I’ve decided to only count total number of stars from now on. So five 1-star ratings equals one 5-star rating. It’s math (or, as they say in England, maths).
I think that in the end, that's all any of us can do. Stay true to yourself and don't waver. Just carry on. I don't know a lot of things, but I do know this Martine, I enjoyed this post as I have your other stories and thoughts. Keep on keeping on. - Best, Jim
Martine, great post. Stars or Rotten Tomatoes, doesn't matter, I pay no attention. Just to use one example, while I respect Rotten Tomatoes...sometimes. Reviews are written by people like you, me and everyone else - and we all have our personal preferences, views and even politics that can skew a movie or book review. And that's fine, but to let a 20 something "former Tik Tok influencer, now book reviewer" in Hollywood grade and critique a gritty and rural Midwest crime story set in the early 60's, was good or not. Uh, thanks but no thanks. That's flyover land for them. The number of ultra successful popular books and movies that received poor reviews is staggering. Reviewers are like the people on the Weather Channel. Never held accountable when they miss - and frequently, they miss badly.
It is a pointless game, but how do you get the word out when you don't have a marketing machine behind you? I try to post honest reviews, what else can I do ????
It’s such a bizarre exercise, this rating business, but I still look at those stars. With a mountain of salt. We once stayed at a ‘resort’ that was so decrepit it defies description (open cesspool, raw sewage coming up in the tub and toilet, ripped screens you get the picture). And yet the owners were able to procure tons of 5 star reviews from friends and family and bots so guess what? They look good on paper while still ripping people off.
Whenever I read Goodreads reviews, I take them with a huge grain of salt. Although sometimes, if I don’t like a book, I’ll scroll through the reviews to see who agrees with me😂 but overall, it’s not a very useful tool. Heavily skewed towards fantasy novels, with some bestsellers of the genre having whopping ratings of over 4,8 stars, while someone like Ian McEwan averages a 3,5. That can’t be right, right?
I'm a huge McEwan fan. I can see why he wouldn't appeal to everybody, but that's the thing with books, right? One shoe does not fit all, and thank heavens for that!
I have a story in a recently published anthology (not the Crimeucopia one) where the publisher has a bunch of "pre-release readers" who got an email I was copied on. It asks them to go ahead and give a review on the book on Amazon or Goodreads... but only if it's a 4 or 5 star. "It makes a difference!" Seeding the clouds as it were. I assume this may be a not uncommon practice (?)
This kind of request hasn't happened to me yet, but I'm not surprised. The system is fundamentally flawed, everybody knows it, and yet we all get in a tizzy about the stars. I have a rule: if I like, I rate. If I don't, I keep my opinion for myself (or only share in private). That also skews the results, but at least it's polite....
Completely agree with this. If a washing machine doesn’t wash clothes then it has failed. Books are subjective to the reader so just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not a quality product.
I’ve decided to only count total number of stars from now on. So five 1-star ratings equals one 5-star rating. It’s math (or, as they say in England, maths).
Douglas, you are the wisest of them all!
I avoid reading Goodreads reviews because that site is toxic and the "librarians" refuse to remove bogus author quotations.
I've had friends who checked their Amazon ratings every day or more than once a day and it made them wiggy.
I think that in the end, that's all any of us can do. Stay true to yourself and don't waver. Just carry on. I don't know a lot of things, but I do know this Martine, I enjoyed this post as I have your other stories and thoughts. Keep on keeping on. - Best, Jim
Martine, great post. Stars or Rotten Tomatoes, doesn't matter, I pay no attention. Just to use one example, while I respect Rotten Tomatoes...sometimes. Reviews are written by people like you, me and everyone else - and we all have our personal preferences, views and even politics that can skew a movie or book review. And that's fine, but to let a 20 something "former Tik Tok influencer, now book reviewer" in Hollywood grade and critique a gritty and rural Midwest crime story set in the early 60's, was good or not. Uh, thanks but no thanks. That's flyover land for them. The number of ultra successful popular books and movies that received poor reviews is staggering. Reviewers are like the people on the Weather Channel. Never held accountable when they miss - and frequently, they miss badly.
It is a pointless game, but how do you get the word out when you don't have a marketing machine behind you? I try to post honest reviews, what else can I do ????
It’s such a bizarre exercise, this rating business, but I still look at those stars. With a mountain of salt. We once stayed at a ‘resort’ that was so decrepit it defies description (open cesspool, raw sewage coming up in the tub and toilet, ripped screens you get the picture). And yet the owners were able to procure tons of 5 star reviews from friends and family and bots so guess what? They look good on paper while still ripping people off.
Trust your own eyes, right!
I just DNFd "The Shards" by B.E.E. It was absurd, and that's the truth. 😝
I have no plans to read it... but thanks anyway, lol!
Still laughing...great post Martine
Thank you, June! It's pretty absurd, isn't it?
Whenever I read Goodreads reviews, I take them with a huge grain of salt. Although sometimes, if I don’t like a book, I’ll scroll through the reviews to see who agrees with me😂 but overall, it’s not a very useful tool. Heavily skewed towards fantasy novels, with some bestsellers of the genre having whopping ratings of over 4,8 stars, while someone like Ian McEwan averages a 3,5. That can’t be right, right?
I'm a huge McEwan fan. I can see why he wouldn't appeal to everybody, but that's the thing with books, right? One shoe does not fit all, and thank heavens for that!
I have a story in a recently published anthology (not the Crimeucopia one) where the publisher has a bunch of "pre-release readers" who got an email I was copied on. It asks them to go ahead and give a review on the book on Amazon or Goodreads... but only if it's a 4 or 5 star. "It makes a difference!" Seeding the clouds as it were. I assume this may be a not uncommon practice (?)
This kind of request hasn't happened to me yet, but I'm not surprised. The system is fundamentally flawed, everybody knows it, and yet we all get in a tizzy about the stars. I have a rule: if I like, I rate. If I don't, I keep my opinion for myself (or only share in private). That also skews the results, but at least it's polite....
Completely agree with this. If a washing machine doesn’t wash clothes then it has failed. Books are subjective to the reader so just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not a quality product.
I read it, too, when it first came out. I remember it being absurd/funny and I always see Christian Bale’s face in my mind’s eye from the movie.
yep, especially with the antlers head band...
Thought provoking. ‘American Psycho’ — 😬
Some parts are really funny... I swear.