More SMASHWORDS Reviews Please !

[GraceKrispy]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

If you can't say something nice....

No, actually, if you didn't like the book and can say why, that's a fair review. If you like everything, you'll have no credibility, because not everything is great or even good.

If the author can't take it, he/she is in the wrong business!

Originally Posted by Vintage Season

If you would rather remain silent, you certainly have that option... but speaking as a MobileRead author who has published on Smashwords, I can say that any honest review is welcomed. If you dislike a story, for whatever reason, and can put that reason into words, you might save someone else with your particular mindset from making a poor choice. Or they might be looking for precisely the sort of story you dislike, and your negative review could convince a new reader to take a chance anyway!
- M.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

To me a review from someone who disliked a book can be as valuable, if not more than a positive review. Especially with all the self published and small press stuff out now. Some of it is quite excellent, while some isn't very good and there is just so much of it being made available it's often hard to choose anything. If folks choose wrong enough they just may quit trying. Reviews are one of the ways to sort through it all. Just because a review isn't positive doesn't mean it can't still be respectful.

Originally Posted by HistoryWes

Thank you for posting this thread. For writers, feedback and reviews are appreciated more than anything else as indicators that someone, anyone, has taken the time to read and think about what you've written. Spending months or even years pouring over a manuscript and then publishing it, even offering it as a free download, the writer puts a huge amount of himself (or herself) into his creation. I know that when someone takes the time to post a review, or even send me feedback in an email, I REALLY appreciate it.

Ok, I'm really, really glad to have read all of the above. I have reviewed every book I've read from smashwords (so far) and each book I read gets reviewed as soon as I have a minute, while my thoughts are still "fresh." I plan on reading way more books and reviewing them as well.

I don't write long reviews, because I don't like reviews that make me feel like I'm reading a summary, I just want to know what the tone of the book is, and what elements were exciting for people (and what was not so exciting). I've seen a few reviews that include spoilers and that annoys me to no end.

I haven't rated them all 5 stars, but for every book, I've commented on something I've really liked, and for anything under 5 stars, I've commented on something that just didn't sit right with me (hence the lower star rating). It's (of course) all my own opinion, but I just can't rate books 5 stars if I don't think it's 5 star worthy. I was reading elsewhere when someone commented that it was better to give more leeway to Indie authors, but I don't get how that's helpful (guess it's the teacher in me??).

I want to be honest, and I hope that authors do appreciate it. I know how hard it is to put your heart and soul out there and see what falls, especially if it isn't complimentary. But I do love to read, and I so appreciate the free and discounted values out there as I try new authors. With one exception, I've truly enjoyed each book so far, and have been pleasantly surprised by several of them.

There have been several books I've looked at (not necessarily the ones I read and reviewed) that have had outstanding reviews across the board, and I've looked up those same books on Amazon and seen quite different reviews. That got me thinking "oh, geez, am I only supposed to give 5 stars to the books on smashwords??" But I know, for me, I'd want honest feedback about whether someone liked it. And I'd decide whether or not that critique held merit.

Just this past weekend, I've read several awesome stories I never may have read without smashwords around, and smashwords is my new favorite "bookstore." I've done a lot of searching, bought many books, downloaded many free books, and kept a "wish list" of books I think I'd like, and I'll add those as I read others.

And therein ends my thesis... just been thinking about this very topic today!

[Scott Nicholson]

I usually try to review when I read a book because I know it's important to the authors, for the most part. Of course, as a writer it also gives me exposure, because I use my real name everywhere I go instead of hiding.

Scott

[lente]

I like the idea, but this is the problem with e-publishing/self-publishing/indie. No real filter that stops crappy books from appearing. The normal setup takes care of this, because no publisher will sell crappy books. The reason of course, because they won't sell. So you are reasonable assured that the book you buy is decent at least. E-publishing/self-publishing/indie like smashword has a real problem with this. I'm not assured that what I'm buying is good. I can read a sample of course, but this takes time, time I might not want to spend. And even if I do read a book I might not want to spend the time writing a review or even rating the book. Don't forget, customers are lazy bums. Thus there are very few reviews to go by. Finding a solution for this won't be easy.

[David J. Guyton]

Lente,

That's why it's so important to have reviews...so that readers can see what others think about the book.

The good ones will rise to the top because people end up writing reviews for them. You can also find reviews, info, keywords, etc. on amazon as most independent authors have paperbacks as well.

On another note, just because a book is published traditionally does NOT mean it's high quality. You can get garbage from any writer, independent or not.

[brainycat]

Originally Posted by lente

No real filter that stops crappy books from appearing. The normal setup takes care of this, because no publisher will sell crappy books.

While this is probably true in the general sense, the problem with relying on publishers as the gatekeepers to the hallowed halls of "worthy writing" is that consumers are left choices consisting of what the publisher thinks will sell enough to make a profit. Given the high cost of bringing a pbook to market, that means only books with some broad appeal (read "mainstream") are going to get printed.

I, for one, am happy to help fellow readers separate the wheat from the chaff. I much prefer a media landscape with too much choice rather than not enough.

[lente]

Originally Posted by David J. Guyton

Lente,

That's why it's so important to have reviews...so that readers can see what others think about the book.

The good ones will rise to the top because people end up writing reviews for them. You can also find reviews, info, keywords, etc. on amazon as most independent authors have paperbacks as well.

On another note, just because a book is published traditionally does NOT mean it's high quality. You can get garbage from any writer, independent or not.

I don't disagree with the importance of review, only that I rarely write one and that is probably more than most other people. The difficulty is getting people the write reviews or even rate books.

The good ones may rise to the top, but only if there are at least a few people who read it first and write reviews about it. And even than, I'm generally suspicious of books with only two very good reviews. 25 reviews with a good average is more like what I want to see.

Reviews on amazon is good, but takes an effort from the customer. It needs to be all on one page. If not, who is to know if the customer even makes the effort to search for the reviews on amazon?

I agree, even if a book is published traditionally you don't know if it's really good, BUT the chance of it being so is higher than with the non-traditional way of publishing. Don't you agree?

[lente]

Originally Posted by brainycat

While this is probably true in the general sense, the problem with relying on publishers as the gatekeepers to the hallowed halls of "worthy writing" is that consumers are left choices consisting of what the publisher thinks will sell enough to make a profit. Given the high cost of bringing a pbook to market, that means only books with some broad appeal (read "mainstream") are going to get printed.

I, for one, am happy to help fellow readers separate the wheat from the chaff. I much prefer a media landscape with too much choice rather than not enough.

I don't know, I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, not exactly mainstream, but there is still a lot of books to read in those genre's.

I definitely think that to much choice is bad, if it becomes a chore to find good books a lot of people probably give up.

[David J. Guyton]

Originally Posted by lente

I don't disagree with the importance of review, only that I rarely write one and that is probably more than most other people. The difficulty is getting people the write reviews or even rate books.

The good ones may rise to the top, but only if there are at least a few people who read it first and write reviews about it. And even than, I'm generally suspicious of books with only two very good reviews. 25 reviews with a good average is more like what I want to see.

Reviews on amazon is good, but takes an effort from the customer. It needs to be all on one page. If not, who is to know if the customer even makes the effort to search for the reviews on amazon?

I agree, even if a book is published traditionally you don't know if it's really good, BUT the chance of it being so is higher than with the non-traditional way of publishing. Don't you agree?

Well, I can tell you of my personal experience with traditional publishing, and you can see it from the perspective of an independent author. I wrote my novel in 2006, and shopped it for two years straight to agents and publishers. I sent something like 80-100 query letters. I followed all the rules and played their game exactly how they wanted.

Time after time, I got letters back telling me that they loved the premise and the characters and the artwork, but no publisher was willing to take on new fantasy authors at the time. I even talked to Terry Goodkind's agent and he felt that way too. Basically, unless you already wrote a fantasy novel, you're not getting published. Other genres are easier, but it's still hard.

So I did my research and did the independent thing. No, I am not rich from it, but I get to have my book out there and a lot of people enjoy it (some don't). I've sold way more books than I ever thought I would, and I am happy with the outcome so far.

So, no, I do not agree that great books (or even good ones) have to go through the filter of a stuffy old publisher. There are great books and horrible books on both sides here. And what is great anyway? That's really up to you to decide, not me, not other readers, and certainly not a publishing company stuck in their ways and unwilling to even look at new writers. There is a story (I forget who the author was) but he sent out manuscripts of his previously published international bestseller (only under a different title and a Pen Name) and he got rejected like 75 times. It just goes to show that publishers either have no time, or no interest in hearing from somoene who hasn't made tons of money in the market before. That's sad to me. I don't do it for money at all, so the independent thing works fine for me.

Back on topic,
It's really up to the reader to determine if a book is worth taking a risk on. I even give my book out for free on Smashwords so there is nothing to lose (many authors do this). I can't help that reviews are not all on one site. Amazon is probably the best place because more books are sold there than anywhere else, and there is a very active community there reviewing books. We independents have no real way to avertise, so reviews and word of mouth is all we really have.

There are probably millions of independent writers world wide....TRUST me, if you have heard of them, they are worth reading.

[lente]

Originally Posted by David J. Guyton

Back on topic,
It's really up to the reader to determine if a book is worth taking a risk on. I even give my book out for free on Smashwords so there is nothing to lose (many authors do this). I can't help that reviews are not all on one site. Amazon is probably the best place because more books are sold there than anywhere else, and there is a very active community there reviewing books. We independents have no real way to avertise, so reviews and word of mouth is all we really have.

There are probably millions of independent writers world wide....TRUST me, if you have heard of them, they are worth reading.

Very interesting to hear your story, thanks. I guess you have a point. Still it's hard for us readers too! We just want to know if our time (and money) is well spend. It's not easy to find worthwhile books if you have nothing to go on. You know that your book has only one review on smashwords.(with no rating) I would never have thought to look for reviews on amazon for your book(which are very good). If I had to do that with every book on smashwords just to see if there good reviews I would have to spend massive amounts of time. You do see how that can be a problem? Besides not all authors on smashwords are on amazon are they?

B.t.w. I have downloaded a sample of your book. You have one more reader!

[David J. Guyton]

Originally Posted by lente

Very interesting to hear your story, thanks. I guess you have a point. Still it's hard for us readers too! We just want to know if our time (and money) is well spend. It's not easy to find worthwhile books if you have nothing to go on. You know that your book has only one review on smashwords.(with no rating) I would never have thought to look for reviews on amazon for your book(which are very good). If I had to do that with every book on smashwords just to see if there good reviews I would have to spend massive amounts of time. You do see how that can be a problem? Besides not all authors on smashwords are on amazon are they?

B.t.w. I have downloaded a sample of your book. You have one more reader!

Ahh great to hear! I hope you enjoy it.

In my case, I only recently published at Smashwords and have been on Amazon since 2008...so that's why there is only one review so far. I'm sure other authors are ONLY on Smashwords or ONLY Amazon, but the serious writers cover all bases.

I know it's hard for readers too. We do the best we can to get the word out though.

[Vintage Season]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I haven't rated them all 5 stars, but for every book, I've commented on something I've really liked, and for anything under 5 stars, I've commented on something that just didn't sit right with me (hence the lower star rating). It's (of course) all my own opinion, but I just can't rate books 5 stars if I don't think it's 5 star worthy.

Grace, I have thanked the others, and I need to publicly thank you as well. I deeply appreciate the review you left for "We Don't Plummet Out of the Sky Anymore," and (even though it was less than five stars! ) it is gratefully accepted. Your rating of the story underscores the point we, as writers, are trying to make: it is the honesty of each review, and not the star-count, that is most important.

Thank you for reading my words, for enjoying the story, and for writing an honest review!

- M.

[nbvanyoos]

One thing I wanted to add about indie versus traditional publishers is that traditional publishers have very rigid genre buckets. This means that books that don't meet their ideal for a specific genre or mix genres will not be published. Indie authors like indie bands produce a wide variety of entertainment because they are not constrained by corporate labeling by a handful of people within an industry. However, like with all creative products, there are good and bad ones. I love being an indie author just like I love listening to indie music. Variety is the spice of life! Thank you MR readers and keep those Smashwords reviews coming!

[Scott Nicholson]

NY will always take the book that will MAKE THE MOST MONEY. All else is trimmings and trappings. Any notion that they are protecting literary values is laughable. That's why Madonna can write children's books, why Brittany Spears is a bestseller, and why buffoons like James Frey and Abby Suderland get big book deals.

NY is generally good at professional editing, though, which is one of the primary differences between Big Six and indie. There's a middle ground of writers who do get freelance editing or qualified peer editing. Other "writers" just dump a file up there, in the era when with one button you can publish your blog. I appreciate it takes a little effort to wade through it, but most of us just don't walk into a bookstore and grab any old book just because it happened to be bound and printed.

The best thing about the new era is that readers get to do the choosing, not two dozen editors and a sales staff.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

NY will always take the book that will MAKE THE MOST MONEY. All else is trimmings and trappings. Any notion that they are protecting literary values is laughable. That's why Madonna can write children's books, why Brittany Spears is a bestseller, and why buffoons like James Frey and Abby Suderland get big book deals.

NY is generally good at professional editing, though, which is one of the primary differences between Big Six and indie. There's a middle ground of writers who do get freelance editing or qualified peer editing. Other "writers" just dump a file up there, in the era when with one button you can publish your blog. I appreciate it takes a little effort to wade through it, but most of us just don't walk into a bookstore and grab any old book just because it happened to be bound and printed.

The best thing about the new era is that readers get to do the choosing, not two dozen editors and a sales staff.

What is "NY"?

[Vintage Season]

Originally Posted by John F

What is "NY"?

New York. (A significant percentage of the American publishing industry is based there.)

- M.