Lately I’ve been thinking about reviews. As a writer you know that reviews are extremely important for selling your books. Not only does the algorithm like your books to be reviewed quite a few times (at least a dozen for ads to work, but the more the merrier) but there is also that sweet spot of basically selling more books because new buyers see that so many people like the book. I’ve seen top selling authors taut their number of reviews as a marketing selling point.
Reviews are important
With reviews being so import, I’ve been looking around for ways to get more on my books. No way will I pay for them (don’t ever pay for reviews! Waste of money and it’s pretty much against all the rules), but being part of reading groups that promise to review the book they read seemed like a good idea.
Was it a good idea? So far I’ve read a book I couldn’t even finish because it desperately needed a developmental editor to cut about half the pages out and another that sells itself as a thriller, but reads like an essay.
I had promised to review these books, so I ended up reviewing them. But not without trepidation. Will the other author review me poorly if I review honestly? Should I email the author and gently suggest they take the book off sale and redo it? Should I just give it a five star and leave it be?
The Dilemma
All these questions about the ethical way to review swirled in my head for days. When I finally entered Amazon to review the NON thriller book I got the shock of life: it had 94 reviews with a 4.5 average!
Jaw dropped.
Either this author did an excellent job of finding all family and friends to review (and all felt slightly obligated to give five stars) or I was missing something. When I checked the reviews the truth was closer to my first thought. The book has a lot of five stars, but when you get to the four and three the reviewers said the same as me: no dialogue, reads like an essay, this is not a thriller, etc.
So my question is: being that reviews are important, how ethical is it that authors are getting five star reviews from friends and family who might not have even read the book and then sell the book to other readers when the book really isn’t as well done as it could be?
Questions
And another question: why do indie author continue to NOT pay for an editor? The first book I read had a good storyline but I simply can’t recommend it because it was so bogged down in scene that should have been cut out. Why indie authors? Why can’t you get your book edited?
Which leads to the next question: why can’t people tell the truth? Especially family and friends?