This week I has something really cool happen with an author and it got me to thinking. I remember when I first started reading if you wanted to send a letter to the author you had to send it to the publisher who then would read it and maybe pass it along to the author. Now however almost every author has their own website, with a blog, an email, facebook and twitter, making connecting with the author that much easier.
We then spend copious amounts of time stalking them or their characters, and they let us. They want to know what we are thinking about them and their books.
But can this be difficult? Say one of these authors that you are friends with on FB and twitter and chat with all the time writes a book that no matter how hard you try you just can’t read it, and in fact hate it. Do you tell them the truth or do you lie and say that you liked it?
Because I am in that kind of mood one lucky commenter will get a package from me of yep you guessed it books.
A nice post, and one I’m sure should interest all authors. As an author myself I thrive on feedback–good and bad. Constructive criticism only helps me get better. As a reader if I can’t read a book because of typos or formatting I will definitely email the author. However, if a book is well formatted and well written and is just not my “cup of tea” then I don’t tell the author that I didn’t like their book. I also don’t review any book that I didn’t read in its entirety and I’m honest on my reviews. Which means, of course, if I don’t like a book I’m never going to review it because I’m never going to finish reading it.
Authors need feedback. The good to let us know what we’re doing right and the bad to help us improve our products.
Thank you for posting this. I hope you get more answers from both readers and authors.
Linda
I only tell the author when I liked a book. If I didn’t like it, I’m not going to say a thing. Why is that, I’m just thinking myself? I have no idea. Maybe I feel kind of guilty that it was only me, especially when a lot of people liked it and there was a huge hype about it or I let it pass and hope the next one is more my cup of tea? I hope this makes some sense! 🙂
I really like that authors are nowadays so easy to reach and that we as readers can connect and interchange with them so easily. However, sometimes I think less is more. When an author is on all the above mentioned sites, I sometimes wonder, if she does have time to write as well. Of course, I’m thinking purely selfish here, because I want her to deliver the books more quickly. 🙂
I don’t really chat with authors, I once had a comment on a review I wrote and I was totally awed with that. But I am honest in my review, and would also say why I don’t like the book. But indeed, if I am reading and hating the book, I would not finish it. Perhaps try again some months later, but also not writing a review about it.
For instance, I love Lisa Kleypas, but I totally disliked her first contemporary romance. I missed the humor, and everything I like about her writing style. So, still reading the historicals the week I get them, but not the contemporaries.
If an author really wants to know what I like or dislike about a book, I would be honest about it, and hope the next book will be better because of it.
I would be factual, explaine what the book is about, and explaine what you didnt like about the book, thats life , some we like some we dont. Or just dont write a review at all ,if you want to spare their feelings.
I only write to the author if I liked their book and let them know how much I enjoyed it. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter, so I’m not in constant touch with them. If I really had an issue with the book, I might write and let them know that book wasn’t to my taste.
Thanks everyone for your comments. It is really interesting how we each view our authors and the books that we read.
It does depend on why I did not like the book. Was it a bad story, poorly written or just not what I was expecting? I would probably lean more toward not saying anything if I didnt like it. If I had to review it or say something, I would try not to be insulting. But I would never say I liked it if I didnt. I would just try for a degree of diplomacy.