Are you an author who never looks at your book reviews? Or are you constantly checking the sites and tweeting about your newest review?
I try to take a middle-of-the road approach and look at my reviews occasionally, or when my husband yells at me from the other room: “You’ve got another review!” I try to take reviews for what they are and consider the helpful pointers reviewers sometimes leave.
But a two-star review on Goodreads doesn’t exactly hold the same meaning as a two-star review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. And Kobo uses Goodreads rankings!
Here’s a breakdown of what reviews on a few different sites mean.
| # of stars | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |
| 5 stars | It was amazing. | I love it. | Exceptional |
| 4 stars | Really liked it. | I like it. | Very good |
| 3 stars | Liked it. | It was ok. | Good |
| 2 stars | It was ok. | I don’t like it. | Below average |
| 1 star | Didn’t like it. | I hate it. | Poor |
An “It was ok” response from a reader is two stars on Goodreads and three stars on Amazon.
Your turn, WG2E-land! What do you think of the differences between rating systems? And how often do you check your reviews?
The Best of Seeing Stars Wishes — Tamara Ward
Tamara Ward is an Amazon Bestselling Romantic Suspense and Mystery Author. Storm Surge, the first novel in the Jonie Waters mystery series, released in 2011. Tamara is also a proud member of our WG2E Family.
I’m on Goodreads but I don’t believe I check it more than once a month.
I have heard that 4 and 5 star ratings can make a positive difference in your Amazon rankings – while 1,2 or 3-star reviews will have a negative influence.
However, because Amazon is so damn inscrutable about the workings of their system I cannot verify the above to be anything more than a well-thought out rumor.
Add fake ratings to the mix, and it’s all a bunch of fun!
I agree!
I check my Goodreads reviews now and then. My average is 3.56, I think. So according to your chart, I am going OK. On Amazon, I think I have scored a few 3s and 4s, so average, which to me is really good as a newbie indie author.
I agree. Great job, Julie! Since my Goodreads rankings are on my blog homepage, included as part of a widget, I see them fairly often.
Getting 5 stars on Amazon, but only one review on Goodreads so far. Looks like I need to solicit for reviews on Goodreads!
It’s interesting to see where reviews come in. Some of mine come up on both sites; others just one or the other.
I just don’t do it often and try not to at all. The main times I know or check a review is (1) when I seek out blog reviews/blog tours (2) when I’m running a promo (3) when someone tells me to check them – which is usually my daughter who is an avid reader and supporter. Reviews are opinions and the truth is, not everyone will ‘get’ your story. Readers are very picky about genre, storyline, and characters so it’s impossible to please them all. Therefore I make it a rule to not read them. But I never realized that they were different rankings in different places. It does make sense though.
Thanks! It’s always fun when someone tells you to check your reviews for a good reason… not so much the other way around.
Reviews are a tough topic for me.
***Note: Just search for review here in our WG2E search field, and you’ll find several posts I’ve done on that (as well as posts by many of our other WG2E Team Members), and I also include a chapter on that in my 10-24 Book.
Why?
Because there are days like today when you get a 5-Star from a brand new reader of your work, and you’re on Cloud Nine (Thanks sooo much to brand new D. D. Scott-ville reader Andrea for her review of Stuck with a Stiff!
)
Then, there are days when you’re attacked by peeps either paid to give a bunch of Indie Authors bad reviews or at least encouraged to do so. And you get, in a 24-hour period (no joke), 6 to 10 1 and 2-Stars, as if these people actually read your books all around the same time and hated the first one so much, they read the rest, which they hated too.
I do know that I have one of those writing styles and voices that readers either really like or really don’t like, which means my reviews average in the 3-4 Star range generally, because I get an even amount of 5′s or 2′s and 1′s. And that’s perfect for me because I want that kind of strong reaction. As long as it’s a legitimate reaction, which we have absolutely no control over.
What I luuuvvv about what you did with this post, Tamara, is the comparison chart across platforms! That is such great scoop to be aware of!!!
I do tend to get more positive reviews on B&N…who knows why…LOL!!!
One thing I’ve noticed is that the more popular a book, the more evenly weighted the good and bad reviews. I.e., just look at Fifty Shades and the Twilight and Harry Potter books! All of them have almost as many bad reviews as good. So that means if you’re gettin’ a lot of bad reviews along with all your good reviews, you’re “on the map!”
That’s encouraging to hear, about the strong reactions. I, too, would rather not be lukewarm.
Interesting observation, Tamara! I have definitely noticed that a three-star on Goodreads is different from a three-star on Amazon. Like you, I take a middle of the road approach to reviews. I don’t obsess on them, but I also know we need a certain number of good reviews for promotional opportunities. That said, people have varying tastes and no author can please everyone. And I am always thrilled and grateful every time a reader I will probably never meet says wonderful things about my books.
Hi, Alicia! Yes, the key is not obsessing on them, bad or good.
Coming out of software, I’m accustomed to trolls (those who give bad reviews just to spark comment or get attention), so I have a tendency to discount bad reviews unless the review is based on technical details (i.e., things that can be fixed). Because of that, as a reader, when I’m looking for something new to read, I generally pull up the top reviews, if I’m not already familiar with the author, to determine what attracted those who did like the book. That means of course, that even with highly rated books, I look for the reviews from fans who enjoyed the book enough to write a few words along with their rating. Because so much of my reading is technical manuals, when I get to read fiction, I’m really looking for escape, so lean towards books where the reviewers seemed to have had a lot of fun reading the book and were obviously engaged in the story while they were reading. Unfortunately, a thousand 5 star ratings with no written reviews doesn’t tell me anything about a book without a few kind souls also taking the time to write a few words. This is not quite on topic, being from the readers standpoint rather than the writers, but I think it’s an interesting question: when you all are looking at your ratings, do you place more weight on those with written reviews or count them equally with those who merely check the stars, or give more weight to those that were accompanied by a short review?
Thanks for the response. I think authors view their reviews differently. For me, I do place more weight on reviews that also include a written response, as that reader took the time to explain why he/she liked or didn’t like the book. These are the most helpful reviews to me because they give me insight into what’s in the reader’s mind. The reviews can be short or long – both can be equally helpful depending on the content of the review. I don’t totally discount star-only reviews, though, either.
Hi Tamara, I love this chart! I think it’s perfect. I never read the reviews on Goodreads, mostly because I had some very mean-spirited reviews over there when I was first starting out. I agree with Alicia, that you can’t please everyone, but I do think there are kinder ways to say you really don’t like a book… I’ll look at the ratings every once in a while. I only read the 3, 4, and 5 stars on Amazon because they motivate me to keep writing and keep improving! I didn’t know there was a widget to display your Goodread rankings! That’s cool.
Hi, Theresa! Thanks. Here’s a link to a WG2E post on Goodreads widgets: http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/the-wonder-of-widgets-on-goodreads
I use one that fits into my blog sidebar and shows all my books on Goodreads.
Love the comparison chart, Tamara! Thank you for putting it together. It’s something that those of us who do look at reviews need to keep in mind
Thanks, Kristine!
Thanks for the comparison chart — most helpful!
Thanks, Sherrey!
I don’t know – I’ll have to mull it over. I’m not real comfortable on Good Reads – I don’t use it a lot. I find it very unfriendly for me.
As for reviews – I have a hard time with them. I think with some authors they use it to stack the deck so to speak. I’ve gone in there and purchased something after seeing and reading the amazing reviews – and the book is crap. Worthy perhaps of a three star review rather than the tons and tons of five.
While reviews from readers is good and important – the system can be manipulated so others who don’t believe in cheating the system are left hanging in the dust. So I know I’m rambling here, but I’ll have to start going into Goodreads a bit more – but then I can’t get reviews anywhere else (barely) why are people going to go there and leave a review?
Hi, Jamie! I’ve found that some readers post reviews on Goodreads but not on other sites; some post reviews on other sites but not on Goodreads. Perhaps it’s reader preference. (Many don’t post reviews at all, and I’ve been a slacker recently about posting reviews of my latest reads. Shame on me!) And Goodreads is not so much a commercial site as it is a book information-sharing site. I think the reviews on Goodreads seem to be a bit more honest, also, though I suppose you could set up a fake identity on Goodreads just as easily as you could somewhere else.
Brilliant. Love the chart. It’s spot-on. I’ve had people argue furiously with me when I blogged that Amazon’s review standards are different from Goodreads’. So it’s so lovely to be validated here. Thanks Tamara!
Hi, Anne, and thanks! About the arguing – that’s crazy! If you want, send those arguers to the sites themselves. Have them post a review about a recent book they’ve read. As they scroll over the stars, the meaning of each star should pop up automatically when they hold their mouse over the star.
It’s hard not to keep checking your reviews, especially if you’re a debut author like I am. It’s even harder to NOT keep checking your Amazon ranking! It’s true, doing it too often not only makes you insane, it’s counter-productive, too. In the end, writers need to keep writing great books to get to their readers, right? So where do you draw the line? When do you decide enough is enough? When you’re pulling your hair out? Hopefully it’s far before that happens…
Hi, Terri! I go through phases when I check more often and times when I check not at all. You’re right about needing to keep writing. The very best way you can spend your writing time is writing. (Allow time for connecting with readers, too, of course. But this time should be apart from writing time.)
I think where you draw the line regarding how often to check reviews is a personal decision. Some writers seem to thrive on checking reviews – more power to them. For me, I’ll check if I think about it and if I have time. Sometimes I’ll see I’ve gotten more reviews, but I just don’t have the time to read them at that moment; I’ll go back later and check them out. Probably this is about once a month for me.
However, my husband did let me know I got a bad review the other morning, and he even read it out loud to me – and this was before I finished my first cup of coffee! I think he was trying to gently break the news to me. (This is the sensitive man who so thoughtfully bought me hiking boots for his first Christmas gift to me as my husband. How romantic! Don’t hiking boots just scream ‘I love you?’ They do, actually, in a practical sort of way.) I think he checks out my books on Amazon more often than I do! Ah, love!
I had no idea that the star ratings had different meanings on Goodreads and Amazon. Out of curiosity, where did you get that information? Is it documented somewhere? I tend to trust Goodreads reviews/ratings more than Amazon since friends and family are less likely to review on Goodreads.
I agree with the person before me who said that, while 3 stars and under might not make you feel as good as 4 and 5 star reviews, it does show that people are really reading your book and providing their honest opinions. That’s a good thing! You can’t please everyone…
Hi, Meredith! When you go to place a review, when your mouse rolls over the various stars, you’ll see the pop ups that give the meaning of each star. And, no, you sure can’t please everyone.
I don’t often look at reviews but I do read them all eventually. I agree with whoever said that some people just post bad reviews for kicks, because I got a 2 star review on Goodreads before the book had released!
That said, not all ‘bad reviews’ are actually bad. I have a 1 star review on Amazon for The Emotion Thesaurus, and the other day I noticed it inspired a discussion. 4 people in the discussion wrote that the ‘bad review’ caused them to buy the book! Who would have thought?
Good reviews on Amazon are gold, however. I also noticed a week ago that I was #3 on a ‘highest rated’ list for Writing Skills, and #1 now under “Most Wished For” in the same category. I’m sure without the good reviews, this wouldn’t have happened.
That’s fantastic – that the bad review is doing some good and that the good reviews are pushing you to the top. Way to go!
To add to this discussion, I’ve seen this to be sometimes true with the little software applications (under $5.00 or free with advertising). Someone will write a horrible review. People start talking, but like a game of whisper, the further away from the source it gets, the more it gets corrupted, until everyone looking for that type of app is talking it, but in end just remembers they heard the name and can’t remember anything about it. We’ve gained over the years, please talk about our app, we don’t really care what you say — just talk about it. It’s interesting to think that it might work in a similar manner for books.
I’ve thought a lot about reviews in the past few months, and I’ve decided that they are for the readers, not the writers. It’s great if we can benefit from them, but they’re not meant for me to read (though I do read them when I find them, but I don’t comment unless I’ve personally asked someone to read the book to review it).
I know I won’t please everyone with my stories, but if they’ve read it to the end, I appreciate their time. I don’t mind getting reviews with one or two stars if the review is logical. Just saying my book is the worst thing ever written and leaving it at that tells me and other readers nothing. Perhaps they had a terrible day and wanted to take it out on me.
Reviews are simply an opinion, nothing more, and although I do rejoice when I see a positive review (they liked it! regardless of the star treatment), I don’t get down when I see a negative review.
It’s interesting to see the star comparison. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Diane, and you’ve got a great point about reviews’ purpose being for readers.
I rarely look at my reviews. Going to go peek now. It’s okay I have a glass of wine in hand. The way I see it, when I go to read a book, I rarely look at the reviews. Most of my reader friends don’t either. We are smart enough to make up our own minds. Silly Trolls!
I hope the peek went well! As a reader I do glance at reviews before I buy, but I also realize that not all reviews can be trusted. If I really want to read a particular book, the reviews don’t matter. But if I’m on the fence, sometimes the reviews do make a difference to me.
Thanks for posting this! Bad reviews can really sting. The reviews I don’t get are the ones that say, “I loved it! I couldn’t put it down! I’m going to tell all my friends!” and then they give you three stars. /shrug
I was once told that you know you’ve arrived as an author when you get your first one star review. I’m trying to figure out the wisdom in that statement, but I’ll use it as comfort when I get those one star reviews.
Yes, what’s that all about – a three-star review with an I loved it comment?! As a buyer, sometimes I trust the middle-starred comments more than the 5 and 1 stars… maybe someone’s finger slipped!