Should Authors Respond to Reviews of Their Books?
I was conversing today with writer friend Nicholas Rossis regarding book reviews and whether or not an author should reply to a reviewer. Raymond Chandler had three rules: 1. Never show or discuss a WiP, 2. Never take advice, and 3. Never answer a critic. So that's his take on it. I know a RomCom author named Elle Lothlorien whom I've interviewed on this blog and she is adamant about interacting with people on Amazon because in her mind it is simply good customer service. She views her writing as a publishing business and she wants to make certain her customers are happy. If a restaurant patron has a poor experience, the manager usually wants to hear about it in order to comp the meal or offer free desserts or something that enables the customers to come away feeling happy. Same with retailers. They want the opportunity to provide good customer service. Personally, I have never answered a reviewer on Amazon. I wrote a reply ...