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I buy and read a lot if indie books, especially at Smashwords and B&N. However, I rarely write a review. The only books I will write a review for are those that I think are exceptional -- whether exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. The mere fact that a book was a pleasant read is insufficient motivation for me to write a review.
Much too often, even a book that was enjoyable overall is riddled with grammar and spelling errors. That I was able to enjoy the book even though the author incorrectly used, for example, were for where or you're for your is insufficient inducement for me to spend my time and the effort to write a review. My feeling is that if the author didn't think enough of his/her work to make sure basic grammar and spelling errors were for the most part avoided, then there is no reason to reward the author for his/her lack of care by spending my time and effort to write a review. Sure, I could write a 1 or 2 star review and criticize the language use, but why downgrade a read I otherwise enjoyed and discourage someone else who doesn't care as much about grammar and spelling basics as I do (or who doesn't recognize the problems to begin with) from discovering the book. I think not writing a review is doing the author a favor.
But give me a book that is well-crafted and well-written and nearly error-free, and I'll gladly write a review and award 4 or 5 stars.
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