To rate or not to rate...THAT is the question

[Eldon]

OK, so I'm still fairly new here having only joined Goodreads a couple of months ago and only being published since April.

I have to ask though, is it appropriate to rate your own book?

I always viewed the practice of rating your own work as a lose-lose. If you rate it 5 stars people will just dismiss it saying that "of course you would give it 5 stars, you wrote it!" And if (god forbid) you don't rate it 5 stars people will just say "even the author doesn't think it's good." Either way you lose right?

And yet I look around our site here and routinely notice authors who rate their own works. Am I wrong in my thinking here?

[Annie]

@Mr Eldon: Hiii!! I totally agree with your thought process, good sir!

Personally, I think it's really freakin' tacky. Of course, I don't give a rat's bottom if other authors rate their own shizz. But it just feels "icky" to me. So, no. Never would.

Hugs,
Ann

#PretendingToAnswerEmails #ActuallyPostingThis

[Nik]

I also think it's a lose-lose, exactly for your reasoning, therefore I abstain from rating my own stuff. I think the author is probably the worst evaluator of his/her own work, as s/he can't be objective. However, it might be my overall cautious approach to praising my own books anywhere. If others do it though, I've nothing against

[Tara Woods Turner]

It's too Johnny Bravo for my tastes.
*kisses own bicep*

[Marie Silk]

A nice compromise imo is to leave it without a rating but write in the review part a message to your readers. In mine I gave a little more introduction to the characters in the book with a note like "I hope you enjoy".

[Melanie]

Eldon wrote: "OK, so I'm still fairly new here having only joined Goodreads a couple of months ago and only being published since April.

I have to ask though, is it appropriate to rate your own book?

I always ..."

Yes it is a bit odd to rate one's own work! As a narrator, I usually rate the actual book (not my narration) and sometimes leave a review of said books. I've also put a note on my profile here about that. I agree with your views, Eldon.

[Eldon]

Well it sure is nice to know I'm not out in left field :) Thanks all!!!

[Nik]

It can be Goodreads that implicitly prompts authors to review their work simply by availing this option.
Besides, for all I know, some review their work, under a different name, pretending its some reader's review, ask friends to publish a review, written by an author and so on...
With authors' pursuit of reviews, it's hard to know what percent are genuine and what fake these days...

[Eldon]

Nik wrote: "It can be Goodreads that implicitly prompts authors to review their work simply by availing this option.
Besides, for all I know, some review their work, under a different name, pretending its some..."

That is a huge problem with reviews...just knowing which are real. Ever since commerce entered the arena (paid reviews) the validity that readers can lend to reviews has come into question.

[Eldon]

Denise wrote: "I often see author's rating their books and I think it's ridiculous. Of course the author is going to say it's great because s/he published it. There's no value in it other than boost the ratings, ..."

Very well said Denise ☺

[J.J.]

I'll add my books to my bookshelf, but don't rate them for that reason. I too have seen authors rate their own books, but usually I see it with a note in the review section admitting the tackiness. It could be that they're using a negative to deliver a positive - that when you see an author reviewing their own work, your eyes go to the review expecting to find something else to stir outrage, and you end up engaging in their self-promotion...hooked!