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’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 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 (?)
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 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’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.
I just DNFd "The Shards" by B.E.E. It was absurd, and that's the truth. 😝
Still laughing...great post Martine
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 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 (?)
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.
Thought provoking. ‘American Psycho’ — 😬