Out of Balance!

by Jodie Renner


Do you have one or more books published on Amazon? Do you check regularly for reviews by readers? Has your heart plummeted to see a negative review? You're definitely not alone.

Okay, we all get reviews we don’t like from time to time - hopefully very occasionally. It’s life and the cost of publishing on Amazon. And forget trying to get Amazon to take them down, even if they’re obviously not fair. It ain’t happenin’. (Or have you had any luck with that?) So suck it up and keep on writing! Kelly Miller offers some great advice on dealing with criticism, in her post here over the weekend.

HOWEVER, and this is my point here: What I really think we should all protest to Amazon about is their policy of highlighting one bad review in a box along the top, even if it’s the ONLY bad review, and the book has 20 or 30 or 50 or more great reviews!

That’s just not fair. When they prominently feature and contrast two opposing reviews along the top like that, there should be some kind of equal 50-50 division among the responses and opinions overall in the reviews, as that’s definitely the impression that kind of placement gives the readers.

For my book Writing a Killer Thriller, for example, I have 32 5-star reviews, including several glowing ones from bestselling thriller writers (see below), and 6 4-star reviews, for a total of 38 very positive reviews out of 40. So 95% of the total reviews are 4 or 5 stars. Recently, someone read (or skimmed) only the first 3 chapters out of 23 and wrote a nasty 1-star review. Now there is one 1-star review and one 2-star review, for a total of 2 negative reviews out of 40, or 5% of the total reviews.

So on one side of the scale we have 95% very positive reviews versus, on the other side, 5% negative reviews. That is not a balanced scale! Yet Amazon promotes one of the two negative reviews to 50% position by displaying it along the top beside a 5-star review. In effect, they’re giving the impression that readers are divided down the middle about this book.


This is just not fair.

If we all protest this unfair physical placement of reviews, maybe Amazon will change their policy.

What do you think? If you agree, please send Amazon an email about this unbalanced policy. Numbers can make a difference!

Jodie Renner, a freelance fiction editor specializing in thrillers, has published two books to date in her series, An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: WRITING A KILLER THRILLER, with the updated, expanded edition now available in e-book and paperback on Amazon; and STYLE THAT SIZZLES & PACING FOR POWER, available in paperback, for Kindle, and in other e-book formats.

For more info, please visit Jodie’s author website or editor website, or find her on Facebook or Twitter: @JodieRennerEd 

 Praise for Writing a Killer Thriller:
“Finally, someone who understands the thriller! More than ever an author must also be his own best editor and Jodie Renner is there to help. Writing a Killer Thriller should be on every thriller writer’s desk. It breaks down the thriller into its must-have component parts to write a scintillating, edge of the seat novel that will get readers buzzing and sales flowing.”
~ Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Jury Master and Murder One

“Writing a Killer Thriller by Jodie Renner is an in-depth journey through each component of the thriller. Renner breaks down the process into key elements, each essential to keeping the reader turning those pages. From character development to building suspense, Writing a Killer Thriller should be on the desk of every thriller author out there. A staple for the beginner, a refresher for the pro.”
~ Joe Moore, #1 Amazon and international bestselling co-author of The Blade and The Phoenix Apostles

“Writing is hard, editing harder, and self-editing almost impossible. Writing a Killer Thriller demystifies each of these steps on the road to a published manuscript. Read this book. It will help you now and for many years to come.”
~ DP Lyle, Macavity Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Benjamin Franklin, Scribe, and USA Best Books nominated author of the Dub Walker thriller series

“Jodie Renner is a terrific fiction editor who is constantly updating her craft. She’s edited several novels for me, and I highly recommend her services and books. Even if you don’t write thrillers, her advice is applicable to writing a compelling story in almost any genre.”
~ L.J. Sellers, bestselling author of provocative mysteries and thrillers

A killer of a thriller guide! Jodie Renner lays out, in clear, easy steps and lists, how the best writers craft their works of art – and shows how you can do it, too. A terrific how-to in avoiding the pitfalls and burnishing the gotta-haves of writing a bestselling thriller novel, by an editor who knows her way around action, drama and creating characters so fresh and real you’ll swear they were your friends.”
~ Shane Gericke, national bestselling and No. 1 Kindle bestselling author of Torn Apart

“With years of experience as a professional editor to many successful authors, Renner knows what it takes to write a good thriller, and she lays it all out here in a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand manner. From building excitement and suspense on every page, to adding tension and conflict to each chapter, this book is packed with information you simply can’t afford to miss if you want to gain that ever-elusive competitive edge in the world of fiction.”
~ Andrew E. Kaufman, #1 bestselling author of The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted and While the Savage Sleeps

“Jodie Renner has demystified the process of thriller-writing with Writing a Killer Thriller. This little booklet is packed full of information which is not just useful, but critical to the success of any thriller writer, whether just starting out or a veteran of many books. ...If you want to avail yourself of the knowledge of one of the best freelance thriller editors in the business, you couldn’t ask for a better deal than Writing a Killer Thriller.”
~ Allan Leverone, bestselling thriller and horror writer

When All You Hear is the Boo

by Kelly Miller    

Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, has said, “A boo is louder than a cheer. 
If you have ten people cheering and one person booing, all you hear is the booing.” A year ago, I was the type of person who obsessed over that one boo. But I’ve done a lot of work on my attitude, and now the boos are barely whispers. 

There’s a concept I learned during a book study on The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard—one that I’ve been working on adopting into my own life. I say working on because it’s a difficult concept to put into action. It’s the inability to be offended. 

Think about it. Wouldn’t it be nice to be so sure of yourself, so confidant in who you are that what others think of you doesn’t impact the view you hold of yourself? I’m not talking about narcissism, just a strong sense of self-esteem taken to the next level. The key is not to be influenced by the good or bad. That way the ego won’t swell when presented with a compliment nor will it be bruised by the negatives.

Authors should try putting this new concept into practice the next time they read a review of their latest novel. Instead of agonizing over the thought of reading the latest Amazon comment, give yourself a pep talk. Remember you can’t be offended. This way the praise won’t cause swelling of the head, and on the flipside, a negative comment won’t ruin your whole day. 

What kind of person are you? Do you focus on the cheers or the boos?

Download a FREE copy of Kelly Miller’s debut novel, Dead Like Me, on the Kindle on June 29 and 30 (http://ow.ly/gXD3q). Kelly lives in Tampa, Florida where her novel is set. She’s a SAHM of three children and also takes care of a black Labrador and a husband. Kelly is a member of the Florida Writer’s Association. Her debut novel, Dead Like Me, won second place in the Best Mystery category of the 2011 FWA Royal Palm Literary Awards Competition.