Every author needs reviews of their books, but relationships between authors and reviewers sometimes go sour. I’m grateful for the reviews I’ve received of my books and even though I haven’t had any personal drama with reviews, I wanted to clearly express my boundaries so that my reviewers and I have the best understanding of how to respect each other. Here are my promises to reviewers.
- I will not respond to your critical opinions of my books. You should feel comfortable saying you dislike my books without worrying that I will come after you.
- I will not engage with your reviews on Goodreads. Reviews are for readers, not for me to have dialogue.
- I will not pay you for reviews.
- I may like a post or briefly thank you if you tag me in a positive review or recommendation of my books.
- I may use excerpts of positive Goodreads and Amazon reviews to promote my books. Other than this, I won’t actively search for or read reviews.
- I will not name you in those promotions.
- I will not expect a positive review just because I gave you a review copy of a book.
In return, I ask this of my reviewers:
- Do not tag me in negative reviews or commentary of my books.
- Do not disguise personal attacks as valid criticism.
- Do not expect or ask for payment for reviews.
Let’s keep to these boundaries and have pleasant engagements!