The majority of people who read books don't review them, always been that way. There is no way to tell what percentage is just doing what they usually do -- not reviewing -- and what percentage is struck dumb with rampant dislike (Beatrice Brusic said:Why do some readers read a book and not bother to review it? Has that happened to you? I can tell by the number of books I sold and the number of reviews I got. Does this mean they didn't like it or just don't like to write?
Why should I review a book? I'm not under any obligation to do that just because I read it.Beatrice Brusic said:Why do some readers read a book and not bother to review it?
This exactly. Unless the person actually said they were gonna review it, why should they have to? It could even be possible that they didn't like the book or it was boring to them.jmiked said:Why should I review a book? I'm not under any obligation to do that just because I read it.
Mike
I submit computer hardware/gadget reviews when I feel very strongly about something - either it rocks my world or it totally sucks. Basically, the 5-star and 1-star items. And, at least for me, hardware reviews write themselves. It does A, B and C well; it always crashes when you do D after B; it blew smoke out the back of my computer; etc. Books, well, that's a different beast! Even though I almost exclusively read sci/tech books, and not fiction, it still feels too 'touchy-feely' and subjective to critique someone else's writing.J.R.Mooneyham said:But maybe some Amazon reviewers mostly do it for the feedback they get on Amazon from it, somehow. I'm not entirely clear on what feedback they get and how, but there has to be some reason they're willing to put an effort into such things.
This, andnomesque said:Reading is for entertainment - reviewing is work.
this. Besides, have you read the comments about reviews and reviewers in the Writer's Cafe? There are too many "reviews of the reviewers". Complaints if the reviewer's writing doesn't sound like (or isn't) a professional themselves. Complaints if there is anything negative in the review. Complaints if the review is positive but doesn't give 5 stars. Complaints of too many spoilers in a review. Complaints that there wasn't enough information in the review to know if they really read the book. Those are a few I can remember off the top of my head. Why would I want to write a review?kindlegrl81 said:If I wrote a review for every book I read I would have no time for anything else.
Have you reviewed every book you have read?Beatrice Brusic said:Why do some readers read a book and not bother to review it?
Thiscrebel said:This, and
this. Besides, have you read the comments about reviews and reviewers in the Writer's Cafe? There are too many "reviews of the reviewers". Complaints if the reviewer's writing doesn't sound like (or isn't) a professional themselves. Complaints if there is anything negative in the review. Complaints if the review is positive but doesn't give 5 stars. Complaints of too many spoilers in a review. Complaints that there wasn't enough information in the review to know if they really read the book. Those are a few I can remember off the top of my head. Why would I want to write a review?
Authors of the books I read will have to settle for my word of mouth whether I love, like or dislike their book.
Why would most readers review a book? There's simply no reason for most people to review. They are readers. They read, they enjoy, they go to the next one!Beatrice Brusic said:Why do some readers read a book and not bother to review it? Has that happened to you? I can tell by the number of books I sold and the number of reviews I got. Does this mean they didn't like it or just don't like to write?