With the impending release of
NEVER TOO LATE, reviews are popping up in various places, like GoodReads.
And, no matter what any of the reviews say about the book, I cannot fully express how awestruck I am with appreciation that people are reading my work...AND taking the time and effort to post reviews. It just happens to be a bonus when readers like my work, even if not wholeheartedly.
Look...reviews have been a controversial minefield for years. There's been a lot of news about authors (or their fans) behaving badly over poor reviews. There's been angst over Amazon removing reviews by people connected to an author to avoid review inflation. And, okay, reviews can certainly affect the sales and success of any book.
But really, I'm just happy to see people reading. No, not everyone will love
NEVER TOO LATE. But I'm hoping some people will be intrigued enough to pick it up. And maybe, just maybe, a few of those people will love it. Even if you don't like it, just read something!
Ultimately, though, I'm in the camp that says
readers don't owe writers anything. Not reviews. Not love. Not liking. Not even a passing glance. From an author's perspective,
Chuck Wendig says it in is usually inimitable and profane way. From a reader's perspective
dr b at BookRiot say it just as vividly and adds the caveat "
I won’t ever steal books, digital or otherwise. Not ever." (With my professional emphasis on intellectual property and plagiarism, this is a sentiment I especially appreciate.)
The bottom line is...all I have to say, no matter what you think of my book, is thank you.
