Is It Ever Acceptable for a Published Author to Critique the Work of Another Published Author
23. Jul, 2009 | by Jane |
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NOTE: I flushed the poll because there was some confusion about the “PUBLIC” nature of the criticism. I want the poll to reflect the temperature of whether public criticism is acceptable. Sorry for the restart.
Loading ...The website mistress of The Season (a place to find out about new historical romance releases) asked this question on Twitter this morning. Many authors I know believe never in saying anything critical of another author’s work in the genre. As a reader, an author saying something negative about the book of another author does not bother me in the least.
Further, one of the biggest complaints I hear about Dear Author is that we are mere readers and don’t understand the craft of writing. It is true that we are a group of readers here and we don’t have intimate knowledge of the craft of writing (although at times I feel like I know more than the writer if the book is particularly bad). Who understands the craft of writing better than a writer?
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Open Threads at Dear Author. Want to know what new releases are out this month and what readers are excited about reading? Check out the threads below. 
I believe it’s acceptable to offer legitimate, constructive criticism of other works. I would say that I have learned more from constructive criticism by other authors than any other way – that is, after all, the purpose of a critique partner.
I would add a caveat that there are both appropriate times and appropriate places to do so. By extension that suggests there are inappropriate times and inappropriate places for such criticism. Determining which is which can be a tricky business, and I tend to err on the side of caution.
E
What Elisa said.
Like reviewers, as long as an author sticks to the craft (plotting, characterization, wordsmithing, etc), and avoids making judgements about the author as a person, then by all means-critique away.
I haven’t quite been able to let go of my reviewer’s hat now that I’m published. That said, I found out the hard way that you must tread very carefully. So I only post reviews that are wholehearted recommendations (with perhaps a few minor criticisms), and leave the real crits for the writers’ groups and personal emails, etc.
I believe yes, it’s absolutely reasonable for authors to critique other authors. After all, as you stated, all-too-often we hear that reader-reviewers don’t know enough to be able to properly critique writing. I often wonder if the people saying that are the same folks who then get angry when one author critiques another—in other words, it’s all a way of avoiding any criticism at all.
The trick for a pubbed author is that you need to be particularly careful to be polite and reasonable about it, and to be mindful of things like potential conflict of interest or the context in which your remarks will be taken. And you have to be willing to take it as well as dish it out.
The New York Times Book Review is filled with authors reviewing other authors’ work every Sunday.
I find myself now floating in the middle of a yes or no and here’s why:
1. What if the book is just not the author’s ‘thing’. For instance, me as a reader know I like certain types of books. Certain plot lines resonate and I view books like that favorably. So I don’t read the plot lines that don’t interest me. When reviewing a book you usually don’t get to cherry pick and choose what you like to read. You’re asked to review such and such. You do so with all your biases etc. Is that fair to the writer who is probably writing a book that many readers will connect with and love? I always keep that in mind when judging contests. It might not be my thing, but the writing is solid and I can see it might appeal to a certain set of readers.
2. But I do think a critical assessment by your peers is a very good thing. Although, at this point it’s been gone over by critique partners, an agent (perhaps) and the editorial staff at the publishing company.
Personally, I would only say something publicly about a book I could honestly say nice things about. I think it’s just prudent to do so. It’s probably different for authors who have been writing forever and have this HUGE fan base, but backlash isn’t a pretty thing. And God forbid you’re a newbie and do something like criticize a fellow author’s work. Something like that could derail a promising career, IMO.
Bev
I believe it is done all the time in private.
But for some reason, in the romance genre, there seems to be this particular enforcement of comity that authors do not publicly criticize or even critique each other.
I’m fine with that.
But I do not understand the criticism reader reviewers get for just being readers. We are all readers first. Even if I were to write reviews today, it would be, in essence, not that different from a DA or an AAR review, about what I liked and what I did not like and what worked for me and what didn’t.
Some of the most entertaining (and scathing) literary critiques and reviews (including in the mainstream press) have been written by authors. It wasn’t until I started reading romance reader blogs that I discovered some people frowned upon this.
My personal thoughts on reviewing: When I *review* books, it’s really more of a response rather than a literary criticism, and an invitation for others to discuss the book. My purpose is to express what I felt after reading the book, and to convey to other readers what they might like/dislike about it. This isn’t literary criticism, as far as I’m concerned even if on occasion I get delusions of grandeur.
The only time I would say it’s bad is when they randomly slam other authors they may be jealous of to hurt their reputation. As long as a review is constructive and stays within the confines of the book and doesn’t stray to the writer, it’s all good.
It’s cause we’re girls, and if you can’t say anything nice . . .
I think one of the big reasons that many of us don’t criticize or critique is that you come off badly no matter what. If you’re more successful, you’re ungracious and a bitch. If you’re less successful, you’re jealous and it’s just sour grapes talking. You can’t win, even if your points are perfectly legitimate.
When I see a book praised to the heavens that is so full of historical errors and anachronisms that I had to set it aside, it sets my teeth on edge, but I mostly try to hold my tongue (fingers?) in public. Or when a book gets resounding acclaim, but the heroine undergoes a brain transplant and becomes TSTL in the middle of the book and no one but me seems to have noticed? Yeah, I REALLY find myself wanting to ask people how they missed/forgave such a huge problem (instead I discuss it privately with my friends, many of whom are, of course, other authors).
I make the occasional exception when a question is actually asked on a forum. If I see an author getting vilified for an “error” that is actually correct, I speak up. But if there were multiple charges, some of which were true, I have to acknowledge them when I do so (though the last time I did this my message here on DA appeared to have been deleted, so I thought maybe DA didn’t allow us to comment negatively on other authors’ work).
And there it is . . . posted while I was composing my response. If you criticize or critique another author, you WILL be called a mean girl at some point, and you WILL be accused of being jealous.
@Jude: Please note I’m not trying to slam you, I’m just pointing out that you brought up the exact reason that I think most of us stay quiet in pubic.
PUBLIC, not pubic. Gah . . . I need more tea. Or maybe I’m have an Adams Family kind of day.
I am congenitally averse to hurting peoples’ feelings. I can be a snarky snarky bitch when arguing politics or ideas, but when it comes to critiquing peoples’ personal efforts – be it appearance, artistic effort, home design, whatever – I have a hard time being critical. It’s why I haven’t tried to find a crit partner – I can take it, but I can’t dish it out.
But as for acceptable – of course it is. Didn’t I read recently (I may even have read it here) that the terribly thin skinned Alice Hoffman once wrote a scathing book review? And DonnLinn is right – author-written reviews are all over the NYT.
As for mere readers not being fit to review – WTHFH? For whom do writers write, if not for readers? Do authors expect only other authors to purchase their work? I don’t know a damned thing about making a movie, but I certainly know when one sucks (unless Keanu is in it. If Keanu’s in it, it’s good.)
When I mention books that haven’t worked for me, or criticize certain details, I always feel like I’m putting my foot in my mouth. I find myself noticing flaws in other books that I know I have in my own. So then I think “Who am I to talk?” But I can’t fault another author for expressing her opinion any more than I would fault a reviewer.
I lost a lot of respect for Merline Lovelace over her objections to apparently anyone doing serious criticism of romance– long time ago. I also lost respect for several authors during the Cassie Edwards controversy who apparently didn’t think it was an issue that should be aired. So it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
I am far more likely to admire an author who is not mealymouthed about obvious problems when it is an appropriate time to comment. I also like this in people in general.
Any author who utters the phrase “just a reader” needs to have her mouth washed out with soap. And then probably sewn shut. Readers are the buyers who put money in writers’ pockets. As such, they ought to be held in some esteem as a group, even if the criticism of one isn’t appreciated.
As a reader, I’m not interested in another author’s deconstruction of the writing craft in a review. I want to know how a book is to READ, and those reviews come from… brace yourselves… READERS (and writers who report with their reader hats on).
I guess it depends on what’s said, doesn’t it? I have no desire to slag someone else’s book in a public forum, but I will discuss aspects that did and did not work for me as a reader. As an author I think I would be somewhat put out to have my work pummeled for no reason, but I’m always interested in those that point out issues. For example, years ago Mrs Giggles pointed out that she thought my characters spent too much time in their heads. Another review brought this to my attention as well. Thanks to those reviewers taking the time to actually discuss aspects of my book that didn’t work for them, I was able to take a look at my writing and see that yes, my characters thought more than they spoke. And I discovered that having them say what’s on their mind adds much more depth to the conflict than having them ponder it over and over. Anything that makes you a better writer is good.
Don’t you sometimes wish you could give a rough draft to your favorite reviewers so they could point out the flaws before the book hits the shelf? I sure do!
Well said, Kate. That’s the kind of criticism that is entirely valid and welcome. Still, I would be nervous about saying anything negative about another writer in public in case it was seen as disrespectful.
Any opinion is, of course, valid and Kerry is right about the importance of readers. I do believe prejudices should be openly stated. If you despise vampire pirates you are unlikely to review a vampire pirate book in an unbiased fashion. It might be the best (or the worst) vampire pirate book ever written, but your diatribe isn’t going to help the vampire pirate fan (or the new VP reader) to decide if this is a good example. As such it is not, IMHO, a book review. But I do support your right to vent about the stupidity of vampire pirates (with apologies to any VP writers out there: I stand ready to be converted)
Why should being published remove your right to express your opinion? Of course author’s can review other people’s books. Yes, they may be subject to more scrutiny (and more judgement) than an unpublished reviewer, but that doesn’t mean it’s not acceptable. Every opinion should be taken on context; while an author’s opinion may hold more water when talking about craft, it’s also likely to be dismissed as jealousy.
Have you read
? They’re quite amusing, in a Lemony Snickett kind of way (a friend’s niece gave them to me and demanded to know what I though, LOL!).
I’m ‘just a reader’ and like several commentators up thread think there is a time and way for comment and critique to be done well. But I also think that if critical discussion always happens away from the public space then the chance for thoughtful debate to create learning and development for the writer and those reading and responding to the discussion is a lost opportunity. A private critique can be dismissed as ‘just your opinion’. Public discussion sets standards and creates change because the dialogue acknowledges that writing and books don’t stand alone, they are an engagement between reader/ship and author and the culture around them. I’ve been reading DA and other romance blogs only a little while. I started reading just as the Debbie Macomber and Cassie Edwards stuff unfolded and I was chuffed to be reading the blogging and comments because to me the discussion was a struggle to come to some consensus about the standards and and definitions of fair play and courtesy for this community as much as it was about the plaigarism issues. Sometimes I think this romance community thing about not being public in criticism implies that (a)we don’t know how to do this courteously and (b) If I’m nice to you/you will be nice to me. I think good will and good manners are the things that matter in any critique situation, not niceness.
Personally speaking-I don’t. This is just me, and it has nothing to do with whether or not I feel ‘qualified’ to judge the work of another.
Everybody is qualified to state whether or not they liked a book, and why/why not-I don’t care if it’s an author, a reader, a reviewer, an editor, an agent-we’re all capable of deciding whether or not a work appealed to us.
I don’t do it because frankly, I’m not inclined to defend my opinions when a book doesn’t work for me-I’ve seen some of the flame-fests that erupt when somebody doesn’t care for a book, even if they didn’t trash it. Since I try to keep flame-fests on my blog to a minimum, I’m not even going to start down that route. I’m lazy and I’d rather work on my own writing then review and explain/defend on book X by author Y didn’t work.
I’m a published author and I never criticize another author’s published work in public. I just don’t–except maybe for an author I love, if I’m talking about her body of work, I might say which ones I preferred and why. Or for a book that I love, I might say the few points that were problematic for me.
But as a rule, I leave the public criticism to reviewers and readers. That’s their job. Of course, I have an opinion of all books I read and the many I DNF. But I keep it to myself–or for conversations in private. I do not want to contribute to another author’s pain. I just don’t. I feel it’s part of the author’s job to learn to deal with this pain, that it’s necessary to buck up and accept that not everyone is going to like your baby and they have every right to say so–and explain why the book didn’t work for them. And, as an author, I learn a lot from reviewers who didn’t like this or that book of mine.
But I consider it a professional courtesy not to tear down another author’s work in a public forum.
I agree with what the others have said–authors can critique other authors as long as they’re professional about it.
It angers me when I hear people say “you’re just a reader” to someone who has done a thoughtful review. Leo Tolstoy in WHAT IS ART? argues:
I can get valuable critiques of my writing craft from other writers or editors, but what they can’t tell me for certain is if a work is “catching” for readers. The more I learn about the craft, the more “vaccinated” I am to writing–I can no longer ignore bad craft even when the story is exciting to readers and hits the bestseller lists. That’s why I value thoughtful reviewers who are readers, for they provide a glimpse into the strength of the story–i.e. is it “catching?”
one of the biggest complaints I hear about Dear Author is that we are mere readers and don’t understand the craft of writing.
Oh, PLEASE.
Just because I can’t bake the pie doesn’t mean I can’t tell when the damn thing’s burnt.
It’s two different ideas, isn’t it? That the people who review, like those on DA, are only readers? WTF else would they be? I’m looking for a review of the story not a lesson in sentence structure. I’ll figure it out for myself if the author’s use of the language appeals to me or not.
Author’s reviewing other authors, why not? Although I would think, for me, it probably says more about the author doing the reviewing than it does about the author who wrote the book. If it’s too critical than I’d probably have to check for myself and if it’s filled with praise than I’d probably have to check for myself. Same difference — it wouldn’t impact my buying or not buying. So, it may only matter to the genre writing community rather than the genre reading population.
Yeek. No. (and I love me a good vampire story— but that. No)
And there, right there, is why good reviewers can sometimes be attacked. That quote, taken completely out of context by a few bored people lurking at their computers waiting to start a kerfuffle, could turn the reviewer into the anti-Christ. If the reviewer is also an author than that’s the chance they take if they want to express their views about another author.
Most of us reading reviews understand the concept of it being one persons’ opinion but many, many more will consider it an attack on the writer and reader who likes *sigh* vampire pirates. Ya’ puts down your words and ya’ takes yer chances.
I don’t see a problem with an author commenting on another author’s work. As you said, they have insight – and anyway, everyone has an opinion. I don’t see why becoming an author suddenly invalidates the opinion or makes it unacceptable to express it.
Naturally the way they critique should be taken into account. if it’s a hateful hatchet job, then no they shouldn’t. But then, nor should anyone else either. And DS makes a point – if authors do NOT criticise an author who has stepped beyond the bounds of professional or acceptable behaviour then I think they look a lot worse
The interesting question is what about criticsing a pubished author who uses the same publisher/agent/whatever? I think some publishers get… edgy about that kind of thing
@ Kalen. Delighted to know there are vampire pirates out there. I anticipate a glom.
*grin* It’s total YA (and young YA at that), but I think they’re cute.
That didn’t come out right . . . wasn’t slagging off on YA. Love YA.
Frankly, I think the lack of criticism (positive and negative) from other romance writers and the resistance to the idea are a couple of the things that keep the genre from being taken seriously. Does any other genre have such a problem? I have a hard time imagining Linda Fairstein being pissed because Laura Lippmann might criticize her work. [Two names pulled out of thin air, no such criticism or review exists AFAIK.]
Your statement about you all at Dear Author being “mere readers” really rings a bell for me. Last week at RWA, whenever anyone asked what I wrote, I said “I’m just a reader.” Almost universally, the published authors I spoke to responded that there was no just thing as “just a reader”, that they wrote for readers and that we were valuable, we were the audience, without us they wouldn’t be able to publish. When I hear the statement that non-writers should not criticize because they don’t understand the craft of writing, there’s a logic disconnect and I feel like I’ve gotten a big helping of WTF? Readers are important…but only if they don’t criticise the books that are written…to be sold to them? It comes across as a “give me your money and take what I give you and be happy with it or shut up” attitude to me.
Readers shouldn’t write book reviews? Really? Then who should write theater and film reviews? Music reviews? Anyone can write a review. How well it is done should be what determines how seriously it should be taken.
As has been pointed out, The NY Times Book Review is filled with reviews by other authors, as are the NY Review of Books and numerous other publications. I don’t see any problem with author’s reviewing books by another author, with one big caveat: If you are reviewing a book by a friend (or enemy), be upfront about it. (I wish the NY Times would pay a bit more attention to this one.)
There may be more pressure (From publishers, agents, colleagues) on an author to say only nice things about a fellow author, but an author may also have insights into how the fellow author achieved that WOW effect or just exactly why it fell flat.
Is it ever okay for a published author to criticize another published authors work IN PUBLIC?
Huh. What an odd question. Replace the words “published author” with “elected official” or “board-certified physician” or “court-appointed attorney” or any other profession that involves validation with a gate-keeping function and…
…*damn*. I sure would HOPE that practicioners of that craft would be willing to share their expertise when they see less-than-optimal work.
Not that the dangers of wasting my time with a poorly-written or plagiarized book are equivalent to those posed by a rogue politician or incompetent doctor or crooked lawyer, and of course jealousy and personal opinion come into play and must be taken into account.
But a tiptoe-y make-nice attitude detracts from the craft of writing being taken seriously as a profession for grown-ups.
I have so much I would like to express about the books I read and about the changes I think need to be made in my genre of Erotic Romance but I hold my tongue.
I will at times write a thoughtful review on my blog or I will blog about something that bothered me without naming the book.
But for the most part right now I’m playing it safe as a debut author and hoping the book itself with express my opinion on what I like and don’t like in the genre.
@jmc: Does any other genre have such a problem?
I dunno, Stephen King said Stephenie Meyer managed to create a phenomenon despite a lack of writing talent (or words to that effect), and a significant segment of the population went insane about it. The key thing, I think, is that I doubt King cares. If a romance author is comfortable offering criticism of a “colleague” and is willing to accept the inevitable fallout from offended parties who will say “she’s just jealous” and “I’ll never buy one of her books because she’s mean,” then there’s no reason she shouldn’t go on record with her critique. I don’t believe, however, any author has a responsibility to offer such criticism to “enhance the respectability of the genre” if she’d rather avoid the associated drama. Her contribution might take the form of writing books that stand up to criticism (or striving toward that goal), which probably serves the genre better in the long run.
As other authors have posted, I choose not to critique other romance authors’ work because that’s just not my thing. Not to mention I have neither the time nor energy to do so. ;-)
That doesn’t mean, however, that I have issues with *other* romance authors critiquing colleagues’ work. IOW, I don’t think there’s a should or shouldn’t about it — just a matter of personal druthers.
Although as far as I can tell, plenty of umbrage abounds in the literary world when one author critiques another. So there you are. ;-)
In any case, why anyone would think for a moment that readers’/reviewers’ opinions are somehow less valid than peer critiques is beyond me. Yes, I appreciate reading a thoughtful, well-written, knowledgeable review or commentary about a book, but I couldn’t care less who writes it. And sometimes a single sentence, gut reaction to a piece in conversation can tell me more about why or why I wouldn’t possibly like a book than a thousand word review!
As for peer reviews somehow garnering us more respect…eh, I doubt it. After all, if someone thinks we’re all frustrated, untalented hacks to begin with, why would they be even remotely impressed by one hack critiquing another? True, on the one hand we run the risk of looking like a Good Old Girl club by not parsing each other’s work, but on the other there would be those who’d only see us as cats going after each other if we did.
Not exactly a win-win situation, if you ask me.
This is a crock. “Mere readers” have just as much experience with words as “writers” do. Readers aren’t as experienced with the weaving of words on the front end, but we have plenty of experience with the whole cloth of the finished product. And more distance/perspective to see glitches in the pattern.
What are the qualifications for an art critic or a movie critic? Do they have to be sculptors, painters, actors, directors? I don’t have to be a builder to know one did a crap job of building my house. I see the evidence every day.
BTW, What advice do writers give to those learning to write? Read, read, read.
Literary criticism is a specialised field of study as old as Plato, and most serious writers have some academic knowledge of the process and understand the basic foundation and the necessity of a good literary critique: For writers, it expands our knowledge of theory and practice. So, as long as the criticism is expressed by appropriate means in the proper forum, such as a review or a study/critique workshop or writer’s group, then it is fulfilling its intended purpose. And while scholars and peers offer substantially objective reviews, focusing on the technical aspects of writing a good story, reader reviews bring the subjective to the table. Subjective reviews won’t really help an author hone their craft, but they do help an author identify their market — the all important who are they writing for — and understanding this helps with their marketing platform and strategies. So the ‘mere’ reader review is just as valuable, albeit in a different way.
Of course, a review isn’t worth much of anything if it isn’t honest. Not mean spirited, but honest. There will be times when a reader just didn’t “get” the work; it wasn’t their thing, or whatever, but we can’t really know that without a true academic critique to compare it to. Maybe the reader didn’t “get” it because there was something off in the writer’s technique. Maybe not. In light of this conundrum, we must always measure the subjective against the objective in order to reveal what’s perception and what’s not.
We at the Pod People are writers critically reviewing other writers. The three of us have different academic backgrounds, different levels and thoughts on publishing and the art of writing; we have incredibly diverse tastes; and yet we have considerable luck with the site because our reviews are honest, thoughtful, insightful, and yet critical at the same time. We have never had author backlash — and we are talking mostly self-published authors here who are notoriously labeled as being volatile — because we take great care with the work and never leave an author without something constructive and positive to take away from the experience. Me, personally, I simply treat other authors’ work the way I would want mine to be treated, with care and attention to detail.
I have no problem with others doing it, but I won’t do it myself. :/ At least not right now. I just have this image of being criticized — Who the heck are you with your handful of short stories critiquing me/her/him?! When I get more established and feel more secure in my own position as a pro writer, I might do it. And some of my favorite reviewers have been writers — Spider Robinson with Analog was the first reviewer I ever read regularly. It’s weird and contradictory, but at this point I’d feel more comfortable doing reviews if I were “only” a reader, because we write for the readers and they’re certainly entitled to have an opinion if anyone is. I just don’t feel comfortable doing it myself.
Angie
@Kerry Allen:
Exactly. The drama is exactly why I *don’t* mess with it. If a book doesn’t work for me, it just doesn’t work me. But it works for a lot of others. That’s just fine…we all have our likes/dislikes and I’m not inclined to deal with the dramatics that often come with somebody doesn’t love a popular author’s latest. I keep my drama-dealing to my books. More productive for me. :-)
I wonder about this all the time – especially when members of our local RWA group give you their book – then ask what you think.
On of our authors is doing quite well with her romantic suspense, and I just about died getting through the first book of her series. Obviously it resonates with a lot of readers, but I still felt okay writing a critical review on my OTHER blog. Because as a READER I really want critical reviews of elements of books. Because if it’s a well done secret baby plot, I’m all over it, but if it’s a horribly done domineering male, I want to know that as well.
Bottom line, a writer review, is a reader review. Personal attacks, are out, of course. Unfortunately, I feel that some authors are so sensitive, anything other than fawning is taken as a personal attack.
I am just a reader and one thing (of the many) that confuzzles me is the notion (upthread) that reviewers may review books in genre/sub-genre that they do not like. Why?
If a review by “just a reader” is somehow less worthy than one by a realio trulio writer because the Writers know all the clever stuff about sentence structure and pace that the rest of us missed in Form Two, then what of familiarity with the material? It is possible to read comments everyday bemoaning the abundance (or paucity) of reading selection about pirates/angels/time-travel/guinea pigs – the difference being in the eye of the beholder. A review by Just A Reader who is an avid reader of guinea pig fiction may fail to point out delinquent punctuation, but any new or over-used tropes in the sub-sub-sub-genre will be noted (and if the punctuation picked up it’s tent and stalked off, then the JAR will certainly note that there was something odd in pacing/language/tone, even if they can’t isolate the actual cause of the problem).
A book loathed by a fan of a particular type of story carries more weight for me – they may not know much about the technicalities, but they do know what works for them and what has come before.
Sorry if this seems a bit snarky, but recently it seems that readers are getting treated dismissively (not here specifically, perhaps I’m just unlucky enough to have stumbled across 3 or 4 such comments over the last week or so and I’ve just exaggerated it in my mind *g*).
A final thing that JAR can bring to a review – no writerly goggles to try to leave on the chair arm and so no sense whatsoever of competition. The story works or not – there are no phrases they would die to have produced, no plot twist pulled off that they had been advised to avoid, no concerns about ideas leaching into their own brain/s. I’ve always felt slightly sorry when I read that an author couldn’t leave their critique hat at home when attempting to read for pleasure – my sensawunda and suspension of disbelief are happy to hover over my unqualified head as I read the next in the TBR.
Cheers!.
p.s. And it is valid to have both for reviews and critiques – just not masquerading as each other.
Like most who have posted here already, I have no problem with this as long as there is no bashing on a personal level.
I usually blog as a reader about the books I read and have loved. If I truly don’t like a book (trust me it takes a lot to put me off a book) then I don’t blog about it.
I can’t even imagine the potential growth that would be experienced by all if some of our best romance authors provided critique of works in public.
If you knew that Kinsale or La Nora or McKinley or Carey were going to point out the good and the bad of your writing, how much MORE would you work to perfect your craft?
Maybe that would stem the seemingly unstoppable tide of poorly edited and crafted work that romance readers continually have to chart before finding a gem.
**Although sites like Dear Author and Smart Bitches and the Super Librarian DO make it much easier, for those who have seen the lighthouse.**
@Kerry Allen:
Which segment of the population went crazy over King’s criticism of Meyer? Her fans or other writers? Were her fans booing King for what they perceived as a diss? Or were other writers displeased with his audacity in criticizing the style of another writer? Were people responding to what he said or how he said it?
I’m sorry, I did not intend to say that writers had an obligation to critique in order to better the reputation of the genre. But I find it hard to believe that no one is interested in the occasional critique, especially of a book that captures their imagination. [Really? No Experienced Author has an opinion about how Newbie Author could have created better tension by changing her POV character or tightening the pacing, thus changing her okay book into a possible bestseller? No one ever thinks that Another Author has a wonderful voice and wrote an excellent story that was terribly copy edited?]
As a reader and observer, it seems like there is an unspoken rule within the genre that being publicly critical, even when that criticism is constructive and politely couched, is “not nice” and thus is bad.
No one is a “mere reader” – readers at the basic level put food on a writers table and a roof over their heads. Secondly, there have been the odd review site I have ceased to read due to the “say something nice about everyone” approach, that just results in reviews one cannot trust.
And I don’t think it’s the reluctance of one romance author to criticize another’s work with merciless honesty that keeps our genre from being taken seriously by many. I think it’s because sex scares people and a lot of us write about it. And most of our books are geared toward women and there’s still a lot of literary prejudice out there toward books with a mostly female audience, written mostly by women. That whole “lady scribbler” thing has never really been put to rest in the hearts and minds of the public at large.
@Christine Rimmer:
Absolutely agree! Violence in books is not only accepted, but expected in many to some degree. But the majority of those books are written by men and read by men. Sex, especially in a romantic setting, seems to scare the bejezus out of people. So yes, I have discovered over the years that violence is okay but sex is not.
In answer to the question: I think everyone is entitled to an opinion and if they want to express it to go ahead and do it. Now everyone isn’t going to agree with it but to slam somebody just because you disagree with their opinon is petty and small-minded. I think as long as a review focuses on the work itself and not the author as a person than I think it’s just agree to disagree. And if I see an author reviewing a book then I’m going to see it as their opinion and either agree or disagree. And if I disagree I’m not going to stamp my little foot and pitch a hissy fit and call her a ‘mean girl’. I think some people need to be reminded that high school ends when you graduate.
I also want to say that I feel that Dear Author and the Smart Bitches have done an incredible job of providing a forum for diverse and thought-provoking discussion of not just individual books but of the romance genre as a whole. And there is no such thing as ‘just a reader’. Readers are THE bread and butter of the romance industry and not only do they deserve all the love and respect they can get, but also be allowed to express their opinions even if they aren’t all hearts-and-flowers.
Fallout is a small part of my reasoning, but it’s also will I do the critique justice. Yes, words can be twisted and taken out of context. Oh, and I’ve seen your just a mean girl comment too often thrown on others to care if I’m labeled as one. What I care about: does my critique show in plain terms to a party outside myself, who is rational, why I didn’t care for the book or aspects of a book?
I find the comment you are just readers funny. In order for me to enjoy a book, I have to take off my author hat to put on my reader hat. The author could nitpick the best book. The reader can enjoy the story for what it is.
Just look at TV here in the States: Murder, rape and violence galore, but you show a 2 second flash of a nipple (or even a pastie that was mistaken for a nipple!) and there is hell and fines to pay.
should an author openly rip on a book not his/her own? NO! I would think an author very unprofessional if they were blogging “I just read ___ and it was shit.” That leaves a bad feeling – I mean why would you just start posting bad info on a book you read in your own time?
Should an author be honest in critiquing a book if asked? Of course. I think that is the key – if the author is ASKED by the other author, publisher, newspaper, whomever- then open discussion of good/bad/etc. is great. It’s in a professional manner and not personal. Also can’t be looked at as ‘picking on’ someone else.
My answer to this poll, was yes.
Define “criticism.”
I participate in the 50 Book Project, and as I make my list of what I read, I will include commentary and publish on my LJ:
“Not bad but getting very farfetched.”
“TSTL.” (too stupid to live)
“Less annoying than I remember but badly in need of edits.”
“Gripping story”
“This is a biography by a man who reads biographies.”
“Gruesome and excellent.”
How does the fact I am a writer myself disqualify me from having an opinion on the books I read?
The very idea makes no sense.
@Kalen Hugues: *coughbetareaderscough* :grin:
On the poll question, I voted yes but actually I don’t mean that–why do we think that reviews of romance by romance authors would garner the genre external validation? And why do we still care?
Plus, I think that these kind of questions make authors sort of a cyborg block–what ALL authors should or shouldn’t do, think, look like, say, etc.
Authors are no more homogeneous than reviewers, after all :shrug:
As a plebby reader, I would like to point out that a significant amount of my hard earned dosh goes into buying books.
I’m more than capable of recognising the dross from the gold when I read.
I strongly believe that constructive criticism from both reader’s – and the writers own peers, leads to a better end product. Because surely, with every novel, a writer should be evolving & strengthening their talent for story telling (-because that’s what you guys do ) to the very best of their ability.
As published authors, your work, IS in the public domain. Therefore it is going to be critiqued – positively & negatively. And as uplifting or upsetting as that can be; you need to listen to criticism because there is no growth without it.
You cannot be creative in a self – congratulatory vacuum , so if an author I love short changes me with a rehash of their last few books. I am going to be either A. Not buying anymore of their books or B. Putting up a – hopefully- constructive review, that will be taken on board; – & the next book will be of the standard that we the readers expect
If books are offered to same genre authors for comment, I find it hard to believe that comments are universally good. Yet judging from the blurbs on books, that’s all there ever is. If an author can say positive things, they should be allowed to say negative things. Last I heard, they did not surrender ‘free speech’ in their publication contracts. Yes, it is prudent to know time, place and audience just for self-preservation.
Let’s face it, Steven King does not sell to Stephanie Meyer’s audience and already has his millions. Besides, romance is the most mocked genre out there by authors from other genres, especially male authors. I’m sure the romance authors cry all the way to the bank.
The idea that it is indelicate or ‘not the done thing’ for romance author to criticize another romance author’s work makes me want to look around for Mamie Eisenhower and Bess Truman. They must be around here somewhere – wearing white cotton gloves and hats.
“Mere reader…” Oh, please. I don’t know about everyone else, but I care far more about my story’s value in producing a satisfied reader than I do about its success as a washing-machine leveler.
Isn’t that sort of the point? And therefore, shouldn’t reviews be coming from “mere readers” instead of only other writers, or only professional literary theorists, or only analytic programs where the computer counts the number of times the author made something drip?
Well, all right. For certain sorts of “erotica” that last one might just suffice.
I WILL SO TAKE YOU UP ON THAT! Wait and see if I don’t . . . I’m making a mental note.
I’m published, but I’m also a reader. I will be damned if I can’t express my opinion of another author’s work, because I am also published. I think published authors should be nicer about it than, say, your average Amazon user, but I don’t think that they should “shut up” at all.
@Kelly Allen
(grin)
Anyroad, I think I do understand why some authors aren’t keen. It’s not the author’s reaction – or the possible consequences, politics or in-fighting – that worries them. It’s the editor of said book. An editor is basically a potential employer, isn’t it?
It may not be the case for all, but I think it is for some. If I were a new author, I wouldn’t want to bad-mouth a book that I know was edited by an editor I want to woo.
So I’m not bothered when an author makes it clear that she won’t “tear down” a fellow author’s book, because she’s obviously set her hat on becoming a career author.
That said, there are authors who can review books from their own genre without sacrificing the good practice of reviewing. The one I can think of right now is Lynn Connolly for Sybil’s the Good, the Bad and the Undead review blog.
I think her reviews are quite good, actually, because she does her best to provide balanced reviews along with highlights of book’s flaws. She obviously takes great care in how she conducts her criticisms of those flaws, but she does it without sacrificing her readers’ trust. I think – considering the low number of good romance author-reviewers at the moment – she’s a good example to follow.
I have to admit readers’ reviews carry much more weight for me, but Lynn Connolly’s reviews are reasonably good enough for me to consider her a proper reviewer. She’s probably the first romance author-reviewer to kick a dent in my deep bias against romance author-reviewers.
On the last note, authors who publicly dismiss non-author reviewers as “just readers”? Get over yourself.
I’m a reader first. If I hadn’t read, I wouldn’t have written.
While I review very few of the books I read, I’ll do it if A) it was so awesome I want to evangelize the book, B) it was so awful I have to vent somewhere, or C) someone asked me to (that’s iffy, though). Still, good review or bad, it makes me nervous every time I do it.
Technically, “public domain” means works that have passed out of copyright (e.g. Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) and are no longer protected.
ETA: I know this is a quick and “unofficial” definition. :-)
Just because a writer is published doesn’t mean she’d adept at critiquing or reviewing.
Just because a writer is published doesn’t mean she avoids doing so because she’s afraid of fallout, or following some ‘unspoken’ rule about being nice.
Just because a writer is published sure as hell doesn’t mean she’s obliged to review or critique other work in the genre in order to legitimize or uplift it.
Her opinion on another work is no more or less valid than the opinion of any reader–and the reader may be much better at writing a review. And at the end and the beginning of the day a review or a critique is an opinion.
I have no inclination, no desire, and no time to offer reviews of critiques of other works in the genre. I’m busy enough trying to write and critique my own before I submit it to my editor. lPlus my skill set in this area mostly sucks.
For those who do have the inclination, the desire, the time–and the skill–more power to them.
Oh and anyone who whines ‘mere reader’ is just a dumbass anyway.
Word of mouth drives sales far more than any author/publisher promotional push, and as far as I can tell readers are far more likely to listen to other readers (whether they be bloggers, reviewers, or simply posters in an online forum) than other authors.
Of course, I could be completely wrong about that. But I don’t think so.
I would think it’s perfectly obvious that readers are our lifeblood, and that we want readers talking about our books. Formal critiques/analysis/dissection of our work has its purpose, but I think for the most part that’s entirely separate from the kind of chatter about a book that keeps it at the forefront of the collective consciousness. Whether that chatter is pro or con seems almost immaterial — in fact, the more popular a book/author’s work is, the more detractors it/she/he seems to have. But my point is…that chatter is almost always reader-driven, even if sparked by a “professional” review (whatever that means — it’s not as if one can get a degree in reviewing. ;-)).
In fact, I daresay some readers might even be leery of author critiques, simply *because* the authors are perhaps looking at the work through a different lens than someone who simply reads for the pure pleasure of it. Most really don’t give a rat’s hiney about technical issues, they only know whether the story moved them or not. And most authors will admit they *don’t* read the same way after they started seriously studying the craft as they did before.
I guess what I’m saying is…when an author does critique another author’s book, who’s the target audience, anyway? Do readers really care what another author thinks (especially, perhaps, if they’re not wild about her work to begin with?). Or are readers more likely to trust other readers?
Karen : You’re not wrong about word of mouth. Two authors instantly spring to mind …JK Rowling & Delia Smith (cookery & yes, I know she was on the Beeb at the same time !)….In fact we have the Delia effect immortalised in the Oxford English Dictionary. If I wasn’t shooting off to work I could think of a few more, but time’s against me.
Pamela:-
PS. What does ETA mean ? I’m a bit internet shorthand impaired :(
I love books. I was a reader, still am, before I became a writer so I’m not offended or bothered by reviews in and of themselves. I have limited time so when I blog about books, I choose to blog about those books I really love because I’d rather recommend a book than recommend against it, but that’s my personal preference.
I’d discuss what worked or didn’t work for me in a book in a conversation. I do this a lot with the people at my messageboards and some of the boards I’ve been part of for years now. It’s fun to discuss books with other readers, what worked and what didn’t. In those discussions I’ve often talked about “not that but this” – for instance when we all discuss vampire books and I am such a hooor for Lara Adrian’s books and others will bring up JR Ward or Feehan – other authors who tackle the subject but from a different place or voice. To me, this is the most exciting part of being online, sharing, discussing books as booklovers.
To me, there’s a balance like there’s a balance in everything. IMO, it’s not always what you say, but how you say it.
“Edited to add.” Guess it works like a p.s. in that way. :-)
For me, public critiques and critical reviews are best left to readers and reviewers. As an author, if I write a negative review about a book – especially one in my genre – the inevitable question comes up of whether I’m just jealous or dislike that author personally. I already get flak for blogging about books I *do* like (i.e., “you’re just saying you liked that book because you’re friends with the author/you share the same agent/share the same publisher/etc”). I don’t have the time or energy to defend my motivation behind books I dislike, too, if some people question whether I have ulterior motives in those reviews. Again, that’s why I think readers/reviewers are better suited for critical commentary. There’s less question of personal or professional bias in the review. But that’s just how I do it, and more power to any author who engages in both types of reviewing.
one of the biggest complaints I hear about Dear Author is that we are mere readers and don’t understand the craft of writing.
Oh, PLEASE.
Just because I can’t bake the pie doesn’t mean I can’t tell when the damn thing’s burnt.
………
What she said!
It’s totally acceptable to critique a work in public.
What’s not acceptable is flaming somebody’s work. If a published author acts like an ass in public, it’ll tarnish his/her books in many readers’ eyes. Author A coming out and saying Author B’s book sucked, and Author B is a moron who can’t write sounds childish and bitchy, and not very smart. That’s not criticizing, that’s bashing.
But a reasoned, thoughtful critique of a work from another published author would be a wonderful, valuable thing. Author A saying that she found Author B’s work a little weak in character development, or slow-paced, or it had too many sub-plots would be a useful thing for Author B to hear. If Author B was smart, Author B would ponder that kind of statement.
I’m shocked that so many welcome public critiques of published authors by other professional authors!
I’m all for authors delivering a positive nod to a book they think deserves merit, but just to sit there and write up a blow-by-blow dissection of another author’s book?
I think it’s totally tacky behavior.
A serious author shouldn’t even have the time to rip into another author’s work! If they do, they’re just not writing enough, in my opinion.
If you’re a writer, write.
Leave the public opinions to the masses.
Can you imagine if teachers had a forum where they publicly gave their opinion on a specific teacher’s style? Or maybe a place for doctors to publicly offer their suggestions on the style of a specific doctor? How about nurses who’d volunteer to choose a specific nurse and give their opinion on the job they do and how it might be better? All in a public forum.
It’s ridiculous to even consider.
And, like I said, it’s sort of tacky to use precious time that could be spent writing your own books to publicly nitpick over the work of a fellow author.
Ahh… actually, all sorts of professions do have peer reviews. Many businesses are gravitating towards them-or the last I heard. It’s not an unheard-of concept.
I personally don’t feel the need to do reviews, but I’m also not going to tell another writer that the writer should only write. Regardless of whether or not readers agree, writers ARE readers as well. We have to be-reading is one of the things that fuels the imagination.
So if an author feels the need to critique another author’s book, and they are willing to deal with any fallout that may come, I have no problem with it. Please note, I said ‘critique’, not bash and flame. IMO, any author that feels the need to go that route is likely just looking for a few moments in the spotlight.
Blow-by-blow dissections, as much as they suck at the time, are actually one hell of a tool for a writer to use in improving their craft-if they can get past the knee-jerk reaction.
And please don’t take this wrong-I’m not trying to insult you or pick on you, but personally, I feel it’s rather tacky for somebody to tell a writer how they should or shouldn’t spend their time.
As long as they are meeting their deadlines, how they spend their time is their own business.
Again, I’m not trying to insult you, but writing isn’t the only sum of a writer. If I’m told the only business I should concern myself with is writing…well, again, it’s rather tacky, and it also a bit rude. It’s kind of like telling a bookseller she shouldn’t be allowed to discuss anything other than selling books, or that a reader should only be allowed to read.
Nobody cares to be told how they should or shouldn’t spend their time.
There’s a difference, I think, between giving criticism to a teacher’s style or nurse’s performance and an author’s book. Books are creative products whose value is subjective–discourse and criticism are not only part of but intrinsic to the way in which we derive enjoyment and value from them. This is why we discuss themes and motifs and plots and characters, what we enjoy, how they work.
I have no idea if what I’m about to suggest is true or not, so the academics reading the thread can correct me if I’m wrong, but… I’ve always had the perception that literary authors are, in the majority, people who have a strong background in academia or scholarship or some other field of critical writing, such as journalism. In literary fiction, I feel there’s a greater expectation on authors to be able to articulate their intent and writing process, and criticism isn’t seen as a black and white issue. The discourse around the book is itself valuable. I think this is what was missing from romance until blogs started filling the gap, and is something that is still not widely accepted. I think it’s also the reason why the recent attention on romance scholarship has been so important.
So what you are saying is that a writer is not entitled to have an opinion about a book he or she read. In fact, an author is not allowed to have a life outside of writing, or indulge in reading.
My dear girl… getting a review from a fellow writer is usually something desired, in this business. And you should keep in mind that writers are not machines that can be turned on and off at will. Writers are people who enjoy a wide variety of things… and some of them happen to like reading and reviewing others’ works. I see no reason why that would bother you.
There have been several authors who’ve said things on their blogs or in interviews that I thought were callous or insulting or rude, and for some, those comments have changed my mind about whether or not I want to spend my time reading their books. But the way I see it, they have the right to post what they want, and I have the right to be offended by it. That’s life.
There are a number of businesses that base their marketing campaigns around dissing others in their field to show how their product is better than The Other Guy’s. I think what makes it so sticky when it comes to author vs. author is the part where that kind of behavior is pretty much expected and accepted when the brand is a commodity, like Pepsi or Coke. But when the brand is an author, it can sometimes come off as an arrogant personal attack, and that is never pretty.
So should authors be allowed to express their opinions, no matter how critical? Absolutely, just as long as the author realizes those opinions are open to criticism as well.
I didn’t want to make it sound like I didn’t think there was value in reviewing or assessing other writers’ work. A new pair of eyes and perspective is never a bad thing! I’ve gotten wonderful help from other writers.
I never turn down a good insight. That “slap on the forehead” moment you get when another writer points out the obvious to you is priceless.
What I was trying to express is that this can be done in private and not wrapped up in a public review to another author.
My main feeling is that there should be some kind of unwritten “code” that you don’t diss another author’s work in public. You might object to my use of that word to describe the critique, but pointing out flaws in a storyline or giving an opinion of a writing style carries more weight when it comes from a fellow writer.
Unless it’s a gushing fan letter-type review – which is nice but maybe not always possible because the work might be something the writer/reviewer doesn’t care for – I would cringe with sympathetic emotions for that author whose book was being spotlighted.
I really believe this: that even if the review makes stunning commentary, lists transforming suggestions and results in a teaching tool the author will appreciate for future work, when it’s all coming from another author, I’d want to get that in private.
For what purpose would an author consider reviewing a book of another writer in public? If they have suggestions, they can write a private message and offer it. I’m speaking about the romance genre specifically.
I really respect writers, and if I saw a review one of my favorites wrote, it might actually sway me more than a reader’s review.
That’s a lot of power.
Recently, I read a little blurb in an interview Stephen King did for a Sunday paper where he was asked about the writing of J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Myers. If I can believe what I read, he praised Rowling’s writing and then stated publicly he didn’t think Stephenie was very good.
Not actually a review of a certain book, but a very provocative slam against a fellow writer.
I cringed when I read that, not because he isn’t entitled to his own opinion. Not because I don’t think he has the right to say what he thinks in print and public. No, it bothered me that he felt the need to say it at all.
It somehow breached that code I think should be there.
I hope I’m not coming off as rude. I’d never want to do that. This is just the way I feel.
You’re not coming off as rude, but I just can’t agree that a well-thought out, thoughtful review, even a negative one, is the same as dissing. Dissing is bashing-and I’d likely stop reading an author who got their thrills from flaming another author’s work.
The way I see it, the reviews aren’t written for writers. They are written for readers. So if an author has a blog where she regularly reviews books, likely she has people who look to her reviews and she tries to discuss them all fairly, the ones she likes AND the ones she dislikes. Even though authors can benefit from reviews, they really aren’t there for the author.
Ironically I’d rather get a well written negative review than a gushing fan type. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when people enjoy my writing. But I’m always wanting to improve, and I learn nothing from the gushing reviews. So speaking as a writer, the negative ones often have more technical value for me.
I think it depends on your readership. Among those I know, it’s akin to a couple of cynical females lurking in the corner of a party ridiculing the dress of a younger, prettier female dancing with the hottest guy there. Pathetic. I haven’t asked, but it seems we generally expect a show of mutual support and kindness. Leave the criticism to the readers.
And this is why I don’t mess with doing negative reviews-I know that’s going to be the knee-jerk reaction for some, no matter how well I tried to write the review, not matter what my reasons for not liking it.
I can hate a book, and not be jealous of an author, but too many times I have seen it when an author says something that isn’t even necessarily critical, it’s just not overly-glowing of a popular author, and that author all but gets strung over by some of the popular author’s fans. I’ve seen readers get torn into because they didn’t feel an author’s work was insulted when she got 4 stars, versus 5 stars.
Because of the flack that often happens, that’s why I don’t mess with it. If I was inclined to deal with the flack, I might be more open to discussing the books I didn’t like as well as those I did.
But my dislike of a book, or even ambiguity, has nothing to do with jealousy. I don’t want to be another author-I’m quite happy being me. While part of me does envy the success of some other authors, I’m also well aware of their workloads-for me to keep up with that workload, I’d have to make sacrifices that cut into family time, which isn’t going to happen.
Now, this comment isn’t anything regarding what kimber an said~it’s just a general observation. There’s some pervasive idea that if we (not necessarily talking authors, just females in general) don’t absolutely love and adore something, it’s some flaw on OUR part. It’s because we’re jealous, or we just love be catty, or other crap like that. Is that true for some? Of course.
However, there are plenty of cases where we just don’t like something for reasons of personal taste. Jealousy and other petty crap doesn’t even play into it.
Okay, this made me contemplate a slightly different take on this question: how do you define author/writer in relation to reviewers? After all, unless done orally, reviewing is a type of writing. Many reviews published in mainstream magazines and papers are paid work, thus making the writer a paid author even if that’s the only type of writing they do. Then witness the fact that lines are becoming blurred online: many bloggers are getting book deals. What about Sarah and Candy of Smart Bitches: now that they have a book out, is it unprofessional for them to continue reviewing? Does it only count as unprofessional if done by a fiction writer, and then what about all those writers who publish both fiction and non-fiction?
I used to write as a freelancer. It was more than five years ago, and some of it was fiction. I co-authored more than ten books. Is that enough to make it unprofessional for me to write reviews? If not, what is? I just don’t think things are as cut-and-dried as you’re portraying them to be. I don’t think there’s an easy line between reviewer and writer, and the definitions of writer and author are going to be different from person to person as well.
What about Lev Grossman? He’s the book critic at Time Magazine. He’s also a well-known author. Is he being unprofessional?
I think someone else nailed it when they said:
I don’t see nearly as many accusations of jealousy or pettiness toward authors who review/critique in industries where the authors aren’t predominantly female. I think a lot of it is, unfortunately, stereotype: most romance authors are women, and criticism coming from women still tends to be viewed with suspicion and called cattiness.
@RStewie:
Not one bit more, and the implication that there’s a host of writers who are half-assing it, who would sit up straight if Someone Important started reading their books makes me roll my eyes.
I love Kinsale and Nora and McKinley (assuming you mean Robin), but I don’t write to get the ego boost of having them gush about my craft. I write for readers. And if Nora or Laura Kinsale reads my book and loves it as a reader, that would give me a happy glowing feeling, but the same is true for Mary Noname off the street, who deserves the very, very best that I can muster. If I can make Mary grab her friends and say, “You must read this book!” I’m doing it right.
As for writers who are half-assing it (and I doubt there are as many of those as people think)… really, if you’re going to half-ass it for the people who pay your bills and keep you in laptops, why would you care about people who don’t?
Shiloh, ’tis true. There’s intention and there’s perception. For this reason, if I publish I can see no other recourse but to stop book reviewing. I’ll miss it, but I’ll have a whole new set of priorties. This is another good reason why it’s important for an author to really know her own readership. Regardless of intention, it’s a bad idea to annoy your readership. Sales are lost that way.
Courtney–couldn’t agree with you more.
It’s a hell of a lot more important what an editor says, as far as trying to craft the best book possible–than another writer.
Reader satisfaction, which certainly includes other writers, is always, always the goal. But no matter what the book, how much hard work and craft went into it, not every reader will be satisfied.
When you have so many reader blogs and sites that don’t want to post bad reviews or anything less any a fangrrl squeeee it isn’t hard to see why author wouldn’t want to post crit of other authors.
Since I am having trouble getting every other window to open I didn’t see the question or site that started the poll and wasn’t sure if you were talking about reviews or just comments in general. I would love to see more authors review and do it under their own names (although I understand y many don’t). At the same time I agree with Karen Templeton, I would take a rec from a reader over most authors.
If you aren’t taking reviews but just “criticizing another published authors work IN PUBLIC” without reading it and more along the lines of judgmental comments about the author, their publisher, if they are digital or print, general catty shit I would still say go for it. It isn’t for any one person or group of people to police anyone else and really what would we have to blog about?
But I did vote thinking you meant reviews before I noticed that ‘review’ was on where in the poll ::shrug:: go figure. Ten to one this post won’t even go through, I hate living in the sticks.