UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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Shoddy behaviour
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That's a thought. He kindly provided the link, but then I suspect Amazon know. If you go to Fiverr there are so many people on there that are offering fake reviews good AND bad (and that's really, really horrible) and it must be hell to try to police it. Funny the interest this has stirred up. It was just somewhere for me to vent when I got the message, really!
I've never heard of them, Rachel! It's appalling.
I've never heard of Fiverr either - it's astonishing what people will do for money. No moral standards at all.
I think it's worse that there's obviously a significant number of authors who are prepared to pay people to do the work. The people writing the reviews are clearly servicing a gap in the market. The actual work isn't much different to the stupidly positive car 'reviews' I used to have to write for marketing firms.
I've used Fiverr for getting stuff translated - text for an app for example. Spanish, Italian, Polish... a fiver and you've got it localised. Only takes a couple of hours.
Agreed! Appalling! My take is that what goes around comes around - I suspect Amazon will spot bizarre trends (ie accounts posting nothing but 5 Star reviews.) I also think readers aren't stupid and there is a value to reviews ranked less than 5 but with constructive comments. Resoundingly 'generic' glowing reviews only serves to make readers suspicious - so those that are tempted to buck the system will likely have it back fire on them.
I also think it's downright shoddy. I have been gradually coming to the conclusion that the whole Amazon review thing is getting out of hand. The trouble is that everyone thinks they're a critic and some people write some downright rotten things. When I read a review of a classic being slated by someone who doesn't even seem to have a grasp of basic English, it really does make me wonder what is the point. I think just letting people give a star rating alone would be more helpful. The fact that on Amazon you can review anything from handbags to works of literature seems bizarre to me. It hit the news last year that people were posting spoof reviews on random items just for a laugh. It's all very funny but it doesn't help the person whose item/work is being spoofed.I think it would be preferable to leave written reviews to sites like Goodreads and just have star ratings elsewhere. Having said that, I've seen people leave one star on a classic because they didn't like the cover or because it didn't arrive the next day. It's not confined to books either. I was looking on a DIY website and looked at the reviews (can't remember what I was after now). Without exception, all the reviews were low ratings and said how bad and useless the item was, but when I read them it became apparent that these were people who were using it for a different purpose and were blaming the tool for their own inadequacies!
At the end of the day, Amazon have inadvertently created a market as we authors are all told we need to have reviews. I've personally had some real humdingingly bad ones but they don't seem to have any effect on sales, so are most people really swayed by them?
I've made a mental note to myself not to take any notice of reviews unless they're written by one of our lovely and knowledgeable Goodreads readers. Or they're nice! And I definitely will NOT be buying any!
Damn! That's my next month's pocket money up the spout! Seriously though, you're right. There's no right way to review but there are lots of wrong ways.
Ignite wrote: "Damn! That's my next month's pocket money up the spout! Seriously though, you're right. There's no right way to review but there are lots of wrong ways."If I had to pay you, I probably couldn't afford you!
If I say I'm cheap, someone will get the wrong impression!
Ignite wrote: "If I say I'm cheap, someone will get the wrong impression!"LOL! As if anyone on here would get the wrong impression!
"I think it would be preferable to leave written reviews to sites like Goodreads and just have star ratings elsewhere."I'm not sure that would help - I'd rather have a yardstick against which to measure the star rating. As you say, if someone gives one star because the book didn't arrive on time, that is useful information about the reviewer (rather than the book!)
May I suggest that the yardstick could be the number of previous reviews the 1 * 'reviewer' has posted in the past - not just books (I'm thinking Amazon where people review objects as well).I've reviewed a few books (Amazon & GD) and also hotels & services (via Trip Adviser, but under a code name) and when I wish to read a book or stay in particular town I check out not just the 1* people but many others to get an overall feel of the book or hotel. If we are confident in our writing / hotel service / screwdriver (can it open a tin of paint?) we shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Where in the world can anyone show me a statue dedicated to a critic? :-o)
Whenever it comes to star ratings, I'm always reminded of this (from xkcd):
I believe they're building a museum of Amazon critics as we speak. ;-)
Ha ha! I love XKCD.And I'm sure plenty of authors fantasise about a mausoleum of (certain) Amazon critics.
Rosen wrote: "Ha ha! I love XKCD.And I'm sure plenty of authors fantasise about a mausoleum of (certain) Amazon critics."
LOL!
I know this is random but I like the word 'Shoddy'. Not the behaviour, though.
Do you know the origin? It was a by-product of the wool industry. The rough stuff that was a waste product. It often had the daggy bits round the sheep's bum so was used as fertiliser on the fields. So that's why inferior stuff is called shoddy. I love words!
Shall I tell you about tawdry? At St Audrey's Fair people could buy cheap blingy stuff and it came to be known as 't audrey. The thought is that St Audrey (St Ehteldreda) is said to have worn bright necklaces in her youth.I love words, me!
Geoff (Scouse) wrote: "May I suggest that the yardstick could be the number of previous reviews the 1 * 'reviewer' has posted in the past - not just books (I'm thinking Amazon where people review objects as well).I've r..."
In North Korea. Kim Jung Un won the noble peace prize for his work as a critic. This was before he re-wrote the gospels! :)
Ignite wrote: "Shall I tell you about tawdry? At St Audrey's Fair people could buy cheap blingy stuff and it came to be known as 't audrey. The thought is that St Audrey (St Ehteldreda) is said to have worn bri..."Ignite wrote: "Do you know the origin? It was a by-product of the wool industry. The rough stuff that was a waste product. It often had the daggy bits round the sheep's bum so was used as fertiliser on the fie..."
Really interesting! I know where to go next time I want to find a story behind a word!
I wish the Amazons and Barnes & Nobles of the world would eliminate "anonymous" reviews since they're usually the ones that are retaliatory and left by those too cowardly to own up to them. It's sad that there are many people like your "fiverr" messing it up for others.
In North Korea. Kim Jung Un won the noble peace prize for his work as a critic. This was before he re-wrote the gospels! :) ha ha :-)
Harriet wrote: "I wish the Amazons and Barnes & Nobles of the world would eliminate "anonymous" reviews since they're usually the ones that are retaliatory and left by those too cowardly to own up to them. It's sa..."Yes, but you can always have a nickname, which is the same as anonymous.
but Sara, is there any difference between an author having a pen name and reviewers having a nickname, i don't really want my real name plastered on amazon etc for everyone to see my reading habits. isn't that the same as some authors wishing to keep their writing separate from their day jobs / real life etc etc...
That's my point. You can always be anonymous if you wish and as far as leaving a review is concerned, what's the difference between posting a review as 'anonymous' or as 'Darth Vader'? People still don't know who you are. 'Anonymous' is just a word.
oh i see, sorry, i misinterpreted your post!
Kath wrote: "oh i see, sorry, i misinterpreted your post!":-)
"I have to agree with you. I have read reviews on many sites, but mostly Goodreads and Amazon, that gave me the impression that the reviewer had more to say about themselves than about the book and in some cases that they did not possess a sufficient reading level to follow the book in question, or lacked maturity or experience of writing reviews.I've seen one star reviews on classic masters that effectively said in the review that they didn't understand the book, or didn't have the patience to read something more complicated than a YA Romance."
Very good point Adam. There is a certain reviewer who has left three reviews in total all of which state the book did not hold their attention. You have to wonder about their choice of books and their attention really!
Harriet wrote: "I wish the Amazons and Barnes & Nobles of the world would eliminate "anonymous" reviews since they're usually the ones that are retaliatory and left by those too cowardly to own up to them. It's sa..."Actually I suspect that for Amazon at least, A lot of these people aren't anonymous, for a considerable number they'll have credit card details because they're customers.
That's the problem. Amazon would rather hack off writers than customers
Stuart wrote: ""I have to agree with you. I have read reviews on many sites, but mostly Goodreads and Amazon, that gave me the impression that the reviewer had more to say about themselves than about the book and..."Lol!
Jim wrote: "Harriet wrote: "I wish the Amazons and Barnes & Nobles of the world would eliminate "anonymous" reviews since they're usually the ones that are retaliatory and left by those too cowardly to own up ..."Can't you create an Amazon account and buy exclusively with vouchers? Can't remember how that works, I got mine years ago, so...
Stuart wrote: ""I have to agree with you. I have read reviews on many sites, but mostly Goodreads and Amazon, that gave me the impression that the reviewer had more to say about themselves than about the book and..."imo, there's a world of difference between "the book is pants" and "the book and me just didn't get on"! and it is a shame that some people can't grasp that...
Sara wrote: "JCan't you create an Amazon account and buy exclusively with vouchers? Can't remember how that works, I got mine years ago, so......"Ditto actually. But even then, someone surely has to pay for the vouchers?
But I think the big problem is that Amazon is not willing to upset customers.
Manufacturers, authors etc just have to live with this sad fact
Were they just to change the word "Review" to "Opinion" it would solve the whole thing!
Jim wrote: "Sara wrote: "JCan't you create an Amazon account and buy exclusively with vouchers? Can't remember how that works, I got mine years ago, so......"Ditto actually. But even then, someone surely has..."
I agree with you Jim, it's the case of 'the customer is ALWAYS right,.
You can buy amazon vouchers with cash. Cash is King, they say...
Is this where I request likes for my new ebook?;)
Rachel, you're not alone (Rachel helped me out when I was a newbie author (I'm now on the next tier: initiate)).
Sara wrote: "That's my point. You can always be anonymous if you wish and as far as leaving a review is concerned, what's the difference between posting a review as 'anonymous' or as 'Darth Vader'? People stil..."Agreed. But it seems that the one star ratings are always left by "anonymous" and not Darth Vader, or perhaps that's just the case with my books (which only get this treatment on Barnes & Noble for some reason).
Apologies I seem to have lost the ability to be coherent or type today:(