Whose reviews help to sell the most books?

[Gisela]

NAKED TRUTHS About Getting Book Reviews

Book bloggers?
Paid review services (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, et al.)
Amazon Top reviewers?
Anybody's?

[Charles]

I would argue that it is the Amazon top reviewers followed by the book bloggers. When a paid review service is used there is always the suspicion that there is a reciprocity deal. Amazon has a very strict policy regarding conflict of interest, I am a top reviewer and I get slapped once in a while over the appearance of a conflict of interest.

[Skjam!]

The reviewers the readers trust.

[Gisela]

I trust the reviewers, who write longer reviews more than the ones, who pen short reviews. It seems to me that people, who write fake reviews would try to keep reviews short, simply to lower the odds that they are being discovered.

[Marni]

When I read reviews I will try to read one from each star rating just to gst a rounded view. I don't have or know any specific reviewers to trust or favorite, I am with you Gisela in that the longer the better (unless the review is as long as the book its self!) I will say I absolutely HATE spoilers. Reviewers who don't warn they are about to spoil the story for me annoy me. The author spent a lot of time and energy to create a flow and buildup that the reviewer ruined in ten seconds. Just my two cents :-)

[Gisela]

Marni wrote: "When I read reviews I will try to read one from each star rating just to gst a rounded view. I don't have or know any specific reviewers to trust or favorite, I am with you Gisela in that the longe..."

I totally agree with you @Marni. Unless the book is not properly classified a reviewer should never reveal the plot or post spoilers. Of course if a YA novel contains really graphic nasty stuff readers/buyers should be warned, in the event the authors doesn't, but that's one of the exceptions. That's why, in my book I propose to first have some experts review the book, so they 'set the tone'.