The Wheat from the Chaff: Filling the role of The Gatekeeper

[latepaul]

I have a program that randomly generates an ISBN, does a search on it and repeats until it finds one actually available then I buy that one.

Takes all that nasty guesswork out of choosing.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by latepaul

I have a program that randomly generates an ISBN, does a search on it and repeats until it finds one actually available then I buy that one.

Takes all that nasty guesswork out of choosing.

But that ignores all the ebooks that don't have an ISBN! The vast majority of independents don't bother with ISBN!

Since I only buy from Amazon, my program constructs URLs with random ASINs until it finds an ebook that I haven't yet read.

Yes, Amazon's my gatekeeper, but I'm OK with that.

[piperclassique]

I tend to go on a theme. Right now I'm reading authors who feature in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, by Paul Theroux. That should keep me going for a while. It's a sort of recommendation, but from someone i have never met. I really don't care if a book is self pub. If i like it i will look for other books by the same person. If not, then i probably won't finish it. My time matters.

[ApK]

Latepaul and pdurrant, are you using true random number generators? 'Cuz its a well known fact that the pseudorandom functions in most high level libraries are heavily biased toward chick-lit and self-help.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ApK

Latepaul and pdurrant, are you using true random number generators? 'Cuz its a well known fact that the pseudorandom functions in most high level libraries are heavily biased toward chick-lit and self-help.

I use only the finest grade true random numbers, from random.org.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I use only the finest grade true random numbers, from random.org.

Accept no substitutes!

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by Dusky Rose

I think the only solution is to let the market pick out the good stuff with purchases to encourage the good writers, point out the bad stuff with one-stars and complaints, and let us all fend for ourselves.

That doesn't work anymore. I know, I used to do that. But now people buy paid reviews to make their books look like many people are reading and enjoying them.

[haydnfan]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Amazon is not a curator. They are a distributor.

Not in the sense that you seem to mean it. If they simply distributed products to other stores then okay. But NO, that's not what happens. They are their own store, selling directly to us. Part of having a store front is curation. And when a store is selling everything in print and many things out of print, they have to make important decisions about what they display and how they display it.

And Amazon DOES curate content, and they are expected to. Just as Itunes does, just as Google does, just as Kobo does.

Oh and your complaint is the exact opposite of what I have heard about Amazon. I heard they only promote best sellers.

That is a strange comment. What you have HEARD? Why don't you look for yourself? How hard is that? Just open another tab and investigate for yourself. I want to read "that's not what I've SEEN" not something that sounds like whispered rumors about a site that you can directly navigate whenever you wish. Have you never been to amazon.com? You own three kindles!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

That doesn't work anymore. I know, I used to do that. But now people buy paid reviews to make their books look like many people are reading and enjoying them.

That is not new either. They are just supposed to be under editorial reviews.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by ApK

Latepaul and pdurrant, are you using true random number generators? 'Cuz its a well known fact that the pseudorandom functions in most high level libraries are heavily biased toward chick-lit and self-help.

I try to use sustainably sourced, free-range random numbers, but sometimes they're not available. When that happens I just use 7 or 9. Seems to work.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by meeera

Are you talking about physical or online stores? Either way, you're not remotely choosing at random, because there's no such thing. Physical stores carry a minuscule minority of all the books available, and e-stores have algorithms that will present certain books to your notice, and not others. All book browsing is gate-kept and curated through one method or another.

Online. Yes, of course there is already some filtering in place, and I only browse in my favorite genres anyway. I meant that when I start browsing, I don't have any pre-formed opinions about the books I browse (from recommendations or reviews). I look at the books and if something catches my eye, I'll look at it more closely, read the sample, reviews etc. Perhaps random isn't the right word for it, as you and others have pointed out, there really is no such thing.

[Dusky Rose]

Originally Posted by haydnfan

That doesn't work anymore. I know, I used to do that. But now people buy paid reviews to make their books look like many people are reading and enjoying them.

I think you can usually tell the paid reviews from the real ones. Some reviews just sound like sound bites from someone who skipped the book. Others sound like someone actually read it.

I think if you read enough reviews, the fake ones will pop out at you.

Also, don't discount the 1 star reviews. I've found some good books based on 1 stars, because what one person hates, I love.

The fake reviewers also tend to be all over the place, but a person who's really into a genre will have a lot of reviews in that genre. So that helps to point them out as well.

[DiapDealer]

Either I've never been fooled by a paid review, or the fact that it was a paid review had no bearing on its accuracy. But then I don't really look at book reviews on Amazon. I buy from Amazon; I don't typically shop there. No reason for me to. I've got much better ways of exposing myself to new titles/authors I might enjoy.

[Sirtel]

I mostly read the 1-2-3 star reviews, rarely 4-star, never 5-star. The 5-star reviews are pretty pointless for me. I'm more interested why someone didn't like the book.

[Catlady]

I'm glad that so many of you have so much extra time to wade through all the garbage, read samples, and consider dozens of reviews to evaluate their veracity before you plunk down a couple of bucks for a self-pubbed book.

I'd rather be reading. I'd rather pay a premium for a traditionally published book that I know meets minimum standards of competence and that offers me editorial reviews from legitimate sources.