The Girl in Green

Questions About The Girl in Green

by Derek B. Miller (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (2)

Derek Miller A good person to read about the challenges of comparative vs absolute ratings, in my view, is Roger Ebert, the late film critic. He wrote thoughtfully…moreA good person to read about the challenges of comparative vs absolute ratings, in my view, is Roger Ebert, the late film critic. He wrote thoughtfully on rating films and the inherent challenge of using only four stars (in that case). This is why Blazing Saddles and Citizen Kane both received four stars from him (and I agree).

Because of the way of the internet works, most authors — who sincerely believe in their work, as I do — feel almost forced to leave a star rating on goodreads because (unfortunately) the goodreads rating will be among the first hits on a search long before the book is even published. With all the trolling and banter on the internet, writers who dedicated years of their lives (with support from partners and children, among a litany of dedicated professionals all facing a tough industry) may find one -and two-star "reviews" undermining the lauch of their novels by people who never read them. This happens often. I don't know why.

I believe that an author marking his or her work looks far less bad, in the long run, than the unnecessary damage that can be caused by deliberately destructive ratings (as opposed to actual bad ones, which tend to cluster in terms of their logic and coherence). As a result, the decision to put a five-star rating is a tactical one to protect the possibility of a promising launch.

I hope, Jeniwren, this provides some insight.

Best wishes,

Derek B. Miller(less)
Mary Lins If you get an Amazon or Barnes and Nobel gift card for Christmas - IMO, this is the book to get with it!

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