The Literary Imaginarium

Review Etiquette


After visiting several forums and watching the talk around other blogs, I thought I would address the subject that seems to be a very prominent part of every author's career...


The question is: Should there be rules of etiquette when giving book reviews?


The answer is without a doubt: YES!


I remember when I was growing up, my mother would always tell me "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."


I think that saying holds just as much truth today as it did back in my mother's day when her mother said it to her!


I recently researched many reviews that are on amazon right now, and you would be surprised at the terrible bashing of books and authors that go on.


It's one thing if you personally do not care for a book, but if you take it a step further and say it is the worst book you have ever read and you wouldn't force it on your worst enemy, I think that is truly uncalled for...


Then...there are the reviews that personally attack the authors themselves. I've seen reviewers actually call the author names and use profanity on blogs, writing in their reviews that the author has no talent, they suck, they should stop writing, they should just kill themselves because their writing is so bad, etc. etc.


These reviews are obviously troublesome to say the least. All I can say to those book reviewers out there that have only venom to spread...if you hate books that much, STOP READING!! 
Or at least keep your opinions to yourself.