M.K. Williams | Authors Trashing Authors | Bad Behavior and Mean Book Reviews @1MKWilliams | Uploaded March 2024 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
I want to preface this with saying that I have not received any bad reviews lately. I’m not making this video out of spite or anger.
So I have a snarky roll with the punches view of the negative reviews I've received to date. Because they’re going to happen. My books aren’t for everyone and I don’t like every book I read.
As authors, we are so lucky to be able to self-publish or traditionally publish our books, and then people read them! What!? Awesome.
And so many of us know we need a platform, we need people to listen to us about a topic so when we release a book that fits that audience they’ll want to read it. It’s the business side of being an author. So as an author we can talk about our lives and inspiration and being an author which existing fans may be interested in, we can give advice to other authors and grow a strong author network, or we can talk about books and connect with other readers. All great writers need to be great readers and if you connect with readers who like the genre of book you talk about and hey its the genre your book is in, that’s a built in audience you can really enjoy connecting with and who will hopefully, buy and read your book.
I’ve seen authors find success with any of these paths.
What I have started to see though, is aspiring authors starting to make their channel about reviewing books. They are working on their manuscript, and don’t have a social presence, so to build one they start talking about the books they are reading and their thoughts. On its face, there is nothing wrong with this. If they loved XYZ book and are writing in that genre and you loved XYZ book, maybe you’ll like this new author’s book too.
The problem, I think, comes when these authors trash other books. Now the review is always for the reader and other readers. It's never for the author. Authors get good reviews, they get bad reviews, and reviews happen. Everyone has an opinion. What I think is a bad look, for someone new to the author community, is when they keep posting negative reviews. Online, negative posts get more attention. Headlines like “I hated this book!” or “Why no one should read this book!” get more clicks and engagement than “Best book ever!” Especially if the book in question is a big hit, popular book. Giving a ‘hot take’ on the best seller of the season is ‘trash’ is rewarded.
I do believe in Karma. And I think that yes, reviews help other readers, but you can phrase your less-than-positive review in a way that helps other readers. “This book used this trope, I didn’t realize it and that's not a trope that I enjoy. If you like this trope, maybe this book is for you.”
As authors, we know the power of words. We know it is a bad look if we are trashing fellow authors' books. To the point there was recently a scandal with a debut author creating fake accounts to review bomb fellow debut authors (who were also writers of color) and clearly, she knew to not use her personal account to do this. She knew it was the wrong thing to do.
In general, my philosophy is if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it. Think about how you want people to review your books. Do that. I try to be nice. Do I still get mean reviews? Yeah. But in general, don’t be a jerk to your fellow authors.
Okay, those are my thoughts. I can’t wait to see the comment section of this video….
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DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you, but it can help me continue to create and put out more content. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
I want to preface this with saying that I have not received any bad reviews lately. I’m not making this video out of spite or anger.
So I have a snarky roll with the punches view of the negative reviews I've received to date. Because they’re going to happen. My books aren’t for everyone and I don’t like every book I read.
As authors, we are so lucky to be able to self-publish or traditionally publish our books, and then people read them! What!? Awesome.
And so many of us know we need a platform, we need people to listen to us about a topic so when we release a book that fits that audience they’ll want to read it. It’s the business side of being an author. So as an author we can talk about our lives and inspiration and being an author which existing fans may be interested in, we can give advice to other authors and grow a strong author network, or we can talk about books and connect with other readers. All great writers need to be great readers and if you connect with readers who like the genre of book you talk about and hey its the genre your book is in, that’s a built in audience you can really enjoy connecting with and who will hopefully, buy and read your book.
I’ve seen authors find success with any of these paths.
What I have started to see though, is aspiring authors starting to make their channel about reviewing books. They are working on their manuscript, and don’t have a social presence, so to build one they start talking about the books they are reading and their thoughts. On its face, there is nothing wrong with this. If they loved XYZ book and are writing in that genre and you loved XYZ book, maybe you’ll like this new author’s book too.
The problem, I think, comes when these authors trash other books. Now the review is always for the reader and other readers. It's never for the author. Authors get good reviews, they get bad reviews, and reviews happen. Everyone has an opinion. What I think is a bad look, for someone new to the author community, is when they keep posting negative reviews. Online, negative posts get more attention. Headlines like “I hated this book!” or “Why no one should read this book!” get more clicks and engagement than “Best book ever!” Especially if the book in question is a big hit, popular book. Giving a ‘hot take’ on the best seller of the season is ‘trash’ is rewarded.
I do believe in Karma. And I think that yes, reviews help other readers, but you can phrase your less-than-positive review in a way that helps other readers. “This book used this trope, I didn’t realize it and that's not a trope that I enjoy. If you like this trope, maybe this book is for you.”
As authors, we know the power of words. We know it is a bad look if we are trashing fellow authors' books. To the point there was recently a scandal with a debut author creating fake accounts to review bomb fellow debut authors (who were also writers of color) and clearly, she knew to not use her personal account to do this. She knew it was the wrong thing to do.
In general, my philosophy is if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it. Think about how you want people to review your books. Do that. I try to be nice. Do I still get mean reviews? Yeah. But in general, don’t be a jerk to your fellow authors.
Okay, those are my thoughts. I can’t wait to see the comment section of this video….
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCjvBO4kjuBSYe6Bi3RYQAQA/join
Music from: Wondershare Filmora Sounds: "Something Cheer You Up"
Stock video and images from Wondershare Filmora and Pexels
How You Can Support This Channel and My Work:
👍Like, Subscribe, and Comment on this video!
✉️Subscribe to my monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/52c7cd246b5b/authoryourambition
➕Follow me on my other channels: FB | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
facebook.com/1mkwilliams
twitter.com/1mkwilliams
instagram.com/1mkwilliams
goodreads.com/author/show/14420756.M_K_Williams
☕️Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/1mkwilliams
📚Check out my books and purchase them or request them at your library: 1mkwilliams.com or payhip.com/MKWilliamsPublishingLLC
Author Your Ambition Merch on Etsy:
📖etsy.com/shop/AuthorYourAmbition
Partnership Opportunities:
Interested in working together to collaborate on an upcoming video? Let's connect: authoryourambition.com/partnership-opportunities
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you, but it can help me continue to create and put out more content. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
