It’s getting harder to rate books
The other day I couldn’t bring myself to rate a book I didn’t enjoy. It used to be easy to tap on a dismissive one or two stars for a book I didn’t like. Now I’m an author and self-publisher, myself, I can’t bring myself to leave anything less than four stars on Amazon or Goodreads.
I don’t mean I give everything four stars, I mean I don’t rate a book online if I can’t give it at least four out of five stars.
Four stars is my cut off because Amazon considers three stars of a possible five to be a negative review, even though the readers I’ve polled don’t see three stars as negative.
I shan’t tell you what this book is, because that would be the same as leaving the rating. I will say the book was by an American author I saw at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, so this was not an obscure read.
The thing is that I could see how much work went into writing the book, and I know how much work went into producing it. Neither the author nor the publisher was taking the mickey. And, as the author and the publisher had put that much work, time and money into it, I found it impossible to give it one star simply because I didn’t enjoy it.
I don’t much like Chinese food, either, but how on earth is it meaningful for me to give one star to a dish that a billion-odd people would have thought was delicious?
New courses
Low star ratings for books that are clearly the product of considered effort seems arrogant all of a sudden.
If I were leaving a review, I could make it clear that this book simply wasn’t to my taste, so someone reading the review could take that into consideration. With a Kindle Before You Go… or Goodreads rating, there’s just the star and that doesn’t seem enough if you’re dismissing someone’s work.
What do you think? Do you have similar qualms about dismissing without explanation a good faith effort that other people might enjoy?
Those of you receiving this by email will see below that I’m offering a couple of new courses in Sydney:
[Sydney] E-publishing your book for Amazon (Kindle), iBookstore (iPad), Nook, Kobo and all
How to write a mummy blog
I’m focussing on running my own courses; and although I’m still working with the Australian Society of Authors, I’m no longer presenting at the Sydney Writers’ Centre.
Even if you’re not in Sydney, a tweet or Facebook link to the courses would be a huge help and much appreciated
And if you’d like me to run a course in your city, please let me know. The plan is to take these courses on the road.
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