Amazon Antics

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 12:30 am

[quote=""cw gortner""]I don't think it's very good form. I've had negative reviews on amazon for both my books, and while it does hurt, it's the way of the world. You roll with it; not everyone is going to love your work.[/quote]

Not everyone is going to like the same books. How many people have we heard complaining about Dickens, Bronte, Eliot, etal? That's life. Even when readers have similar tastes (like most of us on this board) sometimes one person's cup of tea isn't going to float the other's boat. I know everyone on the old board was going gaga over Mistress of the Sun but for me it made the list. Perhaps it was because I've read Dumas' take on Louise, who knows? That's just life. I'm sure it's hard on an author and their "baby" but still.

In case anyone missed it the first time around, an interesting thread on Dear Author wherein an author most definitely put her foot in her mouth.

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 1:00 am

[quote=""Misfit""]In case anyone missed it the first time around, an interesting thread on Dear Author wherein an author mose definitely put her foot in her mouth.[/quote]

That definitely was one of the hoots of the summer. A counterproductive one, too; I would have probably bought the book in question were it not for the author's 'tude.

nona · Post by **nona** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 1:39 am

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]That definitely was one of the hoots of the summer. A counterproductive one, too; I would have probably bought the book in question were it not for the author's 'tude.[/quote]

I liked #7, lol.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 1:54 am

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]That definitely was one of the hoots of the summer. A counterproductive one, too; I would have probably bought the book in question were it not for the author's 'tude.[/quote]

I think I frittered away my entire 4th of July weekend on that one

. Having a "Harriet" review on the same item with the Harriet watchers didn't help much. I can't recall the time I've had so much fun

cw gortner · Post by **cw gortner** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 3:13 am

I remember this Carroll fiasco. I remember I wanted to write to Ms Carroll and say, "Please. Stop. Now."

I actually have a devoted fan on amazon.com who went after someone who reviewed my first published version of The Last Queen; the reader basically posted that the book was terrible. My fan added a comment to his review the effect that he was rude and before you knew it, they were at each other's throats. Another reader jumped in to ask my fan if she was "my mother" or "was being paid" to defend me, so I wrote at once to the fan via her profile and asked her to stop. She wrote back to me that this particular reader was actually a thwarted would-be author who was going about trashing other people's books, but she deleted her posts as a favor to me, and that was that. (His comments, alas, remain.)

The haranguing was bad enough, but it was the sheer speed of it that disturbed me. Within a few posts, insults started to fly.

Who wants that kind of e-trail attached to their book on amazon? There are all sorts of readers, and frankly while a little controversy always piques interest, a full-on diatribe between authors / readers is bound to look ugly.

What always fascinates me is how seriously some of these amazon posters take it all. I mean, I'm as passionate as the next person about books but honestly, it's not as if we're talking about a cure for cancer. Reviews are one person's opinion: that's it. Unless the NY Times is telling you to go back to selling shoes, getting bent out of shape really does you, the author, no good.

Leyland · Post by **Leyland** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 1:20 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]The haranguing was bad enough, but it was the sheer speed of it that disturbed me. Within a few posts, insults started to fly.

Who wants that kind of e-trail attached to their book on amazon? There are all sorts of readers, and frankly while a little controversy always piques interest, a full-on diatribe between authors / readers is bound to look ugly.

What always fascinates me is how seriously some of these amazon posters take it all. I mean, I'm as passionate as the next person about books but honestly, it's not as if we're talking about a cure for cancer.[/quote]

I hear ya! The speed and intensity of insults bothers me as well. I begin to wonder if it these folks enjoy it as a game and a challenge along the lines of a volleyball game from hell, instead of simply stating a considered opinion and receiving civil responses in kind. The ugly volleying in some of these diatribes CW mentions makes me stay out of the fray and keep my opinions to myself, because permanent e-trails are indeed created. There's no book burning in the cyber world! I'm also very passionate about reading novels and love the escape they offer me personally, but yes, there are so many more issues to get fired up about than those on Amazon.

Regarding PG, I've not read much of her work since she lost me as a reader after the first two Wideacre books. I just can't get into her use of incest themes as parts of twisted power games. I've not read any new PG novels, but respect her ability to write popular stories. I doubt I'll ever want to read The Other Queen, and reading 'fair and balanced' reviews help me to reinforce my choice.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 1:45 pm

and reading 'fair and balanced' reviews help me to reinforce my choice.

That's the key right there, just don't go gaga over all the glowing gushing five star ones. After reading TOBG several years ago (and yes that was one of the books that got me hooked on HF thank you for that PG), I was hot to read all of her books and had planned on the Wideacre books as well. Then I started taking a closer look at the one and two star reviews and realized those books were full of incest. I quickly lost interest in that. Wish I'd been that smart and read the one and two star reviews on Pillars of the Earth. Oh well, if it hadn't been for that I probably never would have been inspired to make the list.

What always fascinates me is how seriously some of these amazon posters take it all

Isn't that the truth. I just got slapped on Amazon UK by someone who didn't care for my savaging a favorte Woodiwiss book of hers. And I like Woodiwiss when I'm in the mood for romance - just didn't like that one (I fear EC's book have spoiled me for medievals). Called my review pithy

Ash and I have gotten a few zingers on our one star reviews of Pillars as well, but I've seen much worse, I still thing Deb Mac tops them all though, with Victoria Laurie a close second.

I'm sure it's tempting to vent one's frustrations at another but in this day of screen shots, blog land and discussion boards its just not a good idea you lose more readers than you might gain. Besides, just because I pick up someone's book today and can't get into doesn't mean I might not love it to death a month or two or a year from now. Moods change and reading slumps do happen. I love Bronte to death but it took me forever to get through Shirley and I put it down many times in favor of another book. Couldn't even bother myself to write a review, good or bad.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 2:12 pm

Well, thanks to XXXXXX our PI , we now have her name, her husbands
name, her chidrens names, her grannies and great grannies name. Her
address phone number and email
lolquite interesting.

Oh My Gawd. This is beyond appalling, its criminal. I don't read romances so I won't have the opportunity to not buy her books, but I sure as hell will remember her name if anyone mentions her.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 2:26 pm

Oh My Gawd. This is beyond appalling, its criminal. I don't read romances so I won't have the opportunity to not buy her books, but I sure as hell will remember her name if anyone mentions her.

I have to say that popping into the romance forums on Amazon is quite enlightening at times. They're always on top of this stuff before anyone else. You do have to sort through some of the chaff though - beware the threads about sex scenes on a horse (not making that one up, ask BB)

Ah, I wondered when that was going to happen. New thread.

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Sat October 18th, 2008, 2:33 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]I have to say that popping into the romance forums on Amazon is quite enlightening at times. They're always on top of this stuff before anyone else. You do have to sort through some of the chaff though - beware the threads about sex scenes on a horse (not making that one up, ask BB)

[/quote]

I had known that there were different styles of riding horses, but I didn't realize they got that specialized.