Always read the worst reviews

Last week I entered the brave new world of electric pressure cooker cooking. I know, it takes me a while to mix things up a little. To go with my new cooker, I scoured Amazon for a cookbook. I like to think of myself as a savvy Amazon customers. I always limit my searches to top reviewed items and check that more than one person posted a review.

Normally, I also read both the best and worst reviews. It's a good way to gauge the spectrum of opinions. Often the worst reviews reflect users who bought the wrong item for their needs or had some kind of shipping snafu. However, this time I didn't read close enough and ended up with a self-published cookbook that sorely needed an editor.

How bad could it be?

There was a recipe for orange chicken and noodles in the breakfast section - which was pointed out in one of the 2-star reviews. No images other than the slick cover - yes, I got fooled by a nice cover. Recipe times didn't include pressurizing, prep time or were inaccurate.

Just a good reminder of how important reviews are. If you've read one of my books, why not review it and let people know what to expect? Reviews can make the difference in a sale or happy reader. Wolf Creek is now back on Amazon.