Should You Respond To Reviews?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Comparisons with Ellison are pointless: He is one writer, an @$$ besides, and not one anybody should be using as a character guide.

Harlan Ellison isn't there as a role model. Quite the converse: he's there as a metric for how "good" a writer's writing has to be before I'm willing to spend my time and/or my money to subsidize noticeably "bad" behaviour.

I'll put up with a certain amount of the latter if sufficient talent to offset a proportionally minor offense is there, but there are limits. Even for Ellison (which is why I only buy his most classic stories during deep-discount sales).

[DarkScribe]

Originally Posted by Lloyd Tackitt

I am easy enough to find, on the internet and in real life too. One of those risks I decided to take. Yes, it's me, my real name. My real open and frank opinions. I'm not in hiding slinging slurs from behind a mask.

Whether the critiques are valid or not - of course they are, to the reviewer. Everyone else has to make up their own minds, and will regardless of anything I say or do. I have no problem with anyone that doesn't like my writing style, I often don't like it myself so I try to improve. In fact I learn more from negative critiques than I do from positive ones. For instance, this thread is educational. Would it have been if I had rolled over and been all nice after getting the first response that had - what I took to be - an unnecessary negative personal attack on me for asking a valid question? Maybe, maybe not.

As for alienating people reducing sales, I'm not so sure that's the case. Controversy sells, it draws attention, it gets some people to reading the comments just for the enjoyment of the argument that's going back and forth. I've seen at least one instance of that on this site, and I am brand new to it. What is it they say about any publicity is good publicity?

Controversy might draw attention if you have a reputation as a good writer. To be controversial won't lift you above the ranks of the trolls and freaks who haunt most forums if you don't.

I had a glance at your book - an interesting plot. I am a survivalist, not a theorist, I have lived on a ketch for nearly twelve years - well away from civilisation for much of it. Every year or three I will take six to twelve weeks and go into the real bush in the Northern Territory or Far North Queensland (tropical rain forest - big snakes and very large salt water crocodiles) taking nothing but an old Swiss Mauser 98 and what I can carry in a backpack. Sometimes I will take a Kevlar Kayak and stick to rivers. I haven't been since I got my Kindles, but they will definitely be going on the next trip.

One error you already have is that no computer will function after a major EMP event. A car computer uses "limp" mode to protect the engine, and requires a fully functioning computer, it doesn't just drop into it if its computer is partially damaged. The only vehicles that would have a chance of working would be old style, very simple vehicles, those that are carburetor fed with basic Kettering ignition systems. Say an old Jeep or seventies or earlier pickup truck. No electronics at all, not even a CDI ignition. Be wise to carry a spare coil and capacitor in a mu-metal case. (You can find Mu-Metal cases protecting the Hi Voltage supplies in old valve colour TV sets.)

I will read through the rest a bit later and let you know what I think of it.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Harlan Ellison isn't there as a role model. Quite the converse: he's there as a metric for how "good" a writer's writing has to be before I'm willing to spend my time and/or my money to subsidize noticeably "bad" behaviour.

I'll put up with a certain amount of the latter if sufficient talent to offset a proportionally minor offense is there, but there are limits. Even for Ellison (which is why I only buy his most classic stories during deep-discount sales).

I don't care if he channels God through his fingers; I refuse to read him. Period.

[Lloyd Tackitt]

Originally Posted by DarkScribe

Controversy might draw attention if you have a reputation as a good writer. To be controversial won't lift you above the ranks of the trolls and freaks who haunt most forums if you don't.

I had a glance at your book - an interesting plot. I am a survivalist, not a theorist, I have lived on a ketch for nearly twelve years - well away from civilisation for much of it. Every year or three I will take six to twelve weeks and go into the real bush in the Northern Territory or Far North Queensland (tropical rain forest - big snakes and very large salt water crocodiles) taking nothing but an old Swiss Mauser 98 and what I can carry in a backpack. Sometimes I will take a Kevlar Kayak and stick to rivers. I haven't been since I got my Kindles, but they will definitely be going on the next trip.

One error you already have is that no computer will function after a major EMP event. A car computer uses "limp" mode to protect the engine, and requires a fully functioning computer, it doesn't just drop into it if its computer is partially damaged. The only vehicles that would have a chance of working would be old style, very simple vehicles, those that are carburetor fed with basic Kettering ignition systems. Say an old Jeep or seventies or earlier pickup truck. No electronics at all, not even a CDI ignition. Be wise to carry a spare coil and capacitor in a mu-metal case. (You can find Mu-Metal cases protecting the Hi Voltage supplies in old valve colour TV sets.)

I will read through the rest a bit later and let you know what I think of it.

The effects of EMP on a car are not well known, at least after tons of research I couldn't find any results of tests that were dispositive. There was one test performed by the govt that used govt owned cars, and these cars had to be returned in working condition. So they limited their testing and got limited results. Then too there are thousands of variables involved with each car's peculiar setup, where they happen to be located when the pulse hits - such as in a possible partially shielded area, and with a CME there may be possible localized variations in intensity. If a CME caused EMP took out one or more of the sensors that feed info to the car's computer, but that computer wasn't itself critically damaged you could end up in limp mode. I've had limp mode happen from a bad sensor before, no EMP involved of course..

I agree that the older (fifty's and sixty's) cars would be the most likely to survive, and the coil is a likely item to get burned. Possibly the distributor as well since it is connected to the plug wires which could pick up induced current and then arc across the contacts in the distributor. If I had one of those cars I would want a protected spare for points, condenser, plug wires, coil, starter motor, generator/alternator and distributor cap. Wouldn't cost that much, wouldn't take up much space. They could all be vulnerable.

If you have resources that are more definitive on the effect of EMPs on cars I really would like to read them. I have searched and searched and found mostly ambiguous information.

Also, CME driven EMPs are somewhat different from nuclear EMPs in some aspects, (T1, T2, and T3) and they may not relate too closely in their overall effects to each other, so that test results from an imitation nuclear EMP might not correlate well. There is much that isn't known about very large CME effects on our modern technology. Too much unfortunately.

Looking forward to your thoughts on the book.

[apbschmitz]

What I do and what I think are different on this. I have never responded to reviews and am hard pressed to imagine the circumstance under which I would do so. But I'm an old school guy. I think it's worth considering that the rules might change with the technology. There is the possibility now for the writer to conduct a dialogue with reviewers. It doesn't have to be a two-way smear fest. I can imagine exchanges where reviewer, author and bystanders all end up at a higher place. That's not likely to happen if everyone is intent on insulting everyone else. However, I'd like to think that there are other possibilities.

[gmw]

I'm with Thumper's mother on this one (remember the movie Bambi?) - "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

If you feel you must, correct inaccuracies - succinctly and with courtesy (regardless of whether it is warranted). Don't get into slanging matches, you'll never come out of it looking good (the mud sticks whether you're in the right or wrong). Your response above to fictbot shows just how badly things can come out when you automatically respond "in kind" (but just comes across as rude).

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I don't care if he channels God through his fingers; I refuse to read him. Period.

A neat way to express deep disdain.

[VaporPunk]

Hmm, upon further review, this post is a mistake. Please ignore.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

I freely admit I gauge visible author behaviour using a milli-HarlanEllison scale of "you must be at least this talented to get away with certain stuff" and while I may occasionally be willing to read works by authors behaving badly, I am considerably less willing to pay actual money out of my own pocket to do so, and considerably less likely to recommend them as a worthwhile read to others (unless the talent really has sufficient milli-HarlanEllisons to justify).

Totally agree with the above. An author who behaves like an a$$hole is far less likely to get my hard-earned dime.

Everybody hates being criticized and yet everybody should be, since there ain't none of us who be ferpect. Accept that, accept valid criticism with good grace, and ignore the trolls. And I'm not just talking about writing.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by gmw

I'm with Thumper's mother on this one (remember the movie Bambi?) - "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

If you feel you must, correct inaccuracies - succinctly and with courtesy (regardless of whether it is warranted). Don't get into slanging matches, you'll never come out of it looking good (the mud sticks whether you're in the right or wrong). Your response above to fictbot shows just how badly things can come out when you automatically respond "in kind" (but just comes across as rude).

I agree with this. Don't respond to the insults, but possibly respond to the factual issues. The people who read the reviews can see when they're abusive and stupid.

[eskimo49]

Reviews are like everything else, some good and some bad. I'm all for constructive criticism which can help enormously, however some people feel that they can't say anything good at all.

I wouldn't respond to insulting behaviour, and don't think that is necessary, however a reply to constructive criticism can help maintain a meaningful dialogue, and also help the author improve later works.

[kennyc]

The prevailing advice is NOT to respond. I would make an exception in order to correct factual errors provided they are try factual errors.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I don't care if he channels God through his fingers; I refuse to read him. Period.

I happen to agree with you, Steve, except that if he did channel god through his fingers, I'd give his writing a try. Channeling god through his fingers might lead to a resolution of the greatest controversy of all: Is the bible god's word or man's word?

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Everybody hates being criticized and yet everybody should be, since there ain't none of us who be ferpect.

I have a list of authors who would disagree with that sentiment and have told me so, usually by saying that I am to edit their work only for blatant misspellings and nothing else.

[VydorScope]

I have been on the internet, since its opening to the public in 92, and I was on ARPNET, FIDONET, and others long before they were popular. I am nowhere near as old as some of you , only got my start in computers in 83, but old enough to have been burned many times over. I would offer this advice...

1) NEVER reply to malice, hatred, or purely inflammatory reviews or posts in kind. All you will do is escalate the emotion, and you will look like the bad guy AND give legitimacy to the original attack.
2) If you MUST reply, never ever address the personal attacks, the insults, or anything of the like. Stick to polite objective facts only.
3) ALWAYS take the high ground. In the long term this will help you, and your case. If they other person is being vile and mean, and you are polite and kind the unseen observer will tend to think much higher of you, and much less of them. This will almost always work to your favor.

Keep in mind, people may stop and gawk at a car wreck, but they do not LIVE there.

And, no, I am way to emotional and hotheaded to follow my own advice perfectly, so I never reply to reviews on Amazon, B&N, and so on. I do reply to emails, comments on my blog, and posts on forums when I seen them though. My goal in those replies is to follow my own advice.

As a side note, I gave up on anonymity when I decided to market myself (blogs, books, services,etc) as a product.