Does There Come a Time when the Author Who Still Reviews Should be Muzzled?

I’m about to bring up a topic that will most likely have varying opinions. It’s regarding authors who review or rather bloggers turned authors who still review. As you all know, I’m one of them. I’m straddling both sides of the fence, trying to keep a happy medium. There are a few like me who are doing this. In my case, many will mention my author name- KT Grant, but also my on-line blogging handle- Katiebabs. I’ve become KT Grant/Katiebabs. I also have a few multiple personalities on-line. When I channel myself as KT Grant, I do try to act more professional. As Katiebabs I’m a bit loopy, fun loving and outspoken. I also take on another role as Mho Fho for giggles.

Lately there has been much discussion on whether an author who is still a book review blogger should still review an author’s work or be vocal about it on other forums book. Now I’m not talking about big name authors who seem to be exempt from this rule. It’s open season regarding them- James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, Stephen King, etc… because regardless if you hate their books with a passion and are vocal about it, they’re bound to sell a ton of books because they have reached the heights of literary greatness. What I’m talking about is reviewing a fellow colleague’s book, say an author in the genre you write for, a mid-list author, a debt author or perhaps an epublished author. Talking about a colleague’s book is great, because you’re getting their name out there. But what if you’ve read a book from them and you didn’t like it? Do you admit that you didn’t and explain why in a review, knowing there may be some backlash in regards to this? “Burning bridges” is mentioned along with if, you send your manuscript to an agent, and that same agent has an author as a client, where you bashed their work in public, they may pass on your book because of it. Or if you’re a newbie author who still reviews, and posts honest reviews and you need an author blurb, what do you do if you want a blurb from an author, whose book you admitted was horrible?

I’ve been thinking about this long and hard. I’ve always been proud that I’m honest and feel that when I post a review here, I try my best to give an unbiased opinion and remain professional as much as I can. I always try to post the pros and cons for each book I review, even those books that I may have not liked. I don’t think I need to muzzle myself yet, but I have taken into consideration about the books I decide to review. I’ll be honest, if I read a debut author’s book and don’t like it, I will either not review it or perhaps try to be kinder in my review, unless something in the book really angered or frustrated me. I also find if I’m friendly with some authors, I take into consideration that what I may say on here could hurt them and ruin our relationship.

Last week, Jenre, who has the blog, Well Read, asked if reviewers should be friends with authors? In her post she brings up how she is close with a few authors who write for the M/M genre (Jenre mainly reviews M/M romance). One section of her post really touched home for me:

“One very popular author sent me their books regularly for review but stopped abruptly when I gave a lukewarm review to one of them - not a bad review, just one which didn't gush and fawn over the book because there were some things in the book that I didn't think worked too well. Up to that point I had had a friendly relationship with this author, had exchanged emails regularly and counted them as a couple of steps up from acquaintance and into friendship. Obviously I was kidding myself because this author has not emailed me since that review, nor sent me any more books and have even removed me from their Good Reads friends list. They joined Twitter not so long ago and 'followed' nearly all my twitter friends. Except me.”

Like Jenre, I’m close with some of authors who send me their work to review. Every time they do this, I sweat because I’m so afraid that I may not like what I read. The question then is whether or not I should review their work. And if I review their work and give it a less than stellar review, would they blackball me from their lives? Well, it has happened to me, much like it has happened to Jenre. There has been a few times where I became friendly with authors over the past few years, where we exchanged emails back and forth, joke around, etc… but then at one point those emails stopped. A few joined Twitter and didn’t follow me there, or if I leave them a tweet, it has been ignored. I’ve gone to a few conferences where the authors I think I’m cool with since we have a great on-line relationship, act very different when we meet in person. I then think, did I say something to make them simply smile, say hello and leave it at that and not talk to me for the rest of the time?

Obsessing about this and why someone may stop emailing me or when they meet me and then turn away, never to speak to me again is really not healthy, because honestly, I have so many other more important things going on in my life. Those people, who I once have been friendly with and now ignore me in person or on-line seems really silly when it comes to the bigger picture.

Now as an author I try not to obsess too much about such important things as the amount of sales I’ll have in one month or reviews. I think I have a good head on my shoulders when it comes to bad reviews because the amount of years I’ve been reviewing and still as reviewer myself.

One such obsession an author may have, or so it seems to me, are blurbs from authors. I’d love to see a scientific poll done where it’s proven that a reader will pick up a book based on an author blurb. I have never bought a book based on an author’s blurb on a book. The reason I pick books to read is because of the appealing cover (I admit I’m shallow like that) and a well written synopsis that grabs my attention.
I don’t put much stock in author blurbs. I was so very confused by a YA book I read that has a blurb from a non-fiction author who also reviews books on their blog and never has reviewed a YA that I can think of. Why would she blurb a Paranormal YA book then? The same case is a blurb from a very popular paranormal romance author on a contemporary romance book. Why would a paranormal romance author blurb for an entirely different genre? If your fan base is full of paranormal fans, what’s the likelihood they will read this contemporary romance just because the paranormal romance author blurbed it?

Author blurbs are a funny thing. And this was even brought more into the light by Becca Fitzpatrick, who wrote the very popular YA book- Hush, Hush. She posted on Goodreads about her experience with giving a blurb to a soon-to-be published author who:

“didn't limit her somewhat rantish reviews to HUSH, HUSH. She'd made quite a habit of belittling authors' books along the way, and I suppose it comes to no surprise that, as far as I know, she was never able to find an author to blurb her book. This isn't to say an aspiring author can't be honest when writing reviews, but if your goal is to be published, it might serve you well to drop the books you don't love, and talk up the ones you do. You don't have to love every book, every time. But I think a bit of courtesy in saying, “This wasn't for me, and here's why,” says volumes about you as a reviewer and a person. No one wants to start their career surrounded by nothing but a lot of burned bridges.”

Becca does have a valid point because the publishing industry is very small and at one point you may meet those authors that you may have stated in a public forum that their book didn’t work for you. Will you have burned a bridge? Most likely, but then again if you are looking for a blurb, why would you want a blurb from an author’s book you may have not liked? I reviewed Hush, Hush, counted it as my worst read of 2009 and would never, ever recommend it to any readers that I know. So if and when I publish a YA, I sure as won’t want Becca to blurb my book, and I wouldn’t expect her to. Why would I want a blurb from an author whose work I don’t like? That would be undermining my own work, wouldn’t it?

Reviewing as both an author and as a blogger has a cause and an effect. Those bridges I may have burned because of my outspokenness is something I have to live with. I either reflect about it until my head hurts or move and continuing doing what I’m doing. As long as I’m not ashamed by what I have said, and can live with the aftermath of my opinions and words, then I can continuing doing what I do best- Writing and being proud of those accomplishments whether it’s well received or not.