Star Ratings on Reviews

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. So many authors out there seem to think if a reader gives a book anything less than 5 stars, it's a bad review. I don't get that AT ALL.

Let's look at how Goodreads describes each star rating:

5- It was amazing
4- Really liked it
3- Liked it
2- It was ok
1- Did not like it

And here is Amazon's:

5- I love it
4- I like it
3- It's okay
2- I don't like it
1- I hate it

So...what's so wrong with a 4? And on Goodreads, a 3 is lovely too. I only review on Goodreads, so I see nothing wrong with 4s and 3s. Amazon's system is a little different, so a 3 isn't really ideal there, but it's still not horrid.

Let's face it, I do not adore every book I read. No one does. If they gave every book a 5 they'd be lying. If I see a book listed on Amazon or Goodreads with all 5's, I am pretty positive the reviews are all friends and family. And we all know mommy isn't gonna give her baby's book a 1 or 2.

So if I give a book a 4, or even a 3, why is that so bad? A 4 is still really good. It means I really liked the book and had a lovely time reading it, even though I didn't want to kiss every word. And a 3 is pretty good too. It says that I liked it. Which is a hell of a lot better than not liking it. Maybe it just didn't give me quite as many warm fuzzies as other books have. Not every book will.

Very rarely do I even find a book so amazing it deserves the highest rating. Usually there has to be crying involved, either happy or sad. It has to leave me completely breathless and wanting to read again. I did a quick scroll through my Read folder on GR and there are 24 out of 141 with 5 star ratings. But some of those I know are not true 5s. They are authors I know and I was afraid they'd be mad if I gave a 4.

Of course I want good reviews of my books, but I never expect people to adore every word I write. And I sure don't want fake reviews. I've read it's actually far better for a review to have mixed star ratings, as long as there aren't many 1 and 2's.

I have always rated books on Goodreads with star ratings and a text review. I used to write my negative thoughts as well as positive, but once I became a published author, stopped the negative stuff. It's not my place to point that stuff out. So I would type a lovely review focusing only on the good things in the book, but the general star rating would reflect my overall thoughts. And 9 times out of 10, it was a 3 or higher. If I really didn't like something, I usually left the star rating blank and tried to write at least one positive thing in the text portion of the review. But now...after hearing how so many other writers think anything less than a 5 is horrid, I am afraid to give star ratings. I don't want my writer friends to think I hated their book because I gave it a 3 or 4. That is soooooo not the truth. So I guess I will go forward and leave the star ratings off.

This has been said So. Many. Times. But it needs repeating. This business is SO SUBJECTIVE! All art is, whether it be paintings, sculptures, music, movies, even fashion. People have different thoughts and opinions on all these things. And no two people will get the same thing out of the same book. And nobody's opinion is wrong.

How to show an author love!

Writers are a pretty self-conscious bunch. We work for hours day in and day out, sacrificing so much, and never really know if what we're doing is worth it. Is it good or just crap? The only way to know if the stories in our head come out on paper (or e-reader) as vividly as we hope is to get feedback from readers. The best way to thank an author for a story you read and enjoyed is a review, whether it be on Amazon, Goodreads, email, blog post, FB post.

Recently my husband passed my debut novel, the only one in print, on to a coworker. Two days later he came home with this note:

Hi Stephanie,

I loved your book! You are an amazing (with the word "amazing" underlined TWICE!) writer. I read it in a day and a half. Can't wait to read your next one and I loved the title. Continue writing...it's what you should be doing!!

This has to be the best review/letter I've ever received about my work. It really means the world to me!

Speaking out on reviews????

Since before I even published my first book, it's been branded on my brain that it is taboo for authors to respond to reviewers. Many won't even read their reviews. I think thats smart to some degree, but I do read all of mine. I like to know what people think. If it's something I completely disagree with, I let it go. But if it's a valid point, I learn from it.

For the most part, my reviews have been positive. I've yet to receive a really awful review. There was one pretty negative review a while back, but it was obvious to me that the reader rarely read romance. They just didn't understand the fantasy aspect of the genre.

I used to thank people for their kind reviews, but then I learned even that was kinda taboo. Reviewers and readers, especially on sites like Goodreads, want the ability to talk about books without the intrusion of the author....whether good or bad. Now I know things can get really nasty on Amazon...like really bad, all out scathing reviews. And for an author, it can be devastating. We put so much blood, sweat, and tears into our books...they're our babies. It hurts to hear they're not liked. Or despised...or compared to the contents of a litter box.

Recently a very popular author made some comments about a negative review she received on Amazon...or rather her husband did. Whatever. This isn't new. It happens every so often. Some author flips out and chaos ensues. Her reactions after it all went down were less than favorable. And they make all authors look bad. This is a subjective business. Everyone will have their opinion, and not all of them will be nice. You have to grow a thick skin and put on your big girl panties if you want to survive this business. And keep your mouth shut. And make sure your husband keeps his mouth shut too.

Should authors review books?

I have always been a reader. Ever since I was a kid in my tiny bedroom lounging on my hot pink vinyl beanbag chair. My love of books and great stories is what encouraged me to write my own. Once I became a writer and then a published author did not mean I stopped reading.

After I started writing, but before I became published, I joined Goodreads. I thought it was great! I love organization and having this great website to keep track of the books I read and what I thought of them was so so cool! I wrote honest reviews, but was never rude or nasty. Just not my style.

But then my book was published and things shifted. I was now on the other side. Now not only was I giving reviews, I was receiving them. Luckily, I've yet to get a really bad review (knocking on wood really hard!!!) But I started to wonder if it was really appropriate for me to give negative reviews of fellow authors' work. I didn't feel it right to lie and give glowing reviews for books I did not think that of. But was it really proper to point out a book's flaws???

I still wish I had an answer to that. I ended up removing anything negative from the reviews I had written. I focused on the positives. But my star rating still reflected my true feelings.

As an author, it is extremely hard to read a book and completely turn off the editor inside my head. I am more critical than the average reader. I notice things readers might not notice. Sometimes it is really hard for me to completely lose myself in a book like I used to. I just can't...I'm too distracted. If the editing is bad, or there is head-hopping, it completely distracts me. I have to force myself through and really search out the story and I don't enjoy myself.

Also today, I am guest posting over at Flutey Words, Aubrie Dionne's blog, about my writing process! Check it out!

Best reads of 2011!

Well.....I didn't make my yearly reading goal. I am not real sure what happened this year. Last year I saw people meet and exceed their 100 book goals and I knew there was NO WAY I could do that too. It is just not possible with two kids, activities, household responsibilities (and an addiction to a couple TV shows!) But I made a goal that I knew I had a chance of reaching. I made a 30 book goal for 2010. And I was close...with 28.

So for 2011, I made the same goal. But came no where near it :( Only 11 books this year. Sad and pathetic. My only explanation is that last year we belonged to a different gym and I read each day for like 30 minutes while I did the elliptical or cross ramp for cardio. Since switching gyms, I do Zumba for cardio, and obviously, I can't read while doing that!!

But here are my favs from this year. I only gave 5 stars to a couple books on Goodreads.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series is my absolute favorite series ever. I just love these stories of the girls and their bonds of friendship. This last book, Sisterhood Everlasting, the girls are adults and have to deal with things they'd never dealt with before. It was really a fantastic ending to the series.

Lone Star Trouble was a really great story. I love a great romance and this one was so so good. I love a little hidden identity! And the main character was great...so spunky!

I really liked Bumped! I only gave this one 4 stars, but wanted to mention it. These futuristic dystopian society YA books suck me in...but few do I enjoy like I did this one! This one isn't as dark and grim as others, but really makes you think about the 'what ifs'. Looking forward to the sequel!

Borders is closing....what are you gonna do?

The publishing world is all up in arms because one of the major booksellers, Borders, is closing. We knew this was coming. They closed a bunch of stores a while back.

Is this the beginning of the end? Will Barnes and Noble and all the other brick and mortars close up soon too???

No one knows for sure. But what I do know for sure is that I am going to keep doing what I'm doing and getting my name and my books out there. That's all I can do.

Obviously, it was not profitable for Borders to remain open. If they'd been selling books...they wouldn't be closing now.

Yes, it is sad. And many look at this as writers and publishers losing tons of sales. I just don't see it that way. People will go to other stores. And even if every single bookstore on the planet closed right now, would people stop reading books?? No! They'd just buy them online, whether they still opt for paper or go digital.

Are we losing the browsing buyer..I guess, in a way. But they are not going to stop reading either. They will just have to "browse" some other way...isn't that what Goodreads is all about?

And let's talk a minute about the avid readers who do not own computers and do not go online, the reader who likes to browse the bookstores and take home the ones that appeal to them. Well....as an author, I am going to do my best to reach them too, whether it be by library talks and book signings, ads in magazines, radio, local tv..... And don't they say word of mouth is your best advertisement? If I write the best book possible and people like it, people will talk about it and the non-internet readers will find out about it.

Borders closing is not the end of the world. But it is a reminder that the publishing world is changing very quickly and we absolutely need to prepare ourselves for more closings like this.

Is absolute truth always the best policy???

I'm referring to book reviews today.

I belong to Goodreads and really enjoy keeping track of books I've read and sharing my thoughts, reading what others have to say and see who agrees with me and who doesn't. I used to be brutally honest....no point in sugar-coating stuff like that. And as a reader, I think that is necessary. Writers need that stuff...they learn from it...well...at least I do.

But as a writer??? Hmmm.......is honestly really the best policy??

Someday my books will be out there for the world to enjoy and scrutinize and I know not everyone will adore my stuff, I know bad reviews will happen. Can't please everyone....and this business is more subjective than any out there.

But what if other writers see me on Goodreads and read my reviews and OMG what if they see I wrote a not so pleasant review of their book??? Or just in general....should a writer be saying negative things about other writers' work??

Here is where I struggle once again between being a plain Jane reader and a writer. The reader in me wants to be honest, the writer wants to be pleasant.