Some authors read reviews. Because—
- they want to hear their audience’s reaction
- they want to learn what they might need to do different to meet the expectations of their audience
- they feel obligated to read the reviews
- they want to put out the best product they can and they think reading the reviews will help
- some other reason I can’t fathom
Like most things in life, those reasons matter to those people, but they don’t matter to me. I’m sure someone, somewhere, thinks those reasons should matter to me, but … nope, I still don’t care. :D
I don’t read reviews (not on purpose anyway), because—
- they affect my writing
- they make me crazy
- my books are products to the people who buy them, but they’re not products to me; they’re my art
- they don’t help me learn how to write a better book because the only person I’m trying to satisfy with my books is me; no one else’s opinion on my books has any bearing on how I feel about those books
I’m happy to sell my art as a product, but like a used car it’s an “as is” purchase :D
Yes, I’m an artist. “Artist” isn’t a bad word. I’m also a business person who has looked at the business in question, decided on her priorities, and planned accordingly. :) I prioritize my own pleasure from my books higher than I prioritize money. That certainly doesn’t mean I don’t want any money for my work (quite the opposite), just that I know what I want more and that I’m willing to sacrifice some of the one to keep more of the other…
If you’re a business person, you need to decide on these things for yourself. It’ll keep you sane. ;)