I Don’t Understand Some People Reviewing “ARTFUL”
I’ve been reading the Amazon reviews of ARTFUL and overall I’m averaging four stars out of five. So I figure that’s good.
But there seem to be a spate of One-star reviews that read almost uniformly the same:
“Didn’t keep reading it.”
“Couldn’t read it.”
“Don’t read books about vampires.”
“Read one chapter, stopped.”
Maybe I’m being oversensitive, but how can anyone claim to have an informed opinion about a book that they didn’t complete? Or that they didn’t even start? One person even gave it a one-star review because they never received it? The hell?
I don’t mind if someone reads a book of mine and declares they didn’t like it, but I don’t see why they feel the need to slam it without having actually bothered to read it.
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I've given up on books , but I certainly didn't rate them. For all I know, the last half of a book I didn't care for might have been right up my alley; I just couldn't finish the trip.I enjoyed Artful. Read it all the way and will buy the next book you write. Somebody rating a book 1 star because "they don't like vampire stories" just sounds kind of trollish. Artful's premise is right there in the description.
I see your point, but a book isn't like a movie -- it's a much bigger time investment. Aren't there some books you can tell you aren't going to like right away? It's being on a blind date and you can tell this person and you aren't going to be compatible, or he/she's an obvious douchebag and you have no idea how you got set up. I think it's okay to review books that are unfinished, as long as you gave it a fair shake -- 10% or 5,000 words or 50 pages, something like that. And the reviews should qualify that. But someone who says, I hate this book because I don't like books about vampires -- that's just stupid. Why did you pick up the book if you knew you wouldn't like it in the first place. I could be really evil and read only books I knew I would hate just to give them one-star reviews. But that doesn't seem like a fulfilling life.
"One person even gave it a one-star review because they never received it? The hell?"Yeah, that's an all-too common problem with Amazon, people seem to think the review section is for customer feedback.
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The book (which i read and loved, by the way) was available for free through the Kindle First program, so I'd assume that a lot of people who wouldn't have shown interest in the book otherwise were checking it out. I'd say that because those people didn't commit to the book by purchasing it, they also decided not to commit to the reading experience altogether, and ultimately gave up, deciding that said experience was worth their time.
After reading ARTFUL and knowing firsthand just how exciting and enjoyable of an experience it offers, I wouldn't take 1-star reviews seriously at all.