Making Connections discussion
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I usually ignore ratings and do a bit of reading. You will always have one or two preview chapters available.Igor
Igor wrote: "I usually ignore ratings and do a bit of reading. You will always have one or two preview chapters available.Igor"
Yeah, I agree. If I like the premise and the sample chapter(s) I will give it a go.
My first novel Sufficient Ransom came out last month. I have three 5 star reviews on Amazon, so far. Like everyone on this list, I am looking for more!
Richard wrote: "As a reader I would like to know what your would do if you look at a book with 7 posted reviews and six are four and five star and one is a one star? Would you discount the one star as the reader j..."I am a bit different when choosing a book and doing reviews! I NEVER read a review until I have read the book! Why? There are to many spoilers! I do not want to know what is going to happen before I read it! People do not always hide spoilers. I depend on What the cover looks like and the authors Blurb. If that does not tell me I just leave it alone.
My reviews I have the same take. I tell you how I felt! If there is action, strong emotions or If i could put the book down easily. If it was written in a way to make me feel as if I am transported into the story. I do not like what I call "Bash" reviews. That is just rude!!!!! I tell readers why I did not like it for me,but every book is not for every reader or we could not have so many authors! There has only been one book that I has to struggle to find positive things to say. It was written badly, I could not follow the plot if it even had a plot. I was doing it for a book blast and when I wrote the review I asked the host if she still wanted it. I was asked not to post it and I did not.
There was one that I personally just could not get into and I stated that and that maybe one day I would try it again. You can give honest feedback without being cruel.
Hope this helped!
Your comment helped immensely, Ann! I was wondering if you ever do reviews for friends or is that something you advise against? I have several friends who are published authors and their books are so well-written I agonize over doing justice to their book. It seems that reviews are so important when trying to attract attention in such a competitive market. It is; however, a true labor of love as I sometimes spend days on the review. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you for your help!
Would anyone buy a book with no reviews?
Well, back in the olden times, when I used to buy books in a physical store, they all came with a pretty cover, a back blurb and ZERO reviews, and most turned out fine.So ...
Igor
I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?
One of my co-workers said he wouldn't consider an eBook unless it had 100 reviews. That seems like a high hurdle to me. But in a world where we have access to reviews for just about everything (massage therapists, hotels, restaurants, doctors, electronics, luggage, etc), it seems natural that readers would expect them for books.
100? Whew? And I have been working my ass off to get 50...Guess your co-worker won't be reading my book! lol
Delilah wrote: "I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?"I would.
Gregor wrote: "Delilah wrote: "I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?"I would."
I also would if the sample pages looked OK. Even so, it's very hard to sell if you have no reviews, and equally hard to get reviews if you don't sell. Which is sort of where two of my books are stuck right now.
I normaly dont get a book if it has now reviews.But now that I have started writing reviews I will in order to help the author to get there book out there. I know it is hard for you authors to get your books out there to start off with so the reviews mean alot.
Jason - funny thing is that he's read my book, loved it, and hasn't left a review. I have great feedback, but few reviews. I mentioned that to him. Response: "uh..."
Rebecca wrote: "One of my co-workers said he wouldn't consider an eBook unless it had 100 reviews. That seems like a high hurdle to me."Not just that. He's playing right into the cards of the kind of 'businesses' who sell reviews/likes/followers to insecure self-publishers.
He'd probably not be interested in my books, the first one only got 25 reviews on Amazon and 42 on GoodReads, but all of them are genuine. Still, his loss.
And I side with Gregor, I don't really care about how many reviews a book has. My books didn't have any reviews for the first few weeks/months either.
I'm more interested in reading the sample.
Rebecca wrote: "One of my co-workers said he wouldn't consider an eBook unless it had 100 reviews. That seems like a high hurdle to me. But in a world where we have access to reviews for just about everything (mas..."Well because I'm not a lemming or a sheep I don't usually wait to see where everyone else is running to make a decision but many people suspend thinking and rely on others. I could go on about the value of reading a sample to determine the quality of the work and likability of voice, but many people don't know what to unlike unless others like it first.
True about my co- worker and playing into paid reviews.For me, I rely mostly on suggestions from friends. I've also found some good options by "friending" some of the Indie Authors. I only read reviews if I'm totally on the fence about a book and even then, I wouldn't buy just because of them.
Rebecca wrote: "True about my co- worker and playing into paid reviews.For me, I rely mostly on suggestions from friends. I've also found some good options by "friending" some of the Indie Authors. I only read r..."
I was being a little harsh on the lemmings thing lol - social validation is a powerful form of influence, but one of the easiest to manipulate so its powerful but not necessarily valuable. I think the friends option is a good one but with ebook pricing what's the real risk in giving something interesting a try...99 cents
I think there is no debating that at least a significant portion of the reading audience is influenced by reviews. Like it or not, they are essential to success... at least the commercial kind.
Raymond - I was laughing a little at the lemming comment. I have a few friends that have similar taste in books, so their referrals are always helpful. I do take chances on books, but if I have the choice between one highly recommended by a friend and one without that, well....
I ignore star-ratings not accompanied by a text review supporting the reviewer's opinion and only give credence to a thoughtful review devoid of emotional or irrational rantings.An author that expends the time and effort to produce a well-written, entertaining, high-quality book deserves to be formally recognized.
A less skilled or amateurish writer deserves to be made aware of the reasons for a negative review so that he or she may focus upon improving their writing style, story development or technical skills.
Bianca wrote: "Today $1.99 Kindle Promotional Price - "Someone To Call My Own"http://www.amazon.com/Someone-Call-Ow......"
Bianca, how'd you know it was lunch time for me over here? Mm-mmmm! Thanks for the spam!
Mike wrote: "Gregor wrote: "Delilah wrote: "I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?"I would."
I also would if the sample pages looked OK. Ev..."
That is so true Mike. Reviews and sales are circular.
Gregor wrote: "Delilah wrote: "I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?"I would."
Thats cool!
Mike wrote: "Gregor wrote: "Delilah wrote: "I mean would anyone buy an e-book which has no reviews? Olden days were golden. What is the situation now?"I would."
I also would if the sample pages looked OK. Ev..."
Good luck! I am trying to find my way to get reviews too. I think with time and patience we can learn the ropes,hopefully.
Rebecca wrote: "One of my co-workers said he wouldn't consider an eBook unless it had 100 reviews. That seems like a high hurdle to me. But in a world where we have access to reviews for just about everything (mas..."That is true. Reviews justify your books worth.
I check out peoples books and review them after I read them and I take read for review requests too so I will check other people's books to get a free copy in exchange for an honest review which I do give after reading them and I leave my reviews here on goodreads only. The only thing that I have trouble doing is if when I get the epub or pdf file and the text is too small then it's hard for me to read it in my ereader and I can now do pdf files on my adobe reader as large print and it helps a lot. Most of the books I review are 5 stars and only had 1 that was 4 stars. If I can't get through a book, I don't even review it and put it down then tell the author why I couldn't finish it. I told one author and they got mad at me about it but I gave the book a chance and was honest about it. I get my other books at the library or at barnes and noble if I have a barnes and noble gift card. I don't do anything with amazon.
Amber wrote: "I check out peoples books and review them after I read them and I take read for review requests too so I will check other people's books to get a free copy in exchange for an honest review which I ..."No author should get mad at you for giving an honest opinion. He or she should be thanking you for giving his/her book a chance.
Thanks Jason. Well they got mad at me cuz I couldn't finish their book. but the other authors when I do read and finish their books, they do thank me for checking them out.
Amber wrote: "I check out peoples books and review them after I read them and I take read for review requests too so I will check other people's books to get a free copy in exchange for an honest review which I ..."Amber,
Your approach to rating and reviewing books is admirable.
The mere fact that you expended the time and effort to offer the authors of the books you could not finish reading an explanation shows that you are truly sensitive to the feelings of others.
I hope that you did not allow yourself to become upset over the one author's angry reaction; it was unprofessional and immature.
Hey Jim, No I didn't get upset about it at all. and thanks. :)feel free to look at my book reviews and enjoy. I didn't start taking read for review requests until December of 2013.
Amber wrote: "Thanks Jason. Well they got mad at me cuz I couldn't finish their book. but the other authors when I do read and finish their books, they do thank me for checking them out."I had this one reviewer who sent me a message saying he couldn't get into one of my books and he wasn't going to put up anything until I asked him to.
Amber wrote: "Oh okay."You're a Stephanie Plum fan, which makes you golden in my book.
If I read an Indie Author's book that has grammatical or other similar issues, I try to let the individual know rather than detailing it in a review. It just seems civil.
Jim wrote: "The mere fact that you expended the time and effort to offer the authors of the books you could not finish reading an explanation shows that you are truly sensitive to the feelings of others."Hey, I also write motivational 1-star stopped reading reviews, although perhaps I'm more truly sensitive to the feelings of other readers than the feelings of the author... ;)
Amber wrote: "I check out peoples books and review them after I read them and I take read for review requests too so I will check other people's books to get a free copy in exchange for an honest review which I ..."You can't change the font size in your reader? I have poor eyesight, so sometimes I have to increase the size of the font.
No Stan cuz all my ereader does is change orientation and you can't increase the font size on it. I'll try reading it in its small size though I need a magnifying glass.
Hey Amber.Are you accepting any review requests for non-fiction
in the self-development field ?
I have just published my first e-book on Amazon Kindle
and I sure could do with an honest reviewer like you to
read my short 29 page book for me !
it is called ' How To Increase Your Self-Esteem And Avoid Becoming A Circus Elephant'
I can send whatever format you prefer.
Best Regards.
Tony Furlong
Hey Tony, I hardly read non-fiction unless they are autobiographies or memoirs, LOL but thanks for the offer I hope you can get someone to read your self-esteem book. I got two read for review requests I got to read next after I finish Virals #4 Exposure by Kathy Reichs then got to get back to Kingdom Keepers 7.
As a reader, I don't put much stock in reviews. I prefer to make my own buying/reading decisions based on several factors including (but not limited to) the book title, cover and blurb. If a book appeals to me, I really don't care what anyone else thought of it. I'll read it and decide for myself. Too many reviewers have "axes to grind," which is unfortunate and I don't want their opinions to influence me in the least.However, as an author, I know how important reviews are because lots of people do "judge a book by its reviews." I never write a negative review of a book. If I didn't like it that doesn't mean someone else won't.
A rating and/or review is a critique of the specific work in question. As such, it is important to remember that criticism, whether it be constructive, positive, negative or even hurtful, is just an opinion and one opinion is as good as another.The important thing is to learn from every criticism and utilize it as a continuous improvement motivator.
As a reader, I'll take a look at recent reviews to glean a bit more insight into the plot and character development. I'm not looking for spoilers, more like an extension of the book blurb. As an author, I look to reviews both as a necessity for marketing (like it or not, it is the world we live in) as well as for constructive feedback. On this latter point, I especially value reviews that provide substance and mention what they liked (about plot, characters, etc.) and what they would like to see treated differently. Reviews that do this take time and thought to write--unfortunately few reviewers will invest this effort. When they do, I make it a point to send a direct thank you message.
As a lot of you have said, it depends on the content of the review. If all of the five star reviews are in depth and well thought out but the one star is a one liner or something, of course I won't pay any attention to it. But, if the five star reviews are fluff, I may listen more to an in depth one star. I actually think having a mixture of positives and negative reviews helps sell a book to me. Not everyone likes the same books so the negative reviews make the good ones seem more real.
As an author though, one negative review about your own work, sticks in your head for a long time. No matter how many people like it, one negative nancy can harm all the confidence you had in your book.
There is not a single book on the planet that every person who reads it will love. I only have one book published, but I have the same scenario as you, Richard. I have a pretty high average (4.7 on Amazon), and I haven't gotten any one star reviews, but I have gotten a two-star review, as well as a three-star that was written more like a one or two-star. My advice is to look at their critiques and determine if there's any credibility to it, then see if other reviews say the same thing. For instance, if a negative review says it was boring, then most other reviews say it was exciting, your book probably wasn't boring. But if four or five reviews say my sidekick needed more character development, then that's something to work harder on next time around. But one negative review doesn't mean you didn't produce something good. It just means someone didn't like your book. People don't like Stephen King. People don't like James Patterson. No author is immune to that, it just comes with the business.
The problem we have these days is that everyone has the chance to voice their opinion whether it is valid or not. In essence, we'd like to be reviewed by those who we feel have had the training or understanding to effectively review, but the reality is that 99% of people (including me) review everything subjectively, whether they understand it or not thereby devaluing the overall value of the review.
So you look at seven reviews broken down into 6-five stars and 1 one-star and all you can surmise is that most people liked it. It doesn't mean it's good, as a book that has five one star reviews isn't necessarily bad. We equate popularity with quality these days (hence reality tv shows). Lot's of people like something therefore it must be good. In reality it's only good for those people who like it.
And thus continues the eternal battle of pop-culture vs art.
Like so many others have said here, you look at the cover, you read the blurb, then you make your own mind up.
Then you buy the book of your fellow "Making Connections" author. :-)
m
So you look at seven reviews broken down into 6-five stars and 1 one-star and all you can surmise is that most people liked it. It doesn't mean it's good, as a book that has five one star reviews isn't necessarily bad. We equate popularity with quality these days (hence reality tv shows). Lot's of people like something therefore it must be good. In reality it's only good for those people who like it.
And thus continues the eternal battle of pop-culture vs art.
Like so many others have said here, you look at the cover, you read the blurb, then you make your own mind up.
Then you buy the book of your fellow "Making Connections" author. :-)
m
I review. Lisa, 2,187 reviews, wow! Okay, so I review. I buy and review books by authors in my general genre that I am networked with. I don't tell them; they don't ask. Because of that, I don't read the reviews before buying. Now, I give 5-star reviews. I know how much it helps authors. But I try to point out things about their writing style, things I like that I think others will like too. But if I don't like a book, I can't finish it, and if I can't finish it, I don't feel I can give any review.
And this is a big thing. Most people, even people who generally leave reviews, won't want to leave a bad review, opting to just not leave one. You have to wonder what a book's Amazon review rate would be if everybody was compelled to leave a review.
That's why I don't read 5-stars, I just count the number, and I only read 1-star reviews when an author is some kind of award winning, best-selling author and I'm reading their book, thinking the whole world must be mad. Then I want to know if the 1-2 star people are saying the same things I'm thinking.
As a reader and reviewer i find that i like reading other peoples reviews. Several times i have purchased a book based off of someone else poor review. Most people who give 1 star rating leave details of what was wrong with the story. What one readers "taboo" topic might be another persons dream story.
The majority of authors on Amazon/Kindle simply get their friends and family members to leave 5-star reviews. I don't bother reading reviews for books on Amazon for this reason; it's easy to spot who used the Mummy-network to get their reviews. I'd rather make up my own mind after reading the blurb and the author bio. Then I read the book and if it has merit, I leave a review, which in my opinion should always be constructive to give the author a guide to improve their writing for the next book.
I think I try to use all the review information. The number of five stars can indicate that several people liked the book, which is good. I may only read the first five star review, but I like to read the one and three star reviews, too. They can give a sense of whether the book has problems that would make me not want to read the book. If the one star indicates major problems like grammar, inconsistencies, then I'd doubt the few good reviews. If the one star review is one star because of some specific pet peeve issue of that reviewer (something like, the author uses too many curse words), then I would probably disregard the one star if that pet peeve wasn't also one of mine. No one is going to like every book, so I think it's important to keep that in mind when reading reviews. Even beloved classics have bad reviews. So, the most important thing is your gut reaction after reading the description, reviews and the sample.
Making Connections
Books mentioned in this topic
The Man Who Loved Too Much: Book 1: Archipelago (other topics)God's Buried Children (other topics)
Sufficient Ransom (other topics)
Morning's Journey (other topics)
The Color of Vengeance (other topics)
More...
Asking for reviews can be tricky, I agree. People you know personally always will give a good review, whether they liked it or not. It's not always good though, considering the majority of my first 20 reviews are mainly five stars. This looks like a set up and may scare others off.
-Andrew J. Frischerz
Author of PACIFIC BEACH
andrewjfrischerz.com