Bad Review Because a Reader Did Not Like Book Ending

I like getting reviews for my novels on Amazon and GoodReads. They often provide me with valuable feedback such as wanting the length of the book to be longer. However, I'm dismayed to see a reviewer write that they did not like the ending!




I've reflected on this feedback and I can see that the other reviewers loved the ending to Buried in Grief and I have decided that I can't please all the people all of the time! Though this novel of mine is a bit of a Marmite ending!

By happy coincidence this tied in with me going to the cinema to watch the excellent Stephen King IT Chapter Two film. (Spoiler Alert!) My favourite horror author makes a surprise cameo appearance and several times in the film a character berates an author for not liking the ending of their book! So, it's a common problem.

This led me to start reading the reviews of novels I've read. I'm a great Wilbur Smith fan and note that even he gets one-star negative reviews along with readers saying that they didn't like the ending. One even gave a one-star Amazon review because the courier delivered the parcel to his recycle bin! That's hardly the author's fault!

So, I've decided that I'll just write the novels that I want to write and allow the characters to tell their stories through my fingertips on my keyboard. After all, aren't novels about the journey?

See also:

Best Hashtags for Writers

How Do Authors Choose Character Names?

How To Choose A Title For Your Novel

Use of Swearing in Novels

Why Authors Like Good Reviews

Writing Love Scenes in Books