Reviews of Amazon self-published Kindle books - minor rant.

[Rezillo]

Over the past few months, I've bought a number of self-published Amazon books for anything from nothing to a couple of pounds. It's a great way of trying out the work of authors who haven't been able to get a publishing deal and some have been very good.

However, I've noticed that there seems to be a trend for truly dreadful ones to have large numbers of five star reviews. On reading these allegedly gripping, enthralling, unputdownable books, many have been so bad that any five star review seems utterly bizarre.

This is really hacking me off. I don't begrudge wasting a couple of quid on crap books and I can understand a few friends and family chucking in generous reviews to help out. I do, though, begrudge wasting several hours of my life reading something bought on the basis of a hundred or more reviews that appear to be little more than organised self-promotion.

I quite like the Amazon review system but it seems to be falling apart for these books. Minor rant over.

 

[hoopdriver]

I think the deal is they get friends and relatives to rate the books through the roof. You might even find there are sites that sell fake reviews - no doubt there would be a market for such a thing. I'm sure some of the self-published Kindle books are fine reads, but the overwhelming majority are slush that would never, ever, in a million years see the light of day otherwise.

 

[Rezillo]

I did some googling and it seems that organised rating rigging, way beyond friends and family, for self-published books is endemic. The book which tipped me over the edge had more than 110 five star reviews, with a handful of negative ones. When I later looked at the reviewers' histories, it was clear something was going on. The reviews were also being monitored - in date order, every time a poor review came out, five more good ones followed it.

One of many sites on this subject: http://bestfantasybooks.com/blog/self-publishing-lies-and-fake-amazon-reviews/

The message seems to be to concentrate on evaluating the negative reviews rather than the positive ones

 

[Maz]

Has anyone read Edmund: A Butler's Tale ? The blurb described it as "a giant rollercoaster of a novel in four hundred sizzling chapters. A searing indictment of domestic servitude in the Eighteenth Century, with some hot gypsies thrown in."

 

[Andrew_Culture]

It's a bit disappointing. Speaking as a novelist I know that traditional publishers choose books based on what they know will sell immediately right now, of course they do, they're businesses not charities.

So I've been considering Kindle publishing a couple of novels and a non-fiction that haven't yet found a home. This puts me off a bit though.

 

[Rezillo]

Has anyone read Edmund: A Butler's Tale ? The blurb described it as "a giant rollercoaster of a novel in four hundred
sizzling chapters. A searing indictment of domestic servitude in the Eighteenth Century, with some hot gypsies thrown in."

Did Baldrick give it a five turnip review?

 

[yello]

Interesting reading Rezillo. Thanks for the link.

 

[Rezillo]

It's a bit disappointing. Speaking as a novelist I know that traditional publishers choose books based on what they know will sell immediately right now, of course they do, they're businesses not charities.

So I've been considering Kindle publishing a couple of novels and a non-fiction that haven't yet found a home. This puts me off a bit though.

Don't get put off - despite the review issue, there's some great stuff out there. Read this http://www.amazon.co.uk/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0-Saskia-Brandt-Book-ebook/dp/B004QTOEZS/ref=la_B002BM8SFE_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1365689107&sr=1-1 and then buy the sequels. Good reviews entirely justified here.

 

[Sara_H]

Ha! I bought a kindle fire as a joint christmas present for me and my son. Since he discovered the joy of watching Tracey Beaker on you tube I can't get near the blummin thing and have had to revert to paper books!

 

[Rob3rt]

It's a bit disappointing. Speaking as a novelist I know that traditional publishers choose books based on what they know will sell immediately right now, of course they do, they're businesses not charities.

So I've been considering Kindle publishing a couple of novels and a non-fiction that haven't yet found a home. This puts me off a bit though.

How on earth do you find time for all of these hobbies

 

[Licramite]

My daughter teaches English and even such "greats" as Kate moss barely reach a level 5 English - the standard for 8-9 year olds. (or similar) - if anyones read "labyrinth" just the beginning is enough to put you off.
try reading Mission to Paris (by some guy, - supposedly professional author) - the punctuation is so bad you have to read it without reading the punctuation to have it make sense.

It isn't just self published that get rave reviews for utter cobblers.

of course Kindle has now moved on, books are so last century lets turn it into an ipad.

 

[green1]

of course Kindle has now moved on, books are so last century lets turn it into an ipad.

If I drop my book in the bath/pool it's a few quid. If the OH drops her kindle in it's quite a few more, and the batteries don't run out on mine.

 

[Canrider]

It isn't just self published that get rave reviews for utter cobblers.

Yes, I've bought paperbacks based on Review Quote From Trusted Famous Author on the back. Not going to do that again anytime soon.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

How on earth do you find time for all of these hobbies

Oh I don't any more! I've been 5k words short of finishing a comic road novel for (thinks how old daughter is), 19 months!

 

[Jon George]

I believe this is something Amazon is aware of and are actively doing something about. (But I will check.) As an author I have found the ebook revolution massively empowering and know it is already beginning to shake up the relationship between authors and mainstream publishers with regards to contracts. For myself, I have independently been able to upload WW2 action novels that my agent failed to garner mainstream interest in, and I am beginning to generate sales (and good reviews) on Kindle. I have returned to writing SF and am currently writing a book which will take advantage of the digital form and will use this as a selling point when completed.
The world of books has been reenergised and will obviously attract the good, the bad and downright pig-ugly unreadable tosh (along with dubious business practices), but the positives I take from this development far outweigh the negative.
Keep reading, keep learning.