As many members of the writing
community know, I support writers any way I can. I read a lot, write book reviews, and help out however I can.
Everything I do and have done in my life somehow relates to languages, words, and books. I like learning languages. My university degrees are in French literature and teaching English. My job has been teaching English, mainly grammar and writing, for over thirty years. My other job has been proofreading for over thirty years. I've been writing for as long as I remember, more professionally in the last decade. I've been reading since I learned to read. It's my favorite hobby.
Everything I do and have done in my life somehow relates to languages, words, and books. I like learning languages. My university degrees are in French literature and teaching English. My job has been teaching English, mainly grammar and writing, for over thirty years. My other job has been proofreading for over thirty years. I've been writing for as long as I remember, more professionally in the last decade. I've been reading since I learned to read. It's my favorite hobby.
I'm good at my jobs because I love
languages, know grammar, and pay attention to detail. I enjoy
teaching and tutoring. Being an introvert, I love proofreading even
more because it involves being alone, working from home, and reading.
I have proofread books written in various genres and learned a lot during the process of each assignment about the topic, the author, and human interactions. I've had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of writers from various backgrounds and I've proofread all kinds of books: fiction, memoirs, nonfiction, even textbooks and dictionaries. I'm currently proofreading a book, and I'm looking forward to starting another editing assignment next week.
When I like a book I read or proofread, I write a review. My reviews are always honest, a sincere expression of what I think of a book. I've never written a review in exchange for money or anything else. A few times, authors have sent me a book in exchange for an honest review, and I have read, reviewed, and rated their books just like any other.
I have proofread books written in various genres and learned a lot during the process of each assignment about the topic, the author, and human interactions. I've had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of writers from various backgrounds and I've proofread all kinds of books: fiction, memoirs, nonfiction, even textbooks and dictionaries. I'm currently proofreading a book, and I'm looking forward to starting another editing assignment next week.
When I like a book I read or proofread, I write a review. My reviews are always honest, a sincere expression of what I think of a book. I've never written a review in exchange for money or anything else. A few times, authors have sent me a book in exchange for an honest review, and I have read, reviewed, and rated their books just like any other.
I only write reviews for books I like.
If I read a book I don't like, I don't write about it. My reviews are
more like book recommendations. My reason for writing them is not to
offend writers, but to support writers and connect readers and writers. I
don't feel the need to give a bad review to a book I didn't like. To
be honest, I just don't waste my time with a bad book; I don't finish
it, nor do I write a review for it. My logic is that I don't have an
unlimited supply of time, so I spend my time only for things I think
are worth it.
A while ago I proofread someone's work
and recently got to finally write a review for the book. The author
didn't take my four-star rating very well. Their response to my
four-star rating was to send me a picture of a one-star rating they'd
gotten for the book and explain to me that they didn't take things
personally because they're aware that people have their own issues.
The irony, to me, was more interesting than anything else. The fact that this person was even comparing these two ratings in their mind showed how bitter they were. The fact that this person was responding to me this way showed how spiteful they were. Yes... personal issues.
What I really wanted to say was, “Lighten up! My four-star rating was higher than your average rating of the book.” I didn't say anything, though. I just thought about it. Why would someone get so upset because they didn't get five stars? My review was positive. I even explained my reason for my rating in the review and the reason was about my personal dislikes. I didn't say anything negative about this book at all. So why?
The irony, to me, was more interesting than anything else. The fact that this person was even comparing these two ratings in their mind showed how bitter they were. The fact that this person was responding to me this way showed how spiteful they were. Yes... personal issues.
What I really wanted to say was, “Lighten up! My four-star rating was higher than your average rating of the book.” I didn't say anything, though. I just thought about it. Why would someone get so upset because they didn't get five stars? My review was positive. I even explained my reason for my rating in the review and the reason was about my personal dislikes. I didn't say anything negative about this book at all. So why?
The more I thought about it, the more I
realized it comes down to expectations. Just because I proofread a
book or consider an author my friend doesn't mean my review or rating
of the book will be a certain way. I still review books honestly based on my
perception and my likes and dislikes. I'm still me. If you like me
for my integrity, respect my choice to maintain it and let it reflect
in my work and in my support of what you do. If you expect me to
compromise my integrity for you, you will be horribly disappointed.
If you feign a friendship with me hoping you will get something I
don't believe in, you're wasting valuable time. If you dare question
or attack my integrity when things don't go your way, I don't have
time for you. I've stood up to powerful corrupt people; I'm still
here, resolved, and so is my integrity, unwavered.
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