meh.” Meh means I failed to evoke a reaction, either good or bad, from the reader.
(Somehow, I see this comment coming back to bite me on the asss.)
The letter grades take me back to my high school days, maybe even college. The only Cs and Ds I got were in Math - once they started added letters to the numbers to solve for more letters…like WTF! Otherwise it was As and Bs and I was rewarded with lots of wonderful attention. I was the sibling that danced around the room in front of my brother waving my grades and accolades. I was the pain in the ass friend who said, what did you get - because I couldn’t wait to say what I got.
Jump forward to the land of reviews and it’s like a cold douse of water. C, D, F is like knife wound to the heart, think warriors trampling over you, leaving you bleeding in the hills. Even your white flag is broken and dingy.
Now would I attack a reviewer or reader - not ever. And I always respond with a thank you (for taking the time to read, maybe buy, for writing something). Because along with the good grades, I learned good manners. I learned stiff upper lip. And you learn grace from the icons that have walked before you.
Eek! I swear I know the word ass only has two s’s.
For me, a C review says, ‘meh’ and of course I don’t want my books to be seen as ‘meh’. I want to be loved! I want people to think I am the best damned writer. Evah. Of course, there is little chance of that happening. Some will love what a book. Some hate it. And I am good with that. But I’ll confess that the C makes me cringe.
Frankly, I’d take a F over a C as long as the reviewer totally loathed the book. If I am going down, I want to go down in FLAMES, baby! Why, because it mean they felt something. For me, a C means a lack of anything. It’s landing with a slight thud as opposed to a spectacular flame-out.
I still want the A :)
Now, no matter what the review, I don’t discuss it online. Once I get word that one is done, I email the review thanking them for taking the time to read my book. If they liked it, I acknowledge that . If they didn’t, I leave it alone. To me, the point is that they took the time and that is appreciated.
To attack someone for spending their time on something you created strikes me as poor judgment and taste. Granted, I am sure I will screw up somewhere in my career and possibly in a public way, but I would hope it’s not for something like that. And if I did do something that foolish, I’d also have the intelligence to apologize for acting like an ass.
First, there is NO excuse for an author attacking a reviewer for their opinion. They are entitled to it. But I’m entitled to my opinion about that review and if I want to say something to my friends, then I can. The truth of the matter is that I don’t say anything to my friends that I wouldn’t say to someone’s face–though I often choose NOT to say it to be prudent or kind.
I don’t judge a review by the grade as much as by the actual content. I received a B review recently from a site-that-shall-remain-nameless and frankly, I was shocked the reviewer didn’t give my book an F. She seemed to take great pleasure at mocking my story, despite the fact that in my opinion, she probably hadn’t finished the book or she would have realized that at least two of her assumptions about the story turned out to be wrong. Did I whine about it to friends? Yes. I think I might have even discussed my annoyance in a private email with Jane. I did not attack the reviewer. In fact, I can’t even remember who that reviewer was. It’s her opinion. It’s her site. She can say what she wants to and I’ve got to suck it up. She will not be the villain in my next book.
Speaking of which, with all the discussion of authors who “punish” people who annoy them by making them characters in their books…it should be noted that many authors do the opposite. I’ve auctioned “character names” off in my novels for charity, raising a nice sum for my local YMCA and other worthy causes. My brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law have all had characters in my books as a joke. My newest SIL is complaining because her character never actually appeared, just got mentioned. She wants her own story! I’m looking for the right person, but warned her…my other three SILs were strippers. They loved it!
What Nora said.
What’s tough for me to remember is that the letter grade ISN’T the sum of the review. Actually, one of the best reviews I’ve received for my first book was over at Smart Bitches — and I think Sarah gave the book a C or a C+. I remember feeling this wild disconnect — how could she have enjoyed the book and yet give it such a meh grade? But then, I realized that the one thing that didn’t work for her (which she very aptly explained in the review) affected her enjoyment of the book overall. Does that mean I did it wrong when I wrote it? Possibly. But more than that, it means that this was how she took it when she read it. And all I can do, as the author, is decide whether I agree with her assessment of what should have been done, and if I do agree with it, strive not to repeat that in future books.
A letter grade is just a letter grade. That’s not the entire review.
Still, it makes me giddy when I get A’s. And it makes me cringe when I get C’s.
I have dealt with what we call ‘grade inflation’ in universities. In some schools, especially ones you pay a lot of money to attend, more than half the class gets an A. Can you say: ’sense of entitlement?’ In my world As were for 5% or less.
C review means neutral for me. IOW, wasn’t moved to love or hate it. My expectation when I read a new book is to be blown away. Every book (as my college professor used to say about term papers) starts off with an A but as you read, the letter grade either remains the same or it drops. Some readers don’t think like this but I do.
What is priority for me (I know you all don’t care but too bad) in grading anything an A is asking myself: was this book entertaining? Did I forget the real world for several hours while reading it? did I find it hard to put this book down? were the characters memorable? Were the h/h together for most of the book? Then I look at how the story was crafted, was the book paced well?, complexity of the plot etc, so forth.
A reads should be sacred and awarded to books that truly earn them and obviously that is subjective. C grades are about the norm for most books out there so I don’t view it as a negative but YMMV.
As a book reviewer, I have three observations-
1) Any review is a good review, because it gets your name and the book’s title out there.
2) We don’t do ‘C’ reviews at Enduring Romance. I can’t force myself to read a book which isn’t my cup of tea. Besides, what’s the point of posting a review of a book I don’t really like? I think readers come to our blog searching for books they WILL like, not books they won’t. I figure this is why there’s a huge variety of book review blogs.
3) Authors sometimes get in foul moods and are impossible to please while there. Their cats die too, yanno. I don’t hold it against them and I certainly never mention it in a public forum. In fact, I may warn my fellow reviewers, but I don’t even share names with them. I only tell my husband and he can’t remember a darn thing.
4) I understand that authors, especially debut authors, are especially anxious around the time a book is released. So much is riding on that book selling well right out of the gate.
All authors are human, as far as we know. It’s easy to forget that sitting behind a keyboard with a computer screen to protect us with anonymity.
As an author I see it as a failure with that person. I agree with the amazing authors above. Making a fuss about any review simply insures the reviewer never reads you again.
The overwhelming number of books published each week makes getting a blog review a win, regardless of the rating.
The only book I’ve ever received a truly ugly response from ONE blog reviewer on is currently selling, used mind you, for silly amounts of money. So there ya go. She hated it. Doesn’t mean the book is a failure.
I agree, I can’t finish bad books either. That’s what Jane is for, reading the truly awful books out there. Hey, just kidding, J - maybe. But I think you do your readers a disservice or let me put it this way: I would be bored with just reading all A, B reviews. I like to see variation in tastes, what you like, don’t like, etc.
It’s the content not the grade tacked on at the end that should matter most and of which I look at the hardest. As Jane has mentioned in other articles and many readers have articulated as well elsewhere, it’s rather difficult to write C reviews. Sometimes, it’s hard to explain why the book is just “meh.” It just is.
As a reader, a C grade to me says, “Don’t spend your money; borrow it from the library.”
An F grade says, “Ooooh, I need my train wreck fix today.”
Naturally, this depends on who’s doing the reviewing and I’m slowly learning whose taste is in line with mine. There are books/authors who consistently get As and Bs from some reviewers and I won’t read because I will most likely find them C-ish and not cracktastic enough to pop open the wallet for the F.
Opinions are like noses, everyone has one and everyone has to blow it from time to time….
My FIL told me that years ago and it’s always stuck with me and I think, in the case of reviewing any book, that’s exactly what applies here.
Any book out there can be technically great, the characterization is awesome, the structure, grammar and plot devices textbook perfect, the length exactly right…it doesn’t matter. Because it’s all subjective!!! If it wasn’t, there would be one, maybe two books in this world, everyone would love it/them and that would be the end of it.
But what one person loves, another hates. That will never change.
For me, I am not interested in the grade as much as I am in whether or not the critique/review is articulate, thorough and I pick something from it that either I can say “Gee, I see where that might be a spot I could look at to improve on” or “That spot couldn’t have been done differently and stay within the confines of the story but I’ll consider it next time”.
You will never please everyone though I can’t imagine any author not wanting all A’s! Of course we do. It’s affirmation that what we’re writing is good, but it’s also reminding us why we do what we do. Because we love it, and our readers do too.
I have an author whose books I have devoured, that is until she changed genre right in the middle of her series. It’s turned to a genre that I can’t read, can’t abide and have no interest in trying. Does that mean her writing is no longer wonderful? No! She’s every bit as good as always but the direction is no longer something I’m interested in. Rather than give a C review, I won’t review at all. Because let’s face it, whether we like it or not, part of our review is emotionally based and if you’re expecting one thing and get something else, it’s going to color your ability to review without picking at things because you’re disappointed. Doesn’t mean I won’t read that author in future though! Every bushel has a bad apple from time to time.
And I’ve run on long enough which I apologize for but what it boils down to for me is, be honest with me, don’t attack me emotionally, and never, ever say anything more to any reviewer than “Thank you for taking the time, and spending the money, to read my book.” Anything beyond that and you’re asking for the DAM and VL fights to start and nothing is worth that kind of bad press.
And that bunny is just the cutest thing!!! Reminds me of the Bugs Bunny cartoon…and I’ll hug him and pet him…
A review - “A” or “F” is an opinion of the reader. Period. There are many sites that give reviews and I’m often surprised that on one site the book will receive an “A” and on another a “C”.
A “C” review is average BUT, it’s average in a different realm. There are many people who talk about writing and never write, there are many people who write and never get published. So for a writer to actually sit down, write a book, find someone to publish it, and in the case of the romance genre, pretty much have to promote the book themselves, I think a “C” review is great among the ‘average’.
For me, the impact of a C review depends on the author. A C review for a book by an author I already like isn’t going to affect whether I read that book or not. It won’t even affect whether I buy or use the library. For an author new to me, though, if I see the “C,” I may not even bother to read the review (I know, I’m lazy), and I am extremely unlikely to read the book (and by extremely unlikely, I mean “it’s not going to happen, but I don’t like to speak in absolutes”). I can definitely see why a C review would be upsetting.
I’ve gotten a couple of C reviews, and I’ve gotten an F review as well (just the one thank god). I hated the F review more. But neither truly upset me. With a C review I can just say “Well, *shrug*, it just didn’t click with them, that’s okay.” while the F review was more, “Damn, she really thinks I’m a shitty writer, ouch.” I’d prefer my story not click with a reader than have a reader feel like they wasted their money completely on a book that didn’t deserve to be published.
But still, even the F review didn’t phaze me much. Like Nora said, what’s one person’s F is another person’s A. I mostly felt bad that the reviewer (a reader not one who got a free copy) felt like she’d wasted some of her precious, probably limited, book money for the month. That made me feel guilty.
As an author, a “C” review stings a bit, because it’s my hope that people will enjoy the time they’ve spent with my characters and story. I certainly don’t set out to disappoint people or have them close my book and think, “Meh, I could’ve had a V8.” It’s an impossible hope that every reader will like my books, however, so all I can do is shrug and try to make each book I write the best it can be. That best may turn out to be someone’s A review, or C, or even F. But I can only control the effort I put into a book, not the reaction readers have from it.
Arguing with a reader over a review is pointless. Who am I to tell someone that I think they’re wrong with what they like or don’t like? It’s personal preference, which makes it exempt from wrong, in my opinion. Do I understand the urge to say, “but, but, but!” and try to justify a book? Sure. Should an author ever do that? No. Aside from being rude to the reader, it’s also a waste of energy that could be better spent working on a current project.
From a reader’s standpoint, a C review doesn’t deter me in the least. Lara Adrian’s Kiss of Midnight is one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn’t believe it earned a mere C. So wrong!
I try to keep this in mind as an author. One of the most thoughtful, well-articulated reviews for my debut novel (at AAR) wasn’t all that positive, but I appreciated it very much.
Perhaps the key here is in how a reader/reviewer states his or her opinion. I’ve read some reviews that aren’t worded respectfully, and I can understand why an author might get offended.
While I think that everyone has expressed remarkably grown up opinions and we’ve all put on our very adult face for this conversation, it’s obvious to me that there are those people out there who do not believe in ‘live and let live’ as everyone here professes. We all believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that just getting your name out there, good or bad review, is a good thing. But if that were indeed the case, the unfortunate animosity that currently exists between reviewer and reviewee when a ‘C’ review is written would not exist.
Personally, I think that a C is nothing more than a ’so it’s not a keeper, better luck next time.’ And for me, there will always be a next time. I am such a voracious reader that I am very likely to read another book by that author - more than very likely. Unless I receive backlash for my C review. After all, it’s just my opinion. Am I really that important? I mean, really? Wow - I always told my mom I would grow up to be someone super important - I guess I was right.
As a reader, a C review says to me, don’t bother. As a (someday) author, a C review says to me, I lost a potential reader.
Also, I’ve never understood the bell curve. Just because bells are shaped like a bell doesn’t mean quality is.
Jill, that’s a good point. I believe that Kresley Cole’s DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT’S EDGE got a horrible review from somewhere (D or F) and I thought the book was utterly brilliant. One of the best I’ve read. I always keep that in mind and I can only hope that readers do, too.
I haven’t read all the comments yet, but I’m tossing out a thought here because I see it in my kids’ school grades all the time, and that is this: C doesn’t mean “satisfactory” any more. In California, anyway, a B now means “proficient.” Anything below a B means “your kid is on the verge of not being promoted to the next grade.”
No one wants to accept being “average” anymore. Average, in modern America, doesn’t mean “acceptable but not exceptional.” It has really come to imply incompetence. Which may be why so many authors interpret a C as a failure.
Books must evoke an emotional response. A and B clearly signify that the reader enjoyed the story, D clearly shows it wasn’t for them, but C means the emotional response you’ve managed to evoke is “meh.” It’s a depressing grade. Love or hate will sell books. Indifference won’t.
I hate getting a C. I always want to get an A. Even getting a B, especially if the review doesn’t highlight the positives as much as it says, well “this was okay and I didn’t hate it” can be crushing, because you’ve failed to move the reader.
Yeah, me too. I know it’s sad, but I won’t always read even an “A” review–it depends on the subject of the book. But I will always read the bad ones. I know I will pay for this someday!
But I agree with the posters who mentioned grade inflation. I went to school in the ’70’s and ’80’s, and was very good at it (except for the math part). At least, I think I was very good at it–because I got all these “A’s.” When I got to college, that continued…until grad school, when I had a professor from Germany. This was for an advanced historiography, and seriously, how good could we really be as 2nd yr students? Most of us got C’s (others didn’t fare so well). We were just wounded, and complained bitterly. Our professor was surprised. “What’s your problem? A C is average! What’s wrong with average?”
But to me, a “C” book is one that I read, that I liked, but which I will happily post on paperbackswap. A “B” is one I’ll have to debate about, but will eventually post, and an “A” is pretty much a never post. I might not always remember all of the details of a “C” book, but it provided me with a few happy hours. I may reread it at some point. For example, I like a certain author’s romantic suspense novels. I’ve read a few of them several times. They are spooky, I like the heroines, the premise…but for some reason, the endings are never satisfying. I’m not sure why, really. So I think of those as “C” books, but I’ll buy them and reread them.
I think the comments from Michelle, veinglory, Jackie and Leah really pegged this one, so I’ll keep it quick. It’s hard to separate these letter grades in reviews from the ones we all got in school. If I had gotten a C in school, I would’ve been devastated. And I think that’s what some of the authors here are feeling. It’s hard to reprogram the standard, though I think this site does a good job in trying to remind authors from time to time that there’s nothing wrong with a C grade *here.* They often have some very positive, quotable material.
What Michelle Monkou said (post #23). I, too, was basically a straight A student…until I hit Algebra and then I just prayed to pass the dang class. Actually, I was thrilled with a C in math, because that’s the best I could do. A C in English, however, would have meant I hadn’t done my best. A C was not just a disappointment, it really was a failure.
What can I say, old habits die hard. :)
And when you know readers are more likely to read F reviews than Cs, or to even buy F-rated books than C-rated ones, it gives one pause. Not that I want an F review, God knows, but neither am I going to think a C is good, either. As countless others have said, nobody sets out to write an “average” book. No author wants to get lost in the crowd. Obviously, we have no control over a reader/reviewer’s reaction to our book — and, also obviously, one person’s declaring a book a C read doesn’t make it so for every other human on the planet — but still, it’s an ouchie. Just as a great review is an ego-boost.
And both last for approximately 2.5 seconds. ;-)
Like Julie Leto, I do think an author’s entitled to her opinion of a review just as the reader is entitled to her opinion of the book. She is perfectly within her rights to whine to her husband. Or whoever. She is not, however, entitled to act like a diva about it on a public venue, or take the reviewer to task, or put out a hit on her. That’s just dumb and petty and — here’s a thought — self-defeating.
Because being gracious — let alone circumspect — is far more likely to encourage someone to try one of your books than releasing your inner Dragon Lady.
IMHO, of course.
hm … I have some books that didn’t excite me either way - a “C” read - but that I don’t regret buying or reading. I might well buy something by the same author. An established writer that I consistently enjoy - such as Ms. Roberts - if one of her books strikes me as a “C” I’ll just decide that it wasn’t my cup of tea … but the next one probably will be.
Some judgements are objective - such as was it coherent, was it competently written, did the plot hang together. However, so much is a matter of personal taste. I’ve bought and enjoyed books that reviewers didn’t - I’ll read the review to see if the book sounds interesting.
If a reviewer makes personal comments against an author, I’ll discount the review. So … that’s my two cents’ worth.
I think that an author is “entitled” to act however she wants, but of course will have to suffer the consequences of her actions. Although these days, it appears that a blow up on the internet actually increases sales rankings on Amazon so maybe acting out by authors is just a new way to get publicity.
Maybe if reviewers made the C reviews as entertaining as the F reviews, they would get read more. It’s hard to be entertaining with a C review though because as a reviewer, you really struggle to articulate why it’s not getting a higher grade. And, I didn’t realize that Bs were borderline distasteful either. I’ve always equated B with Buy. and C - get it at the library.
I was just thinking about this the other day as I was reading through a preface to a nineteenth-century Russian reader, which mentioned that Dostoyevsky’s favorite Biblical passage was “I would thou wert either cold or hot. If you are lukewarm, I shall spew you out” and which went on to say that, particularly in Russian literature, this was a cultural mindset: to prefer the extremes.
I find it’s true with me, too — as a reader, I really hate the book that falls into the C range. The F or D range, I can e-mail a buddy and tell her about a really stupid scene. The A or B, I can gush. The C range … meh.
But as a writer, the C range means that there is some that is good, and some that is bad, but overall … meh. There is a lack somewhere that could have been filled in, either in plot execution or the emotional connection to the characters. Something could have been done better so that it wasn’t a “meh” and that’s much more frustrating to know than the epic fail that is an F. It’s lukewarm, when you wanted to deliver boiling.
An F … in my experience, there just isn’t any way that book is going to work for that reader. There’s nothing that could have been done better (and still be the same general book); nothing that could really be fixed that would take it above a D or a C anyway. So they are easier for me to read, because it’s a matter of realizing: I don’t think there is any way that this book/these characters could have worked for this reader. So the more they hate it, the easier it is not to … not not care, but to push it aside, and not spend a lot of time picking out what might have been done better.
And, of course, much of that is subjective and out of the author’s hands. And there are C reviews that DON’T leave me frustrated with myself, because the reviewer clearly articulates what didn’t work for her … and that particular thing(s) couldn’t have been improved. For example, my last book, one reviewer said she liked it overall, but graded it down because the hero’s drawl got on her nerves. Or my first one, readers didn’t like the demon heroine’s character. Those aren’t issues of craft, but taste … and it’s impossible to do it for everyone, every time.
What a fascinating thread and comments! Somebody mentioned that she skips the review itself if she sees a “C” letter-grade. This may pinpoint why authors panic over grades or Amazon-stars. Our attention span is so short that if a book gets reduced to a value within a measurement system, it makes it that much easier to dismiss it.
From a new author’s standpoint, a “C” can be a disaster if readers skip the review itself and the possible good points it acknowledges. From the readers’ standpoint, grades on a review site are useful because they’re in a hurry. They might miss some interesting reads, but what do they care since the world is full of too many books to read in one lifetime?
As a reviewer, I’ve wondered whether or not to grade. On Amazon, I’m forced to, and it feels a little weird assigning three-stars, which to me can be a positive grade, when I know that many readers consider “average” to be not worth their time. On my own review sites, I don’t give grades and I hope that it makes visitors read my entire review for my conclusion, ha, ha! At least it gives the book I’m reviewing a better chance.
As far as authors objecting to reviews, I agree that the best response is for the author to ignore the review and move on to her next project. I also agree that it’s hard to do when some reviewers intentionally use your book as a platform for a sarcastic comedy routine; i.e., they never intended to review your book fairly in the first place. As one of you said, however, any publicity can be good if it gets the author’s name out there.
What, if anything, can be done about reviews that – through a reviewer’s misunderstanding – can harm the public’s perception of your book? I’d be interested in hearing people’s ideas on this. I’m thinking about a review I saw on Amazon in which one of their mega-reviewers (who may have been reviewing so many books that she got two of them confused) stated that one author’s book had a graphic rape scene – and it didn’t. The poor author tried to correct this misperception in the comments, but if readers didn’t check the comments, a lot of them might have been immediately turned off of buying the book.
By the way, I’m impressed with the sheer number of you authors who mentioned that you always thank the reviewers for their time, whether the review was good or bad. How classy! I rarely get thanked and always remember those authors with great warmth in my heart!
When I reviewed, I gave the equivalent of C marks to books I just tolerated. Review scores are inflated at most review sites, so by comparison, DA is going to seem harsh. But meh, one person’s opinion.
One thought though–if Dear Author itself was getting reviewed, and received a “C”–meaning, okay, not great, not horrid–how would you feel?
I never liked the grade in school because passing wasn’t good enough. Um, except Organic Chemistry. Passing was good enough that time.
For me, the impact of a C review depends on who the reviewer is. At places like DA, Mrs. Giggles, etc. a C review carries more weight with me, simply because I see the reviews as honest commentary with a good analysis of why a book does or doesn’t work for the individual reviewer. Reviews from places like Amazon or elsewhere can range from credible reviewers with insightful commentary to reviewers who make you wonder if they even read the book. Nonetheless, All reviews are subjective.
Does a C review sting…not so much a sting as a sigh of disappointment because a C grade means I didn’t hit the mark well enough to leave a lasting impression on that particular reader. When I get an “average” review, I put it down to reader preference. I can’t please everyone, and I’m not trying to. Getting into a shouting match with a reader over an average or otherwise lesser review isn’t worth it because it’s one person’s opinion, and that’s all it is, the opinion of one person, nothing more.
I do confess to taking a hard look at C and lower reviews if they’re detailed commentary. Sometimes an author can learn a lot from insightful reviews. Now this doesn’t mean I’ll change my writing to please a reviewer, but occasionally comments do resonate with me about a book. When that happens, I’m able to examine my work with a more critical eye. There is no perfect book, only the best book a writer can produce at that point in time. At the same time, I don’t give undue emphasis as to the influence a single review has on my work. I think reviews of any grade or rank are all about perspective. Took me a few reviews to learn that, but it’s pretty ingrained now. *grin*
If someone were grading Dear Author and gave it a C, I would look at the reasons why and hope I could improve on it because I know that DA is far from a perfect site. I’m always looking for ways to better it, but I don’t think I have the same attachment to DA (as much as I love it) as authors seem to attach themselves to their books.