editorial

Choosing Credible Book Reviewers: The Difference Between Credible and Marathon Reviewers

Irene Watson

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an author who decided not to send us the book for review because he was looking for professional reviewers and ours weren't . (Actually, he finally admitted he didn't have the money to buy the package he ordered.)  Anyway, this sparked some thoughts by others and I've received emails from authors that invoked some research on my part.

One email came from an author that referenced a review she received on Amazon.com for a book that got ratings of 4 or 5 stars from others. This reviewer gave her one star and a darn nasty commentary.  I immediately clicked on "see all my reviews" to see how credible this reviewer is.  There were a total of 14 reviews, 11 of which were for books. All the books got a nasty review and 1 star.  The makeup brushes and the  movies Chocolat and Blade Runner got 5 stars.  So what makes a person like this write these nasty comments?  And, why even bother reading if it's so hard to find a good book to read?  By the way, the author was successful in having Amazon remove the nasty review.

Other alerts I received were on the #1 Amazon Reviewer.  One such person wrote:

Because I hang out on several writers' list serves I hear the many complaints about [name removed], factual errors about plot, characters, theme, etc.  The authors assume that she doesn't read the books she reviews as much as scans them very quickly--which is how she ranks highest in number of reviews written. Some authors swear her reviews do them more harm than good because they are so wrong.

Others said pretty much the same thing:  she is a fraud. Not only does she review an inhumanly possible number of books (as many as 14 per day)  but majority get 5 stars.

So...I went on a hunt. Oih vey!  Did I find a bucket full of worms!   When I Googled her name and attach the words "fraud" or "scam" I found a lot of  hits.  And, when I looked at the "comments" section of her reviews on Amazon I saw a number of hilarious, in a sad way,  comments accusing her of being a fraud. In the bio she claims "I am a speed reader (a gift I was born with) and read two books a day."  Well, according to the number of books she posts reviews for there are only one or two days in a month that she only posts two reviews.  So...for e.g. does that mean the other 12 books she posted reviews for on March 15th weren't read?  Yet, this person is revered by some, including Amazon, as being the #1 Reviewer of all reviewers in existence.  Hummm...

Another alert I got was that some of the reviewers on GoodReads seem to be reading a lot of books in a short time as well. I randomly chose one name and found that she posted reviews for  a total of 2167 books since she became a member two years ago.  That's an average of reading 3 books a day non-stop every day.  Possible?  Probably, if she has no other life but this person claims in her bio that she owns a cafe.  Well, it's either the cafe is extremely slow all the time and she has an opportunity to read or ...well, I'll leave you to assume what is really going on.  I did cursory checks on five others and found the same thing - several thousand books claimed to be read in a two year period and reviews posted but reality doesn't quite coincide. 

Okay...so what is going on here?  I can assume a lot of things: OCD, the necessity to have high numbers, free books are sold for a comfortable income, or these people just don't have a life and read 24/7.  But, that's about them.  What about the authors that receive these reviews?
Is it fair to assume he or she got a credible review?  I suppose it was at one time until people started realizing that fraudulent reviews don't carry any weight at all and potential readers that check reviews also check the credibility of the reviewer.  Credibility is extremely important to check out.  On many occasions we've reviewed a book that was just bad all around - major editing issues, poor character development, confusing plot, etc. - yet the one sole  reviewer on Amazon.com gave a raving review. Upon checking the credibility of the reviewer we often see it's the only review he or she has ever given.  Relative? Friend?  Author under an assumed name?  Hummm...are the books read? Or, are the reviews written from the synopsis?  Often checking on other reviews for the same books that we've reviewed I note there are issues with the book yet there is a glowing 5-star review and highly recommended.  Again...I'll leave it up to you to assume what is going on. 

The reviewers referenced above are individuals.  But, how about review services? There are several review services that only give 5-stars. How can every book receive 5-stars?  It just isn't possible.
 We recently received an email from a book review service.  I can only assume the list was purchased because why would a review service solicit another review service?  Anyway, I decided to check out the site to see what is going on. The first thing I always do is check the "about us" for credibility.  None to be found.  Immediate red flag.  Ironically about the same time I received an email from a publisher that referenced their site and quoted a portion of a review as a sample of what they provide:

"If thrill, hard-core action, and government conspiracies are your thing, this book doesn't disappoint. Some copyedited could be used, and the book is heavy on the expletives. Otherwise, it's a good read for lovers of action, secret organizations, and government conspiracies."

Another Oih Vey!  (And...yes, they charge for their reviews. Are you willing to pay $59 to $150 for this?)

So...do your research! Look at a reviewer’s history and past reviews. How well-written are the reviews and are they more than just a plot summary? Be sure the reviewer is credible! Just because reviewers claim they've been reviewing books for 15 to 30 years doesn't mean they actually read the books...check, check, check.  Ask yourself whether it’s worth your time and money to even ask the specific reviewer to review your book.  Of course you have no control over the unsolicited reviews you receive on places like Amazon.com but even so, consider the credibility of the person who posted the review.  If it's a negative review and is against Amazon's policy, ask Amazon to remove it.  Also remember, savvy potential readers will probably just ignore them anyway...unless the negative review discloses editing issues, poor character development, or confusing or lack of plot. If that's the case, then it's a good opportunity to revisit your book.  But, I doubt any of the fake or marathon reviewers would even notice editing issues. Comments like that usually come from credible reviewers, and those that actually read the book.

What is your experience?   What are your thoughts? I'd like to hear from you here.

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Fiction - Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Reader

Chromatics Attack (Kindle Edition)

Karen Carr

Mule Town Press (2011)
ASIN B004LDL8WG
Reviewed by Madeline McElroy (age 9.5) for Reader Views (3/11)

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Emison prefers reason over impulse, but when her mom turns into a shadow and vanishes through their apartment wall, Emison’s well-ordered reality changes. In Chromatics Attack by Karen Carr, Emison embarks upon a journey into a mysterious shadow world, where she encounters an evil gang of color scientists called the Chromatics.

Emison must navigate the strange new world and her own insecurities to rescue her mom from the evil gang. Emison’s plan unravels when she changes into a flat-black shadow, and descends into the pitch-black land of darkness. To succeed in her quest, she must trust her friends and follow her instincts, which have always been wrong.

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Laurie Monopoli

Hug-A-Chug Books (2010)
ISBN 9780615311395
Reviewed by reviewersNameHere (age 13) for Reader Views (01/10)

Synopsis

As Laurie Monopoli lovingly embraced her mission of lending faces, personalities and characters to the children, Tony Chestnut, Eileen, Neil, Pat, Bob, Russell and Skip, she drew upon her own childhood experiences. The story's compassionate message of friendship, kindness and sympathy speaks to children in a language they can understand, and conveys just the right blend of entertaining, gentle humor with a meaningful, true-to-heart message.

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As the Sycamore Grows by Jennie Miller Helderman

The Summers Bridgewater Press (2010)
ISBN 9780982773208

Jennie Helderman was born into a story-telling family in north Alabama too long ago. She’s afraid she’ll never have time to write all the storiesswimming in her head, like when her cousin died and his wife had the Mrs. title and the burial policy but the one-legged woman had the body.Or about driving her mother and a coconut cake to the family reunion in a cow pasture in south Alabama. Helderman also writes profiles and features for magazines. She’s chaired the editorial board of The Key, the 150,000 circulation alumnae magazine of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity and worked as Arts and Alumnae Editor.

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After the Murder of My Son by Mary Rondeau Westra

North Star Press of St. Cloud (2010)
ISBN 9780878393985

Mary Rondeau Westra grew up in Northeast Minneapolis. She graduated from Macalester College and taught French for eight years before becominga stay-at-home mom. While raising her two daughters and son, she started a book club, counseled breast-feeding mothers, and was an active community volunteer, tennis player, soccer mom and marathon runner. “When my kids became teen-agers, they didn’t need devoted mothering anymore and I knew I couldn’t run marathons for the rest of my life, so I went back to work.” She started a ten-year career of fundraising for arts organizations and retired from The Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2002 shortly after the murder of her son. She now serves as a volunteer guide at the museum and directs a capital campaign at her church, while continuing to write.

Synopsis: “Your son’s been killed,” say the blue suits on the other side of the screen door the hot morning of July 8, 2001. Twenty-four year old Peter Westra, a promising investment banker, has been kicked to death by bouncers outside a club in Atlantic City NJ where he was attending a bachelor party.

Time stops for Mary. Shock gives way to grief, sorrow, isolation, shame. Fear sets in as the family prepares for lengthy judicial proceedings. “What will I learn about Peter’s final hour? Will I have to look at his killer?” Mary vows to uphold the honor of her son. “I want my son, even in death, to be proud of his mother.” Justice in the courtroom proves elusive, and Mary, disappointed, must dig deep for hope. Inspired by the legacy of her son’s too short life, she redefines her life and purpose and reaches out with compassion to others suffering loss or adversity. After the Murder of My Son heralds the triumph of the power of the human heart over tragedy.

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Clip-Clop, Tippity-Tap: French Vocabulary on the Farm

Kim Chatel

Guardian Angel Publishing (2011)
ISBN 9781616331368
Reviewed by Cayden Aures (age 6.5) for Reader Views (3/11)

Synopsis

Mini-moi is only six hands tall. He wants to work on the farm like the big horses, but he's too small. When Mini-moi runs away he finds a whole menagerie of animals in need. Children will delight in the animal antics as Mini-moi discovers that even little ones can be big helpers. Along the way learn French vocabulary and phrases. Includes a glossary of terms. Suggested age range for readers: 4-9

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