The One-Star Review Roundup

[lagilman]

You may have seen this going on around the blogosphere, thanks to John Scalzi's challenge -- post, embrace, and own your 1-star Amazon.com reviews.

As I said on rachelcaine's comments, I'm not doing it, not because 1-star reviews make me forlorn and/or crazy (mostly, they make me sorry I couldn't write the book the reviewer clearly was expecting), but because there's a restraining order on me going anywhere near Amazon.com during the first few weeks of a new book's release.

Trust me. Author + new release + Amazon's insane ranking system = teh Crazy.


(most of the 1-star reviews I've gotten seem to gripe that a) nothing happens, b) I give too much detail, or c) there are too many typos. Possibly all valid complaints. The one that complained about the magic system being stupid/inaccurate, though, I put in the same batch as the "you're writing vampires wrong" letters I got for the Westin stories. Sez you! 2-star reviews tend to be more useful to the writer, as they're generally an actual review of what was liked/disliked, rather than "this sucked!")

And I seem to be spamming LJ today. I must be writing. *checks wordcount* Yep.

Comments

[elialshadowpine]

"The one that complained about the magic system being stupid/inaccurate, though, I put in the same batch as the "you're writing vampires wrong" letters I got for the Westin stories."

I sympathize. When I was going through edits for one of my books at an e-pub (which I am now thankfully away from), my editor told me that I got all the details wrong about how my character would use her athame. It was made clear earlier in the story that she isn't Wiccan; she's a magic-practicing Christian. I could've seen an argument for not using the word, since it's tied closely to Wicca (though not owned by it; other pagans will call their ritual blades athames), but... it was weird. She also went off in a couple other places about how I had "got the magic wrong" and a "real pagan" would know better.

To which I could only response, "Excuse me, I am a pagan."

*shakes head*

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

Auugh!

>She also went off in a couple other places about how I had "got the magic wrong" and a "real pagan" would know better.

Do not get me started on this. Pretty much every pagan I know* looks down upon every other pagan, either secretly or not, for being fluffy, having no magical ability, or failing to understand Ye True Anciente Detailes of Ye Crafte.

There is no right way to use an athame, although cutting the Sunday roast with it or stabbing folk in the Post Office are generally frowned upon.

*I try to except myself.

[lagilman]

I've always thought that "National Brotherhood Week" needed another verse, to include the pagan schisms....

[antonstrout.livejournal.com]

I am at teh Crazy point thanks to the big A. I've got the letter opener poised at my eye!

[lagilman]

Put down the letter opener and step away from the monitor! There are trained editors down the hall, ready to stage an intervention...