Quote:
Originally Posted by DArenson
Consider the casual reader who's browsing for a novel to read. She sees a book with a low average star rating. What does she think? "Poorly written book." Novels are a bit different than other products. If I review, say, an air conditioner, I think it's fair to complain about a high price. But with novels... I dunno. I tend to think that a review should discuss the words the author wrote. Not the price or formatting, which are controlled by the publisher.
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How are they different from air conditioners? They are a product which is sold to the customer for money, the end. Being a novel instead of an air conditioner or a widget or a loaf of bread doesn't confer upon them special status. If the customer shells out and finds the product was not worth the money, for whatever reason, they are entitled to honestly review about it and warn away other potential customers. It doesn't matter whose 'fault' it is that the product has whatever issue. If the customer is unhappy, they are unhappy. If they say why and you as a fellow customer don't agree with them, good for you and go ahead and buy it. And if you do read their comments and think that their issue might also be a problem for you, don't buy.
I don't agree with leaving one-star reviews for products one doesn't purchase. But once I pay money, reviewing it is fair game, whether it's a book or something else. If the author's feelings are hurt because somebody found the price too high for what it was, or because poor formatting affected their reading experience, them's the breaks. They put their product out there on the open marketplace, and so subjected it to fair customer scrutiny. It being a book instead of another product does not confer upon it special snowflake status.