THE Group for Authors! discussion

Hi All,
Curious about the impact of a review where it is listed as a friend.

When someone reviews my book it sometimes leads to email contacts and conversations and then I sometimes friend them (or they me). This changes the review on GR from an impartial review from a stranger to a review from a friend which I would think would lessen the impact of the review for future browsers.

At the same time having lots of friends is a good thing for networking and helps our reader audience to connect with us in a stronger way.

Not sure which side of this coin leads to increased sales and -gasp- exposure. Any experience out there?
Jim

I do add reviewers and beta readers because it's easier. It's is also polite since they have taken the time to read your book. I do not think it looks like you are buying reviews.

I agree with Kathryn although I understand James' hesitation. I think it comes down to the fact that Goodreads is so very new and that the climate on Goodreads (the community standards) has yet to be fixed. There are trends for softball reviews (like at Netflix.com, for the most part), and there are also trends for thoughtful appraisals which would not look out of place in a print magazine (like Amazon.com, on a good day).

Time will tell which trend will win out.

I think it's ok to friend them. I agree with James and Kathryn. I do ask for honest reviews, friend or not. If the reviewer is a close friend, they may feel required to post an excellent review, but hopefully they'll be honest. A reviewer who posts all 5 stars wouldn't hold much credibility.

I think it really comes down to the review itself, as D.M. puts it. ;)

I do give honest reviews now ( I did a few earlier on that did not deserve the high review and I felt I sold my soul ) I don't tear a book apart because I know how hard it is to create something. And I am happy to review all books, I love all types of fiction.

I think it also depends on a reviewer's credibility. S/he has earned some reputation, and if it is strong, people would believe a good review even of a "friend's" book. I always compare reviews and a sample (if available) and apply common sense. We also have developed, by certain age, a sense of credibility/persuasiveness of any evaluation. How likely is it true? Are there some examples, or surprising details to support a point? A review can be bogus even not for a friend; someone just is too polite, too timid, or has low standards. So, for me a 'friend's' review is not a dealbreaker.

I've never asked anyone even a known reviewer (friends or clients) to give me a good review. I've always accepted what was said about the books. There are those who have reviewed my books and requested a friend or fan, I accept. There are those who have struck up a conversation via email. Some I thank and don't encourage while others we have found common interests like books to share and stay in touch on occasion. If two people 'hit if off' friending them is fine, even if they've reviewed your book. Amen.

I review friends' books, but the reviews are always honest. If I don't like a book, I don't review it.

I review people's books all the time, even authors I've made friends with and I will always post honest reviews on my blog, if I don't like the book I will say so and I will give reasons why I didn't like it too! Even if the author was my bestfriend, I believe constructive criticism is good, how will authors progress and improve if their friends tell them their book was amazing when there were obvious flaws?

If you review books for friends and just constantly say they're good even when you didn't like them, then you're not really helping them are you?

Check out my blog to see what I mean -
http://originalbooker.blogspot.co.uk/

Lorna wrote: "I review friends' books, but the reviews are always honest. If I don't like a book, I don't review it."

Lorna, I think the same way. I read constantly, sometimes more than one book at a time, and if I don't like it, I leave it aside. It is a rarity I give a review on a book I didn't like. Don't have the time - on to a book I found of interest and/or enjoyed.

I never ask a friend for a review, but I usually add a reviewer to my friends list if they request it. This policy is supposed to ensure fairness, but the review-then-friend sequence is not immediately apparent. I had one reviewer express outrage at my lack of integrity, accusing me of sandbagging my reviews by having so many friends write glowingly about my work. Such are the dangers we face daily. Could be worse. I might have been a test pilot or a Roto-Rooter field technician. At least I don't go down in flames or smell bad. I think.

Another reason to friend them is that some people have their settings so that they only accept messages from friends on GR. If you are trying to get an email address to which to send a copy of the book to be reviewed, you may have to friend them for initial conversation.

Kathryn wrote: "I do give honest reviews now ( I did a few earlier on that did not deserve the high review and I felt I sold my soul ) I don't tear a book apart because I know how hard it is to create something. ..."

I totally agree with you. I cannot think of a single good reason to trash a work of fiction, so if I don't like a book I just don't review it. I have different standards for non-fiction--if people get something wrong, or I disagree with their POV, I say so. But for fiction you are right, it takes blood sweat and tears, so why bang someone on the head?

I read and review friends' books if they seem interesting to me. I don't like it when authors friend me just to get me to read their book, especially if their answer to my challenge question is self-promotional.

I've had some of my reviewers add me. I'm always flattered and almost always accept, regardless of whether they wrote a positive or negative review. I usually wait for them to make the first move, though, because I don't want to seem predatory, stalkery, or self-promotional. :)

I've had a couple books that I was very disappointed with after reading, for various reasons. Usually, they weren't professionally edited and it showed. Rather than leaving a bad review, I contact the author via email and let them know why I am not posting a review and areas that should/could be improved. As an author myself, if I don't know what people didn't like about the book, how will I know what to work on? As fellow authors, I would hope we would all extend that courtesy to each other.

I've had reviewers send me friend requests after reviewing my work, but since people rarely check when someone became a friend, befriending my reviewers makes it seem like friends are reviewing me, while it's the other way around.

I post negative reviews because it seems disingenuous to hide a negative review simply because it might hurt the author's feelings to have it made public. If prospective readers see a book with all positive ratings, their expectations will be higher - and if it really is a bad book, the book and the author will ultimately suffer for it.