An annoying setback - but what can you do?

To my disappointment, someone has been on my Amazon listing and given the two excellent reviews I have received so far for Smugglers at Whistling Sands the thumbs down. Now, the first one is rated three people out of four find the review helpful, and the other that two out of three find it helpful.

I just find it annoying that someone, under the cloak of anonymity, should do that to me. Have they taken the trouble to leave their own review, explaining what they liked and presumbly what they did not? No, of course they haven't.

Have they commented on the two reviews I have received to date, explaining why they don't agree with them? No, of course they haven't. Instead they have just quietly, effortlessly used the thumbs down sign.

Have they even read the book? Who knows! It has crossed my mind whether it is from a rival author / publisher out there. Perhaps I shouldn't read too much into it, I just think when you go to the trouble of seeking to knock a fledgling novelist like me and imply that my book isn't even worth the 86p I'm asking for it - whoever it is might at least explain why.

Whether it will knock future sales I don't know - I've just got to hope others continue to buy it, and hopefully I will pick up some more reviews - not necessarily five star as my current two are - but honest crits, which hopefully will be more positive than negative.

My sales have now reached 33 - they definitely don't appear to be exactly taking off, but it is still early days yet and I am, frankly, doing next to nothing to promote my book - I really need to find the time to do so.

Another sale, and my thoughts are turning to reviews . . .

I had the fourth sale of Smugglers this afternoon and it is a funny feeling to think that, with the exception of my first buyer, who hails from Canada, I have no idea who the other three are.

Could they be the next door neighbour but one, could it be a family member? A work colleague? The fact is, almost nobody knows about my ebook and all members of my family are under instructions not to buy it off Amazon which is currently the only place I have my it for sale. I simply want to feel that any purchase is a genuine one, ie. one made by a stranger or a sworn enemy or something - not my best mate, or a sympathetic neighbour, or a kindly in-law who feels I need a little encouragement.

And the other thing is, will the book get reviewed - I can be pretty sure one of those buyers will review it but not necessarily the others. I do feel a slight feeling of unease that anyone anywhere in the world can download my book and just read it for themselves. My first buyer, who is himself writing a book, expressed that very emotion in an email to me and it made me realise I feel the same way.

I suppose it is easy to be nervous about any possible criticism but it is through critical appraisal that we all learn and all fledgling novelists should remind themselves that the greatest writers in history have their critics and indeed, from Shakespeare through to the likes of Thomas Hardy, have stuff to their name that is, shall we say, not their best.

It's interesting that my favourite author, George Orwell, so disliked his early two novels A Clergyman's Daughter and Keep The Aspidistra Flying that after early print runs, he refused to allow them to be reprinted in his lifetime. I enjoyed reading both, but in particular, Keep The Aspidistra Flying - a harrowing tale of a struggling writer who could barely make ends meet and felt worthless in the process. There is some very powerful, and at times poetic language by Orwell and I only wish he had written more of this type of book.

Anyway, enough of Mr Orwell for one evening, it is already nearly half past midnight here in North Wales and I could go on about him all night, and after another tiring day on the paper (working from home today though, not the office) I probably ought to get to bed.