I think reviews mean different things to different people. And we all have a different litmus test for reviews. I rarely go to “formal review sources” for my book buying choices. (Though I know this obviously isn’t the case for everyone) Most of the books I buy are based upon recommendations from friends both online and off. There are certain people whose view I trust implicitly.
If they gush and say the book was amazing, I don’t have to hear a five point analysis of the book’s minor flaws. I usually buy the book. If I’m getting a review from a website/blog from someone who I don’t know as well, I don’t automatically trust a gushing review (or a bad review for that matter.) I’m a skeptical person.
Now this doesn’t mean I think the gushing reviewer is lying to me, only that in the world we live in, being too trusting is unwise for anything. And when being too trusting causes me to make a poor buying choice with my limited funds, then it’s a problem for me personally.
A gushing review on a website isn’t bad. It’ll often make me go to Amazon.com. But Amazon.com is where the sale happens or doesn’t. And it’s based on the Amazon review system. (I don’t think Amazon should be allowed to have as much power as it does, nevertheless, this is the current reality we’re dealing with.)
Here is my personal litmus test once I get to Amazon, on the review front only. I understand other people’s mileage may vary.
1. Overall rating. 5 star reviews are important here, if for no other reason than they boost the book’s average rating. If all the reviews are 3 star reviews I’m not going to be impressed with the book. I need to know that at least SOME people are passionate about this book. So 5 star reviews are important for that reason, but the comments in those reviews aren’t what sell me on a book. They’re usually too “happy happy” to give me the potential down sides of purchase. And since these are people I don’t know, I don’t know anything about their personal litmus test for book buying, or even if they have good taste. I just know they LUV it.
2. 1-star reviews. Next, I personally look at 1 star reviews. Why? Because this is as bad as the book gets. Here is where I find the book’s weakest points. Now sometimes it’s just a mean/petty review, which is why I don’t let a 1 star review automatically stop me from buying a book. On the other hand, sometimes the thing the 1-star reviewer is bitching about, is something I personally like. (Like how the Anita Blake series has turned into vamp and were porn. Hey, sign me up. Hawt!)
3. 3-star reviews. When it comes to parting with my limited money, these are the reviews that make or break an actual sale for me. 3 star reviews tend to be more realistic about the book. There is no emotional extreme in either direction blinding a more fair hearing for the book. I hear both the good points, muted a tiny bit, and the bad points, in context without being petty.
That is how I personally judge reviews. How about you? What’s your review litmus test and do you look at reviews at all? If so, where?
November 13, 2008 at 10:29 am
I’ve heard there are some Amazon reviewers who give nasty reviews out of jealousy or a nasty twist in their personalities. So I don’t give credence to the really low reviews.
Because books are subjective, I’d rather read an excerpt and decide for myself. Someone recently didn’t care for a Jayne Ann Krentz book that I had gobbled up. Her view wasn’t wrong, but it was her view, not mine.
November 13, 2008 at 10:37 am
No, hardly at all. If I hear of a particularly funny set of reviews going on about a product or book, as sometimes happens on Amazon, I might read them for entertainment value. I might read reviews on electronics, but rarely on books.
I like your style!
November 13, 2008 at 11:05 am
Absolutely Edie! And I think it’s important either for there to be a “search inside this feature” option on the book so you can read an excerpt, or the author should be giving a free excerpt on her site.
Obviously with a traditional publisher, one does have to have permission from their publisher, but all authors need to have permission to publish the first one or two chapters on their site for promotional purposes, IMO.
November 13, 2008 at 11:08 am
hehe Thanks, Spy!
And you know there are a LOT of different views on reviews. Some people don’t pay attention to any reviews, on Amazon or anywhere else.
Some people ignore bad reviews on Amazon.
Some people seek out bad reviews and buy them anyway.
Some people are really heavily affected by Amazon reviews and won’t buy anything with too many negative reviews.
But the beauty is, there is a big wide world out there of opinions and perspectives so, it gives an author more, instead of fewer opportunities to reach readers.
November 13, 2008 at 11:51 am
I rarely look at reviews. I go by word of mouth and I also follow certain authors. Other than that, I peruse the bookstore. I DON’T like online buying for that reason – it’s too hard to find that little gem.
November 13, 2008 at 11:57 am
hehehe Melanie, for me I just hate shopping and not knowing what I’m going for. I can’t just “browse.” It’s not like I NEVER go to the bookstore so it’s not like I’ve never browsed, but normally I like to know what I want before I get there, so I’m all over the internet finding stuff.
Half the time though, when I get to the bookstore they don’t have the things on my list. And I had to DRIVE. OMG, I hate traffic. I hate traffic lights. I just hate the whole thing.
So, I order online, where I know they have it, haha!
November 13, 2008 at 11:58 am
I don’t trust crowd reviews at all. I’ve seen poor ratings on *excellent* stories at Fictionwise and had to figure the people were eejits. Maybe over at Amazon there are fewer eejits, but you still have to realize you’re getting the opinions of fanatics (and I don’t mean that in a good way) — for good or bad.
November 13, 2008 at 12:00 pm
hehe Mike, which is why I put the most stock in the 3 star reviews. They tend to come largely from the saner sector.
Though I tend to give 5 star reviews, even when I point out bad parts, to help up their overall review rating if I liked the book, and also to offset some of those “eejits.”
November 13, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I think you can usually tell if a reviewer is biased or honestly LOVES something. If all they can say is ZOMG this book RAWKS! then I’ll pass. But if they can give examples, even basic ones, to back up their opinion, then I’ll take it a little more seriously. Which I think is what you’re saying.
November 13, 2008 at 1:35 pm
hehehe, yes. ZOMG you RAWK!
November 13, 2008 at 1:35 pm
OMGWTFBBQ!
And stuff.
November 13, 2008 at 1:44 pm
The thing for me is trying to figure out which reviewer shares my taste. I don’t have enough time or money to buy/read all the books all the reviewers read and review just to find out who I should trust and who I shouldn’t.
And really, it’s all about taste.
November 13, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Very true, Mojo. The more detailed the review is, the better I can tell if the reader’s taste matches mine.
November 13, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I’m happier to browse the bookstore and find my own books, but if I check out the Amazon review, I just scan if there are a lot of 5 star “I’m psyched” reviews. If friends highly recommend a book I strongly weight that. Of course it depends on the friend…
November 13, 2008 at 6:52 pm
hehe, Robin. Why? Do some of your friends hate you and want you to suffer?
“Oh yeah, this is a GREAT book, trust me.” tee hee.
November 13, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I wouldn’t put stock in reviews at all, good or bad. Just think about how many books you’ve read because someone thought it was good and it turned out to be an expensive roll of toilet paper. A certain, upcoming movie based on a popular book shall not be named.
Hell, I’m still on chapter one and it’s been ten months.
Like Edie, I base my book-buying on the back cover synopsis. Nothing will get me to buy a book, not even if some NY Times bestselling author blurbed it. The only other option is if I know the person, then I’ll buy their book. Otherwise, they’re SOL.
And by the way, CONGRATS on being a finalist!! Woohoooo!
November 13, 2008 at 8:51 pm
hehe Marcia, I actually liked Twilight!
Hehe, well I’m not a finalist yet. This is the second round. If I get enough votes I’ll go on to the third round, which is where the judges pick the grand prize winner. So I guess you could call this the semi-finals.
November 14, 2008 at 7:31 pm
No reviews for me, thanks.
Sometimes I look at them, but only to find out whether the book (movie, music, whatever) has the kind of features I enjoy. I try not to let them bias me. I especially don’t pay attention to Amazon reviews. Apologies if anyone here has actually written one, but I’ve found they’re usually woefully off-base or (at best) uninformative.
I really hate how professional movie and music and lit reviewers act like they, and they alone, know what’s worthwhile, as if it’s not a subjective judgment. (Have you ever noticed that movie critics nearly always give poor reviews to comedies? You’d miss a lot of damn fun movies if you believed them.) I’m fine with people making critical judgments, just as long as they acknowledge (at some level) that there are other valid reactions.
Having said that, I will pay attention to the opinions of people I already know and trust. For instance, I have a friend who is a professional movie critic, but who (despite that handicap) also tends to have taste in movies that agrees with mine; if he says something is good, I can trust that it probably is. Same goes for the people whose blogs I read. I know you’re giving honest opinions, and I also know whether I’m likely to agree with you (or not) because I know where you’re coming from. In that case, I can appreciate a review of something.
November 14, 2008 at 7:42 pm
hehe Ing, I write Amazon reviews. But mostly because it links back into my blog. If anyone finds my review interesting and clicks on my name, there is a link to this blog on my profile.
hehehe @ professional reviews and “as if it’s not a subjective judgment.” I know. Sometimes you’re made to feel like you’re an utter moron if you don’t agree with their completely subjective opinion. Using big words to describe things doesn’t make an opinion empirically true.
I’m starting to think that blog reviews may turn out to be the most valuable in the end. And I dont’ say that as a way to go “oh look at me and my opinions!” but because of what you say about people whose blog you read regularly, their view is more than a “stranger’s view.”
It’s very much word of mouth, like a virtual friend giving a recommendation.
November 14, 2008 at 10:24 pm
“Ing, I write Amazon reviews.”
– Which is why I should fully read the comments before opening my own mouth…er, keyboard. (Though I did say *usually*, not always, so there’s room in that statement for quality reviewers.)
Blogs kind of are the new word of mouth, I guess. Better than words from actual mouths, in some ways. With blogs you can get outside voices, which can be good, especially for getting us to notice things outside our personal circle, and yet at the same time also get the opinion of someone you know.
November 14, 2008 at 10:40 pm
hehehe I meant to put a smiley of some sort after that proclamation. hahaha I was just giving you a hard time, LMAO! I mean I DO write Amazon reviews, but I’m not offended about your view on Amazon reviews haha.
November 21, 2008 at 7:45 pm
[...] I trust implicitly. If they gush and say the book was amazing, I don??t have to hear a five point http://zoewinters.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/the-usefulness-of-reviews/What is the twilight movie rating in england going to be? – Yahoo …"What is the twilight movie [...]