# How often do you review on Amazon?



## rejrej1 (Nov 4, 2012)

I did my first actual review on Amazon the other day. I usually review on IMDB, but this is the first time I reviewed a book. I am just curious as to what motivates a reviewer and what kind of reviews you give?

For example, I try to be honest, but I'm not sure if I would give a bad review. I mean, if the book really was horribly written and I paid a lot of money for it, then I probably would. I think if I really enjoy the book, I would want to give the author a boost so he/she could write more of at least show my appreciation (OK, I write ebooks too, but still, I like reading good books and encouraging authors).

But I am guessing a lot of people don`t write reviews.


Anyway, what are some thoughts?


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## DavidFWeisman (Jun 10, 2012)

I haven't reviewed much recently.  If there is a bad book that nobody is buying anyway I feel less of an imperative to review it, than a great book that people should hear about.  All the same, sometimes I do.


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## PaulLev (Nov 2, 2012)

I review 3-4 books per year on Amazon.  I only write reviews of books I really enjoy - life's too short to write negative reviews.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

I've done a handful of reviews. I used to try to do them often, but I've pretty much slacked off lately - my last was in January. It takes some effort to write a good review, and I just haven't felt like I have the time to put into it.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

On Amazon, I don't post many reviews - I didn't used to post any because I preferred Goodreads but then I thought why not copy and paste some on Amazon? I don't have to add them all so I only added a handful. I mostly added ones I felt strongly about or ones that didn't have many reviews so I felt mine would make a difference.

On Goodreads, I review any book that I have something to say about. Out of the last 20 books I've read, I reviewed 13 on GR. 

I have no qualms about writing a negative review. If I enjoyed the book but felt there were some flaws, I will usually give it 3 stars, explain the flaws but also why I enjoyed it. If I could find little to nothing enjoyable or redeeming about the book, I will not hesitate to give it 1 or 2 stars and explain why. I don't feel I am writing a review for the author's sake, I'm doing it for my sake (to express my opinion) and for the sake of other readers. What would be the point of a review system if all the reviews were positive because no one with criticism expressed their opinion? Constructive criticism is a part of any creative industry and if the author can't handle it, they shouldn't be putting their work out there for review.


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## jemima_pett (Feb 13, 2012)

I try to write reviews, just a few paragraphs, especially if I've got the book as a freebie.  Most of them I've enjoyed but it can be difficult when it's not really a genre I like, and I was trying it out or something like that.  I'm a bit behind, though


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I write reviews for most of the books I read. I do it for the readers. I write positive and negative reviews, depending on how good the book is and how well it is written, however, on the negative reviews I'll always look for something positive to add (if it exists). I don't enjoy writing negative reviews, but I don't shy away from them if they are warranted. A review is an opinion, so as long it's honest, it's fair.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

marianneg said:


> I've done a handful of reviews. I used to try to do them often, but I've pretty much slacked off lately - my last was in January. It takes some effort to write a good review, and I just haven't felt like I have the time to put into it.


This is me, off and on. Mostly these days I review it on my blog. Sometimes I remember to port it over to Goodreads. For some books I'll remember to put it on Amazon, but it's hit/miss. I don't think Amazon reviews are as valuable (to me as a reader) as they once were. I get that authors need them (believe me, I get it) but because I'm an author, I think my reviews are viewed less favorably, especially on Amazon, so I often don't bother. I will do negative reviews, although I've had to avoid doing so on a couple of books because I've seen a history of the author making threats/pests of himself/herself. That sort of behavior does more to give readers an idea of whether they want to read the book or not anyway.


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## Lensman (Aug 28, 2012)

I never used to write reviews until I published my own book, and realised just how important it was to express an opinion.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I always review on Amazon. Anything that goes on my blog or Goodreads, also goes on Amazon.

Have a given less than 3 stars before? Yep. But I feel you can write a negative review without being harsh or disrespectful to the author. I have never understood bashing someone's work just because it wasn't for you. I couldn't do that, I wouldn't feel good about it.


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

I try to review everything I read - even if it's just a few lines - on amazon and goodreads, and I review for independent book blogs too. I don't know how much attention buyers pay to reviews, but I always read a selection of them before I buy an unknown author.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I read far too much to review every book I read. I have about 100 reviews on Amazon, and a couple at B&N. I reviewed books for a blog that is no longer running for a while, but honestly I couldn't keep up with the reviews of books read for them either. I think, when I quit, I had read an additional 51 books from the queue that I hadn't gotten around to reviewing, and that doesn't count all of the books I read that were not for the site.. (and I only worked there about 6 months.)


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## lvhiggins (Aug 1, 2012)

BTackitt said:


> I read far too much to review every book I read.


 . . . I suspect that pretty much describes a good portion of Kindleboard members. So many books, so little time! I review on Goodreads more than Amazon. I usually only write reviews for books I liked. But I have great respect for people who buckle down and write thoughtful, critical reviews of books they disliked--because that's darn hard work.


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## J. W. Rolfe (Oct 21, 2012)

For me, writing reviews really depends on the work and the author. I almost always try to write a review for an indie author. When it comes to the more established writers, I only do so if their book made a truly positive or negative impact on me. I should add that I will only do positive reviews for indie authors. If I didn't like the book or thought it was poorly edited (usually the latter), I just won't write a review.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Gave it up after reading so many negative comments by authors here on the "quality" of reader reviews.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

intinst said:


> Gave it up after reading so many negative comments by authors here on the "quality" of reader reviews.


I was very interested in reviewing when I became a member of KB. I never started reviewing and won't for the same reason.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

intinst said:


> Gave it up after reading so many negative comments by authors here on the "quality" of reader reviews.


You mean authors making negative comments about poor quality reviews? Screw that - I don't really care what an author thinks of my review, I don't write them for the author's sake anyway. And most likely, those are just authors trying to discredit negative reviews by calling them "poor quality".


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

crebel said:


> I was very interested in reviewing when I became a member of KB. I never started reviewing and won't for the same reason.


Y'all come on back over to the dark side!!! Don't pay any mind to whining authors. Ignore them. Reviews aren't for us. And you are entitled to your opinion!!!


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Just a very few positive reviews on books I really enjoyed, mostly independently published, and only on Amazon. I wish I had more time! Regarding authors' opinions on readers and reviewers, I understand their occasional frustration and can sympathize. I mean, if the books were written and published only by insensitive thick-skinned arrogant people who never fell pain, the literature would be quite revolting  And if they decide to voice their frustration in writers' cafe or their blogs, well, it's human, I think. That wouldn't stop me from writing a negative review but as it happens, in recent years I simply do not finish books I strongly dislike.


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## RJMcDonnell (Jan 29, 2011)

About half of the books I read are by indie authors. I review all of those that merit 3 stars or more, unless I am slammed for time. I review publishing house authors when I have something to say adds a fresh perspective to the existing critiques in the Customer Reviews section.


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## timskorn (Nov 7, 2012)

I've never reviewed a book on Amazon.  Now that I'm starting to read Indie books though, I'll be posting reviews more often.  Having "grown up" in online writing communities, I think it's important new authors get feedback on their books.  I'll hold a similar standard with Indie books as I did reviewing free online stories...being far more lenient/positive than I would be for a more expensive, professionally published book.

I suppose it's a perception of value.  If I read an Indie book I paid $3 for, I'm going to forgive editing issues unless they are glaringly apparent and repetitive.  I'm coming into Indie books with the eye for good storytelling as my primary decision on what "star" rating I'll give a book.  I may mention editing issues in the review, but I won't weigh them as heavily in determining the overall star rating.  For especially egregious issues, I'd prefer to contact the author directly and tell them the not-so-great stuff.

We're in a new era of book quality...it's all over the board now.  But for Indie author's, I think being publicly harsh isn't necessary unless you paid $8 for a truly terrible book you feel cheated on.  I'd say that Indie book you paid a few bucks for wasn't that great, give it 3 stars and detail what you didn't like about it in the actual review.  Author's who get defensive about criticism will never grow and learn from their mistakes!


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## NancyHerkness (Aug 1, 2012)

I almost never review books on Amazon. I do post reviews on Goodreads, oddly enough, mostly because I keep those short and sweet.

Long reviews take a lot of time to write, so I save those for my professional gig at the New York Journal of Books.http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/

As others have said, I read way too many books to review them all.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

timskorn said:


> I'll hold a similar standard with Indie books as I did reviewing free online stories...being far more lenient/positive than I would be for a more expensive, professionally published book.
> 
> I suppose it's a perception of value. If I read an Indie book I paid $3 for, I'm going to forgive editing issues unless they are glaringly apparent and repetitive. As a self-published author, I understand it's difficult to have our stuff properly edited. I'm coming into Indie books with the eye for good storytelling as my primary decision on what "star" rating I'll give a book. I may mention editing issues in the review, but I won't weigh them as heavily in determining the overall star rating. For especially egregious issues, I'd prefer to contact the author directly and tell them the not-so-great stuff.


Sigh... and those are the types of things that have been said to/about reviewers who post "critical" reviews that make me back away from considering writing reviews. If self-published authors expect the same respect from readers that "professionally published authors" receive, then they shouldn't expect me to review them any differently. I wouldn't make concessions because they chose to price their book in a lower range or offer it for free at some point.

I find it strange that Amazon considers 3-stars to be a critical review. If I were reviewing, I think many books I read would be rated 3-stars; average, I enjoyed it, a good fiction read, would probably recommend to friends who like the same genre. Fairly often books would get 4-stars; great book, loved it, you should read it, I hope there are more. Rarely would a book receive 5-stars; that would be reserved for something I consider really special, a new author to add to a favorites list or to re-read through the years.

Even if a book was a 3-4 star read for the "story", I would mark it 2-stars for typos, grammar and formatting errors that took me out of the story. I wouldn't try to find an address or website for a traditionally published book with errors, why should I take more of my time to notify a self-published author? I paid for their book with my money and time. The books are available for purchase from the world's largest on-line retailer, they should be "Professionally Self-published". I don't look at the publisher before I purchase. Unless it is a book I buy from someone I "know" here on KB, I don't note whether they are traditionally published or not.

Because there have been so many threads about giving consideration to self-published or indie authors (even though they only want HONEST reviews), I will continue to shy away from writing reviews.

That doesn't even cover the authors who have mentioned that readers are not smart enough to understand their book, that reviews have spelling and grammar errors themselves and are therefore irrelevant, that a book that is given away shouldn't receive negative reviews at all because it was free, or the reviewer needs to write a book of their own if they think it is so easy. Oh, and reviewers can never warn other readers via a negative review of a book that was so bad in the first few chapters that they couldn't even finish it; 1-star reviews are only allowed if you finished the entire book and you better make the review very specific as to where and what the errors are. Yes, those are all things that have been said about reviews/reviewers right here on KB, and those are the some of the remarks I remember just off the top of my head...


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

To avoid the current fuss over whether authors should or shouldn't review other authors, these days I'm sticking to reviewing biographies or classics by dead people. I read a couple of those per month and try to review them all. Lots of the free classics have zero reviews, so it feels good to be the first person to rate them.


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## timskorn (Nov 7, 2012)

Crebel-  So are you saying you don't post reviews because of possible author response?  Why should it matter?  You have a right to your review, and it's primarily for other readers and their decision to buy.  It seems you have a pretty clear reviewing style but what point is it if you don't actually review?

Here's a great quote I just read, lol... "A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote." - Mignon McLaughlin


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

crebel said:


> Sigh... and those are the types of things that have been said to/about reviewers who post "critical" reviews that make me back away from considering writing reviews. If self-published authors expect the same respect from readers that "professionally published authors" receive, then they shouldn't expect me to review them any differently. I wouldn't make concessions because they chose to price their book in a lower range or offer it for free at some point.
> 
> I find it strange that Amazon considers 3-stars to be a critical review. If I were reviewing, I think many books I read would be rated 3-stars; average, I enjoyed it, a good fiction read, would probably recommend to friends who like the same genre. Fairly often books would get 4-stars; great book, loved it, you should read it, I hope there are more. Rarely would a book receive 5-stars; that would be reserved for something I consider really special, a new author to add to a favorites list or to re-read through the years.
> 
> ...


Oh for pity's sake (directed at author egos, not your post.) Review however and whenever you please. Once the author puts it out there (regardless of price or who published it) they have to let it go. You (and everyone else) can review on any criteria you wish. No point in pandering. It's not about the author, it's about the book.

And for the record, yeah, I'll knock off a star for poor editing. I used to contact the author; I only will on very rare occasions anymore. Very rare.

If I am harsher on a book because I paid more, it was a subconscious thing--I realized it from various review discussions--but it doesn't happen because of indie versus trad, it happens because I tend to be more ANNOYED that I just paid 8 or 10 dollars for something I didn't enjoy. And it generally only seemed to happen in the "annoyed" camp over wasting time and money. For a good book, they were either good or great and for some reason, price didn't/doesn't seem to carry as much weight.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Tim & Maria - You are both absolutely correct.  If I did choose to review, I should have as tough a skin as I expect authors to have, and ignore any response that came about my opinion.  I do believe, as others have stated, that reviews are for other readers.

I have written reviews for "practice", but I have never posted them, preferring to give my thoughts by word of mouth instead of worrying about whether what I have to say is perceived negatively and shows up in a thread here as one of "those" reviewers.  

I probably should have just answered the original question and said, "Never." instead of going on a little rant. Maybe one of these days I will get brave enough to start posting at least the occasional review of the 100s of books I read a year - it will cut into my reading time, though!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

crebel said:


> Tim & Maria - You are both absolutely correct. If I did choose to review, I should have as tough a skin as I expect authors to have, and ignore any response that came about my opinion. I do believe, as others have stated, that reviews are for other readers.
> 
> I have written reviews for "practice", but I have never posted them, preferring to give my thoughts by word of mouth instead of worrying about whether what I have to say is perceived negatively and shows up in a thread here as one of "those" reviewers.
> 
> I probably should have just answered the original question and said, "Never." instead of going on a little rant. Maybe one of these days I will get brave enough to start posting at least the occasional review of the 100s of books I read a year - it will cut into my reading time, though!


Both Shelfari and Goodreads have "notes" or "private" areas where you can post them for yourself (and I think you can let friends view the on GR...I'm not sure how that works or if you have to keep your entire GR account viewable to only friends.) I use the private notes on Shelfari to mark things like 'Giant plot hole" to remind me of what the plot hole is for book discussions later. For example, I often get asked why I didn't love the first Dresden book--there were two plot holes IMO and while I remember the first clearly, I can't remember the second. So now, I keep little private notes. These would be spoilers if in a review and Lord knows I cannot remember every little thing about every book.

You could use the area to keep track of your reviews and that way if you ever wanted to post them, you could just copy/paste them (or make them public.) But again, I haven't used the features extensively--just for my own purposes.

I give your rant 4.5 stars.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

timskorn said:


> Crebel- So are you saying you don't post reviews because of possible author response? Why should it matter? You have a right to your review, and it's primarily for other readers and their decision to buy. It seems you have a pretty clear reviewing style but what point is it if you don't actually review?
> 
> Here's a great quote I just read, lol... "A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote." - Mignon McLaughlin


True but I'd rather not provide fodder for more posts here on KB about how cruel reviewers are to writers. Many of the complainers don't seem to realize that the review writers could be members of this board as well.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

I guess I will continue to answer never. Even a 4* review can leave them shaking their heads because it isn't 5*s. It just isn't worth my time.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,132534.msg1952001.html#msg1952001


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I gave a 4* review once to a member of KB, and promptly got a PM attacking me for destroying her 5* average.  The book deserved 4*s, and I did not change my mind. I wrote a 1* review of a book by a KB author, and he had a "friend" write an attack on my review both on the review site when I posted it, and on Amazon when I moved the review there 3 weeks later.

That was a book that I would have given zero stars if there had been that option at Amazon.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I seldom review books on Amazon. Partly it's just a lack of inclination, and partly that I feel no particular compunction to help authors of any sort: if they write truly great books, they will get read. I do, however, write reviews on my blog, and these days studiously avoid numeric ratings and such. I just express my thoughts and feelings about it, and hope the readers (both of them?) can decide from that if it looks like something they might want to check out (or avoid).

PS: Few things turn me off of a self-published author (or traditionally published, for that matter) than hearing them whine about anything regarding marketing and selling their books (the main reason I virtually never visit the Writers' Cafe here). If there is one thing that's worse, it's responding to reviews in any way other than a polite thank-you. As Charles Stross said: "I've got a personal policy about reviews: I don't respond to them unless one of two conditions apply: there is a citeable error of fact - they spelled my name wrong, or something equally clearly incorrect - or the reviewer directly invited a response to a question. And in the latter case, I try never to comment on, let alone impugn, a reader's reading of my work. Once the words are on the page they're not mine any more, and I have no control over how a given reader will interpret them."


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

crebel said:


> I guess I will continue to answer never. Even a 4* review can leave them shaking their heads because it isn't 5*s. It just isn't worth my time.
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,132534.msg1952001.html#msg1952001


I saw an author crying over 4 stars once (more often for 3 stars.) Really What I want to know is...why in the world would an author waste time online whining about reviews at all? Okay, if it's for the wrong product, yeah, I get that maybe you want to have it taken down (I saw a book that had a product review for something that wasn't even a book). But why whine online? Just contact customer service and be done with it. Anyone who READS a wrong product review can figure it out. This isn't high school where we have to work on a GPA to get into the college of our choice. You don't get a passing versus a failed grade. Reviews are just part of the game and your "score" isn't going to get you a better seat in heaven. Great reviews aren't going to get you a job or a deal with a trad publisher. Great reviews probably don't even have that much impact on future sales because the biggest key (and the hardest part) is getting someone to even click through to the page in the first place. And since there is nothing a writer can do with a review (good or bad) may as well not get too hung up on them. And to be honest, I think reviews are less meaningful sales tools now compared to even 2 years ago.

That said, I get why you don't write reviews anymore. I think I'd just not bother as well.


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## cekilgore (Oct 31, 2012)

I tend to review books that I really enjoyed, especially if its an indi-author who could use the reviews/support.
But I admittedly don't do it as often as I should..


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

cekilgore said:


> I tend to review books that I really enjoyed, especially if its an indi-author who could use the reviews/support.


I don't get this. If you liked it well enough to review, why should it matter whether it's an indie author? By the same token, if you disliked it badly enough that you want to warn other readers, why should it matter whether it's an indie author?

Also, the fact that reviews are only done if you really liked the book -- if that's something most people do -- explains why average ratings are so inflated. But I rather suspect there's just as big a bunch who only leave reviews for books they didn't like.  Quite possibly the two groups balance each other out -- which means the reviews at 2, 3, and 4 stars are generally likely to be the most useful.


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## rejrej1 (Nov 4, 2012)

LOL, I just got an email from Amazon to review my own book!!!


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

I write reviews for my blog, (authors contact me requesting me to do so)  so I write a lot of reviews and I put them all on Amazon. As an author myself, I used to only publish reviews of over 3 stars because I wanted to support authors, not make their life difficult, then I realised that as a reader I want to know which books aren't well written, and also that authors who self-publish need to make sure that their work is properly edited & finsihed before they publish it and that if it isn't, then it should be pointed out to them and to readers for the sake of all Indie authors.

So I now publish the reviews regardless of what rating I give them -- HOWEVER, my reviews aren't just about what I like and don't like. I'm very careful to evaluate the craftsmanship of the book separate to my own preferences. I've thought about it a lot and spend a lot of time on each review. My review policy lays out my rating system as clearly as I can, and it's as fair as I can make it, so that if I don't like a book, but it's well written, I won't give it one star. I always acknowledge the standard of writing. 

As an author, I really appreciate readers who write reviews.


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## NancyHerkness (Aug 1, 2012)

Love this quote, timskorn!


> "A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote." - Mignon McLaughlin


As a writer, this was the best thing I learned in creative writing class: it doesn't matter what < I > think I said, it only matters what the reader thinks I said. And there was no defending of one's work. It had to stand on its own.

Which is why I don't let reviews upset me. A review is just one reader's opinion.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

NancyHerkness said:


> Love this quote, timskorn!
> As a writer, this was the best thing I learned in creative writing class: it doesn't matter what < I > think I said, it only matters what the reader thinks I said. And there was no defending of one's work. It had to stand on its own.
> 
> Which is why I don't let reviews upset me. A review is just one reader's opinion.


Well said! I'm a photographer so I learned to take criticism in photography school, where we had regular group critiques. I just don't get why people are so sensitive to constructive criticism but maybe it's because they've never taken a course where their work has been critiqued by a group. Maybe all authors should before they publish!


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## thedavebright (Sep 8, 2012)

I only review if a book needs it, that or if I find it to be a masterpiece. There are plenty of well deserving indy books that get overlooked, so I think they need reviews most


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## Anisa Claire West (Sep 19, 2012)

I review on Amazon for two reasons:

1. A book is so outstanding that it inspired me to issue a 5-star review
2. A book is so poor that I want to caution other readers to avoid it and give a 1-star review

Those instances don't happen very often.  Most books I read merit 3 or 4 stars, and I do not review those.


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## dmoonfire (May 7, 2012)

I pretty much review stories if any of the following are true:

1. If I know you personally (that also include chatting via Twitter or somewhere else)
2. I got the book for free

I feel the second point is a social contract for giving away freebies. And it isn't that bad to write a short 3-4 paragraph review. Now, I'm perfectly willing to give 2-4 star reviews across the board (5s are *very* rare for me and I have never done a 1).


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## MLKatz (Sep 8, 2012)

I'm not sure I have ever reviewed a big name on Amazon. I never really thought about it until now, but I guess when a book already has 341 reviews, I'm not sure what else to say. That's probably wrong - like people who don't bother to vote because they figure one more vote won't make a difference. 

For Indy books - again this is not a conscious decision - I tend to review them if I like them. If I don't I probably never get around to finishing them anyway. 

When I myself, look at book reviews for an Indy book - I see that most popular books always have a mix. Some people are engaged in the topic and some just aren't I guess. A book almost doesn't look real - or it looks very new (only mom reviewed it  )  - if everything is positive though.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

MLKatz said:


> ...When I myself, look at book reviews for an Indy book - I see that most popular books always have a mix. Some people are engaged in the topic and some just aren't I guess. A book almost doesn't look real - or it looks very new (only mom reviewed it  ) - if everything is positive though.


I think _Moby Dick_ only has a 4-star average on Amazon, and _To Kill a Mockingbird_ around 4.3. To my mind, any indie author who feels bad that they got a few 4-star reviews is, in my mind, living in the land of self-delusion.


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

I review when I've really enjoyed a book.  Just because I'm lazy, not because I believe in "if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything". Critical reviews are really useful.  In fact, I often end up buying a book because of a bad review, which makes me see that even if this person did not enjoy the book, I will 

Just for the record - I'm not sure how many non-writers are aware of this: self published writers are often super worried about the star rating not because of their ego (or not ONLY because of their ego!   ) but because many sites that promote books will only accept books that have above a certain star rating.  I think it's often "must be above 4.5 average" or something like that.

It's really hard to find ways to make your books visible, and for some writers, those sites seem like their only hope to get people to buy their books.  And the fact that they have no control over the star rating is scary.  Especially with Amazon removing reviews for what seems like random reasons.  It's easy for writers to start thinking that the reviews are "theirs".

So I'm not defending writers who act unprofessionally. Just sharing my own view of why writers often post on here upset about bad reviews.  It's not a professional thing to do, and I think we often forget that everyone can read those posts.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Masha du Toit said:


> I review when I've really enjoyed a book. Just because I'm lazy, not because I believe in "if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything". Critical reviews are really useful. In fact, I often end up buying a book because of a bad review, which makes me see that even if this person did not enjoy the book, I will
> 
> Just for the record - I'm not sure how many non-writers are aware of this: self published writers are often super worried about the star rating not because of their ego (or not ONLY because of their ego!  ) but because many sites that promote books will only accept books that have above a certain star rating. I think it's often "must be above 4.5 average" or something like that.
> 
> ...


What you say is true. My book was turned down for a 'bargain site' listing because it had 4.1 rating and not a 4.2 rating. I kid you not. Now, it would be easy for me to go and get a fake 5 star review to bump it up, but who can be bothered? I don't even know why sites publish such requirements. It just makes the problem of fake reviews that much worse. As soon as authors know the yardstick, they can meet it. And that isn't going to help sell "bargain" books. It just makes the ratings system fail and eventually such a bargain site isn't going to have trusted or meaningful books.

BUT it is shenanigans within the system that have made me less likely to review period. It takes time to write a review and frankly, I'd much rather post it to my own blog for my blog readers than be bothered with posting it to Amazon, GR or wherever. Sure, I do it, but I'm doing it a lot less often (good book or bad). Some of this stuff will shake out eventually, but in the meantime, it's a real mess for readers trying to find reliable reviews.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

I used to review in chunks, where I'd go on reading binges and read a book a day for a week - and review everyone at once. But then the purchasing reviews came out, so now I'm trying to space out my reviewing more


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## ElisabethGFoley (Nov 20, 2011)

I tend to read a lot of older books, so I do most of my reviewing on Goodreads. But when I read a recently-published book and enjoy it enough to give a positive review, I'll post on Amazon too, because I know how important reviews can be to authors, especially beginning ones.


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

I only started reviewing on Amazon this year, after many long years of Epinions, Ciao, Dooyoo and latterly Helium. I wasn't taking it very seriously, but now I seem to be in the top 1,800 or so reviewers on Amazon.co.uk... slightly determined to break 1,000 now!

I've had no real issues with authors where I've given less than five stars (like others here, I can't really be bothered writing a review at all unless I basically liked the book), though I do happen to know I upset an Indie author pretty badly with a 2 star review based on editing and other problems. Sooner or later I'll cop some flack, I'm sure, but for the moment I've had a pretty positive experience reviewing.


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

MariaESchneider said:


> I get that authors need them (believe me, I get it) but because I'm an author, I think my reviews are viewed less favorably, especially on Amazon, so I often don't bother.


Bingo. I'm afraid someone will think I have ulterior motives. I AM going to start reviewing in Goodreads, if I can just get the friggin' time...


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## jhendereson (Oct 22, 2010)

Like most people, I've never reviewed a book. If it was a good read, I usually tell others about it. A bad read is simply forgotten. IMO, there's two types of reviewers: those who offer constructive insights and a well-formed opinion; and those who have simply lost their minds. Regarding the latter: a book has numerous positive reviews and the one negative review criticizes everyone else for not sharing his or her opinion and insists the reviewers are friends and relatives of the author. Another example is what I call a self-review, which usually starts with "I" and goes on in personal detail about how the reviewer was feeling when reading said book: "...diarrhea started upon reading chapter three and resulted in an emergency room visit where the doctor told me to delete the book from my Kindle." The most egregious review is the one that basically states "This book sucks..." No explanation is given to why it sucks, where it sucks, when it sucks, or how it sucks. It just sucks--which is a very ugly statement no matter the subject.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

jhendereson said:


> Like most people, I've never reviewed a book. If it was a good read, I usually tell others about it. A bad read is simply forgotten. IMO, there's two types of reviewers: those who offer constructive insights and a well-formed opinion; and those who have simply lost their minds. Regarding the latter: a book has numerous positive reviews and the one negative review criticizes everyone else for not sharing his or her opinion and insists the reviewers are friends and relatives of the author.


I have never stated this in a review but Amazon does have a known problem with shills and therefore, I do tend to suspect that a self published book with a handful of positive reviews may very well be such shills, especially if I thought the book was awful. Like I say, I've never said so in a review but I can't blame people who do because I am usually thinking the same thing! I fail to see how that means I have "lost my mind" when it's a KNOWN issue on Amazon.



> Another example is what I call a self-review, which usually starts with "I" and goes on in personal detail about how the reviewer was feeling when reading said book: "...diarrhea started upon reading chapter three and resulted in an emergency room visit where the doctor told me to delete the book from my Kindle." The most egregious review is the one that basically states "This book sucks..." No explanation is given to why it sucks, where it sucks, when it sucks, or how it sucks. It just sucks--which is a very ugly statement no matter the subject.


I imagine comments like this are exactly the type of ones which were being described by people earlier who don't review because of "negative comments by authors here on the quality of reader reviews". Well done on intimidating readers out of voicing their opinions!

Though I agree that a review which does not explain why a book "sucked" is not very helpful, not everyone is capable of articulating why they think something sucks. In your mind, that means they should not be allowed to express how they felt about it? Isn't everyone entitled to express their opinion, even if they don't do so in a way that meets your personal expectations and standards?


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

jhendereson said:


> The most egregious review is the one that basically states "This book sucks..." No explanation is given to why it sucks, where it sucks, when it sucks, or how it sucks. It just sucks--which is a very ugly statement no matter the subject.


The BUYER does not need to explain their opinion to the writer. EVER. You may like it when they do, but their review is based on their opinion and if they feel a book sucks, then it does. To them. 
If you got a crappy pizza from a pizza shop would you call them and say, "well let's see, the sauce, it was runny and sugary sweet, and tasted like someone threw vanilla into it, the cheese was like frozen white gunk, it never melted, at least the little amount that was there, and the crust? did you cut out a circle of cardboard and wrap it in dough?"

No, you would call the pizza place and tell them the pizza tasted like crap.

Sometimes writers confuse reviews from actual book reviews with reviews from everyday Joe Schmoe who might, if he is lucky read 5 books a decade, and he chose theirs, and didn't like it. He didn't like it, so much so that he wrote a complaint on the only outlet he knew of, where he bought the book. He MIGHT have called amazon to tell them it was a crappy book, but they most likely told him to express his opinion in the reviews section of the book, because after all, that is what it is there for.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

And yep, comments like from jhendereson are exactly the reason I do not review books on Amazon.

This one right here 


> IMO, there's two types of reviewers: those who offer constructive insights and a well-formed opinion; and those who have simply lost their minds.


So I guess with your categorization, I am someone that lost their mind. Thank you. . I am pretty sure I don't offer constructive insights and I have no clue what a well formed opinion is. I write my reviews on Goodreads. I don't write them for the author, I write them for me and maybe someone that happens to come across them. 
Readers shouldn't have to justify anything.

Also this 


> Another example is what I call a self-review, which usually starts with "I" and goes on in personal detail about how the reviewer was feeling when reading said book


Every thing I write in a review is pretty much 100% on how a book made me feel. I am totally confused at what other sense I am suppose to use. Of course its a "I". I can only speak for myself. So how did "I" like the characters, how did I like what they said and did. How did "I" like the descriptions. What did "I" feel reading the book. How could I possibly speak for anyone else. Its hard enough inside my own brain 

I think the problem is that sometimes there is no respect for regular folk type reviews. Seems like the only ones that count are the other writers, the professors, the big book bloggers.

So why should I bother when I just get belittled anyway. 
I'll stick with Goodreads, which at least for now is mostly about readers. And nobody can vote down my reviews for whatever this weeks requirement for reviewing is that I am apparently not fulfilling.

Oh, and I also don't care what someone's publisher is. An author is an author, they are all human and I am sure someone with a big publisher appreciates a comment just as much as someone that goes at it alone. Nobody is a special snowflake for one or the other. They all write books to entertain me.


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## jhendereson (Oct 22, 2010)

Another annoying type of reviewer is those who nit-pick insignificant issues and turn them into colossal calamities, usually requiring lengthy verbiage to explain why such and such is such and such.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

jhendereson said:


> Another annoying type of reviewer is those who nit-pick insignificant issues and turn them into colossal calamities, usually requiring lengthy verbiage to explain why such and such is such and such.


Have you read any of this thread or the responses to your previous post or did you just respond to the OP's question?

Thanks for proving my point about why many readers, including myself, won't post reviews on Amazon.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

crebel said:


> Have you read any of this thread or the responses to your previous post or did you just respond to the OP's question?
> 
> Thanks for proving my point about why many readers, including myself, won't post reviews on Amazon.


I wouldn't let a minority of people bully you into not reviewing on Amazon. To me, this just proves why I think it's so risky for authors to join communities and interact with readers. They are only shooting themselves in the foot when they say things like this (not that they all do though) - I'll bet jhendereson just made several people's "never read" list. So let them say it, let them hang themselves, and I'll carry on reviewing wherever I like.


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## jhendereson (Oct 22, 2010)

history_lover, I'm troubled you pegged me as a minority. I was trying to keep that a secret. The people who added me to their "never read" list more than likely, almost guaranteed, already had me on their "never considered" list. A bully? Me? Not hardly. My initial post was in part an attempt at humor, which obviously backfired. It's quite possible I'm not as funny as I think I am.


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

MariaESchneider said:


> My book was turned down for a 'bargain site' listing because it had 4.1 rating and not a 4.2 rating. I kid you not.


That's crazy. No wonder there's been so much written lately about inflated and false reviews. Personally, I tend to be a bit suspicious of a book with only five-star ratings. Surely not every one thought it was the best book out there.

I try to post reviews on much of what I read, if only to help others decide if it's something they'd be interested in.


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## BJ Whittington (Aug 30, 2011)

I try to get a review done on most of the books I read. As a reader, I always appreciated the feedback from other readers, in helping me to decide on the purchase. So, I figure I should contribute to the next potential purchasers. 
As an author, I love when a new review is posted. So I figure I should give the same to another author.


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