Reviews on Amazon

[[deleted user]]

You make a good point R.J. - even the beloved classics have some 1 star reviews. I have to confess though, I do read the low rated reviews. The low rated reviews may influence my decision not to buy but they wouldn't be the sole reason for dissuading me. I also check the blurb, see if it's in a genre I want to read and then click inside/or browse through the pages if I'm in a bookshop. If I cannot preview a book then I will not buy - no matter if all the reviews are raving that the novel is spectacular. There has been quite a few publications that have hit the shelves in a flurry of rave reviews and they haven't been to my tastes - so for this reason, if there is no preview there is no sale!

[[deleted user]]

Reviews on Amazon are unpredictable. One of my books received 69 reviews, 25 five star, 27 four star, and then there were the 10 three star, 3 two star and one one star.

You can't please everyone.

Richard Brawer
www.silklegacy.com

[Elly]

I just read a one-star review that objected to the book having a sex scene and using the F word.

[[deleted user]]

Some people do object strongly to these things which is why such books should be clearly labelled to prevent a). the wrong people buying and being disappointed and b). prevent the wrong people buying and then the writer getting disappointed when said people give poor reviews. However, I do wonder whether the one star review was purely driven by the sex scene and use of expletives or whether said reader voiced their disapproval once they had been disappointed with a poor plot and weak characters. If the one star was purely due to the sex and F word and it was obvious in the review then most readers wouldn't much notice of the rating - that's my opinion anyway.

[T.H.]

I would never rate a book a one-star for merely having a sex scene and profanity. If the writing is good, the characters strong, and a compelling plot, it's worth more than that. I might ding a story for a missing component, but giving a one-star review to a good book just because you don't like a word used seems punitive. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if those two things really ruined the whole book for them, then they have a right to say that. As a reader who is looking at buying a book, though, I always look at the overall rating and then the one and two star reviews to see if they have any merit. Someone who rates it one star and their only negative comment is a sex scene and the F word would be completely discounted by me.

[[deleted user]]

It's certainly what I'd think Theresa and I think most readers would agree.

[Justin]

I always consider Goodreads reviews first over Amazon reviews. Not because I don't trust Amazon reviews or anything like that but because I am always on GR and rarely on Amazon, I tend to focus on the reviews here over Amazon. Don't get me wrong, if I give away copies of my book I usually say please write your reviews on here and Amazon.

[Stan]

The more reviews I read, the more cynical I get, and that includes reviews posted at Goodreads. I recently read a wonderful book that was dissed by some reviewers because of the cover. The only part of a review I pay attention to is whether the description fits my interests, and even then I find the descriptions wrong half of the time.

[Jim]

A professional reviewer consistently adheres to long-established guidelines pertaining to presentation, etiquette, content, detail, and courtesy associated with their trade.

Anyone with access to a personal computer and the internet may post a review on-line and even refer to themsleves as a reviewer, if they wish. As a result, reviews no longer generate the serious consideration they once did, regardless of the website in which they may appear.

Whether this is a good or bad development is a subject better reserved for another time in another thread.

[Sarah]

I don't go by reviews for books. If I like the sound of the blurb I will usually read the preview and most of the time that will be enough to decide me whether I want to keep reading it or not.

[Daniel]

Anyone wants to review The Buried Children?
The Buried Children
I will send you a free copy!

[H.M.]

Daniel,
I would like a copy. I will review and you can read my previous reviews on goodreads.
How are you sending a copy? I prefer pdf format.
Harry

[H.M.]

OOps, I forgot. My email address is:
barharflath@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Harry

[Daniel]

Thanks H.M.
What is your email? I will send you pdf.
Daniel

[H.M.]

I have finished reading Buried Children and will be posting my review on both Goodreads and Amazon shortly. Daniel, thank you for sharing your story.
Harry

[Candace]

For me it's all about context. If there are only a few reviews, I usually will download the free sample to see if I like the writing style. If there are several reviews I tend to read the two and three star reviews to see if they all have the same complaints. I also read a couple of the longer four and five stars to see what they liked.

[Margaret]

Jim wrote: "A professional reviewer consistently adheres to long-established guidelines pertaining to presentation, etiquette, content, detail, and courtesy associated with their trade.

Anyone with access to ..."

Oddly, I trust the reviews from people who are just readers more, though I read for the average opinion to remove outliers.

[Veena]

Maria wrote: "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 w..."

I like your comment 'I'd rather make up my own mind.'

[Veena]

H.M. wrote: "OOps, I forgot. My email address is:
barharflath@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Harry"

Just wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my book on Goodreads and Amazon?

[Karen]

I was hoping to get some feedback on a dilemma I have.I am new to the read for review offers & am unsure how to handle a review for a book.I really can't seem to find anything about the book that I liked.I want to give an honest review,but at the same time I don't want to just decimate the authors work.I am curious how others have dealt with this & was hoping to get some advice.

[Yzabel]

Karen: Be honest. Write your review with diplomacy (no rage-induced rant, no name-calling, etc.), but point out the problems, say why you didn't like the book, etc. It'll give credibility to both you and the novel. Conversely, if people come to realise you never review the books you didn't like, even though you were scheduled for a review, it'll undermine whatever you write later.

Of course, some authors will throw a temper tantrum no matter how nice you are in wording your criticism. (IMHO, someone who can't handle negative reviews has no place in read-and-review exchanges.) When it happens, just keep in mind that behaving properly is THEIR responsibility, not yours.

[Karen]

Thank you Yzabel,I plan on writing the review this weekend & be as honest & diplomatic as possible.I think I just felt bad about not having anything good to say about the authors work.I know that they put a lot of effort into the work & I hate to hurt anyone.But they should understand the risks of a R4R when the put the offer out there.

[Justin]

Since Amazon is the place to buy books its only fitting that it's the main source to which reviews are posted and viewed. I feel as though some people tend to praise and rely on Amazon reviews and others see it as just another place to review but of course make it the first place to which they post a review of a book they read. Do Amazon reviews matter? It really depends on who you ask and how you feel.

[Kelly]

Anyone interested in trading likes for our author pages? Here is mine, I will gladly return a like!
http://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Samarah/e...

[Jim]

I believe that professional reviewers, whose critiques are routinely published in major newspapers and high-profile literary magazines with widespread circulation, definitely influence and impact the popularity and sales of books to a certain degree. On the other hand, reviews posted by average readers on Amazon and similar commercial vendors probably have very little, if any, impact on book sales. They are just too unreliable.

Standard marketing tools: On-going support from a professional marketing representative and publicist, press releases, professionally designed websites dedicated to a specific work, interviews with established literary magazines and news outlets, and personal appearancees by the author at literary conventions and forums have long been recognized within the industry as the most effective promotional methods.

[Candace]

Karen wrote: "Thank you Yzabel,I plan on writing the review this weekend & be as honest & diplomatic as possible.I think I just felt bad about not having anything good to say about the authors work.I know that t..."

Hey Karen... I too find expressing negative feedback daunting. Most of us (my generation anyway) were taught that if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all. But this isn't helpful to the author or the reader. And if you're polite and do it constructively, it can be very helpful: Be specific and give examples. Not in a mean way, but explain why it didn't work for you.

Every author realizes that they will get some negative reviews. And there's nothing worse than having somebody say how much they hated your work without saying why. Because then we don't know if it was a matter of taste, or we screwed up royally. (Gosh I hope it's not my book you hated... But that's okay; I can take it, and maybe it's something I can fix.)

[Gita]

Reviews are precious.

As a writer, with books on amazon, I need reviews for the books to be picked by their search engine. The options for browsing are: price (which is why writers short sell at 99 cents), sales or reviews. Within this is again the sales category, I think.

So without reviews a low priced book may be listed at a page nobody has the time or patience to visit.

I offered my books as free downloads over a period of three months, one book each week. I hardly got any reviews which, I understand, is what usually happens.

I did get one review, with a rating of two stars. I don't know what to make of it. http://www.amazon.com/Dearie-Deer-Git...

[Bev]

HI Gita,

I just went and looked and note you now have two 5 star reviews in addition to the rather useless 2 star review. If you would like to send me an e-copy (I have a kindle) I will also read and review for you.I will pm you my email.

[Gita]

Thank you, Bev. I have mailed you a copy.

[Justin]

I think Amazon is no different when it comes to legitimate reviews and boosting of fake reviews. In fact, there could be a lot of crap reviews on Amazon if they didn't monitor and filter out the ones they deem as bad or not worthy of being called a review.

[Reflection]

Oh my goodness I have spent a really interesting couple of hours reading this thread and thinking back on past reviews I have left.

Since joining Goodreads I have tried to rate and review each book as I read it. I do so largely for myself so that I can clearly recall the book (or title) and I can then remember author and check for new releases.

What I love about Goodreads is that I can check out other reader's bookshelves. If we share a love for a particular book (and I spot their review), I can check out other titles they like. I search their shelves for genres I read, and check their reviews. If one intrigues me I read a couple of other reviews for the book (or sometimes all the available reviews) and then click through to the blurb to make a decision. If possible, I download the try it now or the look inside options to check that I will like writing style, because I appreciate that we are all subjective creatures (:

I have found excellent books from checking out bookshelves of people who share similar reading tastes. Books that I most probably would have missed otherwise. I now have a selection of people on Goodreads that I know if they are raving about a book in all likelihood I'll love it too (;

Prior to Goodreads (which is where I now spend most of my time), and sometimes even now I check Amazon star ratings too. Mostly I read all of the reviews for a book / cd I am interested in, but if I'm in a hurry I'll generally just read a selection from each of the star ratings.
It is to get a feel for the book and a particular rating won't either dissuade or entice me to buy.

I have an addiction in that I read a lot and it can be an expensive hobby, so I also provide reviews in exchange for free books too.

This has proved awkward on the occasions when I haven't loved the book, and been reluctant to leave a less than positive review. When this has been the case, I have (I hope) left constructive criticism. On one occasion I did leave a one star review I deliberated long and hard, but I decided ultimately I had agreed to provide an honest review and that I had to be true to myself and my own reading tastes. I left that review on Goodreads only, it seemed unfair to dis it more widely. When I enjoy a book I've agreed to review I also leave reviews on Amazon dot UK and dot com. I was surprised to learn that the review posted on one Amazon site will not necessarily transfer to the other.

Until reading this thread I hadn't really considered that authors pour over reviews, I had seen it as a reader to reader thing. Dim of me on reflection so I shall take even more care in the future.

Many thanks
Janni

[Bev]

Gita wrote: "Thank you, Bev. I have mailed you a copy."

and here is a link to my review - thanks again Gita!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Gita]

Bev wrote: "Gita wrote: "Thank you, Bev. I have mailed you a copy."

and here is a link to my review - thanks again Gita!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Thank you for taking the time to review the book. The book has been downloaded for free hundreds of times but there are barely any reviews. This is true of my other books also :(

[Gita]

Reflection wrote: "Until reading this thread I hadn't really considered that authors pour over reviews, I had seen it as a reader to reader thing. "

I think all authors are interested in the feedback their work gets and are affected by it. It is believed that Thomas Hardy stopped writing novels because of the negative feedback he got for Tess of the D'Ubervilles and Jude the Obscure.

[Gita]

Justin wrote: "I think Amazon is no different when it comes to legitimate reviews and boosting of fake reviews. In fact, there could be a lot of crap reviews on Amazon if they didn't monitor and filter out the on..."

I don't know how effective their system is, though. I have bought highly rated books that are less then impressive.

[Gita]

Maria wrote: "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 w..."

I don't think it is the Mummy network; it is more likely the book promoters and publicists who have 'professional' contacts and infrastructure.

[Susie]

As an author I think it a broad statement that you make Maria, it's certainly not so anything I would do. Either a cover and blurb call you to attention and a review as well or not. Everyone has different tastes, what one person likes another may definitely not. I trust the reviews but I also trust my own intuition.

[John]

Poor Billy Green! When he was just turning four, his father tried to throw him in the trash. He was a smart kid but that just seemed to create enemies. His mom did everything to protect him. But this was Detroit, armpit of the wasteland! Catholic school didn’t help much, except the time he got his first kiss from an atheist nun. Home life was dismal. Was his father capable of anything but drinking beer and farting? And what was with that neighbor who made puppets and tried to molest Billy? Golly! Detroit was sucking the life out of him. At such a young age. Then adolescence swirled around him. Like water in a toilet bowl. High school was a B movie. Only without a plot. So finally he did something about it. Billy ran away … to college. Cornell University. That was a good move for sure! He studied hard, lost his virginity, met the love of his life. Things were definitely looking up! What could possibly go wrong?

Free Kindle ebook in exchange for honest five-star reviews.

Name: John Rachel
eMail: johndrachel2008@gmail.com
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 69 kg
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Huge

[Thomas]

Tip of the day: one way to make sure that you don't have negative reviews on Amazon is making sure your book is well edited... and well designed. Get free tools for creating killer book layouts, today and tomorrow.

http://amzn.to/1DHTX4a

[Dean]

To me, star ratings are only helpful for a first glance overview. Once I'm on the page, I'll judge the cover, the synopsis, and then maybe consult the reviews. If the 1-star review points out what seem like genuine flaws, I might reconsider, but reviews can be very personal, and I generally like to make up my own mind about a book.

[Fleury]

One of my children's books received mostly five and four star reviews. However, one reader gave it a one star because it mentioned that the parents of the main character were divorced. She complained that children shouldn't read about a divorce in a children's book. What planet is she living on that children don't know about divorce, I wondered?
Reviewers are often moved by apparently benign details. I would have never guessed the fact that the boy lived with his mother and grandmother could have excited that kind of hostility.
Oh, well.

[Justin]

Don't get that reviewer started on Hansel and Gretal!

[Fleury]

lol

[Joel]

Someone gave one of my books a one-star review, but gave five stars to a box of candles. I wasn't exactly sure how to take that!

[Justin]

Joel, maybe she likes to burn books and hated Ray Bradbury's tales too...a meanie!

[Jim]

The best response to any review, good or bad, is none at all. Reviews have such a minimal impact on sales that very few marketing representatives and publicists pay any attention to them during a promotional campaign.

Soliciting, purchasing, and trading reviews has denigrated their reputation and reliability to such an extent that the majority of astute readers ignore them.

Those who provide reviews in return for money, free books, gifts, or a reciprocal review seldom comply with the FTC regulation that requires them to acknowledge such incentives within the review itself. As a result, the veracity of reviews in general are often in question and seldom trusted.

[Mike]

Jim wrote: "The best response to any review, good or bad, is none at all. Reviews have such a minimal impact on sales that very few marketing representatives and publicists pay any attention to them during a p..."

Strongly agree, Jim - this is a central problem, and I am sure many people do not buy books from independent authors because of this sort of thing - they're just not confident they know what they are being.

For what it's worth, I support the Alliance of Independent Authors's Ethical Author initiative; I don't know how much difference it can make, but it is an attemptto make things better. http://allianceindependentauthors.org...

[Mike]

Joel wrote: "Someone gave one of my books a one-star review, but gave five stars to a box of candles. I wasn't exactly sure how to take that!"

Well, I suppose one can wax lyrical about candles.

[Joel]

A sense of humor is definitely a requirement! I always suggest that authors try to get as many reviews as possible, regardless of the ratings. 100 reviews for a book, no matter what the "score", will generate much more interest than a handful of five-star ones.

[Doseofbella]

I really would not be concerned with the one-star. I would take note of it though. As a reader, I feel if I am going to do a review I would like to think someone would be interested in what I had to say. As a writer, it is unrealistic to think everyone is going to like the book. I think it shapens our awareness, and can be an important tool.