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Time Travel discussion
General Time Travel Discussion
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Why you should leave reviews
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It is pretty easy to review, here on GR.
Well yes, but the problem I use to have is that I read books on my iPhone on Trains out of signal range, so couldn't leave a review when I finished the book. Now I am an author I realise how important those missed reviews were, especially as I like reading new and undiscovered ebooks.
Leaving a review on Amazon or GR is the best way to support an author.
About a year ago I started the practice of leaving a review for everything I read, but I am still very self conscious about it. I am not a writer, I admire so much those who are, but I never feel that my thoughts and feeling really come out in my reviews. But like everything else in life, it will get better with practice.Cute video! (It does seem to imply though that you should only leave a review if you like something, I am sure artists also would appreciate constructive criticism as well?)
I love the video, but surely you know that writers don't wear ties!:)
Some writers read their reviews, and others don't. But since the reviews drive rankings, and thus sales, they are very important. If you like a book, review it!I am sure you have read a book at some point, and then came here and put the author's name into the search window at the top to see what else she has written. And possibly you were annoyed or disappointed, that she only wrote one, or two, or four books. Why isn't she like Agatha Christie, with a hundred books, or Isaac Asimov, with a thousand? I want more, dammit!
Well of course she might have died, or got leukemia, or been deployed to fight in Iraq, or other Life Things intervened. But it is also very possible that nobody reviewed the book. Nobody pointed out how good it was. And so nobody bought it. And after a while, the poor author decided to go back to being a brain surgeon, and gave up on writing science fiction.
So. You liked it? You want more? For God's love, go review it!
I write a lot of reviews on Amazon. Some are through the Vine program, so I have no choice - you chose it, you review it. But I have to admit that when it comes to non-Vine books, I'm more likely to leave a review of bad books than of good books. I guess it's kind of a "people need to be warned" reaction. Plus, sometimes it's hard to think of anything to say about a really good book. I have joked before that sometimes all I can think of to say is, "This book is great! You should read this book because it's great! And I loved it!" But, I guess I never really thought about it from the author's perspective. While my "This book is great!" review might not help prospective readers all that much, an author might like to see it.
I'll try to do better. :)
I write reviews for other potential readers - because that's why I read reviews. I want to read the reactions of people whose opinions I trust, so I know whether I should bother with the book myself. So, write comments for books you don't like, please, too. No need to be snarky or cruel; just say what didn't work for you, or could have been done better.Btw, a tangential issue here on GR is the existence of SPAs trying to game the system. If you're an author, you should welcome some not-so-nice reviews, to balance the raves and make the set more believable. Otherwise it'll look like you just got all your friends & acquaintances to write glowing comments and we (who are cynical or have been burned) will not believe your book is actually any good.
Whatever you do, don't actually buy or trade for positive reviews, argue with negative reviews, or in any other way make GR an uncomfortable place for ordinary readers who want to voluntarily share their honest reactions.
SPA = self published author
Funny you mention that Cheryl - I've seen a thread where self-published authors brag about getting 1 and 2 star reviews. They feel like they've finally made it. I always* ask my friends and acquaintances to be honest in their reviews of my book. A co-worker told me this week that she disliked the book because of adult themes that show up later on in the story.
She told me that she would write a review and only focus on what she did like, but I told her she should be honest and mention her complaints. I would rather her do that and warn off other readers who might feel the same way. Unfortunately, she hasn't posted it yet.
*Confession - I did not do that in the first couple of weeks the book was out... I really felt like I needed a dozen or so five-star reviews to get some traction.
FWIW, I don't read the reviews of my books. In the same way that actors don't read their reviews -- it puts them off their stroke. Have at it, readers. You are free, as free as you would be to comment about Homer.
When my to-read list evaporates, I find recommendations more helpful than reviews (simple Likert ratings seem pointless). Recommendations don’t require an explanation, and becomes a testimonial thing. In fact, this is how I discovered Goodreads (I lamented running low on things to read, and one of my students recommended it).We most typically read the work of writers we’ve already read. As a consequence, publishers want writers with a catalog. Finding writers capable of producing a catalog is the work of publishers. My developing problem (as a reader) is technical: I have an aversion to reading a book that isn’t actually a book (probably because I enjoy marginalia, but also because digital media seems so volatile).
Smart woman, Brenda. The time to get constructive criticism is *before* the book is published. I wish more SPAs used beta readers that aren't friends & family...David, I'm not sure I appreciate the *we* in "We most typically read the work of writers we've already read." If I did that, I'd run out of books toot-sweet. Also, I specifically love discovering new-to-me authors, and GR is great for that.
Love this group, and all the diverse opinions here! :)
Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "David, I'm not sure I appreciate..."Cheryl, sorry—the hedging “we” is probably a remnant of my humbling sojourn in the bowels of academia. I just assume that everyone knows what I know and thinks what I think (until they walk up and slap me). I only started reading SF seven or eight years ago and quickly exhausted the writers I’d heard of (for example, I started with Asimov because his book on Neutrinos was used as a textbook in a physics class) and when I found a new-to-me writer I liked, I’d read everything of his/hers I could find. Then I would experiment with authors who have been transferred to film in an acceptable way (PKD) referenced in other books (Kilgore Trout, and Le Guin who is beatified by Karen Joy Fowler) or recommended by people I know (and then I would decide whose taste I could trust). I read books that people give me, or books that someone in my family is reading—but that’s a whole different thing. There, not a single “we” except for the ones I put in scare quotes.
So, how does one discover new-to-thou authors?
Recommendation of friends. A sufficiently eloquent rec from a friend whose judgment I admire is a good sign.Reviews. Again, they have to admire the sort of thing I admire.
Mod
I agree with Paul. The more folks share their reactions while bearing in mind that potential readers are looking through the 'reviews,' the more new-to-me authors & books I can find.Another way to find authors is through short-story collections and bibliographies. Think of anthologies as 'tastings' or 'flights.' ;)
And of course this group is full of folks who are full of recommendations....
Thank you for your response, David.
You can see the video here:
http://youtu.be/hyT8_e-m94U
Does anyone else forget to review books they like? Should the whole process be easier? Worried about being the first person to review a book?