From time to time I like to check amazon.com to see how my books are doing.
I got a nasty surprise last night, and again this morning, when I discovered one-star ratings among my customer reviews: Bell Mountain first, and now The Cellar Beneath the Cellar. I would rather not give the name of the malicious little nit that posted them.
See if you can follow his logic. Lee Duigon is “a follower” of R. J. Rushdoony. [I am employed, and my books are published, by The Chalcedon Foundation, the ministry founded by Rushdoony. I am not aware of being “a follower” of anyone.] Rushdoony was “a religious huckster” [no, he wasn’t] and “a christofascist,” whatever that is. Therefore, “persons of good character” will avoid my books.
Having read thousands of pages of Rushdoony’s published works, I can truly say this person is talking through his hat. But because Rushdoony was a faithful man of God, libs and other louses have always attacked him viciously.
Thing is, I have few reviews, not many readers know that I exist: so a single one-star rating easily drives down a book’s overall rating. By the time this insect gets around to trolling the later books in my series, it will look like half the readers hated them.
That “christofascist” tag is genuinely offensive. In all probability, the reviewer is some left-wing loon from the Southern Poverty Loon Center, or someplace like that, who thinks everybody to the right of where he is, out on the far-left fringe of the galaxy, is a fascist, a knotsy, and a biggit who should be beaten senseless, etc. That’s the Loving Left all over.
All right, well, I’ve taken one for the team. An inner voice keeps whispering, “It’s about time they’ve come after you! I was beginning to think you were doing something wrong.”
But my books are my babies, and when somebody maliciously attacks them, I do admit I find it hard to laugh it off. It’s a lesson I’d better learn, I guess. I don’t want God to be ashamed of me for yelping about a bug-bite.
Congratulations, Lee. You are indeed doing something right. When the “world” loves you, it is not a good indication, but when it hates you, you can be assured you are on the right path. I have had nasty comments on my articles and I smile and chuckle to myself and say, “Right On”, the wrong side is against me, so what could be better.
It’s a shame that Amazon ratings have become a political forum, but there’s no getting around it, that’s exactly what is happening.
I haven’t read everything you’ve written, although I intend to follow the series as time allows. What I’ve read so far is quite good, both in the way they were written, but also the balance between being spiritual without coming across as preachy.
Let them attack you for your faith. It says much more, in the negative, about the attackers than it does about you.
Yes, that’s what happened — someone got wind of your “leanings” and it has nothing to do with your great books. I’m glad you know that! My Christian Thriller in 2014 had vampires in it and 99 5-star reviews. If you go look at it, there are 5 little one stars, all from atheists who didn’t like me demonizing the vampires (LOL). Now I am writing children’s books and non-fiction conservative materials… I expect to be attacked, but it will still hurt. Like you said — these are our babies. They’re tender. <3
Welcome back, Ellen.
99 five-star reviews: you deserved them.
I don’t think I have 99 for all eight of my books put together. I wish I knew how to get some more.
I guess in some ways its a badge of honor, but it still stinks–it has happened to me before too. That being said, in your case I realized could do something to help, and I encourage all of your fans here to do the same. I went to Amazon and found two of the one star comments and flagged them as inappropriate. I noted that they were not reviews of the actual book, but unfounded personal attacks against the author. Let’s see if Amazon agrees and takes them off. It may help that I’m a verified purchaser who previously left a real review of those books.
Thanks, Allison! I hadn’t known that could be done. In that the alleged reviewer had absolutely nothing to say about the books themselves, I very much doubt he’d bothered to read them.
I’ll be checking to see what happens next.
For anyone else wondering how to do this, you have to click the link to see all reviews, then scroll down to the one in question. Below each review it asks, “Was this review helpful to you?” There is a yes button, an no button, and a link that says “Report abuse.” Click that link and it will ask you for a reason.
Well, now we know! I never had occasion to notice all those little buttons before: I do tend not to notice technical things. Again, Esteemed Colleague, my thanks!
Well, I just checked, and I am very happy to report that you’ve done the trick! Those nasty little one-star notes are gone, even as we speak. Thank you so much!
Wohoo!! 🙂
Way to go, WeavingWord.