tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post3212784020627797868..comments2024-01-01T18:42:01.363-08:00Comments on International Christian Fiction Writers: What's the Deal With Reviews? - Kara IsaacLisa Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11358581487206184033noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-88027243615449267692016-01-28T17:52:56.633-08:002016-01-28T17:52:56.633-08:00Oh dear, Shirley! I'm sorry you experienced th...Oh dear, Shirley! I'm sorry you experienced that. Reading is such a subjective exercise. I read a book recently that a lot of people I know raved about and I really struggled with understanding some of the dialogue. I had to re-read sections to try and work out what on earth the characters were saying!Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-8237784875942387492016-01-28T17:50:55.976-08:002016-01-28T17:50:55.976-08:00I'm exactly the same, Narelle. I have to admit...I'm exactly the same, Narelle. I have to admit I often read the one and two star reviews first to see what stuck in peoples' craw :)Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-68760045986137651842016-01-25T03:51:57.668-08:002016-01-25T03:51:57.668-08:00"Amazon doesn't show a book to customers ..."Amazon doesn't show a book to customers until it has at least 25 reviews." Wow! This shook me. It doesn't apply to me, but it did shake home the need to get reviews. I write book reviews for several of the main publishers, and I enjoy doing them - most of the time. It is terrible when you really can't give a good rating. It has only happened to me twice, and each time I gave them the option of whether they wanted the truth which would hurt or if they'd rather I didn't post the review. One said to go ahead. The other blasted me for my lack of understanding!Shirley Corderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429641202607657089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-22038159636930293302016-01-25T03:51:49.263-08:002016-01-25T03:51:49.263-08:00"Amazon doesn't show a book to customers ..."Amazon doesn't show a book to customers until it has at least 25 reviews." Wow! This shook me. It doesn't apply to me, but it did shake home the need to get reviews. I write book reviews for several of the main publishers, and I enjoy doing them - most of the time. It is terrible when you really can't give a good rating. It has only happened to me twice, and each time I gave them the option of whether they wanted the truth which would hurt or if they'd rather I didn't post the review. One said to go ahead. The other blasted me for my lack of understanding!Shirley Corderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429641202607657089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-89787818110864644702016-01-23T02:50:04.091-08:002016-01-23T02:50:04.091-08:00Kara, great post! I totally agree that a range of ...Kara, great post! I totally agree that a range of reviews make a book look like it's reaching a wider audience than the author's friends. I've also bought and read books after reading 1 and 2 star reviews. The elements of the story that the reviewer disliked happened to be appealing to me as a reader. Narellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665380446283721576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-8664707890878916462016-01-22T21:38:58.086-08:002016-01-22T21:38:58.086-08:00Hi Dale. I think you've hit the nail on the he...Hi Dale. I think you've hit the nail on the head - reading is an entirely subjective experience. I recently finished a book that many, many, of my friends had raved about and I've seen on a number of "Best Reads of 2015" lists. I really couldn't get into it and it took me three months to read. The only reason I stuck with it was because of all the rave reviews. It wasn't that it wasn't a good book - it just didn't click with me for some reason. Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-37192554372771865702016-01-22T16:55:54.872-08:002016-01-22T16:55:54.872-08:00Interesting about the one and two star reviews, Ka...Interesting about the one and two star reviews, Kara. But then, readers are so different. Often books that have had perceptive and what look like genuine four or five star reviews, can also end up with the one star review. I write lots of reviews,and read reviews, but I don't often buy books on the strength of reviews. I tend to buy authors I know and love. Finances are good enough to buy all the books I read.On the strength of reviews, I may borrow them from the library though. And that often provides books I would not have otherwise read. Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14217918666756258037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-4126567074285260842016-01-22T16:48:20.058-08:002016-01-22T16:48:20.058-08:00Thanks, Janice :)Thanks, Janice :)Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-29099577772504673092016-01-22T16:48:05.272-08:002016-01-22T16:48:05.272-08:00Isn't it just, Hope!Isn't it just, Hope! Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-45659448184775670302016-01-22T16:44:52.190-08:002016-01-22T16:44:52.190-08:00Hi Dave. Thanks for dropping by! My understanding ...Hi Dave. Thanks for dropping by! My understanding is that Amazon will sometimes recommend a book to people if they can see a pre-established relationship (e.g. they're put your book on their wishlist, they've bought another of your titles etc.) but won't promote it to the world at large until it's tipped over that threshold. Having said that, there are far greater minds than mine who have tried to work out how all of Amazon's algorithms work and failed so I'm sure there are exceptions to the "rule"!Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-32815214773257033482016-01-22T13:55:42.675-08:002016-01-22T13:55:42.675-08:00Very helpful post, Kara. Thanks for the insights.Very helpful post, Kara. Thanks for the insights.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17189504901845974621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-9611694791012037562016-01-22T08:00:22.240-08:002016-01-22T08:00:22.240-08:00I know how important those reviews are, Kara, but ...I know how important those reviews are, Kara, but asking people for them is sooooo difficult! Thank you for the post.Hope Toler Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13006458902527781381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-77263453017998996642016-01-22T02:43:53.607-08:002016-01-22T02:43:53.607-08:00Not sure about this bit: "Amazon doesn't ...Not sure about this bit: "Amazon doesn't show a book to customers until it has at least 25 reviews."<br />I have a book with 2 reviews and another with none that friends have told me showed up in their recommendations. I think the only way to get reviews is to connect with bloggers in your niche and go ask them. It's the same as when mainstream publishers used to connect with reporters who would review books in their newspaper. People are too slow to go and do the work that's involved. I haven't done it with my books, personally, because they are in different niches and a couple are in pen names. When I get my fiction show on the road I will be hunting down bloggers and getting targeted traffic.Dave Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08330642996299884398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-75281676145598811282016-01-21T20:57:05.791-08:002016-01-21T20:57:05.791-08:00So true, Iola! Not only did it make them feel some...So true, Iola! Not only did it make them feel something but so much so they made the effort to write a review. In my book that's a win no matter what end of the spectrum it's on.Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-59270295907483146492016-01-21T20:56:01.824-08:002016-01-21T20:56:01.824-08:00Thanks, Ian. The "helpful" vote button i...Thanks, Ian. The "helpful" vote button is also a great thing to use! I am getting excited. It's definitely feeling like it's taking on a life of it's own at the moment :)Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-87534439999277364132016-01-21T14:19:33.965-08:002016-01-21T14:19:33.965-08:00"even a slew of flaming-make-your-eyes-water-..."even a slew of flaming-make-your-eyes-water-one-star reviews are BETTER than no reviews at all."<br /><br />I wish all authors would realise this. I've had occasion to give 5* reviews to books with nothing lower than 5*, and almost wish I could give lower because that would make all the reviews look more authentic. <br /><br />Besides, fiction is about making readers feel. 1* or 5*, the author made that reader feel something, good or bad. The review of death is the blah 3* where the reader didn't feel anything.Iolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17199141868703826943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-4102051107423933102016-01-21T12:55:23.473-08:002016-01-21T12:55:23.473-08:00Kara, excellent post. I think you'll also find...Kara, excellent post. I think you'll also find the number of reviews increase a books ranking. I'm a reviewer and also a "helpful voter". The voting is such a simple way of encouraging a reviewer and an author. <br /><br />I'm looking forward to reviewing Close to you when it comes out in a few short months. Yay. You must be getting excited.<br /><br />Bless,Ian Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00192687613923596829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-23988802867062190822016-01-21T11:56:40.671-08:002016-01-21T11:56:40.671-08:00Hi Patricia. Thanks for dropping by :) That was al...Hi Patricia. Thanks for dropping by :) That was always my thought too! And it still is when I see a book with 1000+ reviews but I am making more of an effort to post reviews for books that need a review boost!Kara Isaachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00482245933455012714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4620199782689299940.post-70081543735227834982016-01-21T08:38:35.991-08:002016-01-21T08:38:35.991-08:00Great post, Kara. I didn't know most of this. ...Great post, Kara. I didn't know most of this. I never write reviews. My thought has always been: "Who cares what I think about a book?" Now I see the big picture/value. Thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854586114372855343noreply@blogger.com