I suppose a clarification is in order: It's (semi-)okay to read reviews on another author's blog. They're going to be nice and upbeat and positive--for the most part. Authors supporting authors and all that.
But Goodreads? Book bloggers? Shelfari? Amazon? The Reading Room?
Do not read those reviews. Not now. Not before the book comes out. Not after it comes out. Not ever.
Retweet them, sure. Read them, no.
I can hear some of you saying, "But Elana! It's so exciting to see my book on Goodreads! I have to check it!"
No, you don't.
Is it exciting? Heck to the yes!
Can it damage you, even before your book comes out? HECK TO THE YES.
You're better off not reading reviews. You can't change your book. (What? You're going to edit it after it's out? Do another revision pass because someone doesn't like your MC? No. Both of those are ridiculous. So...why are you reading reviews again?)
It does the author absolutely no good to read reviews of their book. Not even a little bit. Why? Quite simply it's because reviews are for READERS, not authors. Authors would be better off spending their time and energy on what matters: crafting that next novel.
This is what can happen to you:
 |
| Disclaimer: This is not me. My hair is much longer and darker than that. |
 |
| Disclaimer: No computers were harmed in the making of this blog post. But I did read a review back in March of 2011 (POSSESSION wasn't even out!) that convinced me that I should never read another review again. And I haven't. |
And then how are you going to write? I mean, seriously.
What do you think? Authors, do you read your reviews? Aspiring authors, are you planning on reading your reviews? I don't think you should...