# Do you post book reviews on Amazon?



## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

I've only just started posting reviews for products I've purchased on Amazon, and I have yet to post a book review.  There's such a wide disparity in the types of reviews posted that I haven't really figured out where to start.  And that got me wondering, how many of you actually post book reviews for the books you've recently read?

Part of the reason I ask is because I was thinking about a "new to me" author who had a book offered by their publisher as a freebie a few months ago.  I loved the characters so much that I bought the other three books in the series that were available.  Today, I went looking to see when the next would be out, and as it turned out, the publisher isn't going to take any more of them because they weren't selling well enough.  When I went to look at the reviews, there were hardly any there.  Now this book was a freebie for a full month, and as such it sat in Amazon's top 100 for most of that time--hundreds, if not thousands of people have to have downloaded it.  And yet, it has just a few reviews. I can't help but think it has to be hard enough for the less well known authors to get their books in front of people; how disheartening would it be to know that there were all these downloads and no one cared enough to review the book?  Moreover, if a book has hardly any reviews, how likely are people who somehow stumble across it to buy it?

So--do you invest the time to review what you've read?  Do you do it for every book, or just for select ones?  And do you read books that have hardly any reviews posted?


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I do post reviews, but I don't have any real rhyme or reason to what I review. Just whatever I feel like, I guess.

That's partly because I'll sometimes post something here and then realize it would translate into a review without any real effort.

Alas, there are several great books I haven't reviewed.


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

I haven't, but I should. I use Amazon's reviews all the time before I purchase, and have found them to be very helpful. Because of this, I know I should be returning the favor. I'm going to try to do it for every book going forward and catching up on past books. (It's a lot of books, though, and maybe that's why I've been delaying.)


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

The one downside to offering books free or cheap is that people snap them up while they are on sale and set them aside to read later. My guess is that this explains why the book has so few reviews...the majority of "buyers" have it in a reading queue waiting to be read.


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

VictoriaP said:


> So--do you invest the time to review what you've read? Do you do it for every book, or just for select ones? And do you read books that have hardly any reviews posted?


Oops, forgot to answer your other question - I rarely buy books now with no or few reviews (ever since I've been online - many years - and have had access to online reviews). There's so much out there to read, I'm more "protective" of my reading time. If a book has no or few reviews, even if it's free, I might download it, but I'm not likely to make time for it quickly unless I'm already familiar with the author, or the blurb sounds very interesting and the first couple of chapters back it up. Otherwise, I delete it and move on. Because of this, I know I should take the time to write reviews of the books I enjoy (even if they're short). And I will - it's my new resolution!


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> And do you read books that have hardly any reviews posted?


I rarely write a review. As far as reading books without any reviews, it won't stop me from buying a book. Too often reviews consist of just praise without detail into why the book is great. I've found that my taste in books are pretty different than the mainstream so much of the stuff people love has no interest for me. If a review is detailed and lists specific issues that I agree with it does influence me somewhat. But my book purchasing is mostly based on publisher, topic, familiarity with the author, recommendations by people who know me and by what I see in the look inside feature from Amazon or from sampling.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Since I'm in Vine, I have to review my freebies.

I'm less conscientious about reviewing the things I buy, but I do sometimes.  

There's no rules for review, or few. I try to be honest and fair and explain myself. And then people come along and call it unhelpful.


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## chevauchee (Mar 29, 2009)

I have a really hard time reviewing books/movies. I don't want to give away the plot and opinions on entertainment are so subjective that I'm not comfortable saying 'buy/don't buy' to people I don't know. Hell, I'm not even entirely comfortable doing it with people I do know, because I've raved to people before only to have them say that they didn't enjoy something I was positive they would.

Now, I have absolutely no problem telling you to buy either of my rice cookers (both work as advertised) and not to buy my DVD player (it doesn't always recognize discs). And if it's a measureable problem with a book, I'll post that. Take cookbooks: "This cookbook has many recipes that are inaccurate when you compare the ingredient list to what is actually used in the instructions," I can do. "I find the recipes to be bland," well, my family won't eat my cooking because they say I over season*, so maybe the cookbook is perfect for other people. But saying a book is good? Do you know how many people love Marley & Me? I absolutely hated the book. Can I get a refund on those hours of my life?

* I don't over season, I just acknowledge seasoning options that aren't salt, pepper or ketchup!


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

LOL no kidding, reminds me of everyone that raved about Their's something about Mary * where is the gag smilie? * I HATED that movie.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I try to tell people what brings me to the book or movie, and I think that helps. If you know who I am, you can then know if we have similar tastes, or how likely I was to like the book or movie -- my predisposition is on display.  I also try to explain what worked or didn't work -- not just "I liked it" or "I despised it."


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

I make it a point to review nearly every single book I read. I think that it's wonderful that I get to voice my opinion of a work. I take great pride in my reviews and write them with an earnest and thoughtful approach. I have spent the last several months reviewing the works of indie authors. However, many people are skeptical of the reviews of authors since many of them appear to be nothing but sock puppetry or a cheap attempt to prostrate one's own book at the expense of another author's.

In the case of the reviews I write for indie authors, I use a very simple approach starting with never give away spoilers in a review! If a book receives a 5 star rating (which is nearly impossible to get from me unless the book is nearly perfect), I'll mention the books finer points and avoid writing a negative comments since I won't give a book a 5 star rating unless its weakness are few and far between. I will consider writing both positive and negative comments about a 4 star book. However, if a book gets a 3 star review, it's a certainty that I am going to outline what I like and disliked about a book. If a book gets less than 3 stars I won't bother to post it.

Reviews are the first step in spreading the gospel about a book. No book was ever successful that didn't get a good press. Word of mouth is essential to the popularity of a book and I find that reviews can help a book to find its audience.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Greg Banks said:


> The one downside to offering books free or cheap is that people snap them up while they are on sale and set them aside to read later. My guess is that this explains why the book has so few reviews...the majority of "buyers" have it in a reading queue waiting to be read.


I think Greg has a good point: I have books on my Kindle I downloaded last August that I haven't gotten to yet. Some I even paid real money for. 

As to reviews, well, I don't. Never liked writing book reports as a kid and don't have the desire to do so as an adult. I know it's not really the same thing, but in my psyche it's close enough. 

As to judging reviews. I generally discount any that are too short as it doesn't tell me anything. I'm a much more critical reader of either a 1 star or 5 star review. 3 star reviews are the most useful to me, on average, as the reviewer usually has really thought about it and not just slapped something up that's either overly glowing or purely negative.

I also look at other things the person has reviewed to see if they've reviewed anything else I've read to determine if I might agree with their assessment. Of course, there are a few folks on Amazon who review everything, it seems, and they think it's all wonderful. I know who they are and I ignore their reviews. I look at specific reviews less often when there are a LOT of them. Once there are 100 or so reviews, I feel like the star system is probably giving a fairly accurate statistical picture of whether the book is worth my time or not. Something at 1 or 2 stars will not likely draw me in, unless I have some personal knowledge. Anything with an average of 3 or better will get a second look. I will pay more attention to the reviews that go against the majority to see whether there's any kind of 'mob mentality' at work. (Like the Oprah book club picks always get huge ratings and, yet, every one of them I've ever tried to read has just left me wondering what the hype was about.)

Again, this is only valid if there are LOTS of reviews. If there are fewer than 20 I'll probably read them all. More than that, and I'll look at the 3 star ones and maybe some 2 and 4 star ones. Also any shown as particularly helpful. I don't know why Amazon highlights the one people have marked most unhelpful. . .that makes no sense to me!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I tend to write reviews of books I like. I don't bother with books that were so-so because frankly, writing a review takes time and energy and if I didn't really enjoy a book, I don't want to waste my time on a review.

L


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## Kilgore Trout (Dec 28, 2008)

As with most other types of writing, proper review composition is a learned art form. Although I am a huge fan of Amazon from many perspectives, I must note that the company has significantly cheapened the once scrupulous concept of book reviews. Of course they didn't do this all by themselves. They had a lot of help from the explosion of POD book releases and the paid review sites that followed the explosion with the same intent that Ron Popeil followed the development of television commercials. The result is that a large majority of the reviews you read at Amazon are quite worthless scams. A discerning reader will learn the names and the patterns and begin to see which reviews are valid and which are not. Do I review books at Amazon? Of course; I am the editor of http://podbram.blogspot.com/.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

I probably review less than 1% of the books I read, mostly because I'm not the best reviewer in the world and there are already lots of reviews that already say what I would say about the book only written so much better than I could write it.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

I almost never write a review on Amazon. I will share my opinions here on KB because that's what we do and no one is going to flame you here for a polite opinion. I just can't put a coherent review together without spending a ton of time trying to make sense of what I do or do not like in a book. For me, liking a book is a more visceral than intellectual reaction. I find it hard to put it into a written review that would help someone decide on a book.

EllenR


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I, like Leslie, only review a standout book.  If I thought it was so so, I don't bother.  I should review all, but I don't.


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

I will review a book only if I absolutely loved it.  And I never review a book I hated because, well, I probably never finished it.  Pretty simple.  Of course books that I love won't appeal to everyone, but if I review a book with enthusiasm, maybe someone will take notice.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Reviewing as an art form, which Floyd Orr mentioned above, has escaped me. I often agonize for hours over a one sentence review and I've never written one that satisfied me.

My reading habits have changed post-Kindle: When I was paying more, I tended to finish every book I bought; even books that I disliked. Now I quit when the book has lost my interest. Since it seems unfair to write a review for a book I didn't finish, many of my reviews tend to be four or five stars.


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

I don't, I'm not really good at explaining/summarizing stuff


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## Kilgore Trout (Dec 28, 2008)

What a coincidence, Jeff! I was just about to send you a message that I just moments ago posted Al Past's review of your book at PODBRAM. Most of you are familiar with Al's writing. Check out his review of Jeff's book and I think you will see exactly what I mean about the art of reviewing. Thank you.

http://podbram.blogspot.com/


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

I review most of the books I read at Amazon. I'm also one of Kilgore Trout's reviewers at PODBRAM, and I review there too. I reviewed at Amazon long before I joined the team at PODBRAM, though.  Being an author, I know the importance of reviews. Even a one or two sentence review is welcome. Believe me, I know how the longer ones take more thought.

I like reviews as a consumer, too. That's one of the reasons I often consult Amazon, and not just for books. They're very helpful in electronics, for example. It's one thing to read what the manufacturer says about a digital radio, but when two or three reviewers complain that the operation of the gizmo is difficult, the instructions are horrible, and that the lighted dial is so bright you need welding goggles to look at it, that tells me something.

Extracting information from book reviews is a special form of consumerism. We're all consumers of some degree of experience, and we all surely know to squint a bit before any product endorsement. Kilgor Trout is correct, above, that some may be planted and/or slanted, but I find that by being skeptical, reading between the lines, I can make pretty good judgments about whether or not a book is for me.

I'm particularly grateful to the KindleBoarders who have reviewed my books. I don't always thank them, since it sometimes seems like shameless cheerleading--there's enough of that around now, and I hate it. But readers should know that authors do appreciate an honest review--me in particular, and thanks to all who take the trouble.


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## frojazz (Feb 10, 2009)

I like to review the books that I have read.  I try to be as specific as possible without giving anything away.  I enjoy reviewing since I use reviews to determine if I should purchase a book.  Sometimes I will compare the book to other books I've read or movies I've seen so that people can get an idea if the book I'm reviewing is their type.  I need to come up with a better way to determine how many stars I give a book, though.  I am quite influenced by the stars already present and don't want to bring the rating down.  I've seen someone here at the 'boards has it spelled out what a book needs to accomplish in order to get each level of star; I'll have to do something like that.

It takes me a long time to write a review.  I type up about a paragraph and stare at it and reread it and edit it for quite awhile before I put it out there, and even then I don't always feel like my review is 'as good' as the others, but I try to remind myself that I don't judge others' reviews as harshly as I judge my own.

I don't review everything I read.  If I finish a book and don't get around to reviewing for a few days, I just let it go.  I tend to get plot lines mixed up, and I don't want to put something too generic out there, which is what I'll do if it has been too long.  Also, if I don't have good or bad things to say I'll not review it, either.  Generally, I feel like my reviews are more important when the book has fewer reviews.  Sometimes I buy a book without reviews so that I can get it going.  (But my TBR list is waaay long, so I don't get to it as fast as I should.)

I figure the more I write and post my reviews the better I'll get at it (and the braver I'll be to give fewer stars), so I'm gonna keep on keepin' on.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I read a book I really enjoyed over the weekend so I wrote a review and posted it this morning. It's the author's first book and he has already sent me a personal email telling me he is thrilled with the review. I don't know the author -- I heard about the book from a mailing list I am on and I liked the sound of it so I sampled it and then bought it. I found the author on Facebook and friended him, which is how he found out about the review.  The world is really getting smaller and smaller! I feel like I have found a new friend, too. 

All this to say, I think reviews are very important and they really do make a big difference.

L


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

Leslie said:


> I read a book I really enjoyed over the weekend so I wrote a review and posted it this morning. It's the author's first book and he has already sent me a personal email telling me he is thrilled with the review. I don't know the author -- I heard about the book from a mailing list I am on and I liked the sound of it so I sampled it and then bought it. I found the author on Facebook and friended him, which is how he found out about the review. The world is really getting smaller and smaller! I feel like I have found a new friend, too.
> 
> All this to say, I think reviews are very important and they really do make a big difference.
> 
> L


That's terrific, Leslie, and I too thank you on behalf of whoever that author is. I should have mentioned above that reviews are especially important to indie authors, crucially important sometimes. The book world is changing, and there is now an avalanche of indie books pouring into the market. A few are really good, but however to sort them out? That's what we at PODBRAM struggle to do, but we can't cover but a small fraction. It's daring and adventurous readers like you who will really help make this new world work. Bless you!


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

I write reviews all the time, mostly for the authors who are new or not as known (yet).  I love supporting authors who are trying to get their talent known.


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

BrassMan said:


> That's terrific, Leslie, and I too thank you on behalf of whoever that author is. I should have mentioned above that reviews are especially important to indie authors, crucially important sometimes. The book world is changing, and there is now an avalanche of indie books pouring into the market. A few are really good, but however to sort them out? That's what we at PODBRAM struggle to do, but we can't cover but a small fraction. It's daring and adventurous readers like you who will really help make this new world work. Bless you!


Just to add, I'm much, much more likely to review an indie author who's books I've liked rather than a book that already has hundreds of reviews. I think my review means more when there are only half-dozen or so reviews on a book and If I'm going to bother writing a review I'd rather it have some sort of an impact instead of getting lost with the masses.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

BrassMan said:


> That's terrific, Leslie, and I too thank you on behalf of whoever that author is. I should have mentioned above that reviews are especially important to indie authors, crucially important sometimes. The book world is changing, and there is now an avalanche of indie books pouring into the market. A few are really good, but however to sort them out? That's what we at PODBRAM struggle to do, but we can't cover but a small fraction. It's daring and adventurous readers like you who will really help make this new world work. Bless you!


It's not an indie book but one step up: small press. They need help, too, getting the word out! LOL.

Also, when I write a review I always mention that I read the book on my Kindle, in order to let the publisher know I appreciate the fact that they have made the book available in Kindle format.

In case anyone is curious, the book is called The Rest of Our Lives by Dan Stone. I posted a link to the book and my review over in the "Recommended by our readers" thread so I won't repost here. Great story, though. Very sweet. Perfect for the summer.

L


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

Leslie said:


> It's not an indie book but one step up: small press. They need help, too, getting the word out! LOL.
> 
> Also, when I write a review I always mention that I read the book on my Kindle, in order to let the publisher know I appreciate the fact that they have made the book available in Kindle format.
> 
> ...


I've sampled it. That's how it starts! Thanks, Leslie!


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Can the authors and KB members who write frequent reviews give some guidelines to those of us who have never written a review?  What do you want a reader to focus on besides I hated, didn't like, liked, loved this book?  I don't use reviews to purchase a book either; for those of you who do, what information do you try to glean from someone's review?


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

The best way to write a good review, particularly what I'll refer to as a "non-professional" one (meaning not a critical analysis as a professional reviewer might give), is to just describe the things you liked and or didn't like about the book. If it reminded you of another book, or took you to a familiar place in your personal memories, those are always good to share. People who read reviews don't so much want a description of the book itself as much as an understanding of what kind of reader experience they can expect if they buy the book as well. If you can also speak to elements of the writing itself or the plot, that's always a plus, but if those are the things you struggle with, then just focus upon your experience as a reader with the book.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

I've reviewed some, and I'm trying to do more, especially for indie authors.  I know it's particularly important when a book only has a few reviews in total.


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## frojazz (Feb 10, 2009)

crebel said:


> Can the authors and KB members who write frequent reviews give some guidelines to those of us who have never written a review? What do you want a reader to focus on besides I hated, didn't like, liked, loved this book? I don't use reviews to purchase a book either; for those of you who do, what information do you try to glean from someone's review?


First of all, I look for things like 'many typos.' I can read through a few typos, but an overwhelming number of them is too distracting. General comments about how the plot flows or how well the characters are developed are helpful for me. I'm usually looking for something that'll make the price worthwhile. A book that is $9 will take a lot more positive feedback vs a book that is $0.80. Something that weighs two things about the book, ie. "it was really well written for a short story," may make it easier for me to one click.

I try to hit the highlights and lowlights of the book in question, since the positives should outweigh the negatives (unless it gets 1 or 2 stars). When I'm writing a review, I try to think of who the target audience would be for the book. Suggest other books like the one you are reviewing. ie. If you liked 'x' you will like this one. They doesn't work for every book, but usually I get enough for a couple of sentences. I usually write the title last, as that is the hardest part for me. Sometimes justifying why you gave it 'y' amount of stars also gives you a place to start.

The more you do it, the easier reviewing gets. I haven't reviewed much before I got my kindle, so I'm working my way to being better. For your first couple of reviews, consider reviewing books you really liked or really didn't like. You'll have more to say that way. After some practice, you will think of things while you are reading that will help with a review when you are finished. The highlight and notetaking functions of the kindle are helpful for those things. Good luck! (Don't make it a chore. You don't have to review everything you read.)


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

That's a great question, crebel. In my case, just like in my books, I try to think of the person reading it. What does he/she want to know, or need to know? Not spoilers, maybe not even the plot. I try to realize that everyone doesn't have my taste. (I don't review books I know I won't like in the first place.)

Jeff's book, _The Treasure of La Malinche,_ is a good example. From the title, a potential reader might think it was historical fiction, but it isn't, really. So I explained that right away. The plot was, as I said in the review, a complex stew of dozens of threads, so I didn't bother to summarize it (it would have taken pages). Instead, I mentioned an assortment of people and elements that occurred throughout, to give the flavor of the thing. That should help one decide if the book was for them or not.

Finally, I had to point out that the editing wasn't that great, because that trips up many readers. Later, when I learned that the latest Kindle edition had been re-edited, I was able to go back and mention that. I also said the book (books, actually) were long, as in LOOONG, and so exciting that they exhausted me. Some people love that. Some don't. I also said I liked it myself, but that's not much help to someone who doesn't know me.

I figure that should be enough to help a reader decide on a purchase or not, or at least a sample.

Every review is a little different. But if you think of it from a potential reader's point of view, that usually helps you write it.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

frojazz said:


> Suggest other books like the one you are reviewing. ie. If you liked 'x' you will like this one.


Excellent idea there, and even if it's a comparison to a TV series or another author, that works, too. I read a review once that said along the lines of "if you liked the TV series 'Arrested Development', you'll like this book" and that combined with initial postings here on KB was enough to have me buy the first book without sampling first -- and I loved the book and the series. Comparisons, good or bad ("if you don't like X you won't like this"), are good.

Me, I'm a hypocrite. I much prefer to peruse books that have reviews, but I don't like to do reviews. (Note please that I'm only calling myself a hypocrite, not anyone else who is the same as me. ) I'm pretty easy-going, not a big literature critic, so unless a book just really doesn't grab me, I'm probably going to like it okay even if I don't LOVE it or don't read the rest of the series where applicable. I also kinda feel like if I can't say something good I'd rather not say anything at all, so wouldn't likely leave anything other than a good review. So I'd rather just not review at all. Otherwise I'd probably be one of those 5-star only reviewers that folks don't much care about reading. Why bother?

One thing I don't like to read in reviews, though, is the entire plot, including spoilers. That's really annoying...


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I tend to follow a fairly specific format that I developed for myself. It helps me organize my thinking.

Paragraph 1: Overview and precis of my review. Did I like the book? This way, even if someone doesn't read the whole review, they know in a nutshell why I gave the book X number of stars.

Paragraph 2: Quick synposis, but not a repeat of what the book's editorial description says. I figure this is the paragraph where someone will say, "Oh, romance, sorry not interested..." or "Oh, a cowboy book, my favorite..." or whatever.

Paragraph 3 (and maybe 4): Focus on what's good in the book. Pick something to highlight that serves as an example of what I really liked about the book.

Paragraph 4 (or 5, depending on above): The weakness paragraph. This is where I discuss things that didn't work so well or were disappointments.

Paragraph 6: (Amazon reviews only): I include a Kindle paragraph and discuss formatting and so on.

Paragraph 7: Wrap-up, the grand finale. I usually try to pull a theme or idea from paragraph 1 to tie the whole thing together.

Here are a few examples of reviews that pretty much follow my "formula."

http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Our-Lives-ebook/dp/B002AVTZ6M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1245107385&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Transgressions-ebook/dp/B0026A6C22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1245107465&sr=1-1

http://speakitsname.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/review-false-colors-by-alex-beecroft/

Here's an example of one where I didn't follow my formula...mostly because I was having fun with the review and wanted to take a different approach.

http://speakitsname.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/pure-folly-by-madelynne-ellis/

(Note that on the Speak Its Name reviews I usually include the book's description because that is the style of the site.)

L


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I'm surprised and impressed by all the thought you guys have put into doing Amazon reviews. I don't have a formula or any sort of structured approach. I just kind of play it by ear and write what comes to me, albeit in an organized, easy-to-read fashion. 

Of course, there are a couple of things I tend to do in every review. I'll usually mention a little of plot - just enough to give the reader of an idea of what the book is about, but never anything that would be considered a spoiler. And I'll generally give my thoughts on on the characters, setting, and so on. Other than that, whatever I decide to focus on.

For the most part, I write in an informal manner when I'm doing an Amazon review, because they're not really meant to be professional reviews. If I reviewed books for a website or blog, I might approach it differently. Once in a while though, I'll be in the mood to do something more formal for Amazon, and I'll do that. Whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.


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## Kilgore Trout (Dec 28, 2008)

Ya'll might get a laugh or two from this book review I composed for PODBRAM a couple of years ago. The author did.

http://podbram.blogspot.com/2007/03/romance-riches-and-restrooms.html


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback everyone.  I may try some "practice" reviews on the next half dozen or so books I read (if nothing else, actually writing a self-summary will probably keep the book more memorable for any future discussion) using your ideas just to get a feel for presenting the information and then I might even post a review sometime!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

crebel said:


> Thanks for the feedback everyone. I may try some "practice" reviews on the next half dozen or so books I read (if nothing else, actually writing a self-summary will probably keep the book more memorable for any future discussion) using your ideas just to get a feel for presenting the information and then I might even post a review sometime!


Go for it! Next thing you know, you'll be blogging, then writing a book yourself. Stranger things have happened...LOL

L


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

I have just started reviewing all my books that I got from Amazon.  There are 2 reasons I review.  First, if the book has less than 10 reviews, I think it helps the author to have a few more, I really enjoy doing those reviews.  If a book has over 100 reviews, it seems senseless to add another one, so the ONLY reason I review those is to show that I review books in general.  LOL  It's actually to help with the reviews I do for smaller books.  Whenever I look at a book that only has 2 or 3 reviews and they are all raving, I start to suspect if the author or his/her friends wrote them.  So I check and see what else that person has reviewed, if this book or this author's books are the only ones they have reviewed, I don't trust it, but if there are a bunch of different things they have reviewed in the past, then I might.  So that's why I leave reviews for lots of stuff too, in case people are checking that like me.    

Rachel


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Leslie,
I'm always looking to improve my reviews -- mind if I use your format as a loose template?


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Writing reviews is not terribly difficult if you have a system. Interestingly enough, I use a very similar template as Leslie when I write reviews, except I sometimes opt out of describing the weaknesses of a book if I give a book 5 stars (a rare occurrence nowadays). No book is perfect, so I don't think it is always necessary to pick a book apart for every typo or misspelling. However, if a book is sloppily written and has a slew of errors, I will make sure to point that out, as well as the shortcomings of the actual story.

Here's the link to a review I wrote for an indie book a couple of months back:

http://www.amazon.com/Imaginary-Friends-Yolanda-Jackson/dp/1608620174/ref=cm_cr-mr-title


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

MichelleR said:


> Leslie,
> I'm always looking to improve my reviews -- mind if I use your format as a loose template?


I would be flattered! Thanks for asking.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> Writing reviews is not terribly difficult if you have a system. Interestingly enough, I use a very similar template as Leslie when I write reviews, except I sometimes opt out of describing the weaknesses of a book if I give a book 5 stars (a rare occurrence nowadays). No book is perfect, so I don't think it is always necessary to pick a book apart for every typo or misspelling. However, if a book is sloppily written and has a slew of errors, I will make sure to point that out, as well as the shortcomings of the actual story.
> 
> Here's the link to a review I wrote for an indie book a couple of months back:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Imaginary-Friends-Yolanda-Jackson/dp/1608620174/ref=cm_cr-mr-title


Right. I am not going to complain about something just for the sake of complaining. If you look at my review of False Colors, you'll see that one doesn't have a weakness paragraph because it didn't have any weaknesses, imho.

I try to be comprehensive to show that I have actually read the book. This gets to the issue discussed earlier in the thread -- "padding" reviews from friends or paid people. I am neither one of those and so I want my reviews to be credible and useful to readers.

L


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Leslie,

I read your reviews above and found them informative, insightful, and most importantly honest (and voted them helpful as a result). It is a shame that many people believe that if a review doesn't criticize a book in some fashion that it is a sock puppet review, especially if the review is written by an author. I think it's a silly standard that is as unfair as it is narrow-minded. However, with so many people resorting to underhanded tactics, people have grown cycnical and will likely question the integrity of every book review they read.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

BTW, I posted this yesterday in The Book Bazaar, but since this is a thread concerning book reviews, I feel some of you may find it very enlightening (if not a bit disheartening). It concerns the conversation on a discussion thread I came across while surfing another site. And I quote:

OP: "Obviously I don't have the facts, because obviously no one wants this becoming common knowledge, but a few of them admitted to me that they had paid for the majority of their reviews, and even that they had actually written most of their amazon reviews themselves and paid to have them posted. This blow my mind. One lady sent me a link to a website that she said posts more than 100 reviews every day to amazon (omitted). She called this site the dirty little secret professional authors pretend not to know about. The site doesn't even write the reviews (it says right on their website that you have to send them ten reviews that you've already written yourself).

And this is exactly my point: How are we supposed to compete with this? I don't have money to buy reviews. I've heard for years that most amazon reviews are fake anyway, but I just thought people were having their relatives and friends writing fake reviews, I didn't know they were paid for. I always assumed that publishers were (in essence) paying their employees to post reviews, and that always made me mad, because I don't have 100's of people working for me that I can have post reviews."

Poster #2:

This may not be what you want to hear, but I've used that website (omitted) for several of my books, and I also have seven (7) good friends that have books published through traditional publishers, that literally laughed at me when I asked them if they had ever heard of the site. Obviously, most people don't want to admit to it but get that sheepish little grin on their face when you mention it. I can totally understand your frustration, but consider this: Selling books, like any other business, is a dog eat dog endeavor, it's very often not for the faint of heart. Very often in this competitive world, the people that are willing to challenge the status quo are the ones that succeed. And what that often translates to is: Those willing to challenge the rules.

Does anyone think that Bezos (or BN) cared one tiny little bit about playing by The Rules or Fairplay, when he (via amazon) was putting every mom & pop bookstore on the planet out of business?

Rules have the intended purpose of keeping those at the top secure in their lofty perches. As an example, Congress makes the rules we little people are supossed to live by, but they don't follow those rules themselves do they. This may be starting to sound political (I'm a Libertarian) or philosophical, but I'm intending it in a very practical way. Rules keep the little people in line, under control, and little. That is the exact intended purpose of rules. The only way people with power can keep that power is by imposing rules and creating a false sense of morality.

If you get a chance, pick up a copy of "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World" by Harry Browne, or anything by U.S. Senator Ron Paul, or read any of John Stossel's stuff.

The point is: Business is Business, and if we're not willing to challenge convention and break the rules that they impose on us, we may as well stay away from it and return to the bondage of rat-race employment. They made the rules, we didn't, we have no obligation (moral or otherwise) to play by their rules. We are all free. We make our own rules."

Poster#3: "If you want to get more creative, read all these promotional threads...here is something for example: review and rate your book, tag it too with other authors that are like you"

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"If we're not willing to challenge convention and break the rules that they impose on us, we may as well stay away from it and return to the bondage of rat-race employment."--Poster #2

"Rate and review your book."--Poster #3

How's that for honesty? And so, the moral of the story is this: having validated the authenticity of the omitted website above, all I can say is that it is sad that people are resorting to paying disreputable websites and using underhanded tactics to sell their books. More disturbing is the attitude of the second and third posters. I can only hope that this does not becoming the prevailing attitude among authors in our industry.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Kevis Hendrickson said:


> Leslie,
> 
> I read your reviews above and found them informative, insightful, and most importantly honest (and voted them helpful as a result). It is a shame that many people believe that if a review doesn't criticize a book in some fashion that it is a sock puppet review, especially if the review is written by an author. I think it's a silly standard that is as unfair as it is narrow-minded. However, with so many people resorting to underhanded tactics, people have grown cycnical and will likely question the integrity of every book review they read.


Thank you, Kevis!

L


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

You're welcome! Keep up the great work with those reviews!


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## Kilgore Trout (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm afraid your worst fears have already come true, Kevis. That's why I founded PODBRAM three years ago and decided to call it the _premiere legitimate_ POD review site on the web!


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Not as often as I should!!


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

Kilgore Trout said:


> I'm afraid your worst fears have already come true, Kevis. That's why I founded PODBRAM three years ago and decided to call it the _premiere legitimate_ POD review site on the web!


Kilgore,

Unfortunately, it does look like D-day has arrived and it's probably going to claim the careers of more than a few authors if the word gets out about them. BTW, I will be checking into your site. One can never have too many "legitimate" reviews.


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## permit1850 (Jun 7, 2009)

As a writer, I wish folks would post reviews good or bad. It's a catch 22 for an author though; if you post a not stellar review you open yourself up to retribution, deservedly or not. Therefore, I leave reviews to the most pertinent critics; the readers.


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

I'm pretty fearless about writing reviews. But I am respectful of other authors and try not to trash their works even if I'm not particularly fond of them. In most cases, if a book is bad I won't even bother to write a review for it. It takes a certain kind of bad book to bring the dragon out of me. In those rare cases, look out!!!


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## askenase13 (Mar 1, 2009)

I had not posted any reviews of books (I had done some on dvd's) until I got my Kindle.  Now, through forums like this, I am more engaged in my book reading and considering other readers, that I feel it is important to contribute by writing reviews of books and posting them on Amazon.  So I have started posting reviews, with a special attention to books with very few posted reviews.  I think these authors need to have their books exposed by writing a review.

As for what or how I write, I try to convey my feelings about the work, with a special eye towards helping the potential reader on what to expect (not spoiling the story, but some indication on what is going on and writing style).

And, it's fun.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

I have posted a review or two but find it tough to do so -- whether a book is good or not is such a subjective thing.

However, in light of the comments that I'm seeing in this thread from the authors I will probably start trying to post quite a few more reviews.  Especially for the smaller indie's on small house authors.


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## redshift1 (Jun 20, 2009)

I read the book reviews all the time,  lately I've noticed some books are receiving an inordinate number of 5 star reviews 
with some authors openly requesting positive reviews. As others have stated the reviews are easy to identify appearing
generic in nature and full of hyperbole.  As long as Amazon allows this to continue one must use caution when choosing
a book by Its rating. Fortunately the ability to download a sample is a good work around until Amazon revamps their 
rating system.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Whether a book or electronics, I almost always read the reviews.  I will agree there are alot of gushing 5-star reviews as well as bitter 1-star reviews.  But I read them anyway and usually find the input I want if I hunt.

I've only recently started writing reviews of my own (I've done 4 so far) and I'm trying to concentrate more on my level of enjoyment, the author's style and voice instead of summarizing the plot as I see in many reviews.  Essentially, I started writing the sort of thing I want to know about the book.

I did write a bad review and wondered whether I should and decided that I'd rather be honest than worry about irate authors converging on Dallas to hunt me down and backhand me.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> Whether a book or electronics, I almost always read the reviews. I will agree there are alot of gushing 5-star reviews as well as bitter 1-star reviews. But I read them anyway and usually find the input I want if I hunt.
> 
> I've only recently started writing reviews of my own (I've done 4 so far) and I'm trying to concentrate more on my level of enjoyment, the author's style and voice instead of summarizing the plot as I see in many reviews. Essentially, I started writing the sort of thing I want to know about the book.
> 
> I did write a bad review and wondered whether I should and decided that I'd rather be honest than worry about irate authors converging on Dallas to hunt me down and backhand me.


I think giving honest feedback is important, even when reading a one star review you can tell who is being honest and who just likes to whine about everything. I really like someone's suggestion here to give positive feedback, then negative, then positive again (that's how negative should be given at all times anyway), I think that kind of review is more helpful to someone reading them. When I am reading reviews I totally skip the ones that give a synopsis of the book, I much prefer the honest feedback that just states whether they liked it or not and why. I have been trying to be good about leaving reviews as I finish a book, especially for indie authors.

But I will say there is one book I started and completely and utterly disliked and it was from an indie author. I decided not to leave feedback, because a lot of people liked the book, and I just did not like the writing style, and that is so subjective, I decided not to give that author a black mark for that.

Anywho I hope more people do leave feedback, even if it's only for the books they liked, I really depend on them, though I still sample before buying. But the reviews help me decide which books are even worth sampling. I didn't always sample, but after that one bad experience, I figured it was probably a good idea. LOL

Rachel


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> So--do you invest the time to review what you've read? Do you do it for every book, or just for select ones? And do you read books that have hardly any reviews posted?


Yes, I review every book I read and post it on amazon.com. I've written a little over sixty reviews so far. I post reviews for a couple of reasons. One is that I love books and like to tell people about them. I'm a pretty positive person and even if I don't like a book, I usually find something good to say about it. If there's some I don't like, I also give a reason why. I believe in being honest. Two, I'm an unknown author and I know a lot of unknown authors, so I review many independently published books because believe it or not, there are some good story tellers out there, and I'd like to see them get a little recognition. My third reason is that by reviewing books, I'm reading them more carefully and always learning something, even if it's not what to do!

Having said all that, there are people who dismiss amazon reviews and reviewers as unprofessional amateurs who are biased or just plain wrong. And yes, some reviewers have nasty agendas, but I'm not one of them. In the end, it's all about a love of books, a love of writing, and respect for those who try to write the best book they possibly can.

If anyone wants to see a sample of my reviews, you can find them at http://tinyurl.com/rbx19g


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

I don't do reviews, at all. I just don't care about writing them, wouldn't be any good at it, just assume limit myself to impressions as I can gauge how much I like something. For example, I found Distant Cousin to be a solid decent (i.e the only fluctuations were positive), whereas the sample for Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was really great as I *thoroughly* enjoyed the way it was written, the only reason I haven't bought the book is because I need to read what I already have first.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Selcien said:


> whereas the sample for Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch was really great as I *thoroughly* enjoyed the way it was written, the only reason I haven't bought the book is because I need to read what I already have first.


You really need to read that book. I've read it 4 or 5 times and laugh out loud each time.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

Geoffrey said:


> You really need to read that book. I've read it 4 or 5 times and laugh out loud each time.


It'll be the very first book I buy once I've read everything on my Kindle, even if the price goes up, if I give in now I'll just make a bigger mess.


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