When Reviews Help
I saw an article recently that made me giggle, a mathematical system to see if a review on Amazon was legitimate. It began with “find all that reviewer’s other reviews and note how many stars he gave. Now add those up…”
Yeah, right. How about using common sense?
Authors hate bad reviews, and some go to great lengths to neutralize them. Authors love good reviews, and some go to great lengths to create them. (It‘s not just an ego trip; good reviews help with sales, rankings, and where a book appears in the catalog.)
I want readers with intelligence. If you’re smart enough to appreciate my books, you’ll detect a review that’s hinky. But you might not know about trolls (who give bad reviews for grins and giggles) and sock puppets (who write rave reviews for friends and family).
The Bad Reviews: Writers I know have gotten one-star reviews with comments like these:
I haven’t read this book, but…
When the book arrived in the mail, it was damaged.
It was a good book, but there’s an error on page 87.
Creators of such reviews are misguided at best. A review should be an honest opinion on the quality of the story and the writing. A friend who reviews books always lists good and bad points and admits it might be her taste in reading when she doesn’t like a book.
The Good Reviews: When a book has only a few reviews saying things like, “Everyone should read this book,” or “This is the best book I ever read,” you might suspect that reviewer and author are related or at least very good friends. (In fact, I can’t think of a single book that EVERYONE should read!)
I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. If you’re a reader, you probably have a feel for the written word and can figure it out. The sad part is that sellers like Amazon have to use some system, and those five-star and one-star reviews present a false impression of a book.
Recently a group of readers discussed the idea of what 5 stars (or whatever the rating system) means. If I give a mystery 5 stars, am I comparing it to great literature like To Kill a Mockingbird? To classic mysteries by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler? To current bestsellers like Michael Connelly or Laura Lippman? There are a lot of levels of good, so it’s hard to say what a 5-star book is.
When I shop for a book, I don’t just go by the rating. I read the reviews. Sometimes what the reviewer liked (“a steamy romance”) doesn’t do a thing for me. Sometimes their objections (“too much historical detail”) make me want to read the book. Only by seeing what they liked and disliked can I really tell.
If I found a review that trashed a book the person hadn’t read, I’d tell Amazon the review wasn’t helpful. (It’s just a checkmark.) If I thought the reviewer was a sock puppet, I’d do the same. It’s a way to help make the system fair, and a way to let the reviewer know someone noticed the unfair post.
These days I don’t finish books I dislike. (Past middle age = no time to waste.) When I enjoy a book, I write a review. My personal practice is to not write bad reviews, even with terrible best-sellers that make me cringe at the bad writing. Telling someone you hated her book is like telling a mother her little girl is ugly. You can do it, but where’s the good in it?
Yeah, right. How about using common sense?
Authors hate bad reviews, and some go to great lengths to neutralize them. Authors love good reviews, and some go to great lengths to create them. (It‘s not just an ego trip; good reviews help with sales, rankings, and where a book appears in the catalog.)
I want readers with intelligence. If you’re smart enough to appreciate my books, you’ll detect a review that’s hinky. But you might not know about trolls (who give bad reviews for grins and giggles) and sock puppets (who write rave reviews for friends and family).
The Bad Reviews: Writers I know have gotten one-star reviews with comments like these:
I haven’t read this book, but…
When the book arrived in the mail, it was damaged.
It was a good book, but there’s an error on page 87.
Creators of such reviews are misguided at best. A review should be an honest opinion on the quality of the story and the writing. A friend who reviews books always lists good and bad points and admits it might be her taste in reading when she doesn’t like a book.
The Good Reviews: When a book has only a few reviews saying things like, “Everyone should read this book,” or “This is the best book I ever read,” you might suspect that reviewer and author are related or at least very good friends. (In fact, I can’t think of a single book that EVERYONE should read!)
I’m not sure why I’m telling you this. If you’re a reader, you probably have a feel for the written word and can figure it out. The sad part is that sellers like Amazon have to use some system, and those five-star and one-star reviews present a false impression of a book.
Recently a group of readers discussed the idea of what 5 stars (or whatever the rating system) means. If I give a mystery 5 stars, am I comparing it to great literature like To Kill a Mockingbird? To classic mysteries by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler? To current bestsellers like Michael Connelly or Laura Lippman? There are a lot of levels of good, so it’s hard to say what a 5-star book is.
When I shop for a book, I don’t just go by the rating. I read the reviews. Sometimes what the reviewer liked (“a steamy romance”) doesn’t do a thing for me. Sometimes their objections (“too much historical detail”) make me want to read the book. Only by seeing what they liked and disliked can I really tell.
If I found a review that trashed a book the person hadn’t read, I’d tell Amazon the review wasn’t helpful. (It’s just a checkmark.) If I thought the reviewer was a sock puppet, I’d do the same. It’s a way to help make the system fair, and a way to let the reviewer know someone noticed the unfair post.
These days I don’t finish books I dislike. (Past middle age = no time to waste.) When I enjoy a book, I write a review. My personal practice is to not write bad reviews, even with terrible best-sellers that make me cringe at the bad writing. Telling someone you hated her book is like telling a mother her little girl is ugly. You can do it, but where’s the good in it?
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