Who doesn’t love a review?
I recently had my yearly employee review. It’s like an annual medical physical, but with less blood and more sweat and tears. My boss pointed out that no one is allowed to get a perfect score. So she arbitrarily chose a category and deducted five points. She selected productivity but pointed out it was the third one on the list and three is her favorite number. Science!
Reviews have become a huge business. Websites are devoted to them for hotels, restaurants, movies, and every product imaginable. Even individuals are subject to them. I’ve been asked to give a shout out to the person who helped me in a store or my server in a restaurant. Even my dentist reminds me of my hygienist’s name, in case I have a suggestion. Since I’m not a member of the medical profession and have no useful knowledge to impart, I keep things light.
Authors drop subtle hints that boil down to please recommend my book. Even best-selling authors get scathing reviews, or worse, spoilers. If you’ve finished a murder mystery, and delighted with the big twist at the end, let everyone else be surprised too. If I figure out who done it, I skip to the end to see if I was right. I’m not bragging, but I’m usually correct.
Reviews, positive and negative, done thoughtfully serve a purpose. They offer objective insight to point something out or a polite nudge to correct it. Please keep the negative ones respectful. Remember we all have family to point out our shortcomings, real and imagined.
Mary Jo is a USA Today bestselling author and 2014 WRWDC Marlene Award winner. She writes whatever pops into her head including paranormal, fantasy, romance, and mystery stories. Being an eternal pessimist and multi-tasker helps Mary Jo put her characters in desperate situations. She reads, likes her kids, and is currently working on her next project.
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