And why I could care less about them.
First off I write because it’s a part of my DNA. I write because even when I’m cleaning dishes and the litter box, my head is full of stories, characters, and images of a fantasy world. I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school. I made a picture book about a kid named Brab who didn’t want to mow his backyard and subsequently got lost in the grass.
The second reason I have few reviews is that I don’t advertise or submit my works to places that will review them. Keep in mind there are hardly any “free” reviewers out there and I’m cheap and would rather spend money on more plants for my garden.
Three. I don’t manipulate the system. You’d be surprised how torqued out of control the review world is. And it’s getting worse every day. I never watched a movie without consulting IMDB. But now I feel usually the opposite of whatever the ratings and reviews are. I feel as if I’m on another planet. Reviews of gear on REI, stuff on Amazon, clothing on the Gap. All have let me down consistently
^Addendum to #three; I was a web designer and developer for years. I know how easy it is to create false or misleading content on any website, yes even Google. So part of me just plain hates reviews. I don’t trust them on any site or product or media.
4th reason. As for book reviews, the vast majority of reviewers can’t write a proper sentence. So why would I care about what they have to say about my book? Boy I’m sounding arrogant.
Reviews are fickle yet our society places great trust in them. For me, I’m happy to write and publish. If you like or don’t like my stuff, that is fine. I’m more interested in supporting others to put pen to paper. Fingertips to keyboard. Vocal tones to recording device. Create. That is what matters most.
McKenzie Devlin 