An indie author often lives or dies based on their books’ ratings and reviews.

Okay, maybe that was a touch dramatic. Often, it’s a case of succeeding or failing rather than expiring but you get the point.

An indie writer’s career is in the hands of the readers they reach and although it is delusional to think you’ll never receive a negative review or rating; it still stings when you get one.

I got one this week.

I knew it was coming. A book for everyone is a book for no one, and as long as my target audience enjoys the work, I can somewhat ignore negative reviews/ratings.

But it did get me thinking about the point of reviews.

In my mind, reviews serve a purpose. They are functional. If a book was good or great and a review says as much, it entices others to enjoy something that you enjoyed. It helps potential customers decide whether or not they want to spend their hard-earned cash (and these days, it is especially hard-earned) on your product or not. A good review can nudge them in the direction of the checkout.

A bad review, however, is a warning.

Which is where the waters muddy. Not enjoying a book is not the same as the book being bad. I don’t like tuna, so I tend to steer clear of tuna-based products. I would never go to a restaurant and poorly review it if my meal had tuna in it. It’s not the chef’s fault I don’t like tuna (It’s not mine either) but that doesn’t mean the meal is bad because I didn’t enjoy it. There’s probably a tuna enthusiast on the next table having a mouthgasm (maybe).

That being said, I love eggs benedict. If it’s on the menu, I’m ordering it, but if it arrives with over cooked eggs, soggy bagel, and hollandaise sauce that has no flavour (has happened) I’m not going to be very happy.

I guess what I’m driving at is a self-reflection on the motives behind reviews. Did I receive a two-star rating because my product was bad, or because it wasn’t that reader’s cup of tea?

I’ll never know, they didn’t write a review.

So to finish, I urge readers to reflect on the reason for their reviews. Was the book actually bad, or was it simply not written with your tastes in mind? It is an important question, as the answer can make or break an indie author’s career.

Food for thought.