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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this author is unreasonable?

87 replies

shumway · 13/10/2018 09:55

I have been using the Goodreads website since 2008 with no problems and have rated 1282 books in that time. I use it mostly as I like to keep a record of what I have read. I use the star rating system so 1 means did not like it, 2 stars means it was ok, 3 I liked it, 4 really liked it, 5 stars it was amazing. Obviously it's down to personal taste and I probably rate most books as 2 or 3 stars with some 4 stars and an occasional 1 or 5.
I have received a message from an author of a book I rated recently that says "You have given my book a 2 star review. TAKE YOUR REVIEW DOWN NOW. You have no idea what this does to published authors."

OP posts:

AtrociousCircumstance · 13/10/2018 10:16

The OP has complete freedom to review the books she likes/doesn’t like and to say it’s unkind is a bit ridiculous.

When you create anything you have to learn to accept that someone people will love what you do and some won’t.

You can’t angrily control others because you think your feelings are more important than someone’s else’s truth.

Dancer12345 · 13/10/2018 10:17

I think those ratings are set by Goodreads though, rather than being OP’s interpretation.

userabcname · 13/10/2018 10:19

Lol! How stupid. Book reviews are subjective - it's not like tripadvisor where there are actual problems and warning signs people take heed of. I hated The Hobbit and gave it 2 stars; clearly, I'm in the minority here but I'm entitled to my opinion. What was the book? The author sounds ridiculous.

Original poster

shumway · 13/10/2018 10:19

Yes they are Goodreads ratings sytem not my own.

OP posts:

YeOldeTrout · 13/10/2018 10:21

right you are, Shumway. I won't waste time finishing bad books so if you even finished it the author should be pleased.

5foot5 · 13/10/2018 10:22

You have described how you interpret the star ratings, but is that how the site define them? Do they have a definition or any guidelines for their star system?

Like some others up thread I would interpret 2 star as very poor not just OK. If they have a definition somewhere of their star rating and you are just ignoring it and using your own then YAB a bit U.

Mind you I think the author was being a CF to demand you remove the review

ShovingLeopard · 13/10/2018 10:28

Atrocious I agree with what you say about authors being prepared for bad reviews, and to approach OP in the way the author did is appalling. I still, personally, wouldn't feel comfortable dishing out stinking reviews willy nilly. It does feel unkind to me. I may be off beam, as reading between the lines, but OP sounds like she hasn't really thought about (doesn't care about?) the person on the other end of the comments/stars. I would personally feel very mean giving 1 or 2 stars, and wouldn't do it. It's a personal thing, though.

I also agree that OP's rating system does not tally with how most people would interpret it. Oldtrout's system is much better aligned with how rating systems generally work.

Cachailleacha · 13/10/2018 10:28

I would see three stars as ok. If a book is worth finishing then it deserves at least three stars in my opinion.

SpoonBlender · 13/10/2018 10:32

The author has been a dick. Don't change your score.

That said, since they get aggregate scores and their livelihood (and mental state!) may be dependent on high scores so they bubble to the top of searches, you can understand where they're coming from.

That doesn't change the fact that the Goodreads standard is 2 stars for "it was ok", and that the author guidelines at www.goodreads.com/author/guidelines say "Don't engage with people who negatively rate or review your books. We cannot stress this enough." If you mail back, just send a link to that page.

Redken24 · 13/10/2018 10:33

Some books are bad though - and if you have rated a lot of books that I would like to read then would probably take that advice. Leave the star.

WasabiSpring · 13/10/2018 10:34

But what about readers who spend money on books, sometimes based on reviews. This drives me nuts as I'm a huge bookworm and I don't feel I can trust most review sites any longer. They all seem to be filled with reviews that don't reflect a wide range of opinions and places like GoodReads are often made up of groups of 'book bloggers' who get free books for their reviews and run in small cliques. You only seem to get a decent range if there are thousands of reviews.

It irks me no end to read 10 or so shining five-star reviews, spend my money and it's clearly mediocre at the very best. Personally, I'd rather an author was more concerned about WHY they got a 2-star review rather than what it might do to their sales/reputation.

eggstoast · 13/10/2018 10:36

I’d say 3 being in the middle was average, or ok. 2 indicate below average.
Whenever I see low ratings that go against the grain, I will look at that reviewer and the kind of feedback they usually leave to gauge if it’s the product or reviewer. If the site permits and form my opinion based on that.
The author is out of line and needs to understand that not everyone will love their work.

RustyBear · 13/10/2018 10:36

From the Goodreads website help page, in the ‘Authors’ section.

Please flag reviews rather than responding directly to them. Should you respond to a negative review in a manner that is harassing, intimidating, or otherwise insulting to the reviewer, your account may come under review for deletion.

HollowTalk · 13/10/2018 10:37

I'm a writer and have had my fair share of reviews on Goodreads. Another writer (from MN) said on Twitter "Goodreads is the place where writers' egos go to die" - I agree with that!

A two star review means that someone really didn't like the book. A three star is "meh" and a four star is usually they really like it but there was something they didn't like.

It can be soul destroying getting a bad review. If that author had only had a few reviews and they were all five star (probably her friends, to be honest) then your two star review would have been like a kick in the stomach. She really shouldn't have complained to you, though.

It's a bit like MN - once one person says something nasty, there's a pile in. Once someone gives a bad review, others tend to follow.

I wouldn't respond. She'll be regretting saying anything.

Juells · 13/10/2018 10:37

I used to be pretty harsh on Goodreads, but nowadays if I don't like a book I don't rate it. If someone has only a few ratings, when you give a one- or two-star it impacts badly on the overall rating, brings it down. I rarely buy a book that has a rating under 3.5 stars.

For an author to respond to your rating so quickly, he/she must have only a few reviews. Was it a self-published book?

Juells · 13/10/2018 10:39

Cross posted with HollowTalk, but saying much the same thing

PattiStanger · 13/10/2018 10:41

Book reviews are so subjective as everyone's taste is different.

As an author you've got to accept that not everyone will like your work and suck it up.

Tbh though I'd think a 2 was less than OK but if that's the system for the site you are perfectly entitled to give that rating.

As a reader one poor review isn't going to put me off, maybe the author was having a bad day.

HollowTalk · 13/10/2018 10:45

I always read the bad reviews if I'm going to buy a book - if they seem unfair, I take no notice of them. A few one star reviews massively drag down the ratings. I love Marian Keyes' books but she still gets tons of low reviews.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 13/10/2018 10:47

I agree that you shouldn't respond with anything other than a link to the guidelines.

It's very silly for the author to have responded like that.

It doesn't matter if it's the best book in the world - if it doesn't appeal to the reviewer, they're going to give it a mediocre score at best.

That author needs to grow a thicker skin.

WasabiSpring · 13/10/2018 10:49

But it's so irritating when you get sucked in by glowing reviews - and it's not just places like Goodreads that are guilty of this. I find often many reviews from newspapers or journalists tout 'the hottest most unique new thing' and I get excited - only to realise it was 'meh' and the brand new author in question has been a journo or other media type for many years and is clearly known on a personal / professional level to these reviewers.

I've been suckered in several times now, to the point where I actually check out the author bio first now and if they are a first time author but a long time journo or similar and the reviews are claiming they are basically the next Dickens I walk swiftly the other way as I know I'll be disappointed.

problembottom · 13/10/2018 10:50

I'd report this as the author shouldn't be trying to intimidate people into trying to take their reviews down. Would love to know if the other reviewers are their mates.

TheHatOfDoom · 13/10/2018 10:54

Is a selfpublished author by any chance? I got sent some books to review and the self published authors were the worst to work with.

donquixotedelamancha · 13/10/2018 10:57

Personally, if I felt I couldn't rate a book as 3 or higher, I just wouldn't leave a review for that particular book.

This is why crowdsourced ratings are not as effective as they should be. Most people seem to obsessively want to be nice and positive in a situation where the better outcome for everyone is to be fair and accurate.

If you go on tripadvisor you will see loads of profiles who only give 4-5 stars, often to hotels/restaurants that no one would reasonably say were amazing. Using 5 stars just to mean 'pretty good' devalues the whole system.

problembottom · 13/10/2018 10:58

I agree with you WasabiSpring, sometimes I pay to download a book based on reviews and it's a load of dross. Very few authors are five star writers and even those that are wildly popular have people who don't enjoy their books. It's fairer to potential readers to be honest when reviewing.

cdtaylornats · 13/10/2018 11:05

The OP has described the standard meanings for the star ratings as published on Goodreads.

Thisreallyisafarce On Goodreads there is a "correct" scale - they define it.

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