I made this non-rebloggable earlier because I didn’t want it to leave containment, but after discussing this with some other friends who primarily sell their work via booktok and Insta, this is apparently a thing right now where readers are going out of their way to message authors “honest and valuable feedback” because they believe authors need to be told how to improve.
Except they’re not giving actual valuable feedback, because being critical of something does not actually mean having constructive critical feedback.
Being able to offer constructive feedback is a skill. It doesn’t mean “having a negative opinion.”
You don’t need to be a professional writer or editor, but you do preferably need to have a basic understanding of technical writing skill, an understanding of the genre you are critiquing and a very basic grasp that just because you do not like something, does not make something objectively bad.
Messaging me to tell me you find something “cringe” isn’t valuable feedback. That’s you going out of your way to make sure a stranger knows you don’t like them.
Doubling down and emailing me back to tell me you “just wanted to help,” like help where? Where was the feedback?
What am I supposed to do with that except feel bad and stop writing?
You knew what you were doing and I will hold that mirror up. If the reflection you see makes you uncomfortable, that’s on you.
Also, as a wider note: don’t do this in general, don’t tag or email authors in negative reviews.
Reviews are for other readers. They belong in reader spaces. If an author invades reader spaces and gets mad about what they see, that’s on them. But don’t go up to the author’s online door and demand they acknowledge your personal dislike. That’s weird. Why are you doing that? Rate the book one star for your own records and move on to the next one.
gummygunk
gracieabrams
2087
romaincrisis
gamechangershow
vaporwave
titsay
kianamaiart
