 | 3 Jul 09 |
Recently, there was a buzz (or a roar, depending on who you ask) regarding the Twitter account of author Alice Hoffman. The account is no longer active, but the truth about the Internet is that nothing is EVER really gone. Please, folks, remember this when you send emails. Many a senator and CEO have found themselves on the wrong end of media coverage–and often out of office or out of a job–because they weren’t smart enough to figure this out. Technology, our best friend, can also be our most bitter enemy.
In this case, the phrase “The author doesn’t deliver,” sparked a firestorm of retorts from Hoffman.
Hoffman’s latest novel, The Story Sisters, was released to mostly lackluster reviews, which as any writer knows, can be painful, heart-wrenching, and can make you want to mutilate a tree–or something. But rare is the author to which a bad review has not happened. It just happens. It’s like the carrots WITH the peas, people.
We have had discussions about whether or not an author should ever respond to or try to defend a book to a bad review. Whenever we’ve talked about it with the MSW ladies and our posse (heh! MSW Posse. I like it!) the conclusion is almost always unanimous and always the same: If you are tempted to address a bad review, the short answer is “don’t.”
It is necessary to put the review, the reviewer, and anyone who might want to ask you about it on “ignore” and move on.
Hoffman did not do this. In fact, she not only did not do this, but she used the currently fabulously popular technology of Twitter to address it, the reviewer, and everything she thought the reviewer was lacking.
You can currently read the tweets that erupted from Hoffman. They are more like fire from a dragon, but I understand her desire to defend her baby. I do. But it resulted in a backlash for Hoffman that has resulted into her complete disappearance from Twitter. (But again, let me warn you. Nothing is EVER gone from the Internet. You can currently read her page from the link I provided.)
Now, my take on the review was that the reviewer did not love the book. That stings. Of course it does. But it happens to every single author. Not everyone is going to love your book. Period. If you find an author who has received nothing but positive reviews, I’d like you to point them out to me. I don’t believe that author exists.
Take, for example, this review, received for the book The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I ADORED this book. Loved it. Stroked the pages as I was reading it. This reviewer? Not so much.
This was, quite simply, the most hateful book that I have ever read. This 550 page diatribe against Western Civilization in general & white, male, able-bodied, Christians in specific, is shockingly intolerant. Moreover, it is filled with a kind of self-loathing that makes one question the author’s mental stability. And if all that’s not enough, it is crammed with a Soviet view of Congolese history that’s barely worthy of Oliver Stone. I hardly know where to start.
Musta been a different book than the one I read.
The bottom line truth? A review is NOTHING more than someone’s opinion. It is necessary to put it into perspective, and not react, as tempting as it might be to hunt down the reviewer, cover them in honey, and introduce them to an army of red ants. (No! I have never considered this! Not ever.)
For Hoffman, her Twitter-indiscretion has resulted in some unfortunate publicity she really probably could have done without. Not only that, but even though her Twitter account has now been deleted, it can still be found online, and people are still talking about it.
In her anger, Hoffman even gave out the reviewer’s phone number and personal information.
Some of her Tweets were about the ability to finally respond back to reviewers.
An email to a reviewer is hate mail? But a a hateful review is a love letter?20 minutes ago from web
Critics can say as they please, but no one else can? You open the door and it’s open.22 minutes ago from web
While I understand Hoffman’s motivation, I think we, as writers, have a duty to step back and examine the system. Again, a review is nothing but someone else’s opinion, objective or otherwise.
As it is, nobody looks bad here but an extremely talented and beautiful writer. And that makes me sad.
So, speak up, MSW Posse Members. What do you think about the Alice Hoffman situation?
© 2009 Natalie R. Collins. All rights reserved.
Natalie R. Collins was born in Logan, Utah and attended the University of Utah. She worked for eleven years at The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest daily newspaper, before leaving to devote more time to her family. During the ensuing years, she wrote five novels. She also worked for the 2001 and 2002 Sundance Film Festivals as an editor. Natalie is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
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You just have to hope that there’s nothing else really bad going on in her life right now, which is usually the case when someone loses it like this. It’s hard for me to believe all this anger from her really only came from a bad review.
by Shannon Esposito July 3rd, 2009 at 6:08 amMSW Posse! Do we get tee shirts? *wink*
The only review I ever received (for a novella in an anthology) was a good one. When my novel comes out next spring, I’ll probably go hide my head in the sand or something. *breathes into a paperbag* *makes note to stock up on Tums(r)*
As for Hoffman, wow. Many of the loops have been humming about the situation. I didn’t actually take the time to follow. Hoffman is entitled to her opinion, as is the reviewer, but when it comes to releasing personal information and siccing one’s “posse” on a person? That crosses my personal line in the sand. Like you said, Natalie, it’s better to just back away from the keyboard.
Have a great holiday weekend, everyone here in the States! Stay safe but enjoy.
by Silver James July 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 amgood idea, Silver!!! I know someone too!!
by Karin Tabke July 3rd, 2009 at 11:45 pmI think that anyone that has a public blog or any online format similiar to that, generally understands you can’t please everyone. As much as I might wish it wasn’t so, there are people are there that are just cruel to be cruel.
I’m in the process of getting my own writing out there and recognized. Having said that, of course I would love to have what I’ve written be acclaimed by everyone. The reality is not everyone may see the same vision for my book as I did writing it.
Bad reviews although hurtful, at times may work for you in the respect, ok I didn’t do so hot this time around, what can I do better the next (Easier said than done).
In the end I think the review that got Hoffman so worked up would of simply been water under the bridge had she left it alone. Approaching it the way she did put it front and center. Sadly, it enamored an opinion on her writing that might not be necessarily true. Quite a few people believe actions speak louder than words.
In any instance online or off, it’s better to approach something calmly. Things said in anger are often taken out of context. (Hugs)Indigo
by Indigo July 3rd, 2009 at 8:09 amYikes! Sometimes the lines get blurred. I try my very best not to get too upset by bad reviews. You can’t please everyone all the time. Have a great weekend!
by Debra Webb July 3rd, 2009 at 11:58 amI feel sad for her. People would have forgotten that review as soon as they saw it, but everyone will remember her tirade on Twitter.
by Jill James July 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pmI can’t understand why she should give th reviewer amunition. There is a silverlining to a bad review, people will have to find out for themselves. Do people really listen to reviewers? Or am I on the far fringe of civil society? Okay, don’t answer that.
by Cele July 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 pmAs someone who has been raked over the coals with numerous nasty reviews, all I can say is, shrug and so what? you hate my book? you’re entitled. why any author would engage in any conversation with a reviewer who gave her a bad review is beyond me. what’s the point? we are all entitled to our opinions. that we don’t like someone’s about our work is tough titties. if you can’t take criticisms, don’t put your work out there. and yes, that is how I really feel.
now, rip on my family? I’ll rip you two new assholes.
by Karin Tabke July 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 pmI agree with the other Karin with an ‘i’. Today is a good day to talk about Freedom of Speech. The way I understand it, if the reviewer attacks her book, she should be able to attack the review – NOT the reviewer!
by Karin July 4th, 2009 at 7:44 amAnother reason I’m glad I’m not on Twitter. I’ve got a short fuse sometimes, but I’ve learned not to hit “send”.
Although our books are parts of our selves, we have to remember that opinions are of the books, not us.
by Terry Odell July 4th, 2009 at 8:42 amIt is difficult to have something you have worked hard on not appreciated. That is true whether it is a book or another project you have worked on. With the speed and scope of the internet, it is more important than ever to take a deep breath and let it go. As has happened, responding in anger only makes you look bad and doesn’t really make you feel any better.
by Patricia Barraclough July 4th, 2009 at 7:30 pmOh, I do so understand how Alice Hoffman must have felt, because the only writer who gets no bad reviews is one who is paying off all the reviewers.
Moreover, reviews are not necessarily fair evaluations of a book, nor are they intended to be, because each reviewer is a writer himself, with his own readership. And his first job is to cater to that readership, not to give your book a fair reading. He might review your book without even reading it, if he can cater to his readership by doing so. He might even attack you personally, without even reading your book, if it caters to his audience. (It happened to me.)
The corollary is that a negative review does not necessarily reflect the quality of the book itself. I also have read many negative reviews of books that I loved, books that excited me, inspired me, motivated me, books that kept me glued to the page and wouldn’t let me go and finally left me feeling acutely sad because it was over. The reviewers disagreed with me. So what? When it comes to what I want to read, I was right, and they were wrong.
While authors may have the right and the power to respond to reviewers, it rarely accomplishes anything useful, because it almost always makes you look bitter and petty. So authors should either (1) refuse to respond to negative reviews, except maybe to simply link to them from your website, or (2) ignore reviews completely, because you can’t let reviewers tell you what to think of your book. Authors should also decouple their feelings about a particular review—”That reviewer is completely wrong and unfair”—with their feelings about their book and themselves—”My writing sucks.”
-TimK
by Tim King July 7th, 2009 at 5:51 pmI think I have to agree with Cele: who pays attention to reviewers?
I can only think of one time that reading a review made me go out and search for a book. No, make that two, but one was a non-fiction book.
And, I’ve never, ever not read a book because I read a bad review of it.
So, Cele, if you’re out there on the far fringe, you’ve got company – me.
Oh, and Natalie…I’m with you on the Poisonwood Bible review. I read that as part of a geography class I took a few years ago (and loved it), and whatever that reviewer read certainly wasn’t the book I read.
by Elaine July 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pmOh, and I suppose I should address the original question (sorry, it’s been a long day).
I’ve only heard a little about what happened, but I really think the issue is the immediacy of internet posting and that when one is upset, one needs to think before clicking the “submit” button.
I know I’ve probably written and then deleted at least as many posts as I’ve actually posted on the various blogs, forums and other sites I follow. Not that I haven’t been contrary or critical or posted something that I wrote in a state of advanced pissed-offedness. But I’ve thought about rather I really wanted to post what I’ve written before before I clicked.
The other thing is, when I do get ticked at something or someone on the ‘net, I try to spout about the idea, not the person who posted it. In other words, I might call an idea stupid, but I try to avoid calling people stupid…even when I’m fairly sure they are. Has to do with not fancying be called stupid myself. Although I’m not a practicing anything, religiously speaking, I find that the Golden Rule (stop it…I mean “Do unto others…”, not “He who has the gold…”) is really a pretty good idea.
So, maybe Alice Hoffman should have simply stopped before she posted and thought about whether she would want someone to post her phone number or other personal information on the net, and then acted accordingly.
by Elaine July 8th, 2009 at 10:01 pm