Constructive reviews v's Trolls

As an author I absolutely adore reviews.  Even if it is a low rating they can be great reviews, as long as they are written constructively.

I know from reading lots of books that what one person can love another person can hate. 

The world would be a very boring place if we all loved the same things.

I remember when I first released Erin the Fire Goddess:The Beginning I got quite a few negative reviews, a lot of these were down to editing issues. I put my hands up to this, because I released a book without the proper editing. But I took on board every review that mentioned this and I worked hard to find the resources to solve this issue. So for that I thank every single person who pointed this out.

So that aside I released more books and on 15th August, this year, Midlist advertised my first book. The response I got was truly amazing, but then I noticed a review on Amazon. It was a negative review and it sent me into a panic. The review mentioned bad grammar etc. I knew that a couple of months ago I noticed the opening sentence of my first book wasn't there. Well it was a friend who noticed it, so I grabbed, what I thought was the recent edit and added the opening sentence and uploaded it. But seeing this review I thought 'Oh no, maybe I uploaded the wrong copy.'

So I sent the first book back to my new editor and asked her to take a look. Which she is doing right now, and I am very grateful to the reviews who have commented on this otherwise I would not have realised I had uploaded the wrong copy. Yup I am a complete douche lol.

However, this review was playing on my mind. Not because it was a bad review, but because something about it sounded familiar. So I decided to go through Goodreads and look at old reviews. That is when I came across the exact same review 14 months ago, which was before the book had been re-edited. I first found it strange that a person would wait 14 months to copy and paste their review to Amazon, especially on the day it was advertised on Midlist. Then I saw a comment from another reader thanking the person for the review and that they wouldn't get my book. So I left a comment to both the reviewer and commenter explaining that the review was originally posted 14 months ago  on Goodreads and since then it has been re-edited. I left it at that, but Amazon chose to remove it. <----- that statement is apparently up in debate because the reviewer reckons they removed it themselves, but after a talk with this person I honestly don't believe a thing that comes out of her mouth. Let me explain:

One of my readers had commented on her Goodreads review, explaining about the re-edited version, then the reviewer had commented and then another person - who was standing up for the reviewer. The latter person had made an assumption that the first person commenting must be a relative of mine, so I decided to jump on and leave this comment:

Hi Peter, I am just replying that firstly nope Joyce is not related to me.

Secondly, Amazon actually removed this persons review for what she actually did. They felt as though she was personally trying to discredit me.

Not everyone will love my books, I get that. If this isn't your thing then fair enough.

I saw this review 14 months ago and never commented because it is the reviewers opinion and everyone is entitled to it.

I think some people took offence because the reviewer decided to wait 14 months after my book had been re-edited to leave an old review.

But hey ho, that was her prerogative ;)

Thank you for jumping onto the comments :) 

Now these comments went on and on and on, each time the reviewer would say something to contradict themselves, but when I pointed these things out she would go back and delete or edit her comments to try and put me in a bad light. Kind of clever but I took screenshots ;)

Now if you actually find the original review you will find message 7 has disappeared *shocking* she said that I did not comment on her review on Amazon, but later on she said that she knows I had. (Message 6 is from someone else.) You will see on message 9 that she contradicts herself.

Later on she said that I was lying and she never said any of that, I had already commented saying I won't be commenting on that particular thread again, but I sent her a pm telling her that I had screenshot the conversation. Lo and behold she edited more comments.

In the whole process of all of this I made one mistake by saying she had replied the day before, when it was the day before that. Woohoo big deal *rolls eyes*

Now let me put this out there........... As a rule authors are not supposed to comment on reviews. 

This reviewer kept pointing this out to me as she continually tried to talk down to me. Goodreads even emailed me saying it can effect my public image.

Let me tell you this............. I do not care, I will never ever just sit back and let anyone slander my name. 

I find the whole thing strange why a person would wait 14 months to copy and paste an old review just as my book was being advertised.

Why did she feel the need to keep contradicting herself and deleting and editing her messages.

There are genuine readers out there who leave a low star review, and when they are done on my books I will read them and see if there is anything I can change, whether it be editing or something similar. If it is the style or the fact that the person fell in love so quick then no I can't do that. I have seen reviews saying no one falls in love that quick............ bull.

I met my husband and within 4 days we were engaged. Yeah fast moving for some people, but guess what....... it happens, and we have been together for 14 years :)

But that is that particular reviewers opinion and if they don't like that type of thing then fair enough, my books aren't for everyone. It is like me and my husband, what I read, I am 99% certain he would never read and vice versa.

Now let me get back to the whole reviewing process. If you do not like a book please put what you don't like as authors love constructive criticism as it helps them learn and grow. Do NOT go on a bashing spree, this gets you the label of a troll. I label this particular reviewer a troll. Why? Because of the labels she started putting my book in and the comments she made towards me and my readers, even though some - not all - were edited or deleted.

If this troll wants to think of me as a bully because readers commented telling her that the book had been re-edited then so be it. It is kind of lame and pathetic in my opinion.

Some of you may think this blog is lame and pathetic too but if this is your opinion then..... oops I honestly do not care. The reason for this is I work my arse off writing books. Being an Indie Author is not easy especially when there are Trolls who have nothing better to do with their time than to leave messages slagging off authors. I saw one the other day where an author had left a 1 star review on a book because she didn't like the editor. Not because there were editorial issues, but because this author personally did not like the editor of this book. When someone else had commented saying that a review isn't a way to make a personal vendetta the reviewer commented saying it wasn't personal it was business. Either way...... you're a troll and that is disgusting.

So let me summarise: 

* I love reviews but please be constructive.

* I hate Trolls who give genuine reviewers a bad name.

* I will never sit back and let anyone slag me off. I am, after all, only human.