[GraceKrispy]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I review (almost) weekly on my blog, and people send me a ton of unsolicited stuff. Some of it, I reject outright as not my thing (and of course, if the sample or blurb has any obvious issues, I decline to review) and some, I accept for review. Of those I accept for review, a small percentage get bailed on partway through (in which case, I generally write it up as a mini review, explaining why I bailed on the book). The rest will (eventually) get fully reviewed.

<SNIP>

As for general readers who don't blog about this, I don't think many of them feel any sort of obligation to review or not.

This. I, too, have many, many books, most of which I'm excited to read. I wish I had more hours in the day. I tend to put 2-5 reviews a week up on my blog, and I still am months behind. If I could just narrow my interests way down, I may not have this problem, but I really do like a huge variety of genres.

Originally Posted by HarryT

I understand what you're saying, but in my experience "normal readers" just don't do that.

Yes.

Originally Posted by VydorScope

I would love to replay to some of my bad reviews, in a polite fashion to get clarification on what they mean by their points. I have even emailed one as a test cast to see what may come of it... no reply.

I have had "conversations" (via email) with several authors who have asked for clarification or suggestions with regards to my feedback. I have always responded. While I don't have the kind of time needed to dissect every piece of the author's work, I appreciate that the author wants to make improvements to the story, and something I've said has meant something.

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I think so to, and also a well-written bad review can help people decide to buy it. For instance, I've reviewed books where I basically said, "I didn't like this book because of X, Y, and Z elements," and other people who LIKE X, Y, and Z have read that and told me, "Thanks, that helped me decide to buy it!"

I've had the same experience! I'm glad- my mission is not to try to stop people from reading a book, even if I hated the book. My main goal is to give enough information to readers so they can make an informed decision about the book. (My other main goal is to promote quality indie authors so they write more books I can then read!) Feedback from authors has indicated that my constructive criticism is frequently helpful. Other authors have accepted my review graciously without much comment, and that's fine, too. My opinion is strictly my opinion; I don't expect everyone to agree with what I've said, and I don't reflect the opinions of anyone other than myself. What I look for in a book may not match what someone else wants.

I'm not an author (I do have several research studies that have been published in professional journals, but I don't feel that's anything like a fiction author). I do not work in a publishing-related field. I am just an avid reader who decided to start reviewing books- first in small paragraphs on Smashwords, then on my own blog. I'm a relative newbie to this. But I love to read, I understand the basics of the English language, and I know what I believe makes a good story. So I use my "voice."

Writing thoughtful reviews takes a long time and a lot of thought. I don't think the average reader feels obligated (and he/she shouldn't) to offer the type of feedback for which you're looking. I could read twice as many books if I wasn't reviewing them as I went