This is the ninth author recruiting for their Review Crew / Group I've been asked to join that has done this in the last six months. I hate wasting my time talking to an author after I've already informed them that I only give honest reviews (both good and bad) and have them add me only to wind up in this run around with them.
The biggest thing I don't get is the fact that people actually stick around. Some will give the 5 stars because they honestly like the authors work that much but I can't imagine that there aren't a few that are sticking around for those extra free books.... That actually makes me feel sad for the author that has to do that in order to keep them around.
Yeah I think that's the best way to get improvement from anything. The author is a decent writer and has potential but damn if that kind of shady dealings doesn't bring down an opinion of their person.
Its hard to do that and not be considered an author basher these days. Honest or not. I'm not trying to hurt anyone or affect their career regardless of what they do to it themselves by those actions but this mess just has me wanting to tear my hair out sometimes.
I don't give a fuck. (Or I wouldn't if someone pulled this on me. I'd be like, well, I'm letting the general public know.) They're offering free books for only positive reviews, making the reviews suspect. The other readers have a right to know that these are unbiased reviews!
It used to be for me, and then I decided where I stood and I stand firmly there. Now, though, not so much.
First of all, I don't join street teams/anything that would possibly put me in this position, which makes it easier and gives me more control of what I read and when. That's more important to me than free books, especially with my TBR pile.
Secondly, if I happen to be put in this position, I figure my duty is to the public, not the person who put me in the position. I've stopped weeping for them a long, long time ago.
Sometimes I worry that my cynicism and pragmatism have done awful things to me. (Someone was asking, jokingly, about my fees on something. The friend next to me joked I'd need a heart for that. I hugged him, fake wept, and snapped back, 'you're the /only/ one who gets me.' Sometimes I worry though, because I look at a problem like this, and I"m like, 'nope, won't shed a single tear when I out them about this.')
9 years ago
I'm glad they're not all like this. A book doesn't have to be 5 stars to be a worthwhile read, and not all decent books are 5 stars! That's why we have a scale.
Just how many readers are lucky enough to actually find many books that are ★★★★★? (Other than readers/authors who ★★★★★ every durn book reviewed or choose only to grant their ★★★★★ reads a review.)
It's rare on the goodreads scale.
If it's posting in with consumer/customer/reader reviews, it's supposed to be a reader's opinion. It's not supposed to be the promotional content needed to reach some goal of the author or meet some minimum requirements set by promotion sites. Sure, reviews can aid in book discoverability and sales -- because considered to be opinions from other readers. Which can easily become inverted viral marketing with consumer boycotts if seen as something author commissioned to defraud consumers.
If I'm not enjoying an author's books (and clearly not reviewing your books the way you want) -- why on earth would I want more of them for free? How would another book now be a reason to change my previous reviews to comply with your needed statistics? If I was the type of reviewer who wrote my honest opinion, it wouldn't. If I was the type of reviewer taking commissions from authors and fulfilling their specific promotion needs ( which I fraudulently would not disclose when posting in with real consumer reviews) -- I would already have written as directed.
Do any of these yay-hoos have a clue how many free review copies are offered? How large the average TBR pile is for most of us? How many of these books are in KU if that's our glee? How many of us decide that free-but-require-review books regularly selling fur under $15 (on average under $5) might be cheaper to just vet via the free sample then buy without the investment of hours of our time to read the whole thing and then more time to review?
I dunno. I have certain authors that I know tend to give me five star reads. I point out the faults, but it's a perfect read for me as it emotionally satisfies me in some ways. Then again, I don't five star everything: I recently wrote a scathing one half star review this morning and I've three-and-a-half starred a series most people tend to consider five stars. (Descender.)
Five stars don't have to be rarities. I've fallen into the camp that reads whatever the hell I want and has fine tuned my selections to get a larger than previous four and five star rating. But I also believe that everything being five stars invalidates things. There are books that simply don't work for me, and I have no problem giving them lower stars.
But yes, it should be a reader's opinion. I'm more bothered that people might feel pressured to give five stars than they give a lot. If they give a lot and it reads like ads, I lose interest. If it's becoming clear they're coupon clubbers or street teasers I lose interest. If they're simply choosing things they like, I have no problem with lots of five stars.
Or maybe people find my five stars suspicious. Fair enough. They're allowed to come to their own conclusions.
9 years ago
As you say, if you're choosing to read books that are likely to be what you like, then the ratio of high ratings goes up. Never feel guilty for rating high if it's what you feel! I'm working on vetting books to spend more of my reading time on those 5 star reads. Despite some of them falling short.
Exactly. I just get suspicious if it's 100% or there are no faults with any books ever. But other than that, hey, yeah. And again, I'm more concerned with the whole authors trying to buy - even with free books only - or strong-arm five star reviews.
I meant the 5-star "amazing read" rating from readers is rare -- by the goodreads scale I'm used to using (edited my response). I'm not suspicious of readers with a lot of high ratings, partly because back when I reviewed on goodreads and amazon both, on goodreads I had a 3.98 and on Amazon I had a 4.98 average review rating. I used to not review books I didn't feel strongly about and DNF the ones that would have been one star reads for me (and a DNF not likely something I'd waste more time writing a thoughtful review -- unless something I could really pinpoint that ruined it for me but was a favorite of someone else ).
Well, I was suspicious of a now deleted goodreads account that looked like a reader but kept going around goodreads asking for ratings on their book and proudly proclaiming how they 5-starred every indie/self-published book they ran across because solidarity y'all ...
And we're all suspicious of unheard of books with no arc reviews -- that likely would only have been seen at most by 1-5 readers, much less shelved, read or reviewed -- that appear on the release date with a dozen or more glowing reviews.
I am a reviewer that is really reluctant to hand out five star reviews. Most times my 4 stars are like 5 stars in my mind because those 5 star books are so rare to come by.
My ratings are different than I think some authors interpret as adequate or what not but just adding on a 5 star because its good isn't enough for me. It has to be something special (to me) for me to actually give a book a 5 star stamp. Its really not common which I suppose is why so many of the books I've really liked tend to be 4 stars. They're great. I favor them but they haven't quite achieved that sort of top tier level that says to me 'this is a fiver.'
There are plenty of "good" books but like Debbie says finding a 5 star worthy one is hard.
I can't read a book and review it thinking 'yeah, this one was okay and I liked the story so I might as well give it 5 stars.' It has to surpass the okay/good status for me. I'm not the kind of reviewer that feels guilty if I don't give 5 stars, I want the author to really show me something, provoke something in me to earn that.
Trying to add on more free books as an incentive to increase the rating isn't going to improve my current opinion so I have no idea why they would offer that but it isn't the first time I've had that happen.
You're right about the Free book availability though.. you can go any where and get free books and accept offers to review other authors works and continue adding to the towering TBR pile that continues to grow on my laptop, kindle, and bookshelves... There are plenty out there willing to accept (my) opinions without feeling like 'hey, i want a golden egg... can i goose you in the ass?'
It isn't worth having that kind of shenanigans going on. If I'm not the right fit reviewer for you that's okay. Find one that is. Don't patronize me about it.
9 years ago
My 4 and 5 star ratings are for the books I can't get out of my head and simply must read some more, resenting the real life responsibilities that cut into my reading time. If a book is just ok, it's 3 star range.
SInce becoming a little pickier about the books I choose to read my higher star ratings have gone up. But like you I feel a 3 star rating is not an insult to a book. For me it means I enjoyed it and done.
3 star reviews are not all bad either, especially in Romance genre that sees the same tropes used over and over. If a reviewer gives 3 stars to a book but explains why (re: tropes), that may make me want to read the book because it would the tropes/characters/etc that I want.
Now 2 stars and below I read so I can avoid those books but I do that with 5 stars too. I always aim for the middle.
Of course, "average" read on a 5-star scale is 2.5. Which you can do on booklikes. On whole star only sites, do you round down like goodreads to a "2" or up like Amazon to a "3"?
I sympathize with authors wanting reviews and having a hard road ahead trying to promote their book. But, their needing certain star ratings, particularly if because required by promotions wanted (most of which require x reviews with average rating of y stars without bothering to find out what rating scale site or reviewer uses ...?
Oh hell no is it my responsibility to game the system to ensure they get wanted star rating average. It's my responsibility to respect their copyright. If I also choose or agree to review -- unless in editiorial sections or commercial reviews (which I don't do) -- it needs to be my opinion, my words and my rating.
One of the fewer really clear points of U.S. consumer laws is that U.S. sites and businesses cannot ask that (certain star ratings) of consumer reviews -- perfectly fine of commercial reviews. A key point in how Amazon got a lot of "get your reviews here" sites shut down or having to revise policies -- I think that was last April?
*sigh* how different it would be if the free book offer came without request to change ratings but rather as "I hope you'll still read my books, can I offer you a review copy of my favorite?"
First of all, I don't join street teams/anything that would possibly put me in this position, which makes it easier and gives me more control of what I read and when. That's more important to me than free books, especially with my TBR pile.
Secondly, if I happen to be put in this position, I figure my duty is to the public, not the person who put me in the position. I've stopped weeping for them a long, long time ago.
Sometimes I worry that my cynicism and pragmatism have done awful things to me. (Someone was asking, jokingly, about my fees on something. The friend next to me joked I'd need a heart for that. I hugged him, fake wept, and snapped back, 'you're the /only/ one who gets me.' Sometimes I worry though, because I look at a problem like this, and I"m like, 'nope, won't shed a single tear when I out them about this.')
It's rare on the goodreads scale.
If it's posting in with consumer/customer/reader reviews, it's supposed to be a reader's opinion. It's not supposed to be the promotional content needed to reach some goal of the author or meet some minimum requirements set by promotion sites. Sure, reviews can aid in book discoverability and sales -- because considered to be opinions from other readers. Which can easily become inverted viral marketing with consumer boycotts if seen as something author commissioned to defraud consumers.
If I'm not enjoying an author's books (and clearly not reviewing your books the way you want) -- why on earth would I want more of them for free? How would another book now be a reason to change my previous reviews to comply with your needed statistics? If I was the type of reviewer who wrote my honest opinion, it wouldn't. If I was the type of reviewer taking commissions from authors and fulfilling their specific promotion needs ( which I fraudulently would not disclose when posting in with real consumer reviews) -- I would already have written as directed.
Do any of these yay-hoos have a clue how many free review copies are offered? How large the average TBR pile is for most of us? How many of these books are in KU if that's our glee? How many of us decide that free-but-require-review books regularly selling fur under $15 (on average under $5) might be cheaper to just vet via the free sample then buy without the investment of hours of our time to read the whole thing and then more time to review?
Five stars don't have to be rarities. I've fallen into the camp that reads whatever the hell I want and has fine tuned my selections to get a larger than previous four and five star rating. But I also believe that everything being five stars invalidates things. There are books that simply don't work for me, and I have no problem giving them lower stars.
But yes, it should be a reader's opinion. I'm more bothered that people might feel pressured to give five stars than they give a lot. If they give a lot and it reads like ads, I lose interest. If it's becoming clear they're coupon clubbers or street teasers I lose interest. If they're simply choosing things they like, I have no problem with lots of five stars.
Or maybe people find my five stars suspicious. Fair enough. They're allowed to come to their own conclusions.
Well, I was suspicious of a now deleted goodreads account that looked like a reader but kept going around goodreads asking for ratings on their book and proudly proclaiming how they 5-starred every indie/self-published book they ran across because solidarity y'all ...
And we're all suspicious of unheard of books with no arc reviews -- that likely would only have been seen at most by 1-5 readers, much less shelved, read or reviewed -- that appear on the release date with a dozen or more glowing reviews.
My ratings are different than I think some authors interpret as adequate or what not but just adding on a 5 star because its good isn't enough for me. It has to be something special (to me) for me to actually give a book a 5 star stamp. Its really not common which I suppose is why so many of the books I've really liked tend to be 4 stars. They're great. I favor them but they haven't quite achieved that sort of top tier level that says to me 'this is a fiver.'
There are plenty of "good" books but like Debbie says finding a 5 star worthy one is hard.
I can't read a book and review it thinking 'yeah, this one was okay and I liked the story so I might as well give it 5 stars.' It has to surpass the okay/good status for me. I'm not the kind of reviewer that feels guilty if I don't give 5 stars, I want the author to really show me something, provoke something in me to earn that.
Trying to add on more free books as an incentive to increase the rating isn't going to improve my current opinion so I have no idea why they would offer that but it isn't the first time I've had that happen.
You're right about the Free book availability though.. you can go any where and get free books and accept offers to review other authors works and continue adding to the towering TBR pile that continues to grow on my laptop, kindle, and bookshelves... There are plenty out there willing to accept (my) opinions without feeling like 'hey, i want a golden egg... can i goose you in the ass?'
It isn't worth having that kind of shenanigans going on. If I'm not the right fit reviewer for you that's okay. Find one that is. Don't patronize me about it.
Now 2 stars and below I read so I can avoid those books but I do that with 5 stars too. I always aim for the middle.
I sympathize with authors wanting reviews and having a hard road ahead trying to promote their book. But, their needing certain star ratings, particularly if because required by promotions wanted (most of which require x reviews with average rating of y stars without bothering to find out what rating scale site or reviewer uses ...?
Oh hell no is it my responsibility to game the system to ensure they get wanted star rating average. It's my responsibility to respect their copyright. If I also choose or agree to review -- unless in editiorial sections or commercial reviews (which I don't do) -- it needs to be my opinion, my words and my rating.
One of the fewer really clear points of U.S. consumer laws is that U.S. sites and businesses cannot ask that (certain star ratings) of consumer reviews -- perfectly fine of commercial reviews. A key point in how Amazon got a lot of "get your reviews here" sites shut down or having to revise policies -- I think that was last April?
*sigh* how different it would be if the free book offer came without request to change ratings but rather as "I hope you'll still read my books, can I offer you a review copy of my favorite?"