People who read the reviews (the short ones at least) will probably see through the thin mudslinging attempt.
Given all the other sort of horrors I read in fiction, I can image some dark places... but I don't see a reason that review would dissuade me from picking it up.
I do in fact consider reviews when I get a piece of e-entertainment, especially if it lacks that general "knownness" of quality or has someone's personal recommendation. No one needs a review of Skyrim to know what they're getting. Smaller/indie titles need a little extra though. In VGs, positive memetic feedback is a good sign generally. Negative... usually means someone F-ed up. See the Helldivers 2/Sony PSN scandal: https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-image/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/07/helldivers-reviews-1024x576.jpg
Though the above has some specifics to software/digital media just due to the additional risks. A bad book isn't going to brick your bookshelf.
Still, gives you an ability to start seeing the patterns in the text. There are utterly meaningless meme reviews in either direction, highly detailed technically informative ones, short and long impressionists, thoughtful contemplatives, brigading/manipulaiton, etc.
I'd still wouldn't put too much stock in an individual actor expressing their outrage. If there are other reviews it balances out (and checking your amazon pages, book 4 might be a point of concern... ). The real force you're up against is the lack of reviews in general. Hopefully the BBS did you good.
Yeah, it’s a point of concern, for exactly that reason.
‘Zon has taken steps to reduce the impact of phony reviews (supposedly), because that has been a problem. But I still see what looks like brigading for many of the “hot new authors” who come out of nowhere with some derivative mediocrity and get thousands of reviews almost instantaneously. But for authors not favored somehow behind the scenes or otherwise, it’s to the point now where you might get one review every three years and maybe twice that many ratings. Which means virtually no visibility to book shoppers.
Clicked a link this morning about an investigation into censorship by Big Tech platforms. In the case of Amazon, they’re set to start hearing evidence in October of 2026. With how long these court cases take, ‘Zon can easily run out the clock until the next Administration comes in and the corruptocrats are able to take their two steps forward. I would love to be proven wrong on that.
I myself have begun reading reviews before purchasing. I’ve been persuaded to buy something perhaps more by negative reviews than by positive ones. But pretty sure I’m in the minority there.
People who read the reviews (the short ones at least) will probably see through the thin mudslinging attempt.
Given all the other sort of horrors I read in fiction, I can image some dark places... but I don't see a reason that review would dissuade me from picking it up.
Thanks for sharing that. It is something authors worry about.
For good reason.
I do in fact consider reviews when I get a piece of e-entertainment, especially if it lacks that general "knownness" of quality or has someone's personal recommendation. No one needs a review of Skyrim to know what they're getting. Smaller/indie titles need a little extra though. In VGs, positive memetic feedback is a good sign generally. Negative... usually means someone F-ed up. See the Helldivers 2/Sony PSN scandal: https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-image/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/07/helldivers-reviews-1024x576.jpg
Though the above has some specifics to software/digital media just due to the additional risks. A bad book isn't going to brick your bookshelf.
Still, gives you an ability to start seeing the patterns in the text. There are utterly meaningless meme reviews in either direction, highly detailed technically informative ones, short and long impressionists, thoughtful contemplatives, brigading/manipulaiton, etc.
I'd still wouldn't put too much stock in an individual actor expressing their outrage. If there are other reviews it balances out (and checking your amazon pages, book 4 might be a point of concern... ). The real force you're up against is the lack of reviews in general. Hopefully the BBS did you good.
Yeah, it’s a point of concern, for exactly that reason.
‘Zon has taken steps to reduce the impact of phony reviews (supposedly), because that has been a problem. But I still see what looks like brigading for many of the “hot new authors” who come out of nowhere with some derivative mediocrity and get thousands of reviews almost instantaneously. But for authors not favored somehow behind the scenes or otherwise, it’s to the point now where you might get one review every three years and maybe twice that many ratings. Which means virtually no visibility to book shoppers.
Clicked a link this morning about an investigation into censorship by Big Tech platforms. In the case of Amazon, they’re set to start hearing evidence in October of 2026. With how long these court cases take, ‘Zon can easily run out the clock until the next Administration comes in and the corruptocrats are able to take their two steps forward. I would love to be proven wrong on that.
I myself have begun reading reviews before purchasing. I’ve been persuaded to buy something perhaps more by negative reviews than by positive ones. But pretty sure I’m in the minority there.