A friend told me my comic reviews were too negative, so I started including one thing I actually liked in every post

I used to just tear into bad writing or art in a book, but after 6 months of that I had no followers and a buddy pointed out nobody wants to read pure complaints, so now I force myself to find a cool panel or a decent line just to balance it out, has anyone else had to tone down their hot takes to keep people engaged?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephbutler1mo ago

@hannahk19 I get what you're saying but I actually see it different, lol. Forcing a "positive" feels fake to me and readers can smell that from a mile away, it just makes the whole review look like you're hedging.

hannahk191mo ago

Ngl this totally works. Saw a reviewer who'd trashed every issue of a book for months until they finally admitted the coloring was solid. Suddenly people started engaging instead of just arguing. The trick is making the positive part feel real, not like you're just checking a box. Like pointing out a background detail or a single expression that worked. Makes you seem less like a hater and more like someone who actually pays attention.