This person and I were communicating fine with the first couple of letters exchanged. There was no pressure or timeline for a review. Out of the blues they send this nasty letter.
Proof___ R___ c—–@editoral.com
Nov 09, 2019, 1:42 PM
to me
Hello A,
Those who gave you ravishing reviews simply took pity on you for all your hard work. Yes, the contents are original. That’s true. But your books are very poorly written. You constantly change from present tense to past tense verbs. There’s too much switching up. You move too much from one time span to another. There are lots and lots of grammatical errors, and the story in the first ten pages doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Seems like you’re trying to write a fantasy story mixed with an action story, mixed with the story of a poor black woman and her little girl trying to survive. I also think that having an eight or nine year old girl using so much profanity ruins the story. At least, for me, it does. Eight or nine year old children do not talk like that.
I hope you listen and hire someone to help you. You have good stories but you need help, lots of help in writing your stories. It’s obvious your publisher doesn’t care about your work. First of all, I suggest you change the race of your main character in order to sell book. No one is going to read stories about a poor black woman and her kid. Nobody cares. It isn’t something most Americans care about. Most of the reading population of America are white and they aren’t going to read this. And Black readers aren’t going to read anything of this natural. It’s too complicated. Change it to Urban ghetto or something that black people will understand. Then you may be able to get an audience even with the terrible writting.
In order to make money you are going to have to spend money. Your covers are marginal. You need to hire professionals all the way around.
Proof___ R___ <c-----@editoral.com>
Sept 09, 2019, 1:42 PM
to me
Hello A,
I see you haven’t changed anything. Well, then no one can help you if you refuse to help yourself. Hire a professional editor and then I will review the book.
Proof___ R___ c—–@editoral.com
Nov 10, 2019, 4:42 PM
to me
Hello A,
You need help in writing your stories. It's obvious your publisher doesn't care about your work. Or how it is presented.
K___ B___ c—–@gmail.com
Nov 12, 2020, 9:42 PM
to me
Hello A,
I apologize. Maybe I came down too hard on you. If you read my whole Book Review Policy, then you know that I or any reviewer have the right to not finish reading a book or write a positive review or any review, and I am sorry to say that I read the first nine pages of your book and decided I cannot finish it because I would not be able to give it a favorable review. Sorry, it is just not a good book.
Your book is very poorly written. You constantly change from present tense to past tense verbs. There’s too much switching up in the scenes. There are lots and lots of grammatical errors, and the story in the first nine pages doesn’t make a lot of sense and seems like you’re trying to write a fantasy story mixed with an action story, mixed with the story of a poor black woman and her little girl trying to survive. I also think that having an eight or nine year old girl using so much profanity ruins the story. At least, for me, it does.
I suggest you find someone with knowledge of good writing skills to help you learn how to write a good story or pay a professional editor to edit your story.
As a writer, myself, I know that writing requires a lot of time and hard work in order to produce a good story that will sell and that people will want to read. It's important to study the craft of writing as well as the mechanics of writing and to have a good idea of what agents and publishers are looking for, even if you're going to indie publish, in order to sell books and reach an audience.
I’m sorry I couldn’t review your book for you at this time. I hope you will be able to find someone to help you.
Blessings,
K___ B___
To K___ B___ c—–@gmail.com
Nov 14, 2020, 9:42 PM
I didn’t response to your replies because there was nothing left to say. We both know your claims are not true. There are too many people rebutting your claim. It is not my fault you do not have the intellectual skills to swiftly switch gears in a story. That’s basic reading skills.
I rescind my request for a review from you. I will pass on your recommendations to the publisher. However, I’m sure there are many out there who need your service. This is not the way to obtain service. I know you haven’t read the book because what you say are in the first nine pages aren’t there. I, now, know your book reviewing page is simply a facade in order to browbeat authors into hiring you.
_________________________________
This is another example of someone using an excuse not to read the book. Bea is cussing. Bea isn’t saying anything in the first nine pages because she’s too busy hanging on for dear life. They are trying to escape Nikola’s hit squad. When she does say something she asked her mother does she reckoned the mourners mind their being there?”
If you can read—the first pages are pristine clear what the story is about. There’s no mistaken in what’s going on. The action fits the story! It tells why Ana pulled up behind the hearse. It’s glowing because it is carrying the remains of a saint and those chasing them can not withstand that much Glory.
If someone is trying to kill you, of course, there’s going to be action of trying to get away from them. No one sits somewhere and let something or someone kill them, not if they can help it.
Speaking of errors, I corrected many of the errors in their letters before posting it and others I left them exactly how they were written.
I started noticing a series of these odd letters and the readers who would talk; told me someone contacts you and tells you what the book says.
I asked how do they know who you are?
They said they aren’t sure, but they are doing it.
Gee, my stories must be truly awesome for people to go through such length to discredit them. This is what overt racism looks and sounds like. They use other things to justify their behavior.
These responses are to a fictional character. I hate to see what their reaction would be to a real live person of color!
Things like is why I think the author should be able to break the “no reply to negative feedback rule” and defend their works. Who made up that dumb rule to begin with? What other industry you can crap all over a person’s work with no retribution? I know of none other.
unholypursuit
The Novel: UnHoly Pursuit: Devil on my Trail 
My jaw dropped at that person’s words! Horrible!!!
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At first, my jaw dropped, too when I at first started receiving these kinds of letters under the pretension of being helpful. I couldn’t believe someone would say such horrible the things they said. But after receiving a few more of them I come realize the reviewers come from a racist background and nothing is ever going to change their way of thinking. But I had heard the part about changing the race of the main character before.
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That’s horrid!
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Unfortunately, a lot of that been going around the internet, especially in the literary world in the past three to four years. Why such a sudden uptick in such behavior—I don’t know.
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My jaw drooped too! This person is racist as can be. And a bold faced liar. I read your books and they’re superior to many of the big publishers. Yes, a reviewer have a right to follow their own policies but no one has a right to display racism. Help you do what? Can they write any of the stories for you. This is a scam trying to bully you into buying a service.
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A, I’ve actually read nearly all your books on market and I can validate that this person is lying through their tobacco stained teeth and trying to force you into buying his or her editing services. It is not hard at all to follow your stories at all. They are all very clear and direct. Even with the action is clear as to why it is happening. You gives back story to your characters, so a reader knows why they are doing what they do. It’s called flashback.
There are readers out there who do care about a black woman and her little girl.
I guess it is hard to understand if you are racist as hell. I guess it’s hard to understand anything that doesn’t involved your debauch way of thinking. These people are white supremacy whom I seriously doubt possess the reading skills to understand your book.
In the future, before asking anyone for a review be sure to look at what other books they have reviewed. If all of their reviewed stories are about an all white cast then pass them by. You don’t need their drama and headache.
I know it’s said bloggers are a good source of reviews. That may had once been the case, I don’t know. But today, most bloggers are very biased. They only review for large companies who pay them. And sad to say, a few are very racist and will not even begin to read anything about a black character.
I’m sorry you got caught up in the racist sweep that has been plaguing and sweeping the internet for the past two years.
You were right, the rule about not replying to someone out to harm your work is stupid and for another era. If you go in a grocery store and start smashing jars and tearing up the aisles, the manager isn’t going to let you continue to wreck havoc because of whatever reason in your head. They are going to have you arrested. They aren’t going give a fig what your opinion is. You were right, that wasn’t the time to set back passively and let some racist idiot slaughter your work. I am proud of you for standing your ground and letting them know you wasn’t the one to mess with and to take their BS elsewhere. Had you not stood your ground, they would have come back for round three and four.
But look at it this way….NOW you know your work is great or they wouldn’t have bothered to try and tear it down. Keep up the good work.
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Brendan, thanks, 🙂 I’ll heed your sound advice when seeking reviewers in the future. I figured out these were not ordinary reviewers from their nasty, mordancy responses. I used to be a reviewer and this is not how you reply to a writer asking for your review.
People ask me for reviews all the time and some of subjects, I do not like them but it has nothing to do with the race of the character. Like a woman asked me to review her book about the many ways to use a cucumber and all the cool things you can make it. I didn’t care for the topic, but it was a short manuscript, I reviewed and it and told her what I thought. I even tried some of the recipes. I do give them if I have the time and if I don’t, I list them here on my blog in hope a reader will see the book and review it. I don’t go all off on the deep end like a lunatic if I don’t like the subject.
I revealed these things to show other authors if you encounter them don’t become despair. Keep chugging along. Your true readership base doesn’t care about these people’s opinion of your work.
Despite, what’s religiously preached all over the internet by those trying to make big money off of authors, as a former librarian, I can tell you—there is no such thing as a perfect book, or a perfect editing, nor perfect cover. I have read many original, first editions books, many which went on to become classics and most are ridden with what many would consider errors. You have look at more than just grammar when judging a book. You have to read enough to get a feel for the author’s style of writing. Like for example, most people think we are reading the original Shakespeare today, but we aren’t. We read modernized works. It would be very difficult for a modern reader to read the original.
But Brendan, I will take your advice in trying to learn more about the reviewer and will ask my publisher to do the same.
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Actually, there’s a time for all things and this was one of those times. There is a time to stand up for what you created. If you, the writer, don’t defend it, then who will?
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Amem!!! But be careful. I think A. have an Internet stalker.
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😠😠😠😠
I never realized our society was still as racist today as in the mid-1800s and if they could get away with the same things–they would.
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One would think people would be beyond such foolishness by now, but this kind of thinking is what drag progress down.
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This is terrible! Downright mean and vicious. I didn’t think they could get any worst!
I hope they know that they haven’t discouraged anyone from reading your work if that was their goal.
I don’t think they were expecting you to be courageous enough to tell the world about them.
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Yes, I know they probably thought I wouldn’t say anything because authors are encouraged to keep quiet and accept a ridiculous amount of abuse. Actually, this is one of the nicer letters. Some I just ignored them. I didn’t have time for their madness.
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Racism is a pandemic that fills people with such hatred and cause unfairness, discrimination and so much more terrible actions towards a fellow human being. This is so sad to see and a terrible act of injustice.
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Hi, I agree with you 100% that racism is a pandemic that fills people with such hatred and cause unfairness, discrimination and so much more terrible actions towards a fellow human being. It’s also a pandemic that’s going to destroy us all if we do not work harder to purge it from our society and stop making excuses for it. It’s the only form of hate I know where the hater can not explain why do they hate?
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Reblogged this on Tolerance and Respect and commented:
Good attitude in response to a few “superior and condescing + dismissive (enough adjectives, now, c) literary types”
http://www.thewritinglife43439030.wordpress.com
Bad book review(s)
Do a Google ‘bad book reviews + yourself’ when you “get a mo”, “the world’s fourth worst writer” c
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Thanks for the reblog. 🙂
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As an author, when people write you crazy shyt like this you are not obligated to answer them. I know you perhaps answer them in order to not to get bad reviews on your books. But if they write one, then write the forum it is left on and show them their letter.
There are now books where bloggers are listed who do not mind reading people’s books without all the psychopathic behavior.
Book Promotion Directory: Bloggers & Promoters Kindle Edition by Deena Rae Schoenfeldt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
On Sun, Jan 24, 2021 at 10:37 PM
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Thanks for the book, I just listed it.
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No one has time for Flying Monkeys flying over the Cuckoo clock.
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LOL!
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Black characters are the hottest selling commodity and have been for years. It is that most authors can’t write them other than urbanized. Keep on writing you character of diversity. They are unique. I like how dignified Ana’s family is. They are not thugs, street people, drug dealers, her sister is beautiful but carries herself well. Helena is a hardass. Ana is merely copying her big sister.
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Yes, baby sister is copying big sister. 🙂
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