Someone is spamming me with bad reviews just to make my novel look bad, what should I do about it?
I guess he called some friends and told them to bad review my novel too (or maybe fake accounts), does webnovel have a way to deal with this kind of people?
Blank_thought As the author you have the ability to remove/delete reviews. There should be a trash bin button near the review if you click on it. If you're on PC near the like/reply button is the trash bin.
Blank_thought Also you should remove the link otherwise this thread is considered as self promotion which equals spam
Yuyumamoru I did delete them, but they just keep posting them again and again.
Yuyumamoru Thank you!
Blank_thought I'm not sure what else to do then. Regulating between trolls and bots is hard to differentiate. I would suggest just ignoring them, the less attention you give the less interested they'll be in you. The troll could be continuing it solely because they want a reaction out of you.
Yuyumamoru They're not actually bothering me lol, they just making a fool of themselves. I was just wondering if webnovel had any countermeasures to this kind of behavior.
Blank_thought I think there's a feature to report an account but if they do have multiple accounts, it's kinda pointless...?
Yuyumamoru Tsk! I'm too lazy for that lol, don't feel like doing it x)
If you get a troll just ignore them and delete everything they post. Never respond to them or comment or anything, they feed off your attention. Everyone gets them.
Blank_thought Damn, that must suck! But you need to pay attention, there are a lot of readers that immediately judge a novel based in its rating with not even bothering to read the reviews themselves (I know because I'm like that), so I recommend you to delete those negative reviews and report their accounts
Blank_thought if that negative review had even a shred of truth to it, accept their criticisms and try to correct them or if they are only posting negative reviews without even bothering to read a few chapters, DELETE THEM AND BE DONE WITH THEM!!
I wish I could do something about it. It's beyond me what people even achieve by troubling others.
In today's world, where a lot of people are already struggling with real life issues, anxiety, depression and what not - why would anyone want to add on to their miseries?
A bunch of people treat writing and this virtual world as an outlet. Some, as a distraction. To escape from their routine issues for a while and come here, to feel a little better. If you can't cheer them up, at least don't make things worse for them. I do not understand this sadistic pleasure that people seem to be seeking by putting others down.
Can everyone be a little more compassionate toward the fellow writers, and readers here? Can we try and not upset people if we can't make them happy? For heaven's sake, there is nothing cool about being toxic. Please be kind. The world needs your kindness because there is already more than toxicity in existence.
LostInFictions Sadly, some people's don't even realize that they are being assholes. not everyone learns that they should think before they talk!
Dan_Ryder If you think i am a troll, you are sorely mistaken. I only wrote genuine comments, yet you can't seem to differentiate and just delete everything you slightly dislike. I also saw that you do not even have a single review below 4.5 stars, i'm really not surprised at this after your conduct with me today. You are an author who just abuses the power given to you to the limit. I have said nothing rude to you or insulted you in my comments, nor have i attacked your novel. So what is your excuse other than you just don't like what i say? Is that a legitimate reason to delete so many genuine comments? Is that a legitimate reason to censor people? Truly disgusting what you do. And truly disgusting what Webnovel allows. Absolutely rotten...
Oh, if you are even a bit curious, i would have given you a 4 star review as far as the 10 or so chapters i have read so far. I see no major problems with it other than the fight scenes, it is a good story. If only you were just as decent...
Sythcake Man tell me about it. Apparently they can even delete comments under reviews. Basically, you can't even reply to a review if the author doesn't like what you say. Webnovel has truly washed their hands off the matter apparently and just gave authors complete control to abuse at their behest. I haven't even gotten to writing a review actually, this guy just started deleting comment after comment as i was reading. Comments that i made in chapters. One was even about a mistake that i notified him of, another talking about there being photographs in a cultivation novel and my curiosity about if it taking place in modern times etc. or done by some enchanted devil stone. Another two comments about how i can't bring myself to like how the fight scenes are written and what i don't like about them. Just wrote my views on it and what i think is wrong, that's it. In another comment, i jokingly called mc an 'arrogant little sh&t' in a paragraph comment, which he actually is! Can't remember the comment exactly but it was basically 'what an arrogant little sh&t lol'. The character is literally designed that way. He is a little noble devil with an ego and arrogance that probably surpasses kings. Comment was basically just stating the obvious in a joking manner. Just a comment for others to read, i don't even care about if the author reads it. But i guess he just reads everything and micromanages each and every comment. So yea, delete that too. Asked him why he did it and if i got how he is trying to convey the character wrong, asked him if i was mistaken about it. No answer, just delete once more. You know what's even more funny? He actually replies to one of my comments and says that what i talk about being explained in the next 3 chapters. Ok great, but right after reply he seems to have deleted the comment. So i don't even know what he replied to! I only see a reply with a deleted comment in my inbox. There is probably more that i can't remember or haven't noticed that he deleted. Not like WN actually tells you what got deleted, just gives you a sorry notice. Smh...
I don't care if he doesn't like what i say, my comments aren't even solely for him. It is for other readers to read and like/reply if they think the same or have something to say about it. He really has no right to be deleting genuine comments that doesn't insult him or attack his novel. If he actually deigned to give me an explanation or a reason, i wouldn't even be pissed. Nope, just delete and ignore. Finally snapped since i can't stand people who censor others, and so i copy the newest comment i posted thinking he would delete it anyways, so he got into a delete war. I paste, he deletes for about 3 times. I give up the stupid game. Then the last comment i posted to him is exactly this;
Don't know what problem you got with me author, but don't expect me to understand with you deleting comment after comment. I haven't said anything rude to you or insulted you in any way, nor have i attacked your novel, so your actions come out as extreme. Even notified you about a mistake in one of the paragraphs. Guess it was my bad to think you would actually worth the effort? You are writing a pretty good story, but yeah, can't say the same about your personality sadly. Oh, and i see that you have not a single review under 4.5 stars, guess you delete the lower ones too. No surprise there really after your conduct with me. I haven't even gotten to writing a review, nor will i even bother because of the broken system Webnovel invented that gives authors like you all the power to abuse at your pleasure. Know that it would have been a pretty positive review. Other than the fights, i see no major issues in the 10 or so chapters i have read. So it is a 4 star from me so far. But yeah, your conduct really left a sour taste sadly. Enjoy your day...
No surprise that there is no reply and an instant delete. He probably didn't even read anyways just delete instantly. Post it a few times as he insta deletes, which wasn't going anywhere. It isn't a message just to him, i made it so other people reads and see what kind of a person he is. Again, he has no right to delete. Just gave up after that, the system Webnovel has set up is broken...
Blank_thought ask the staff to limit reviews to one per user
@N0xiety I apologize for deleting everything you posted, maybe I was wrong. I mistook your strange commenting habits as intentional trolling. Your commenting habits aren't normal, and are very similar to what trolls do. I don't respond to trolls. When you respond to trolls they usually get more aggressive like @Uncle_Sheogorath who continues to spam a 1-star review on my novel every day for my sweet attention.
Dan_Ryder I really believe if you would have just talked to me sooner, we could have easily come to an understanding. I can understand your stance against genuine trolls, but it will also easily lead to misunderstandings as without communication, there can be no understanding.
Not sure about my strange commenting habits, but if you are talking about me deleting my comments and reposting, i guess i tend to do that when i think i missed something. So i generally copy it, delete the comment, add the parts i want to be in the comment, and then post it again quickly. Or i just make a grammar mistake, i may even delete for that and post again after fixing. Not sure how that looks to you tbh. So i generally quickly delete it and add to it. I can sometimes do it a few times really if i'm particularly distracted at that moment. I can also delete my comments when i think i wrote them in anger, tho i don't think i wrote any comments with anger in your novel at least. Well, other than my two comments about me being pissed at you for deleting comments i guess. Anyways, if i did write them in anger, i may delete and curb the comment a little in those cases. Make it less spicy in a sense. There are also times that the comment becomes irrelevant or get explained in a few chapters or so, in which case i return back and delete it. Yeah, normally people don't bother doing that but i just do it. Not sure if that was the problem you had with the comments, because i really don't think there was anything that was really bad about them? Unless you were offended about me explaining what i dislike about the way the fights are written etc.
Really, just try to be less trigger happy with comment deleting, you really don't need to delete comments even if they are plain wrong or may be explained a few chapters later. The comment being there doesn't take anything away from the novel. If the comment is not insulting you or attacking you directly, just leave it. Understand that just because the comment isn't there, doesn't mean people think otherwise. And always remember, not all comments are directed at you, they can just be thrown out there for other readers to read and comment over. Even if you think a comment is irrelevant or wrong, just leave it, you don't need to micromanage so much. It won't have much of an effect on the success of your novel. People will think what they think even without a comment there to showcase their thoughts.
As for IAMANOTMAT, i actually got to talk to him in one of his reviews. We actually could still keep replying to each other even after you deleted the review btw, like a private comment section. Not sure what his comments were or if you truly needed to delete them, but i think he is doing what he is doing because he is pissed. And he cares enough to do what he does i guess. I was pissed too, i really can't stand people who censor others. It is a matter of principle. Tho i mostly moved on after our little copy paste comment battle that day. I guess he didn't and kept his anger. Or maybe he just wanted to get back at you and annoy you back just as much as he is annoyed. If he wasn't insulting you in his initial comments, try to message him here or in WN. Maybe you two can come to an understanding too. I don't feel like he is doing what he does just for the sake of being a troll, or that's what i think from our conversation. Then again, i really don't know his initial comments, so i can't give accurate judgement on that. It is just my feeling of how things are.
Oh and lastly, not sure what is up with your reviews, but it is concerning that there is not a single review under 4.5 stars. I doubt everyone who rated lower than that would be trolls, so i think you may need to curb the trigger there as well. Or maybe i'm wrong and you didn't get a single review under 4.5 stars that was genuine, but i hope you can understand how unlikely that sounds. If i was wrong about you deleting the reviews that have lower starts than 4.5, i apologize. If not, please understand that even people who enjoy the novel might not give 5 star reviews, for example me. I would truly give it 4 stars as far as i read. It might have increased or decreased depending on how it goes. There may be people who would give 3.5 stars even if they did enjoy the novel, everyone has a different way of rating.
