On Hating Friends' Books

A recent post on The Master's Artist last week got me thinking. Dee Stewart talked about a few different angles on review writing. One issue involves charging authors/publishers for a review. As a reviewer who's received only a book, advance reader copy, or a galley for most of my reviews, the thought of pay sounds wonderful. But how can you give an honest review of a poorly-written book if you're being paid by the author? The answer is, aside from a rare author who wouldn't mind, you can't. Essentially you're writing an ad for the book. If you had the option of refusing books you couldn't recommend, I wouldn't have a problem with this. It ties into the whole marketing vs. publicity debate. Since, according to a publicist, with marketing authors/publishers have to pay for placement, and with publicity they don't, you simply move from publicity to marketing.

The other issue involved reviewing friends' books. As a writer, especially in the smaller arena of the CBA, you're likely to meet the authors you review, whether it be through email, online forums, or a writer's conference. If I get a book published, I will belong to the ranks of CBA novelists whose books I praise or bash. If I hate a book and my review reflects it - what if that's the author who could have recommended me to her agent? Or what if an editor who also hates the book reads my review - will he remember my name for the future?

Getting even more personal - what about the authors I know now? I've reviewed books by Brenda Coulter, Chris Well, Deeanne Gist. Fortunately, I've loved them. But I also have T. L. Hines' debut novel Waking Lazarus sitting unread beside me. I've heard lots of good things about it. I've read the first chapter online. I've participated in his unorthodox marketing campaign. His publicist asked my editor to put it at the top of her Bethany House review stack.

What if I hate the book? Not just dislike certain aspects, where I can conch disapproving statements in praise for what the author did right, but outright throw-across-the-room never-read-that-author-again hate it? What do I do?

I know reviewing is subjective. Even the current discussion on The Writers View points to this - what some view as lousy, others love. People at Bethany House, a publisher I respect (despite their patronage of Gilbert Morris) loved Waking Lazarus enough to invest thousands of dollars into it. I'll probably enjoy the novel. I may even love it enough to stick it on my "favorites" shelf, along with titles like Forgiving Solomon Long and A Bride Most Begrudging (A Family Forever would be there too, Brenda, but now my mom's reading it). But if I hate it?