Quote:
Originally Posted by Yolina
Many of the books I've bought and enjoyed didn't even have reviews (and not just indies) I've always gone by the blurb and my instinct and it usually works for me  There's no reviews and ratings in bookshops and yet I always managed to find books I wanted to read. I like fairly random buys... and if it turns out to be something I don't find that great then so what? I put it down to experience and go on to read something else.
Edit: I am aware that I never seem to do things the way most people do  |
I use a heavy dose of randomness when looking for books to read as well, although I am aware that randomness doesn't really exist.
In bookshops the reviews and ratings are there, but instead of blocks of text they are in the form of placement on the shelves. Everything is a review.
The length of a sample is usually enough to decide if a book is worth monies, but why not just let the reader read the entire book before donating?? Amazon has drawn the line at ten percent of the book for sample length, but it is an arbitrary line, why not 99%.
Do you want the last page?? Fork over some cash!!
Amazon is letting people give star ratings without writing reviews now from within the Kindle, I am not sure if this is good or bad. But If I see that hundreds or thousands of people have already read the book and given it decent stars, I will probably be more apt to try the book. But I also feel that Amazon is shoehorning review systems that work for games and other apps into the book reading review system, but books are unique and require their own systems for reviewing.
There needs to be more incentives for reviewing IMO. Planted reviews would have to be removed speedily which is probably possible, but with incentives for reviewing, the indie slushpile would become much more navigable which would be the best thing to happen to books since movable type.
