Thanks to everyone who voted and commented!
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WHAT IS THE NUMBER #1 REASON YOU DON’T POST A REVIEW?
DO YOU RATE AND/OR REVIEW BOOKS YOU’VE READ?
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Very interesting, Judy. I wasn’t surprised by most of the results. As a writer (and I’m certain this is shared by the majority of us [we?] who sit down and bleed), I’m disappointed in some aspects. Most readers have no idea of the agony that goes into completing a novel. Of course, the joy of finishing a book outweighs the negatives. Otherwise, I wonder how many would continue to pour out our hearts and souls.
–Michael
Thanks for stopping by Michael. I think most of us write because we can’t imagine not writing but yes, reviews are so important. I just found out a couple of days ago that Amazon will promote books with 50 or more reviews — doesn’t matter what those reviews are. When I visit book clubs etc. I always mention reviews but few, if any, follow through with the promise to post a review. As authors, though, we do know, and so we should leave reviews! And mostly, I do…
I guess it depends on who you think the review serves. If it’s to help authors, well, then, not posting a review for a book you think is awful is the right thing to do (though maybe the author needs some encouragement to work harder!). But if you think that reviews serve potential readers, frankly, as a reader, I want to know when a book is a waste of precious reading time!
Victoria, you do make a good point but…recently I read a book by a well-known author. The book, and the author, came highly recommended. The thing is, the book, while a mystery, veered heavily into dark paranormal. It’s just not my thing. So, I marked it as “read” on Goodreads and moved on. I suppose I could have given it a 2 and explained but…why hurt the overall rating because of my personal bias?
Absolutely. In a case like that–not being a fan of paranormal myself–I’d probably say, “readers who like paranormal may enjoy . . . .” There are almost as many types of readers out there as there are types of books! That signals people who do NOT like paranormal that it may not be for them.
Yes but how would you RATE it?
To the extent I can, on its own merits, as a whatever-it-is. I’m not a big fan of YA, but there are some very good ones and there are some cheesy ones. I think if the reviewer should admit their biases, and the reader can take them into account. Like those Yelp reviews of restaurants that read something like, “I don’t like Mexican food, but this place was really good.” [It must be!] Or, alternatively, “awful.”
Yes, but is it fair to the owner of the restaurant to rate his food a 1 or 2 if you don’t like Mexican? I don’t think so. Many people won’t read the review, just look at the ratings. They see a 1 or 2 and think the food must be crap.
I do not share my opinions very often. I guess I do not think that they are important. I will try to find my voice and be more opinionated.
Dian Bowers
It makes a huge difference Dian. Amazon’s magic number is 50 reviews before they really promote a book.
I will leave a review and pray that Amazon doesn’t delete it. They don’t seem to like an author leaving another author a review for some reason.
Thank you Linda! And thanks for having me on your radio show…it was so much fun!