My new blog pledge: one Smashwords review per week

[ficbot]

I'll put together a thread when I get home. We can start with that, I guess. I'll maintain the master list at the top of the thread so people can always go there for the up to date list without worrying about things getting lost in the replies!

So, anyone who wants to help me start off, PM me with:

- The name of your blog and its URL
- Genres you are interested in reviewing
- Genres you are not interested in reviewing
- Best way to contact you about a review
- Any other info you want people to know

I'll make the thread tonight.

[Steven Lake]

Thanks Ficbot!

[ficbot]

Latest review is up! Space Junque by LK Rigel.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by kcmay

I've decided that every other book I read will be an indie book. I'm reading A Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish now.

Is it any good? If I liked your book will I like this one?

[kcmay]

I think you might like it. It's a similar type of fantasy, and he has an easy-to-read writing style. I haven't gotten very far into it (about 15%) because I'm so focused on my own writing right now, but I'm enjoying it so far.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by kcmay

I think you might like it. It's a similar type of fantasy, and he has an easy-to-read writing style. I haven't gotten very far into it (about 15%) because I'm so focused on my own writing right now, but I'm enjoying it so far.

You wouldn't by any chance be writing on the sequel to The Kinshield Legacy

[kcmay]

Um...

I had to get this science fiction story out of my head first. I'll continue working on the final Kinshield story as soon as I set this one free (probably December).

[Steven Lake]

Hey, if anyone wants to review my books, I'd be most happy. Book 1 is free to download here at mobile read. Books 2 and 3 can be requested by email if you plan to review them.

[meromana]

Hey Guys,

I've also been reviewing indies and posting to Smashwords whenever I can. I only have a handful done so far, but I already have a long TBR. I sample before I agree to review to make sure the book is of good quality and that it appeals to me. Consequently, I don't end up with any harsh, negative reviews, because life is too short to read bad books.

I recently reviewed three very different romantic suspense books, so if you're a fan of that genre, you might find one you'll like: Book Reviews Category.

Thanks,
Maria

[meromana]

Originally Posted by pigeonweather

what this tells me is that ratings are only meaningful in the context of the rater - you have to look at each person's ratings history to see if their tastes are similar to yours.

Yes! This is what I've come to learn since doing reviews. It's not about "thumbs up/thumbs down", it's about, "here's what you will find in this book". For example, I write my reviews along the lines of "fast-paced story with minimal characterization, no flowery language, and a high level of violence and dark themes", rather than: "It was awful! I hated it!"

Hopefully, my reviews simply inform purchase decisions, rather than tell people what to do.

--Maria

[ficbot]

Originally Posted by pigeonweather

i don't like to give low ratings to books. if i don't like a book, i don't rate it. that's just my rule. if i've bothered to rate it, it's because i'm recommending it. this gives an indication of 'he liked this, so maybe if you agree, you might also like that'. there's no shortage of books out there. i'd rather be positive in steering people towards something than steering them away from something else.

I disagree with this. If a book is really terrible, I feel an obligation to warn away other customers so they don't waste their money on it. I feel more of a responsibility toward other paying readers than toward authors.

[Steven Lake]

I'm with Ficbot, I give the bad right along with the good. I've lambasted some products in my reviews before where the entire review was negative. The only time I've said no to writing a review on something that was outrageously bad was when it was so obvious that there was no need to. Otherwise, write the bad reviews right along with the good. In the end it gives more credibility to your reviews as they see you being fair and not playing "favorites". Readers will run away from reviewers who appear to be doing that like a rabbit from a fox. And I speak from experience on that one! ^_^;;

[ficbot]

The only time I have ever turned chosen not to review was when a book was just not my thing---sometimes I can see how people who enjoy that sort of book would enjoy that one, but it is just not the sort of book I personally enjoy. If the issue is me as a reader and not something with the book itself, I will refrain from commenting.

I agree with Steven. I remember clicking on a review once for a book I disliked that had only had one other review, a glowing one. I clicked on it to see what else, if anything, this person had reviewed, and she had a dozen or so reviews posted, all of which were glowing. No credibility at all.

I do feel a pang when an author has been nice to me, sent me their book, is eagerly awaiting the review and then I say something less than flattering. But we all deal with constructive criticism in our jobs! I am a French teacher and have had some students who love and adore me, certainly (especially because I teach at the K-3 level and little children are very affectionate and trusting little critters) but I certainly have had my share too of students who just plain don't like French, or days where a lesson I had planned with utmost care went over like a lead balloon. That's life!

[alvico]

Originally Posted by ficbot

...I agree with Steven. I remember clicking on a review once for a book I disliked that had only had one other review, a glowing one. I clicked on it to see what else, if anything, this person had reviewed, and she had a dozen or so reviews posted, all of which were glowing. No credibility at all...

I've read and reviewed 28 Indie books in the last few months and rated all of them either 4 or 5 stars. All my reviews are honest. I'm discerning with what I read, checking out a sizeable sample before I decide to purchase. If I read a sample I don't like, I don't review it but simply move on. If that makes me a less than a credible reviewer, I should probably just stop reviewing...

[GraceKrispy]

I agree with what's been said by Steven and ficbot. I am, by nature, a bit of a people pleaser, so giving constructive criticism about books was a somewhat difficult step for me. You can see on my Smashwords profile how I gradually got a little more specific about the things I didn't like. (I started reviewing books there first, this past spring.) I hate when I have read a book and see nothing but 5 star reviews and I think the book is more of a 2 or 3 star book. It's usually then that I see that the reviewer's other reviews are either all 5 stars, or the person has only reviewed that one book and nothing else, or reviewed only the books by that particular author (all 5 star reviews of course). Reviews like that are not helpful to me.

When I read reviews on books I'm thinking about, I love when there are a variety of reviews. I've seen a book where there were several reviews that were not very positive, but the things they pointed out as negatives were things I actually liked, or at least weren't deal breakers. The more critical reviews give me better information so I can decide if that book might be for me. The one major exception to the idea that I might still be interested in books with lower reviews is if a large percentage (not just one or two reviews) of reviewers note significant grammar issues. I know that a book like that will only annoy me and I will be so distracted I won't get into the story.