I’m sure we all hate this dreaded moment: you get an ARC from a publisher, you read the book, you really don’t like it, and then you have to send the publisher your review.
I know that publishers know we can’t all like every book. They accept that some people won’t like them. But I still can’t help thinking, “What if they hate me after this?? What if they stop sending me books??”
This feeling is compounded when I get like 2-4 ARCs from a publisher at once… and I hate them all. I hate having to send the publisher multiple negative reviews at once.. it’s like 10x worse than just sending one! Here’s an example of what happened recently:
I got approved for 3 Simon & Schuster books:
- The Treatment
- Afterparty
- #scandal
I thought Afterparty was okay; I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. So I sent them my review. Then I read #scandal and I really DIDN’T like it. But I suddenly felt horrible about sending yet another “less than positive” review. So instead of sending it immediately, I’m going to read The Treatment first in hopes that I’ll love it. I’d prefer to send them a positive review before sending another negative one. So I’m purposely holding off on sending a negative review in hopes that I’ll be able to send them a positive one first. It’s my way of trying to “soften the blow”.
I know what you mean – I hate having to write a negative review for an ARC. I’ve had to write a couple recently and they always make me feel so guilty! I think I do try to soften the blow a bit by saying in my review that it ‘just wasn’t for me’ and that kind of thing. Great post 🙂
I do the same thing Maya! I try to put in things like “It just wasn’t for me” and I always try put in the things that I did like. For example I recently read an ARC that wasn’t that great but the Author dealt with a sensitive subject brilliantly. So I made sure to give the author kudos for that. 🙂
So far I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had to do this with a publisher. Self-published authors are another story though. I get very few ARCs, and most of what I’ve gotten I’ve requested. The one book I disliked was given to me as a kind of loot bag for local bloggers, but they didn’t require a review back and I hated the book.
I think I would feel kind of bad rating it negatively, but in the end they’re looking for my thoughts and I just have to do it anyway.
Yes Ashley I always try to “soften the blow” but I don’t care as much when it’s the publishers I’m sending the reviews to, it’s when I have to send it to the Author that I feel really bad. They are the one that put there heart and soul into a book.
Great post! 😉
I’ve totally done that! I really dislike sending negative reviews, especially with books that I’ve requested or accepted a pitch for. I tend to send my reviews in monthly batches, so the less-than-stellar ones blend in with the others.
I think I generally try to “soften the blow” whenever I write a negative review, usually saying something like “it just wasn’t for me.” But I do that for all of my negative reviews, not just ARCs. I don’t do it because of what publishers/authors think per say. I think I do it more because I always want to make it known that these are my own personal opinions. So just because a book didn’t suit me doesn’t mean it won’t suit others.
I think a lot of us do the ‘it just wasn’t for me’ when we don’t really care for a book. I don’t mind sending a negative review, but I would totally not want to have to send three in a row, so I hope you end up liking the one! 🙂 I hate sending DNF reviews.
I feel the same way. Lately I haven’t been loving the Harlequin TEEN books, but I feel bad because I keep sending them negative reviews. I usually try to say in my review that it wasn’t my kind of book. The ones I really feel bad about are my DNF reviews…
But it’s a good idea to have one positive review. Great post!
A couple years ago, I reviewed books as well as wrote them. Once I came across several DNF’s in a row, I was terrified to write such a review as like you said, not every one can like it. As an author, I decided that unless the book is 3 stars or better, I don’t have the right to post the review. Maybe that’s playing it safe, but a peer can be more detrimental to your book career and I would never want to play a role in that with anyone.
Sending a negative review to a publisher doesn’t bug me so much (I still feel bad but I can deal with it), it’s when an author sends me a book and I don’t like it that I feel pretty awful. It’s always soooo awkward. They’ve spent years of their lives on something and I’m telling them that I didn’t like it. And the award for crappiest person goes to… I normally just try to at least pick out one thing I liked about the book (I can usually find at least one). That way it doesn’t sound quite so negative.
It’s definitely not weird. I hate having to give a negative review of a review copy, for publishers or authors. But, I mean, as long as you are fair, I think they are pretty understanding.
Well, thankfully, I don’t have this problem! I got rid of my Netgalley account, and I haven’t made it again. And whenever I was giving them my review on it,, I’m already rushing to just cross that task of the list. I can’t say I really miss ARCs at all.
But I do feel a little self-conscious when it came to a self-pub author sending me their book. I was always so scared that I won’t like it. That would hurt the author in a way, and I have to tell them that. *shivers* Unpleasant.
Publishers – no. I’d hope they appreciate honesty (to a degree), and also if you point out things you don’t like, that made the book a lower rating for you… that might be something another potential reader really likes, and they might get it.
Indie authors – yes. Ack. So far I’ve been pretty lucky and not had to communicate directly with indie authors of books I haven’t liked. But I’d feel quite bad if I didn’t like a book and had to tell them.
Oh I feel you. It is even worse when you request the book yourself. I always try to state a few positive things but really feel my honest thoughts can benefit them as well.
Yes, this just happened to me as well! I really didn’t enjoy The Curse Keepers, and I was very happy to discover that now NetGalley has a box when you send your review in, where you can send a note to the publisher about the review. I said something like “Obviously lots of people enjoy this book, but it just didn’t work for me.” It had LOTS of 4 and 5 star ratings on Goodreads, so I didn’t feel so bad giving it a 2 star rating.
Sending negative reviews stresses me out so much! I just grit my teeth and hit send. I just hope that they won’t take it personally since I try so hard to be professional and keep my opinion about what I liked and didn’t like about the book. As long as I don’t bash the book, I hope they will not be bothered by review and take it constructively.
I guess I haven’t worked with many publishers directly so I haven’t had a lot of reviews going to the same publisher in a row like that. I usually go through Netgalley and so it doesn’t feel like I’m providing comments to the same person. Are you providing your review directly to a person or through something like Netgalley where you don’t really have individual interaction? I think it would definitely be harder to send several negative reviews in a row to a specific person, but much easier behind a platform like Netgalley where you don’t really know who sees the review and you don’t get a reply.
I do try to write my reviews gently so that even a negative review will have some positives. I don’t think I’ve reviewed a book where I hated everything flat out, so I always include what I liked and what I did not.
I’ve had to do both, but mostly it’s just sending reviews through NetGalley or Edelweiss. It is a lot better than informing a person directly, but it still makes me feel like they’re going to hate me LOL.
Help! I’m new to book blogging, so naturally when a self-published author approached me about reviewing some of her books, I jumped at the opportunity! I received them today… They’re absolutely terrible. Her text isn’t even justified and this isn’t an ARC! The writing is choppy and sloppy and I have no idea how I’m going to get through one book, nevermind the other as well… She said she will be sending me other books throughout the year as I review them, but I can’t see myself giving this more than a two star review (and two stars is being overly generous). What do I do?
Since I get most of my ARCs as eARCs, I can send feedback through NG/EW so there is a bit of distance to hide behind, haha. I dread sending any negative reviews directly to someone’s email address though, I just really hope they don’t respond >.>. I can’t imagine having multiple negative reviews to send *gulp*. I didn’t think negative reviews would matter, but now Houghton Mifflin is declining me for a book I really expected to get and I’m worried it’s because I sent them a negative review earlier D:
First of all I am SURE you will love The Treatment. If you don’t, I’ll disown you as a friend. Kidding! But yeah thankfully all of my ARC’s recently have been e-ARC’s so I have some distance in between me and the publisher.But yeah I do put in the “It just wasn’t for me” I do it more to let other readers know that while it wasn’t for me, they may love it.But yeah I can see now how that sounds like your’re softening the blow for publishers & authors.
I hate it when I’m furnished an ARC and i don’t like it. 🙁 I’m not a harsh reviewer because as an author, harsh reviews are crippling to someone who has poured their heart and soul into the finished book. I don’t sugarcoat the review – i.e. lie to them, either. If I am able to finish the book it gets at least 3 stars, because something about the book kept me invested until the end. If I can’t finish it…I won’t review it. No sense in trashing the book or the author, because somewhere, somehow, somebody else will LOVE it. I’m just one small person in the grand scheme of things.
I’m this way too, Ashley! It makes me so sad when I dislike or hate a book, especially if it’s an ARC the publisher sent me. I try to tell myself for everyone who doesn’t like it, there will be so many who DO that my negative review isn’t hurting the book’s sales or anything. But I still feel bad if I send the publisher a bunch of negative ones so sometimes I’ll wait awhile if there’s one I’m reading and liking so I can “soften the blow” a bit. And I always try to thank them even if I didn’t like the book, since you never know going in.
I have more of an issue telling an author than a publisher. The publisher didn’t write the book so the only issue that might offend them in my review is if I say that either the cover or the formatting is complete shit.
I can see where you are coming from. I hate giving negative reviews or even -just-ok ones at times but I don’t overthink it. I’m sure publishers get and expect negative and positive for all books and they don’t think too much about previous reviews you have sent them. Sometimes bad runs just happen.
I totally know what you mean, Ashley! I actually do that same thing a lot, I’ve found. Even though the publisher knows to expect a few negative reviews now and then, overall I still feel really bad when submitting a review. I also feel like it gives off the impression that I’m not a reliable reviewer if I’m consistently disliking all of the books I receive from them. I hope you enjoy The Treatment, Ashley. 🙂
I use to feel so bad writing and sending bad reviews to publishers and authors. But I got over that real fast because I just don’t have the time to worry about that anymore. These people are adults and we all know what we are getting ourselves into. But yeah, before, I use to get anxiety about it.
I know what you mean Ashley! I know that publishers won’t expect you to like every book but I still have the same fears as you do! Plus, I feel guilty for them sending the book to me when they could have sent it instead to someone else who could have really liked it and written a good review. I don’t know if that makes any sense but that’s another reason why I hate not liking a book I get sent to read. I’m currently going through this right now except the author sent it to me and I’m so scared of getting back to them so I have to work that out. But this post was great! It’s nice to know you’re not alone and that other people understand you! 🙂
That’s not weird at all! At least you have ARC’s maybe they can fix them lol.
They want your honest opinion and the fact is that there are always going to be those who don’t like a book. It’s the risk they take in publishing them I guess. You shouldn’t feel bad for being honest, even though you can’t totally help it. But hey… while you where reading their books that you didn’t like you could have been reading others that you loved! haha Plus you can be honest without being cruel and that’s what they need to hear.
Yesssss. Agh. I’m new to receiving books from publishers (mostly NetGalley at the moment). I feel HORRIBLE if I didn’t like the book. I really squirm if it’s even a 3-star review. Everyone’s doing their best….the authors to write good books and the publishers to publish good books. I know it’s personal taste a lot, but it doesn’t take away feeling guilty. >_<
I have no problems with sending publishers negative or ‘meh’ reviews because I think they recognise that people’s reactions will be different. I have difficulties though when an author has contacted me asking for a review and the book is clearly their baby. I read one book that I didn’t really like and I must have edited the review seven times because I felt so bad that I didn’t like it more.
I’m dealing with this issue RIGHT now. I have 3 ARCs (from a publisher that I enjoy working with) that of the 3, the 1st one I read, I loved. The 2nd, not so much. The heroine drove me nuts and it was just meh. I’m in the middle of reading the 3rd one which is an set of 4 novellas from one author and I just cannot completely connect with this author. Friday, I’m posting a mini review of each one and I’ve decided to focus on what I did like. I’m still debating as to how much I’ll get into as far as negatives where the 3rd one is concerned. Slippery slope.
I would feel bad about sending multiple negative reviews! Usually when I have a negative review, though, I send it along with a positive review so there’s a good mix. So I suppose I DO try to soften the blow 😉
As a writer, I am loving this thread and everyone’s honest and thoughtful comments. Keep up the good work, we really do appreciate all the time and effort and anguish (hopefully not too often) that comes with being a devoted blogger.
For some unknown reason, the last few ARC reviews I’ve done, I just try to find a bright side. But in the end it always shows in my end rating.
– Krys
I just DNFed 3 books recently, one of them was actually Afterparty which I got a print copy fro the author direct (she offered after I helped reveal the cover) and I feel really bad but that writing, dude, gah! I just can’t. I gave it 100 pages and that was 60 more than I wanted to read lol. Anyways, I usually don’t even send them my actual review, but just a link to it. So it’s like “Here’s my review kthxbye” >.< but no usually I'll add a line like "Unfortunately it wasn't what I was expecting" and then a link to my review.
Luckily most of my ARCs come from EW and NG so I only need to leave a review there and not have to email it directly.
I feel kind of worried sending negative reviews to publishers too, but I feel REALLY scared when sending a negative review to an author. I get very excited when authors send me a review request, and I tell them “OMG your book sounds amazing” and then after reading it….it wasn’t really amazing, and I have to tell the author…. awkward. So yes, sending a negative review to a publisher is scary, but to an author is worse for me.
I don’t feel quite to bad if I’m sending feedback through the NetGalley system, which makes the whole process feel kind of anonymous. For all I know it’s an intern on the other end of the connection with no strong ties, emotional or otherwise, to the review book.
If I’m emailing the link directly to a publicist or author, however, I do feel a bit bad about it. Sometimes I decline to review in those cases. I think if they have a choice, most would prefer that their book get no publicity to bad publicity.
I don’t really mind sending them negative reviews.. Even negative reviews give the book attention and I don’t think a publisher will stop sending you books. If you’ve read it and you can point out why you didn’t like it – I don’t think there is something wrong with that. I actually think they really appreciate it, because it makes you look honest 🙂 But I can see why two negative reviews in a row could make you feel a little.. uncomfortable.
The only thing I had troubles with was sending a negative review to the author who approached me.. Saying you don’t like someone’s hard work is difficult. Edelweiss + NG are much easier, because that isn’t so personal.
I just wrote my first bad review. I kept it simple without completely ripping the book apart. I did post my review on Netgalley and Goodreads. But do you post it on Amazon and B & N (or other sites)? Part of me feels bad about doing that.
I actually don’t do this because our Aussie publishers are actually incredibly understanding when it comes to this and that we can’t like every book which is great!
That’s awesome!
I think a lot of publishers are pretty understanding but sometimes it’s hard to turn off the guilt, haha.