Reviewing Excerpts?

GraceKrispy · 01-04-2011, 11:06 PM

What is up with reviewing excerpts? I run across reviews on Amazon all the time that talk about how wonderful the prose and the concept, blah blah, then they say "I love this excerpt! I want to read the whole story!"

I guess I'm perhaps alone in the idea that I don't review a book unless I read the entire thing. Maybe I would comment if I thought the book was so bad I couldn't finish it, but I wouldn't call that a review. I do see that reviewers will often review a book they didn't finish. I just don't feel like I could.

What do you think about reviewing excerpts? How about reviewing books you never finished?

ATDrake · 01-04-2011, 11:16 PM

Personally, I suspect astroturfing in the case of those excerpt reviews.

And if a book were so unlikeable or bad (these two are not necessarily the same) that I couldn't finish it, I would feel free to review it if sufficiently moved to do so, but I'd disclaimer it up front with the fact that I was unable to finish the book for whatever reason.

Though more likely I'd figure the book had wasted enough of my time already that I needn't dwell on it any further in any way, much less to somehow validate the author's whatever-it-is with a review.

I do appreciate reviews which state that the reviewer did not finish reading the book and detail the reasons why. Most of the cases I've seen it on were because the writing was horribly, terribly bad in some way.

Usually either very poor technical writing skills (sentence construction, grammar, homophone confusion), or very poor characterization and plotting skills (despicably unsympathetic "heroes" who do despicably unsympathetic things that the reader is apparently supposed to approve of and cheer on, Ye Olde Chaine of Unbelievable Deus Ex Machina Bailout Coincidences, and so forth).

I like knowing exactly what I might want to avoid. Plus, sometimes those sorts of reviews are kind of fun to read if they inspired fed-up ranting.

CWatkinsNash · 01-04-2011, 11:27 PM

I would never review an excerpt unless it was one of those cases where they try to sell an excerpt as a whole book, just to warn people. (I don't mean freebies or serials, I mean actual excerpts or partial books not billed as such with a price tag attached.) Even then I would only do so if no one else has already posted that information. No need for a million of them like I see on B&N.

For books I don't finish, it would depend on why and whether or not it's something I would normally read. If it's out of my usual genres, I fully realize my perception may be colored by that and I can't give a fair review. But if it's a genre or author that I'm familiar with and I can't finish it, it's usually for a very good reason and I figure other readers might be interested in my views in those cases. Huge plot holes, lots of errors or inconsistencies (like one book last year where the main characters names kept changing), stuff like that should be mentioned.

Basically, if I think "I wish someone had told me that" then I figure I should let people know.

gmw · 01-05-2011, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

... What do you think about reviewing excerpts? How about reviewing books you never finished?

I rarely read excerpts at all - it lacks commitment ... well that's probably a facetious way to express it, but it comes close. I have difficulty trying to settle in to something unless it's all there in front of me. If it's really good I want to be able to keep going, and if it's bad I'll wonder if it's just because I wasn't properly settled in.

A review of an excerpt I think wastes the time of the electrons that were disturbed to bring it to me. Reviewing a book you didn't finish is probably acceptable as long as you bothered to get a substantial way into the book, 200 or more pages (certainly over 100), anything less suggests that the reviewer and the book were simply not compatible - no shame in it, it happens - but it marks time to move on rather than wasting the reviews effort in writing, the readers effort in reading.

nashira · 01-05-2011, 09:45 AM

...They seriously review excerpts? I can understand if they read the book and the except is misleading and they mention it but, uh.

Why on earth?

And yes, it's fine to review books if you sincerely couldn't finish them, but not if you just read say a chapter and go "ugh". (I always try to finish a book or get at least half way.)

mr ploppy · 01-05-2011, 01:27 PM

Amazon should adopt Smashwords' policy of only allowing reviews if you have actually bought the item. What they have now is way too open to abuse.

wvcherrybomb · 01-05-2011, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Amazon should adopt Smashwords' policy of only allowing reviews if you have actually bought the item. What they have now is way too open to abuse.

I absolutely agree. Amazon's review system is a joke - literally. There are blogs of people who just browse through Amazon leaving fake reviews.

I haven't actually run across any reviews of the samples, but I certainly wouldn't take them seriously if I had. The only reviews I even read are ones that are marked as "Amazon verified purchaser".

It certainly takes a lot of nerve to write a review after reading the sample. Even after reading the book, I put much thought into it before writing a review knowing that people may base their decisions on it.

Joykins · 01-05-2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Amazon should adopt Smashwords' policy of only allowing reviews if you have actually bought the item. What they have now is way too open to abuse.

Amazon only knows if you bought it from THEM though.

CWatkinsNash · 01-05-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Amazon should adopt Smashwords' policy of only allowing reviews if you have actually bought the item. What they have now is way too open to abuse.

I see the logic in Smashwords' system, but I prefer Amazon's system. I have two books I got directly from authors, and I can't review them on Smashwords because I didn't buy them there, but that is where the review (in my opinion) would do the most good.

screwballl · 01-05-2011, 02:39 PM

Reviews are for full book, those "excerpt reviews" should be reported to the site and hopefully removed.

caleb72 · 01-05-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I see the logic in Smashwords' system, but I prefer Amazon's system. I have two books I got directly from authors, and I can't review them on Smashwords because I didn't buy them there, but that is where the review (in my opinion) would do the most good.

I agree.

It annoys me that I can't review a book on Smashwords just because I didn't buy the book from there.

Regards
Caleb

MrsJoseph · 01-05-2011, 04:39 PM

Worse than reviewing an excerpt are those who review without reading anything. I’ve seen reviews for titles they didn't like, reviews for authors (not the book itself) they didn't like, and reviews for Amazon's service (!!?!). Whenever I see a 1 star review and it begins with "I ordered this book on Saturday and it took..." I feel like

Stop clogging up valuable space!!

GraceKrispy · 01-05-2011, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I see the logic in Smashwords' system, but I prefer Amazon's system. I have two books I got directly from authors, and I can't review them on Smashwords because I didn't buy them there, but that is where the review (in my opinion) would do the most good.

I totally agree. It's not such a huge deal now that I do a blog, but it was super annoying when I wanted to review on Smashwords and couldn't because I received or bought the book (legally) in some other way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Worse than reviewing an excerpt are those who review without reading anything. I’ve seen reviews for titles they didn't like, reviews for authors (not the book itself) they didn't like, and reviews for Amazon's service (!!?!). Whenever I see a 1 star review and it begins with "I ordered this book on Saturday and it took..." I feel like

Stop clogging up valuable space!!

I know! I agree with that!

Interesting thoughts- I really appreciate hearing them.

lene1949 · 01-06-2011, 01:05 AM

I have seen that as well...

You can't review a BOOK unless you've read it...

JeremyR · 01-06-2011, 07:05 AM

At least they read an excerpt. I'm convinced that many reviews on Amazon are written by people who just read the blurb.

It's because Amazon ranks reviewers. Like any sort of number on the internet, people will try to increase it to boost their ego.

Especially the ones that have "Top 500 Reviewer" next to them. They are usually like that because that's how they could review so much stuff (either that or they are wealthy)

01-04-2011, 11:06 PM	#1
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	Reviewing Excerpts? What is up with reviewing excerpts? I run across reviews on Amazon all the time that talk about how wonderful the prose and the concept, blah blah, then they say "I love this excerpt! I want to read the whole story!" I guess I'm perhaps alone in the idea that I don't review a book unless I read the entire thing. Maybe I would comment if I thought the book was so bad I couldn't finish it, but I wouldn't call that a review. I do see that reviewers will often review a book they didn't finish. I just don't feel like I could. What do you think about reviewing excerpts? How about reviewing books you never finished?

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01-04-2011, 11:16 PM	#2
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Personally, I suspect astroturfing in the case of those excerpt reviews. And if a book were so unlikeable or bad (these two are not necessarily the same) that I couldn't finish it, I would feel free to review it if sufficiently moved to do so, but I'd disclaimer it up front with the fact that I was unable to finish the book for whatever reason. Though more likely I'd figure the book had wasted enough of my time already that I needn't dwell on it any further in any way, much less to somehow validate the author's whatever-it-is with a review. I do appreciate reviews which state that the reviewer did not finish reading the book and detail the reasons why. Most of the cases I've seen it on were because the writing was horribly, terribly bad in some way. Usually either very poor technical writing skills (sentence construction, grammar, homophone confusion), or very poor characterization and plotting skills (despicably unsympathetic "heroes" who do despicably unsympathetic things that the reader is apparently supposed to approve of and cheer on, Ye Olde Chaine of Unbelievable Deus Ex Machina Bailout Coincidences, and so forth). I like knowing exactly what I might want to avoid. Plus, sometimes those sorts of reviews are kind of fun to read if they inspired fed-up ranting.

01-04-2011, 11:27 PM	#3
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	I would never review an excerpt unless it was one of those cases where they try to sell an excerpt as a whole book, just to warn people. (I don't mean freebies or serials, I mean actual excerpts or partial books not billed as such with a price tag attached.) Even then I would only do so if no one else has already posted that information. No need for a million of them like I see on B&N. For books I don't finish, it would depend on why and whether or not it's something I would normally read. If it's out of my usual genres, I fully realize my perception may be colored by that and I can't give a fair review. But if it's a genre or author that I'm familiar with and I can't finish it, it's usually for a very good reason and I figure other readers might be interested in my views in those cases. Huge plot holes, lots of errors or inconsistencies (like one book last year where the main characters names kept changing), stuff like that should be mentioned. Basically, if I think "I wish someone had told me that" then I figure I should let people know.

01-05-2011, 09:45 AM	#5
nashira Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 73734 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Paperwhite	...They seriously review excerpts? I can understand if they read the book and the except is misleading and they mention it but, uh. Why on earth? And yes, it's fine to review books if you sincerely couldn't finish them, but not if you just read say a chapter and go "ugh". (I always try to finish a book or get at least half way.)

01-05-2011, 01:27 PM	#6
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Amazon should adopt Smashwords' policy of only allowing reviews if you have actually bought the item. What they have now is way too open to abuse.

01-05-2011, 02:39 PM	#10
screwballl NewKindler Posts: 504 Karma: 1865773 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NWFL Device: Kindle3 Wifi	Reviews are for full book, those "excerpt reviews" should be reported to the site and hopefully removed.

01-05-2011, 04:39 PM	#12
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	Worse than reviewing an excerpt are those who review without reading anything. I’ve seen reviews for titles they didn't like, reviews for authors (not the book itself) they didn't like, and reviews for Amazon's service (!!?!). Whenever I see a 1 star review and it begins with "I ordered this book on Saturday and it took..." I feel like Stop clogging up valuable space!!

01-06-2011, 01:05 AM	#14
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	I have seen that as well... You can't review a BOOK unless you've read it...

01-06-2011, 07:05 AM	#15
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	At least they read an excerpt. I'm convinced that many reviews on Amazon are written by people who just read the blurb. It's because Amazon ranks reviewers. Like any sort of number on the internet, people will try to increase it to boost their ego. Especially the ones that have "Top 500 Reviewer" next to them. They are usually like that because that's how they could review so much stuff (either that or they are wealthy)

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