I love it when one of my books receives a 4 or 5* review. The world glows! The gloom that descends when there is a non favourable review is all consuming and depressing for a while until I pull myself together and remember not everyone is going to like what I write and maybe the reviewer had a valid criticism. And then I get on writing the next book and telling myself a mix of stars is a good sign in readers eyes. It proves that more people other than just your mates have read the book.
There’s been a lot of talk on various FB groups this week about a certain reviewer leaving one star reviews with the words ‘Didn’t read’ against a lot of books on Amazon. But, aside from the fact that it is quite simply not a review at all, the one star automatically lowers the author’s overall rating, which is what has angered many authors and caused them to react. But should authors react to these type of reviews? Isn’t it a question of the best policy is to read, sigh and ignore? A difficult question to answer.
For authors dependent on Amazon reviews to sell books it’s all turned into a bit of a lottery hasn’t it? Amazon’s policy of emailing customers within a week of them making a purchase of anything, asking them to review the item, seems to intimidate people into leaving a comment immediately. This way of garnering reviews simply doesn’t work for books. For example ‘5* - arrived safely’ says more about the packaging and delivery service than it does about a book. So a failure as a review but it will give the author’s rating a boost - albeit unfairly. Some people also seem to fail to understand the 1 - 5 star system. I’ve seen glowing reviews in the past accompanied by a 1* because the reviewer has the mistaken belief that it’s the highest ranking and not the lowest. And, once again, the author's rating on Amazon suffers.
I'm not sure whether it’s an urban myth or not but apparently Amazon like to see at least 20 reviews for a book before they start to feature it in various threads like ‘Recommended for you’ and ‘Customers who bought this item also bought’. What definitely isn’t an urban myth is the fact that Amazon will delete a 5* review if they believe there is a connection between the author and the reviewer - whilst leaving the '1* didn’t read' in place.
And in truth the majority of buyers/readers of books will never leave a review. Not because they didn’t love/hate the book but because it simply doesn’t occur to them, nor do they realise how important a review on Amazon has become for authors. Years ago popular fiction was rarely mentioned in the book review pages of newspapers, it was literary fiction all the way. Amazon has certainly changed that with their review system - even if it is a bit like the curate's egg!
Word of mouth has been proved time and time again to be the way to sell books but that is as difficult to kick start as getting people to leave reviews. So personally I'm going to stop worrying about the reviews, try to always write the best book I can, and carry on dreaming that one day one of my books will be the next big thing.
Do you look at the reviews before you buy a book? Or do you prefer to take recommendations from friends? Do you look at book blogs? Or simply buy if the blurb appeals? How do you decide?
As a reader, I do try to leave a review when a story stays in my mind long after I have finished the last page. And nothing feels better to an author than a five star review that appears unexpectedly from someone they have never met. Thanks for a really interesting post.
ReplyDeleteOh I so agree about an unexpected 5* review Marilyn! I walk around on cloud nine for hours afterwards. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI look at reviews when considering which book to purchase, but I try to avoid reading ones with spoilers or are too lengthy and detailed. I don't want to know the story before I read it, I just want to know the reviewers general opinion and if they would recommend it. However, the main things that encourage me to buy a book is a friend's recommendation, the cover and blurb. :)
ReplyDeleteSpoilers are so annoying aren't they Victoria? Remember the days when amazon asked you to write a minimum of 20 words for reviews? I agree friends recommendations usually have me pressing the buy button rather than reviews. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI tend to check out the lower ratings first - if several state that the book has typos, grammar errors and an excess of bad language, I have a quick look at the preview to see if they're correct, and if they are, I don't buy the book.
ReplyDeleteIf someone's written as a 1-star review 'didn't read' or 'arrived damaged', I comment that they're unfairly lowering the author's rating.
If they've given 1 star and a glowing review, I comment to ask why, as that's also unfair to the author.
I have also reported a number of these unfair reviews to Amazon but I don't suppose they'll do anything about them. I came across a reviewer the other day who is in the habit of giving one star and saying 'didn't read' - perhaps it's the same person mentioned in the above article. People who do that should have all their unfair reviews removed.
Hello Susan, thank you for commenting and for your efforts re reporting reviews. I've just seen on FB that Amazon have responded to the complaints about the 'did't read 1*' reviews and taken them down, so maybe they do listen.
DeleteI can only begin to imagine how frustrating it must be to receive 1 star reviews due to misunderstanding or problems with delivery, Jennifer. At the beginning of 2017 I decided to write a review (usually only a couple of short paragraphs) for each book I read, which has proved a useful discipline for an unpublished writer, as it really makes me stop and think about a novel, why is worked and what might be improved. I mostly choose my reading via recommendations on social media, although I also like to scan the book review sections in newspapers and magazines too. I attended Granite Noir, Aberdeen's crime fiction festival, this weekend and have written a number of reviews for The Wee Review, as well as returning home with a bag full of books. Also, I'm a big fan of podcasts and if I've heard a reader interviewed and like the sound of their work, then I'm likely to give it go. My book group are also fantastic at widening my reading and introducing me to writers I've missed. Am I put off a book by low reviews? Only if they outweigh the 4 and 5 stars and their complaints appear valid. The star system is a flawed measuring stick, but with book review space narrowing in the traditional press, it's probably better than nothing at all! I'm interested in how you choose your next read...?
ReplyDeleteHi Rae, I'm quite jealous of the large number of festivals and book related events that seem to happen up there in Scotland - think I'd like to move! Book review space is narrowing in the tradition press and popular fiction always struggles to get a mention. Because I don't have access to bookshops that carry English books I rely on recommendations from friends and the internet. There are certain authors whose books I will automatically order without reading the blurb! Thanks for commenting.
DeleteWell thought through post, Jennie. I NEVER read Amazon reviews before I buy, and read, a book. I might take note of something that is written about it in a newspaper or a magazine, though. But those rarely do star ratings. I've had a few 1* stinkers myself. My favourite was the woman who said she would never, ever, buy another book by Linda Mitchelmore and would rather hover (sic) the stairs instead. ???? I imagine she meant 'hoover' and not 'hover' but then again .... maybe she IS a witch!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I find it odd that reviews always give away the plot .... I mean, why? That spoils it for a reader yet to read that book which is one of the reasons I never read them before buying a book.
ReplyDeleteReviewers leaving spoilers is worthy of another post I think Linda! Makes me cross! Thanks for commenting.
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