Comments on: Writers as Readers… Or Worse (?) Fans

By: S.C. Butler

S.C. Butler — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:51:53 +0000

By all means, gush. Tell everyone you really, really loved a book. But another question you mention I find much harder: what to say when you’ve become friends with another writer and you really don’t like their books.

Lie.

By: Sarah Prineas

Sarah Prineas — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:27:40 +0000

When I love a book, I say so in as many places and to as many people as I can, and I’ve written fan emails, too.

As an author, though, I’ve realized recently that writing a negative review, or even a qualified positive one, might not be a good idea, so I’m going to keep my mouth shut about books that I can’t gush about.

By: Katherine Mankiller

Katherine Mankiller — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:32:05 +0000

I noticed something in my 20s. People say nice things behind other people’s backs. Seriously. I was at a party once with my friend Madeline, and she got up to go to the bathroom and everyone leaned together and started whispering, “She’s so beautiful!”

Why do people do that? Wouldn’t Madeline like to know that she’s beautiful? (It just so happens that when I noticed this, I asked Madeline, and yes, she’d love to hear that.)

Don’t say nice things behind people’s backs. Walk right up to them and say nice things to their faces. You’ll both be glad.

If you want to talk meaningfully about the problems, that’s something a little different, but in my opinion you have as much right to review something as anyone else. They may or may not want to get that in their face, though. You won’t know that unless you know them.

By: Constance

Constance — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:39:46 +0000

It’s one of life’s joys to tell a writer / artist that one truly enjoyed and admired her work, and why.

Elizabeth Hand is a good reviewer, methinks, and she writes the same sort of works she tends to review. Just a ‘for instance.’

Love, C.

By: Bran fan

Bran fan — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:17:55 +0000

The thing about writers is that we are very, very picky readers. Isn’t that the curse of our profession? The more we write, the less we like what we read.

So, if a writer likes something and recommends it, it means more. Any author who gives a shout-out on her blog about a novel she really likes usually has my full attention.

Thanks for your honesty about stuff, Lyda! I can relate to your past, when you said you could barely stand to go down the SF/F aisle at the bookstore. It’s not a good feeling and I hope I get over it soon.

By: Steven Schend

Steven Schend — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:25:37 +0000

Go ahead and share your enthusiasm, especially since you know how lonely and isolated that writer’s chair can get sometimes. I know I treasure any feedback that shows me someone went through the effort of actually reading what I’ve written and has an opinion (good or bad).

Steven
who’s got to get offline and get back to revising his 2nd novel for Wizards of the Coast…..

By: lyda morehouse

lyda morehouse — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:54:05 +0000

Yeah, okay, but what if your love *isn’t* unconditional. Do you write a review of a book by a fellow author that gushes but also talks meaningfully about the problems?

By: Jackie Kessler

Jackie Kessler — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:58:51 +0000

I absolutely tell the author. I email, or do it through MySpace, or do an interpretive dance and post it on my blog, but yes, absolutely, I let the author know. It makes me feel good when I get warm, fuzzy mail from readers; why wouldn’t other authors?

By: SMD

SMD — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:48:29 +0000

I don’t see there being any problem telling an author directly that you enjoyed their work. I’ve had two occasions where doing so resulted in getting a response of thanks. Tobias Buckell has actually stopped by my blog and left comments, which was really cool (since I look up to him for lack of a better phrase). I’m not a published author but I’ve put free stuff online and I know I have enjoyed it a lot when someone said they enjoyed the story. Maybe it gets annoying when you have millions of fans, but I can’t imagine it being a problem. What’s wrong with finding out people like your work?

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:09:26 +0000

A far thornier question is whether published authors make good reviewers

Leaving aside for a moment that awkward word, “good”, published authors are generally more credible as reviewers because there is an assumption that they know what they are talking about. These days anyone can write a review, and on Amazon anyone does. Being a published author helps shield your review from the common charge of it being “just someone’s opinion”.