Should you be writing for your readers or the author/publisher? This has been debated because an author or publisher never wants to read a negative review. Who would? However, as a consumer, we don’t want to be misled.
As a reviewer, you need everyone’s trust. Trust is earned via your honesty, professionalism, and even unbiased balanced view.
The last thing you want to do is cheat your readership. Every author and publisher realizes that negative reviews are part of this business, just like rejection letters. There is no magic method to please everyone.
Think about how you approach your reviews. Have you chosen to only write reviews for books you like? Have you chosen to write reviews that rip into each and every author, no matter what? Do you write reviews for books you’ve enjoyed and not quite enjoyed?
Some reviewers will only write positive reviews. They may have an understanding with the author/publisher that only those books receiving high marks will garner a review. Their readership expects to read only good/great reviews. This is a perfectly fair approach. The reviewers are being honest to themselves, everyone involved, and everyone knows what to expect.
No reviewer, at least I believe no reviewer, is going to accept a book expecting to dislike and disconnect with it. Why would someone purposely choose a book they know they’re going to hate? However, we have all read or listened to someone who only ever has something negative and nasty to say. For some reason, our human nature will be drawn to this base need of gloating over someone else’s misfortune…who hasn’t gossiped at some point in their life? Shock Jocks and Rag Magazines have all made a success of tearing into others.
What about the reviewer who writes no matter their final opinion? Again, their readership will learn to expect this. It also requires a fine working balance between the reviewer and publisher (and author) if both want to maintain a working relationship after a negative review.
Bottom line, if you are to have any credibility you need to be honest and stand by your words.
Reviews are like communal conversations; everyone has an opinion. As the writer of the review, you have total control on how you want to be viewed—and, maybe reviewed, too.
Who should a reviewer write for? Themselves.