There are a couple of things guaranteed to make any writer’s day. Sales and reviews. Sales are wonderful and it would not be honest to say otherwise, but that is not always the biggest gift for a writer… anyone can buy a book, but what we really want to know is whether they enjoyed it.
Not everyone feels they know how to write a review. Rosie Amber has a very useful set of review templates on her site that offer a way to write a simple or in-depth review. These are exceedingly useful to any potential reader who looks at them.
From the author’s perspective, a single line works just fine and can have me them whooping like idiots:
More is good too and we can learn a lot from constructive criticism and critique. We might smart a bit at some of it. We may not always agree… but we would have to be exceedingly ungrateful not to take note of genuine points that a reader might raise.
As an additional bonus, it is only when there is a goodly volume of reviews that Amazon takes note and starts promoting the book through its own channels, so if you have enjoyed a book and leave a review, you may actually be helping bring that book to the notice of a wider public.
Make a writer’s day.
Leave a review!
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Go On – it’s not as difficult as you might think 😀
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Thank you 🙂
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Welcome 😘
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🙂
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The issue is when a reader has more criticism than praise that would lead to a two or one star review. In those cases I send an email. Invariably get a defensive response.
Yet I’ve had a couple of authors recently who were pleased enough to reblog/link/paste my reviews. One included some criticism (still four stars) and the author responded beautifully saying she would go through her book/s again.
I think for readers to take time to review or send a constructive email it is ungracious to be defensive and whingey. The other side of the coin?
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I don’t think we an help feeling defensive.. but that shouldn’t stop us being grateful for honest advice and opinion. Nor does it always automatically mean we should take action on it though…the author’s intent and the reader’s personal taste may simply not meet. For myself I would never leave a review of less than four stars. If I felt a book didn’t meet that mark, I would prefer to address such concerns privately.
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Well I think three is ok too. Trouble with the star rating is that it is too subjective. I see three as readable and ok if you like the genre, can accept not perfect; four is def good, only a few flaws, and five is seriously good. Two is you need to look at this again, and one is oh no!
Plus lower star reviews are really helpful. I always read those first. Endless ‘brilliant’s or five stars or retelling the story are unhelpful.
As I said. Subjective.
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I’d go with that as a definition, but I agree it is too subjective..and I know a good few writers who would be devastated by a three. I agree too about the piles of five stars, given the way the system seems to operate. It would be nice if people simply left an honest review without having to award the stars.
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Yes. I think the review should be paramount not the star award. How many times do we think 3.5, 4.5, round up, round down? So silly.
Shame. I think it devalues reviews.
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So do I. And leaves people disappointed with a low star rating instead of finding out what the reader really thought.
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Dylan wrote a great post about star ratings some time back. Did you read it? I think he nailed it beautifully. That we ought to write critical reviews.
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He’s written several articles on reviews and all of them from a comonsense perspective.
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Pingback: A Summer of Great Reviews | Cynthia Reyes
Thank you!
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Thanks for a great post, Sue. Happy reading, writing and reviewing! I’m sharing… 🙂
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Thanks, Bette 🙂
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
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Great post, Sue. I wish more people would leave reviews. Not only do they help authors sell their books, it also helps readers choose the right book for them.
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I agree, Michelle. They are a valuable resource for both.
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I agree but as an author I must say I seem to have an enemy or two that posts 1 star reviews with single words like sh1t and the purchases are usually unverified. I think amazon needs to be just as tough on obvious spoof negative reviews as it is with spoof favorable reviews. On the other hand, a review helps sell the book – even a 1star spoof review.
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I agree, but wonder how they can police the obviously personal and spiteful ones in the same way they do the obvious good ones.
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Reblogged this on Don Massenzio's Blog.
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome
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Reblogged this on Indie Lifer and commented:
Make a writer’s day. Leave a review.
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