All Amazon reviews are bogus

[Neil]

Are all Amazon reviews bogus??? All this author trading reviews, trading tags, trading likes. Its so stupid. Some reviews are so obviously fake, shills, they must think the readers are stupid. The whole system is ruined, you cant trust any rating or opinions now. Even Goodreads is like that now. Sucks. I only read review from people who has a thousand or more reviews now.

[Shay]

I tend to read negative reviews and make my decision based on that. Also the reviews I pay attention to talk more why they didn't like certain aspects of the book or what it was missing.

[Harmony]

Not all reviews are bogus, but I must admit it can be difficult to really know. I also know an author who has been subjected to bullying via reviews (fake 1 star's on a book I know to be very good) - it seems to have been some Christian group in Michigan. So, it looks like fake reviews can go for both the good and the bad. I always read a mix of the good and the bad for a book, and then use its look inside feature, or download a sample, to help me know what I think if I'm really not sure. There are some sites out there that attempt to offer genuine reviews, such as BRAGG Medallion and Awesome Indies ... their criteria are quite stringent. It's really sad that people are beginning to question reviews though, as that just ends up making them pointless, and then what will readers have to go on?

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Neil wrote: "Are all Amazon reviews bogus??? All this author trading reviews, trading tags, trading likes. Its so stupid. Some reviews are so obviously fake, shills, they must think the readers are stupid. ..."

Well, I can say that MY reviews are not bogus. I don't blow smoke up people's rears- if I say I liked it, I did. But, that being said- I DO understand your lament. Like Rike' I tend to use the 'negative' reviews to decide about books, or thoughts/reviews of only trusted friends (regardless of how many reviews they have written.) Like one really popular book, a trusted friend loathed it, and said why, and that made me realize that I would have the same 'issues' she did with the book- so I took it off my TBR list. Easy peasy, and saved some money.

But, often it's the negative reviews that allow me to know why some didn't like it. Some people hate love triangles, but since I don't, I know I may still like the book.

And as for GR... well, it's an extension of Amazon now. So ANYTHING 'wrong' with Amazon... guess what, it's here too. I've stopped doing full reviews here, and I am selective about what I review on Amazon.

[Martyn]

When I read a review, it's quite clear whether it's from someone who really read the book, or a fake review. Many fake reviews don't have many specifics like the real reviews do.

For instance, if you check these 13 reviews, you'll see that 10 are 5-star, two are 4-star and one is 3-star. Now, because the majority of the reviews are rated 5-star, you'd be inclined to believe the reviews are fake, but if you read the reviews, you see what distinguishes them from fake reviews:
- virtually every review uses the names of the protagonists and accurately describes their relationship,
- if the reviewer received a review copy, they mention the source of the material,
- the majority of the reviewers are readers, not writers,
- the majority of the reviews is about the book, not about what a nice guy the writer is,
- it's obvious that all reviewers read the entire book, and are not basing their review on the blurb or the sample of the book.

I'd be wary of reviews that feature generalizations or merely gushes praise without being specific.

[Tammy ~Witching Hour Reads~]

I don't believe my reviews are bogus. I though am new at it and am never sure of how much to give away, I'm an all or nothing person so I tend to air on the side of caution, if I love a book I say I loved it, if I hate a book I don't take the time to write a review.

[Neil]

Sorry didnt mean to insult the true reviewers but you're a dying breed or a diminishing statistic in the expanding population of faux reviewers.

I think the indie authors are ruining it for themselves. Cause i'm not going to buy any more indie authors that I've never read before and stick with the traditional publisher. I know probably end up with repeated drivel directed at the fad of the day catering to the herd mentality but at least you know what you're going to get for your money.

[Judy]

I think you'll miss out. And I'm not always encouraged by high numbers of reviews. (See 50 Shades of Gray. Twilight. City of Bones. Getting the picture?)

I'd rather see a small number of intelligent reviews which discuss both the good and bad points of a book than a 1000 "OMG BEST BOOK EVAH!!!"

That being said, I can understand your being wary of self-published. Too many aren't well written or edited. But lately I've read such awful stuff that was traditionally published that now I *always* download a sample before parting with any money. I don't care how popular the book is or how well-known the writer.

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Probably about 70% or more of what I read is self-published/Indie author at this point. I'm not as concerned with spelling/grammar/punctuation and such- although if it's bad enough that I notice it, that's REALLY saying something. But, I've developed a repore with several authors, help them with beta reads, so I still am a little sheltered, because I have my close-knit group of (for me) 'established' Indie authors that I trust. I still get 'fangirl' sometimes but try to add substance to my reviews to explain why I love something so much.

[Leonie]

This is a real issue. The book world is full of all kinds of people, who due to the proliferation of self and independent publishing, along with those who are published by the bigger publishers, have to find some way of getting people to read their books.

As Judy has said, downloading a sample is a great idea, whether someone's been published by a "name" publisher or not.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and please don't take this as a plug, because it's not. I'm an author, who due to all of those voices frantically shouting "READ MY BOOK" at the top of their lungs now hesitates to even mention it in a forum like this, because it's entirely possible that everyone does think it's a plug and I will be jumped upon and crushed into the dirt.

Anyway, an author's perspective is what I'd like you all to think about.

Your book won't be noticed without reviews, but everyone's skeptical about reviews because of the misuse of the review process. I personally tend to ignore the very good and the very bad reviews because they're not usually helpful for me, the reader.

As an author, I now don't want to have all high star reviews, because it makes people suspicious that all my reviewers are friends or socks. I also don't want to have no reviews, because it suggests that my book isn't even good enough to purchase. But then my pride kicks in and says that only high star reviews will get readers to read my book... You see the vicious cycle.

Add to that, the apparent lack of good editing that some stories exhibit, and there's a big issue for readers. Unlike Alana, I really struggle with spelling/grammar/punctuation problems. Sure, many books have the odd one, but when authors drop in and out of tense repeatedly, or have plot lines big enough to drive a semi trailer through, it tars the rest of us with the same brush. It's about being a craftsman if you like - editing is polishing out the scratches and making sure the varnish is perfect.

And Alana, someone going "fangirl" is rather nice :) And if you leave substance as well, I suspect your authors love your reviews!

[Stanley]

A real issue and as many different opinions as posts. I've noted typos and other editing mistakes, but generally won't point them out in my review unless it's totally onerous and ruins the reading experience. My reviews are based on a number of different criteria and these are issues I've dissected in one of my blog posts. I'll issue stars based first on whether or not I liked the book (a few typos aside). I, too, when researching a book reviewed by others tend to read a variety of the very good as well as very bad and can usually glean the information I need to make a judgment on the book by a compromise of the reviews.

[Philip]

Traditional published have been thought to use socks as well. Then there are interns posting reviews. Hundreds of review copies passed out for free then the book is launched with reviews in place. Inde' or self pub tend to launch (I know) with no reviews and then wait in hope for a review, any review. Yes, sometimes friends and family review, they are far more likely to have read the book. If a reviewer friend on a national paper writes a review of a famous author is that a fair review. Or the reviewer who had a nice lunch with the publisher.

What is a new author self pub to do wait for a publisher to find their book or wait months to get an agent to send it round the houses in the hope it might get selected.

I am aware that some of my reviews on GR and Amazon are from people I may know - I don't check not do I know their account names. I have not asked for these reviews except in passing as in I do not ask please write a glowing review without reading it

So I do not believe my reviews are bogus nor are my reviews of other books - I'm a reader too. My family and friends are sometimes readers doesn't their opinion count as much as anyones? I don't write long detailed reviews because I don't think I'm good at it. I may not be a good writer either, but that's for others to judge and review. I can tell a review that looks out of place - single reviewer with a one or 5 star. Or a thousand reviews that are all cut and paste. I do check reviewers profiles for my own and other books I intend to purchase. I do not believe any reviews in mainstream media because the whole process of professional reviews is open to corruption from lunches to drinks to more.

Buyer beware applies to books as it does to any traded goods. A review for a vacuum cleaner is just as likely to be bogus as a review for a book.

[Christine]

Tammy ~Witching Hour Reads~ wrote: "I don't believe my reviews are bogus. I though am new at it and am never sure of how much to give away, I'm an all or nothing person so I tend to air on the side of caution, if I love a book I say ..."

Im with Tammy, If I don't like a book I would only rate it. I read some really nasty reviews on here, and what was funny that most of the ones that got the nasty reviews ended up being made in movies. I don't think all reviews are bogus. I like to rant about a book I thoroughly enjoyed, also without trying to give too much away.

[Christine]

Philip wrote: "Traditional published have been thought to use socks as well. Then there are interns posting reviews. Hundreds of review copies passed out for free then the book is launched with reviews in place...."

Wow, you said it. I'm with you all the way. I'm a reader, I don't write at all and I love all sorts of novels, as long as it has a good story line.
People shouldn't judge books by what others think. I've enjoyed so many books and then when I looked at their ratings I saw plenty people didn't like it. Tastes differs and some of us will like a book for the exact reasons others disliked it. There is nothing wrong with that.
If you like the blurb, buy the book. It's what they are there for, no?

[Christine]

Martin wrote: "The problem with only reading books with 1000+ reviews is that you are actually encouraging the false reviews. I'm an indie author and my stuff has a handful of genuine reviews because I refuse to ..."

I've got plenty of book loving friends, that's how I found Goodreads and she was surprised that I haven't joined sooner. I seriously didn't know a site like this one existed. She used to beg me to open up a blog and promote indie authors with her, but I don't have time. Apparently there are many blogs out there like hers. They are created by book nerds/lovers like myself and then they do a review for you.

Why don't you ask them to read your novel in exchange for a review. If I had more time, I would've started a blog like that, but I don't.

[The Angry Lawn Gnome]

Alana ~ The Book Pimp wrote: "And as for GR... well, it's an extension of Amazon now. So ANYTHING 'wrong' with Amazon... guess what, it's here too. I've stopped doing full reviews here, and I am selective about what I review on Amazon. ..."

Yes, I do think it is kind of creepy how Amazon now owns GR, as well as all of Shelfari and a good chunk of LibraryThing, but I've not seen anywhere near the kind of silliness that goes on at Amazon here at GR. It may be coming, certainly, but seven or eight months after the purchase I've not seen the kind of changes I'd initially feared were going to happen.

[M.L.]

Neil wrote: "Are all Amazon reviews bogus??? All this author trading reviews, trading tags, trading likes. Its so stupid. Some reviews are so obviously fake, shills, they must think the readers are stupid. ..."

I try to leave reviews for the stories that I've read but I try not to read reviews for stories that I want to read unless I'm truly that undecided. And the reviews I look at are the 4 & 2 Stars.

I don't trust a lot of the 1 Stars where some reviews are crazy. A book clearly about a love triangle where cheating happens, got a 1 star review solely because the person didn't like books about cheating. Then why did you read it? Did you miss the back blurb? It can be frustrating and a waste of time.

Letting the cover, the title and the back blurb suck me in is always the best bet. I haven't lost faith in reviewers at all but I read a bunch between star ratings before making a final decision.

[Stanley]

i spot read reviews; a couple 5 rated, but also rely on the lesser rated for some good insight into the book. The blurbs don't always accurately describe the book and the title can be deceiving. i appreciate honest and detailed reviews and likewise try to be very honest in my reviews of books i've read. it always takes me awhile to detail a review, and in view of the time it takes, if i don't care that much for the book, i'll generally rate but not spend the time to review.

[A.L.]

It is certainly true there are dodgy reviews, and it is also true there are many which aren't. People like different things and express themselves in different ways. Also people review for very different reasons - especially on Goodreads. Some people don't like to leave a review if they don't like something, some do; some are influenced by an author's behaviour, some aren't; some like to rant, some don't; some like to summarise the plot, some don't.

There will always be people trying to game the system. And there are some reviewers who enjoy leaving trolling comments but also there are many who don't. There is no hard and fast rule. As for Amazon reviews - keep in mind zon often remove them if they think the reviewer has too close a relationship.

[Duks]

I try to be honest, but I find it hard writing a review without actually giving stuff away. So I just end up writing like 2 or 3 sentences. It's rare when I write paragraphs, the book really has to have an impact on me to do that.

I try to stay away from reviews, most of them say the same thing, but different manner of speaking. Like come on, fishy much?

[A.L.]

Why is that fishy. Maybe people just like to say the same type of things? I agree if they are word for word then yes something is amiss but if 6 people say they like the book, characterisation is good, world building is well done but there are editing issues (for example) then they just share similar views.

Remember not everyone likes to write an essay as to why they like, or dislike a book, or knows how to say that in detail. Sometimes they just like to be brief.

[George]

You can't judge a book by its cover. Nor can you judge a book by its reviews or number of reviews (see "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".) They are only tools. Read the blurb and preview/sample pages. And when you have read a book, post an honest review.

[[deleted user]]

Very interesting. I have noticed many reviews do sound fake, but again, they are not the main factor why I read or not a book.

As a reviewer, I try to be honest - but sometimes I skip/avoid saying the negative points about certain books, specially when it comes to indie authors, because, unfortunately, most of them get real pissed off when you are 100% honest and have negative points about their books.

As an indie author myself, I love the readers who do an honest review of my work, pointing out the negative things as well as it helps me do a better job.

I once got a "bogus" review which was very positive about a book of mine, and instead of being happy about the high score, I got actually sad that the reviwewer didn't even take the time to read the book and post an honest opinion about it...

I guess, this review thing is a thin line...

[Eric]

I think that the trick to reading reviews is noticing trends. Readers are not professional writers. Some are able to give detailed descriptions highlighting the authors strengths and weaknesses. Others express themselves with emotional language. As an author I have received short reviews and long reviews. I think the length has to do more with the reviewers writing abilities than with mine.

As far as star ratings go, I would say ignore these entirely. These are completely subjective regardless of whether or not a review is real or fake. If you want to know whether or not you'll like a book, see what the reviews say, look for trends, and if these check out, download a sample before you buy. If the book still turns out to be a dud, Amazon, at least, allows you return it within a couple of weeks.

[Sasha]

Eric wrote: "I think that the trick to reading reviews is noticing trends. Readers are not professional writers. Some are able to give detailed descriptions highlighting the authors strengths and weaknesses. Ot..."

I completely agree about both the length and the stars of reviews. I have such a hard time deciding which start rating to give, especially if there's only one or two things that would make me rate lower, and so I'm not very consistent. Plus, I often rate right after I've read a book, without giving it time to sink in, or for me to see if and what sort of lasting effect is has.

My reviews also tend to be short and lacking detail because 1) I think it's pointless to restate things in the blurb, so I usually don't summarize, and 2) I don't want to give anything away. So I'll just talk about pace or excitement, which is pretty vague.

I never really have considered whether I felt a particular review was real or not. I tend to just take them all at face value. I feel bad now that people may think my reviews are bogus because they're so non-specific, but having said that, I myself rarely go by reviews. I usually only read them after I finished the book to see how other people felt, in a sort of book-club type way.

To choose books, I generally go by tags, genre, and maybe the basest plot summary (of the one sentence variety)- I don't usually read the back. But I also get my books from the library so I'm not losing any money. For indie books, I can see how honest reviews would be necessary to have, but the sample should reveal the general tone and grammatical abilities.

[[deleted user]]

Sasha wrote: "Eric wrote: "I think that the trick to reading reviews is noticing trends. Readers are not professional writers. Some are able to give detailed descriptions highlighting the authors strengths and w..."

As an author, this is an interesting topic. I've heard of plenty of people buying reviews, which I think is ludicrous (I'm alright if the book is given freely, no money involved), and I've been hit by "spam" reviews myself, which you can tell are fake (and some by other authors, too).

It's hard to look at reviews anymore. But when I go to buy a book, I tend to look at why people didn't like it. If they give a vague reason, I don't want to take them seriously, because it does seem fake. I also think it's very hard to go by stars, too, because people do rate differently. On Amazon you feel like a failure if you have less than 4 stars, and that's sad, because it isn't true. It makes things very competitive.

Now, I just read the synopsis, see if it sounds interesting, and then read a chapter or so to see if I like it. I don't pay too much mind to reviews anymore, but I'll still read something with less reviews, because it's hard to get reviews in the first place. Even readers who like the book don't normally review, which is frustrating, and with so many books in the marketplace, you're not going to get 500, let alone 1,000 reviews, unless you're a major author, like Stephen King or someone. Even some of the most well-know Indies don't have that many reviews!

[J.J.]

Well, if you think about it - the system was designed to fail from the beginning. Only books that have high star ratings have a better shot at getting sold and even some sites that promote free books REQUIRE a certain star rating before they'll even promote your FREE book.

I would think we could try to do what Netflix has done and do away with the traditional star ratings. It should be tailored to the particular consumer. Not everyone has the same likes and dislikes. I remember one goofball reviewer complaining because a book had too many "POVs" and another reviewer gave a book that they clearly didn't read 2 stars because it sounded vaguely like a fanfiction story they read once.

I don't blame people for wanting to collect a lot of good reviews and shunning reviewers who give out bad reviews because that's exactly how the system is set up. If I give a movie on Netflix 1 star, Netflix just doesn't show me movies that are similar to that one. If a reviewer gives me 1 star, I have to like, eat their children or something. I don't know what the rules are, but it's different.

[[deleted user]]

J.J. wrote: "Well, if you think about it - the system was designed to fail from the beginning. Only books that have high star ratings have a better shot at getting sold and even some sites that promote free boo..."

Yeah, Netflix does have it down pretty well. I think the problem with sites like Amazon is that it's all about popularity, not necessarily what the reader likes, and wants to read. However, I also don't think they care too much about delivering the reader what they really want, either. They care about sales (can't blame them), and about the overall performance, and how that effects them, not their authors or readers, aside from keeping people coming back. They have good customer service, at least in my experience, but they aren't really dedicated to giving readers a good reading experience, it seems. It's a bit sad.

Makes me wish Netflix had a publishing platform!

[Andrew]

I write both novels and reviews. In writing novels I do tell friends about them, but I don't ask them to review. If they want to, they will. Most of the time they seem content just to tell me what they think, which isn't very helpful from a marketing perspective, but can still be reassuring.

In terms of writing reviews, I think it's both a good writing exercise and a good way to develop as a writer. Whether you like a book or not, if you try to dissect why you feel the way you do and whether or not some other reader would see the book differently then it helps you to think the same way about your own books. Occasionally I get approached by other writers on Goodreads to review their books. When that happens I always mention in my review that it was solicited and always try to be honest. There have been occasions when I've felt uncomfortable telling someone that I didn't like their book, but I simply try to be as objective as possible in saying what I think.

[[deleted user]]

Andrew wrote: "I write both novels and reviews. In writing novels I do tell friends about them, but I don't ask them to review. If they want to, they will. Most of the time they seem content just to tell me what ..."

I think this is a good way to go about it. Being honest is always the best policy, and really the author should appreciate the honesty (not cruel criticism, but constructive); I know I sure do. I usually don't take review books anymore because I've had some authors come back on me for being honest and not loving their book 100%, unfortunately, but in the end it gives me more time to read what I what to read. If I like the idea of a book, I'll buy it, and I'll always leave an honest review if I finish reading, even if only the author benefits from the review.

[L.A.]

As an author I take both the reviews I get and the ones I give serious attention. I don't trade reviews, tags or likes with any author as a means to promote my work. My reviews are linked to my facebook and twitter account because I understand how hard it is to get the word out about your work when you don't have a publisher or agent working for you. With that said my reviews are honest, if I like the book I will explain why but I don't go into details siting specifics in the book. I usually will address if the characters were believable, if the author grasped my attention and held it, if the book was so good I couldn't put it down, etc. When I give a negative review I base it on the books content or with some authors me belief that they sold out their fans to make quick cash. Unlike some reviewers I don't destroy the book or base my grading system if I find grammatical errors. Everyone has them no matter how many times a book has gone through the editing process. In todays world of self publishing this is more common and I am just as guilty. Agents usually don't want to touch your work unless you've sold 30,000 copies on your own. Most publishers won't look at your work unless you have an agent. The good news about that is a lot of books are being published that might never have been. The bad news is that a lot of good books might not ever get read because of that. When 50 shades was written she put it on fancast using Edward and Bella as the main characters and changed the careers slightly with the characters. She then went to a small publisher and it took years to finally reach the sensation it is today. Writing for me is a passion and a dream. It would be nice to one day be so well recognized that I don't have to work full time at another job just to pay the bills. However when a reader tells me they loved the book, that they can't wait for the next one in the series to be release then I feel rewarded. Do bad reviews hurt, yes. But for me it's because I wasn't able to pull the reader into my world and for those moments make them forget the pressures of their lives. I do appreciate constructive criticism that's how I learned the wrong file was sent to be published. It also makes me better at my craft.

[[deleted user]]

I know that at least some of the reviews are real, because I've left a few, and some of them not so positive. I don't trade or sell reviews, so - I guess for that reason - my books currently have no reviews even though there have been some sales and quite a few free downloads. I might sell more with a lot of positive reviews, but right now I don't have any intention of changing my review policy. If we don't have honesty in the self-publishing business - and currently we don't seem to have much of it - we won't have anything at all.

[Debbie]

I know for a fact that all the reviews are not bogus. I have written over 100 of them myself and I read those books and gave my own, honest opinion.

[Library Lady 📚]

Debbie wrote: "I know for a fact that all the reviews are not bogus. I have written over 100 of them myself and I read those books and gave my own, honest opinion."

I also write real reviews. But, if it bothers people, just don't read the reviews. I don't like reading reviews because bad reviews tend to point out things I might not notice on my own, which influences my opinion before I even get to the book, and good reviews just say what I could say myself if I like the book. I'd rather read the synopsis, then read a few pages (which doesn't take any more time than reading a few reviews) and if I'm hooked, I'll keep reading.

[[deleted user]]

I'll read the bad reviews first and see if they have anything valid to say. You can usually tell if it's real. Sometimes a bad review will complain about something that I consider an attribute and that's makes me want to read the book. I don't really trust 5-star reviews any more.

[Andrew]

The number of stars is largely irrelevant because people don't have a consistent view of what they mean. The key to reviews is in the details - most things are clearly opinion, but you can often see even in a negative review what the positive elements of a book are.

[Kelson]

Neil wrote: "Sorry didnt mean to insult the true reviewers but you're a dying breed or a diminishing statistic in the expanding population of faux reviewers.

I think the indie authors are ruining it for them..."
Hello Neil,

Being an independent author I am sorry that you feel that way especially since "traditionally" published authors and their publishers can game the system just as easily.

I think that your distrust is misplaced. I understand what you are saying but I am not exactly clear as to why you are so despondent about it in the eBook industry. I just saw a news spot about how all gushy movie bloggers that only give good reviews are treated like royalty by movie distributors. Some were even given an all expense paid vacation to Bora Bora.

I also saw an interview with a new indy book darling making hundreds of thousands of dollars who said that a certain indy book behemoth produced hundreds of hard copies for their favorite reviewers that the author was, basically, forced to sign.

This type of marketing has been around long before independent authors and will be long after. I take it as a given. I do what many others in this thread describe. I look at the quality of review whether it has a verified purchase tag, I read good & bad reviews, then preview the book before deciding to buy.

I have never had fake reviews or did them by reciprocity with other authors or purchased them. All the aforementioned described techniques make the reviews worthless to the author more so than the potential buyer. I have only 10 reviews across 5 short stories and all are very good (including one on here I did not solicit, they found it on Smashwords). That is priceless to me not just because of my sense of pride but I know that I am on the right track with my fiction.

I have benefited more from those 10 genuine reviews than I ever could from millions of suspect ones. That is how "indie authors [who do fake reviews]are ruining" it--for themselves not readers like us.

Kelson Hargis

[Mochaspresso]

It's hard to really know for sure. I tend to ignore the reviews that are extremely gushy or extremely harsh yet only give very vague and generic reasons. I think the reviews that are genuine are the ones that give specific details.

[Robin]

I don't know, I try not to give specifics away. First, I believe the synopsis of the book is usually good for a reader to consider. Second, in a bookstore or online for ebooks, you can read the first chapter to see if you can get into it - although, sometimes this unrealistic as it might 2-3 chapters to get into the book. Some authors are too wordy setting up scene! Third, I believe River is correct - SPOILERS!. On the other hand, if it's a series, I personally look forward to the characters in on book having their own book & so I do try to put in that info to help people as a guide, as that is what I look for & chasing after all the books in a series is tiring.

If this offends anyone, I apologize. I hope my reviews are considered honest, because I believe I try to be honest about books. Lately, I have wondered if I am wrong because I give a lot of 3 1/2 or 4 STAR books, and this bothers me, but I do honestly enjoy reading those books & think back on them. Also, I love READING in general & rarely find a book I do hate & when I do, I try to admit to other readers that although I didn't get into it or didn't like this or that, someone else might appreciate it because it is THEIR CUP OF TEA. I also hope if people do not agree with my reviews or have questions, you can IM me on Amazon.com, BN.com or goodreads.

Again, I hope I didn't come off as rude, just trying to justify myself. TY.

[Martyn]

Mochaspresso wrote: "It's hard to really know for sure. I tend to ignore the reviews that are extremely gushy or extremely harsh yet only give very vague and generic reasons. I think the reviews that are genuine are the ones that give specific details."

I agree. Like I stated in message #5, you can read in a review if the reviewer read the whole book and thought about it before writing a review.

I'm especially wary if the review is talking more about the author than the book, like 'Author is such a nice guy/girl'. How would a reviewer know? And how is that relevant?

[Andrew]

I can see the concern about spoilers, but unless a book relies wholly on surprise a good reviewer can allude to elements of the story - scenes and characters - without giving too much away.

Likewise, previewing the first chapter is all well and good, but stylistically it may not help: Robin's comment about being too wordy may be a matter of preference - most nineteenth century classics have very verbose opening chapters and they seem to have done fine for themselves - but it underpins a key point, that there's often a difference between the style a writer employs to open a book and the style used to continue it.

A review can tell you whether the book is wordy - good or bad - whether the whole thing is written in a strange form of half seen second-person perspective and whether the lead character ever stops talking in iambic pentameter. It can tell you that the cliffhanger at the end of chapter four is resolved in an unconvincing manner without telling you what that cliffhanger is. As a case in point, reviews of the latest Bourne film tended to fixate on the more dialogue heavy script, largely condemning this as a bad thing. Since I happen to like characters who do more than grunt or shoot, I took this as a positive and watched the film. It may have been too wordy for Robin (sorry if I'm typecasting you here) but I happened rather to like it. Bad review doesn't necessarily imply dissuaded viewer (or reader). Unfortunately, star ratings can be a problem here because people do tend to respond to books with large numbers of ones or fives and actually stop short of reading the reviews because they either assume the book is rubbish or rubbish but with an author who has a large circle of friends. Not sure what you could do about that.

[Carolyn]

enjoy this discussion. I think it's reader beware, you'd know that some reviews will give spoilers, so it's up to you to read on. You can get a good idea by reading the first few lines to see if it's a well written review. A good reviewer will warn of spoilers. On another note, I'm looking for reviewers for Sunweavers so contact me please if you're interested

[chucklesthescot]

Neil wrote: "Are all Amazon reviews bogus??? All this author trading reviews, trading tags, trading likes. Its so stupid. Some reviews are so obviously fake, shills, they must think the readers are stupid. ..."

I review books because I want to. I don't get paid for it. I don't kiss arse for every author who sends me a book to review. I review everything I read and I give my honest opinion about it. Period. I've rated books by author friends as 1 and 2 star before and I will continue to be honest. I say WHY I love or hate something, point out improvements and issues I had with it. This is to give proper feedback to authors and help those reading the review to see if it might be something they want to try. I find it insulting that you label us all as fakes.

[The Angry Lawn Gnome]

Leonie wrote: "I'm going to go out on a limb here, and please don't take this as a plug, because it's not. I'm an author, who due to all of those voices frantically shouting "READ MY BOOK" at the top of their lungs now hesitates to even mention it in a forum like this, because it's entirely possible that everyone does think it's a plug and I will be jumped upon and crushed into the dirt...."

Recently, I was checking out the blog of a very well known author and personal favorite and was quite put off at what a "hard sell" she was doing in every entry. I'll keep reading her books, but I doubt I'll be back to her blog any time soon.

[Jim]

The technical quality of a review is often an indication of the integrity and maturity of the reviewer.

A review riddled with bad grammar, mis-spellings, and improper syntax is a clear indication that the reviewer may be unqualified to judge the quality of a book or the writing skills of its author.

One does not have to be a professional writer to possess basic writing skills. Anyone with a 10th. grade education should have been taught them.

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Jim wrote: "The technical quality of a review is often an indication of the integrity and maturity of the reviewer.

A review riddled with bad grammar, mis-spellings, and improper syntax is a clear indication ..."

So, because I'm bad at spelling and don't edit my reviews with a fine-tooth comb, you would view my reviews as 'insincere, unqualified, and immature' despite the fact that I do not only have a 10th grade education, I even have a BFA. Sorry, you have every right to regard reviews how you see fit, but it does irk me that I spend the time to read a book, wrote an honest review, and there are peope out there that just think I'm blowing smoke up their rear or something. I understand your point, Jim, I don't happen to agree with it, but I will defend your right to think that... so there we are. *sigh*

[Wendy]

My reviews do not usually repeat the synopsis. That is a waste of my time and yours. I will say why I liked it or why I did not. Sometimes I won't like it because I didn't understand the plot, writing style or even the characters were displeasing. For example, the The Book Thief was a fascinating novel about the German perspective of ww11. I simply detested the protagonist.

[Nicholas]

I rarely ever read reviews when I buy books. I look at the blurb. If it interests me, I give it a shot, if it doesn't, then I move on. The problem with book reviews, like any other review in any other medium for that matter, is that they're subjective. What doesn't work for some, could very well work for others. And vice versa.

The only reviews I really consider earnestly are for video games, since vgs are quite expensive these days.

[Adam]

chucklesthescot wrote: "Neil wrote: "Are all Amazon reviews bogus??? All this author trading reviews, trading tags, trading likes. Its so stupid. Some reviews are so obviously fake, shills, they must think the readers ..."

Some reviews are good, some not so good, some are shills, some are not. I don't think it's overly difficult to tell them apart. A lot of reviewers go to a lot of trouble to give honest, thoughtful reviews, and I think it's far too harsh to tar everybody with the same brush. So long as a reviewer tells me why they like or dislike something, I'll generally pay attention. Even if I don't agree with the reviewer's reasoning it's useful information that helps me make up my mind.

[Nigel]

It's an interesting thread. Of course, there'll be bogus reviews out there for anything that's being sold, whether in favour and from the company/individual doing the selling, or against by people who feel they are in competition.
I know that when I write one, it's pretty close to my opinion; if I really haven't liked a book, I don't review it because it's unlikely that I finished it in the first place.
It seems we like to look at extremes. That doesn't always help. If a book has hundreds of reviews, it may just be that there's been a wave of good publicity and circulation and it's unfair to view them that way for authors and publishers who don't have a wide enough distribution to get that many (especially for books in a niche genre). Those who look only at the negatives may only be seeing reviews from people who post 1 star aren't in the right place either, I don't think. These are often readers who picked up a free book they had no reason to collect, read a little of it and gave it a kicking because it wasn't for them. At Amazon (where the star categories aren't so well defined to my taste) a one star says 'I hated it'. That's a strong opinion to hold. At least Goodreads has 'I did not like it' which seems much better and is why I prefer the GR system. If you have time, when picking a book, a little browsing goes a long way and should stop you picking up anything you really don't like.
I'd all readers to post reviews, mind. It's an important part of the process and can be valuable to authors (as long as you are being honest. Just be careful what you say - your words might have a bigger impact on an individual than you might expect.