A quick thought about book reviews (especially the bad ones)…
I’ve been looking over the numbers on my own books lately, and they tell an interesting story.
Across several titles, I’ve sold paperbacks and eBooks, but reviews? They’re scattered, uneven, and in some cases completely absent. And that got me thinking about something many writers quietly worry about:
👉 A bad review is often better than no review at all.
Why? Because reviews—good or bad—signal that a book is actually being read. A book with zero reviews tends to get passed over. No social proof, no curiosity, no clicks.
Here’s what my own stats look like right now:
• Ron Howard’s Simple Musings
– 21 paperbacks sold, 2 eBooks
– 3 reviews
• The Handyman’s Guild
– 13 paperbacks sold, 2 eBooks
– 1 review
• The Quarry Keeper
– 7 paperbacks sold, 1 eBook
– 0 reviews
• The Apprentices
– 7 paperbacks sold, 1 eBook
– 0 reviews
• Ashville Rising
– 11 paperbacks sold, 1 eBook
– 0 reviews
What does that tell me? People are buying and reading the books—but without reviews, future readers have nothing to go on.
A mix of opinions builds credibility. When a book has only glowing 5-star reviews, some folks get suspicious. A few honest critiques make the positive reviews feel more real.
Reviews also help with visibility. Engagement—any engagement—tells the algorithms that a book is alive and worth showing to others.
And yes, even negative reviews can help:
• They provide useful feedback
• They spark curiosity (“Why didn’t this work for them?”)
• They prove the book made someone feel something
Of course, timing matters. A flood of early 1-star reviews can hurt momentum. But a thoughtful mix over time? That’s just part of being a real author with real readers.
So if you’ve read one of my books—good, bad, or somewhere in between—know that your honest review matters more than you might think. And if you’re a writer staring at a less-than-perfect review… take a breath. It might be helping you more than you realize.
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