@BearMountainBooks and ftjorres
Thanks for the interesting replies.
I won't quote them as they are long and I don't disagree with your points.
As I said I don't like the term gatekeepers, but maybe I have read too many fantasy books and keep picturing Cerberus in my mind when I hear it.
I think it is great that people wade through the slushpile and discover hidden gems. It is not for me at this point.
Number one reason is that there re far too many books I want to read by authors I am enamoured of already.
Number two is that I get most of my reading from the library and there are many many books to chose from. I have bought thousands of books in my life, but I started to move from place to place frequently at the advanced age of 50 and had to get rid of a humongous amount of books
and the places I lived had no book stores of any kind usually.
Libraries as you know are secondary gatekeepers of a sort (pardon me for using the term)
A long story, but I have no shortage of books to read, and no desire to wade through the slushpile. I flailed around at it a bit and didn't like it. Those that do and post reviews, are no doubt providing a service of a kind, but what will it evolve into? We have Goodreads, literature map etc. but I have found the majority of strong links/recommendations are to traditionally published authors.
My way of choosing books has always been to start with authors I know I will like, then pick out a book or two by unfamiliar names in genres I like. I will give anything a try if reading material is short, even books I am fairly sure I will dislike, nut with the wide choice available at present I am too spoiled to expend the mental energy.
But for those that enjoy the process of discovering those hidden gems, well these are probably the greatest of times too.
Helen