Blogs by Glenda A Bixler
Do we Want Only Good Reviews?
9/12/2008 2:53:20 PM
Can we as writers take the good and the bad? Or do we only want to hear good reviews? Can YOU give a bad review? Is it easy or hard for you? Do you care or dare to comment? A followup to my bad review...
The following message was sent to me by A/D author Linda Law. I think it is a valuable and honest response to my comments about not "liking" my bad review...(see yesterday's blog entry)
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I had to smile when I read your [blog entry] about the reviewer.. Don't you think it's refreshing though? Sometimes we just seem to encourage and support each other so much, that to "tell the truth" would seem so harsh.... which is why...and this is true...I'd rather NOT comment to something I just don't think is good...than write something untrue.... I hope that others do that with me...altho I suppose "everything" could be considered not so good...hehe...then I'd probably "cry"....from the neglect!!! This is why, however...we go to reviewers, editors, people who are trained to "review" our work.... because that is what they are paid to do... even when it's hard for us to digest...we know that we must...IF we want our work to be good...
You make a good point however...that sometimes...a reviewer isn't so good at his/her work..so how do we know? I tend to trust my own judgment in most cases...besides...it's not as if I'm getting rich or anything... it's doing what I love to do....and who knows...maybe God will send some miracle dust my way...and...someone will say...Wow...this is good...let's make sure everyone reads it!!! My fantasy and I'm stickin' with it.... :-))
Just wanted you to know... I liked that you wrote about it so honestly... nice... lindalaw
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A/D puts us right there on the spot with the way they have established the methodology for providing reviews and/or comments...it is all done in ONE process...In my opinion, this is NOT good.
Like Linda, I do not like to give bad reviews or comments, so lately I have tended to not write anything. At first I was writing what I honestly felt, but got a couple of "messages" from authors.
Now the key for me is that I'm not always "ON" as a writer or more importantly as a professional reviewer. Sometimes, I like or dislike a piece of work just because...
The software limitations here are not conducive to becoming just an average person with likes or dislikes...
_______
So I'm going to try something:
And I'm going to see what happens:
I'm going to start each of my thoughts on writings with
Comment:
or
Review:
The majority of time, especially for poetry, which started this latest blog entry, I'm going to voice my comments marked as such...for indeed, I don't feel myself qualified to review poetry, even if I like to try writing it some times.
When I do a review, it is normally in a specific format, at least a full+ page; however, if I feel inclined to provide a review for an article or short story, I'm going to use Review:
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Why this elaborate differentiation? Well, because I think there is a word--encouragement--that is just as important and perhaps even more beneficial than a review! Normally, my main goal in feedback is encouraging authors. I enjoy doing that and want to continue.
Reviewing versus commenting allows me to encourage the writer even though the words chosen, or the punctuation used are not exactly correct...
Thanks for the feedback Linda...I'm like you, I think that encouragement is the backbone for the future!
For those who are looking for a professional, check out their work...and/or credentials. If your book is nonfiction, especially, then the individual should be experienced or knowledgable to support you. We, at our site, have had to turn down some books because none or our reviewers felt qualified to provide the review...I believe that we are acting for the good of the author, even when we cannot provide the service he/she needs.
Until another day, God Bless
Comments (3)
More Blogs by Glenda A Bixler
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• Welcome My Friend Doug Boren - Saturday, January 3, 2009
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• Check out the Gray Fox! - Saturday, October 11, 2008
• Peer Critical Reviews - Friday, September 26, 2008
• Check It Out! - Saturday, September 20, 2008
• A/D's youngest author??? - Saturday, September 13, 2008
• Do we Want Only Good Reviews? - Friday, September 12, 2008
• The Reviewer Gets A Bad Review... - Thursday, September 11, 2008
• Honor Defended Coming Soon! - Tuesday, September 9, 2008
• Starting to Read a New Book - Monday, September 8, 2008
• A New Friend - Sunday, September 7, 2008
• Critiques - Tuesday, August 26, 2008
• Oh Boy... - Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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• Good Morning - Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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