Amazon Reviews

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Amazon Reviews

1davedonelson
Giu 3, 2008, 5:54 am

I'm trying to gather some information that may help convince my publisher (and others) to participate in the Early Reviewer program. Does anyone know how often LT Early Reviewers cross-post their reviews on Amazon? Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

2JGoto
Giu 3, 2008, 6:17 am

Publishers often send letters to the early reviewers along with their books. In the letter they can request that the review be posted at Amazon as well as Librarything. The LT reviewers are more than happy to comply with this type of request.

3Nitestar
Giu 3, 2008, 6:45 am

I have been posting reviews on Amazon for years (I have over 300 now) but just discovered this site a few months ago.

For every book that I get on here - I now make it a point to post my review on this site, my blog AND on Amazon.com - that way the review is posted in many different sites. Its just a matter of habit for me now.

4lenoreva
Giu 3, 2008, 8:23 am

I post reviews here and on my blog. I also post them on amazon if there are not already hundreds reviews of the book. If they are YA, I also submit them at YA book central.

5nperrin
Giu 3, 2008, 8:26 am

I always post my reviews on Amazon as well, but for Early Reviewer books I have to wait until they are released. Now that Amazon has its Vine program, they don't let you post a review of a book that has not yet been released.

6NovelBookworm
Giu 3, 2008, 8:29 am

I haven't had much luck posting reviews on books that haven't been published yet on Amazon. Maybe I'm not finding the right button, but I've not been able to find a review button on a page for an unpublished ARC on Amazon's site. I do post my reviews on Barnes and Nobles, here at librarything, my myspace page and my blog if I ever get it the way I like it! (My blog that is, not my review) I try to go back and post it on Amazon when the book is published.

If anyone can tell me how to post on Amazon prior to publication, I'd sure appreciate it!

7mckait
Giu 3, 2008, 8:38 am

I always post ARC reviews here, my blog and Amazon. Sometimes I also post on Google books and Barnes and Noble. I usually also post on Viewpoints.

It is true that you can't publish on Amazon until the book is available to the public, but I make sure to go back and do it.

8LisaLynne
Modificato: Giu 3, 2008, 1:47 pm

I have had the same problem as the others - you can't post a review at Amazon until the book has been released. I don't generall y post reviews on Amazon, but I will if the publisher requests it. However, I always post reviews here and on my blog. If you look at the blog ring thread in this forum, you'll see there's a very activity community of book bloggers, which spreads the net even wider.

9nktk
Giu 3, 2008, 10:36 am

Hi, I post on Amazon once it allows as well as my blog and Barnes and Noble and here of course.

10LeesyLou
Giu 3, 2008, 11:10 am

I always post here, Amazon and my blog (unless I really dislike the book, in which case on my blog I just note that I've reviewed it and link to the Amazon and LT reviews). Publishers have usually included a letter with the ARC giving the link to the page at Amazon where prepub (I think) reviews can be posted.

I would contact Tim and crew for appropriate material to convince your employer/publisher to participate; I'm sure they have promotional material and statistics. That's more convincing than anecdotal evidence on this forum will be. It's nice to hear that we're all mostly following the same procedures though.

11DaynaRT
Giu 3, 2008, 11:23 am

I post my reviews here, at Amazon, and:

BookMooch
PaperBackSwap
GoodReads
Google Books
History Book Club (when appropriate)

12Antares1
Giu 3, 2008, 11:29 am

I post my reviews here, on my Vox blog and on Amazon.

13JulesJones
Giu 3, 2008, 11:39 am

Amazon.co.uk, amazon.com, powells.com, and my LiveJournal. (I have accounts on both the US and UK Amazon sites, so can post to both if the book is available on both.)

14manque
Giu 3, 2008, 12:10 pm

I typically post my reviews here on LT, on Amazon.com, on Amazon.de (the German site, if the book's available there), and on my blog.

15lorax
Modificato: Giu 3, 2008, 12:37 pm

The LT reviewers are more than happy to comply with this type of request. (i.e. posting reviews on Amazon)

Speak for yourself.

I won't post on Amazon. If a publisher requested it, I would ignore the request, since it isn't part of the requirements from LT; if LT started requiring it, I would withdraw from the ER program.

16nktk
Giu 3, 2008, 12:41 pm

Lorax, I'm just curious why you won't post on Amazon.

17mckait
Giu 3, 2008, 12:42 pm

Really lorax? I like to post on Amazon, because I sometimes use the reader reviews there to help decide whether to purchase ( or mooch) a book. I do this even if I do not intend to buy it on Amazon. I have a healthy respect for the opinions of others, no doubt due to being so opinionated myself! lol

18JacInABook
Giu 3, 2008, 12:44 pm

I post on amazon.co.uk, my blog and here. I'm looking for other places too.

19elbakerone
Giu 3, 2008, 1:01 pm

When publishers request it, I post reviews to Amazon. I'll also post any of my book reviews to Amazon if I notice that there aren't many reviews for the book.

There is the issue that Amazon sometimes does not allow reviews to be posted before the release date of a book. I have a couple reviews on LT for books that will be released later this month. I'll try to remember to post them to Amazon when I am able.

20anysia
Giu 3, 2008, 1:34 pm

I'm reluctant to post on Amazon as well. I no longer use Amazon's reader reviews to help me decide since I found out that they remove bad reviews. Also, there is at least one incident of a reviewer being stalked by an author.

There are books that have incredibly high ratings which are generally acknowledged (outside of Amazon) to be lousy books, yet on Amazon they have 5/5.

Amazon reviews are unreliable not because of the reviews that you can see, but because of the ones you can't (which is why I go to book blogs for reviews and started my own).

21lahochstetler
Giu 3, 2008, 1:35 pm

I always post my reviews on Amazon and on here. I'm going to start posting them on paperbackswap too. If I've gone to the trouble to write the review, I post it in as many places as possible.

22avisannschild
Giu 3, 2008, 1:40 pm

Out of curiosity, do you all post negative reviews (or so-so reviews) in as many places as you post positive ones? I wasn't sure about posting my negative reviews in as many places as possible...

23Kegsoccer
Giu 3, 2008, 1:42 pm

I posted for a few years on Amazon before I discovered LT. Now I always post on both (and in the case where books aren't yet out, I just hold on to my review and post it on Amazon when it allows me), plus on my book blog. I'll generally post anywhere the publisher asks me to.

24bluesalamanders
Modificato: Giu 3, 2008, 1:46 pm

22 avisannschild

I post reviews on LT and on my blog and I post negative reviews as well as positive ones. I only ever posted one or two reviews to Amazon, but that was a long time ago and I haven't posted any there since.

I still haven't received my first ER book (waiting...) so I can't say what I'd do if they ask me to post a review there.

25DaynaRT
Giu 3, 2008, 1:45 pm

>22 avisannschild:
Of course. Why would I limit where I post negative reviews?

26LisaLynne
Giu 3, 2008, 1:49 pm

Yes, I post the negative reviews as well. (The very first review on my blog is a negative review of an ER book.) Considering the folks at LT make the call on who gets books, not the publishers, I haven't worried too much about that.

I wasn't aware that Amazon removed negative reviews! That certainly sheds a different light on things.

27anysia
Giu 3, 2008, 2:03 pm

They don't remove all negative reviews, but authors can work the system to get reviews removed. If you Google the topic you'll see discussions about it, instructions on how to do it, etc.

It's more the unreliability of not being able to know if a book has a genuine rating or not that has turned me off Amazon reviews.

28lorax
Giu 3, 2008, 2:04 pm

16>

I do not have an Amazon account.

I haven't had an Amazon account since the late 1990s or maybe 2000 -- I don't remember exactly -- when they changed their privacy policy. They had initially said they wouldn't share data, and when they changed it they made the change retroactive so that they would share even data collected in good faith with the understanding that it would not be shared. I won't forgive that.

The fact that Amazon's review system is completely broken would be another factor if the privacy thing weren't already there, of course -- removing negative reviews, valuing quantity over quality, etc. It's a total conflict of interest for a bookseller to also have reviews -- of COURSE they're going to remove or downweight negative reviews -- so that situation shouldn't really surprise anyone.

29Cats57
Modificato: Giu 3, 2008, 3:45 pm


To Davedonalson Post #1

It's funny; my group does reviews for a well known publisher (both at our site and on Amazon, B&N here and our BLoGs) The publisher seems to appreciate our opinions no matter what they are. I've posted both positive and negative reviews on Amazon and have never had them edited or deleted. As a matter of fact I've even had a negative one be highlighted.

The only thing about Amazon is that you can no longer post an early review, which is disappointing for us and the writer involved.

You may not only want your book here as an ER books but your publisher may want to contact other on-line groups that do reviews and have high volume sites. (example, our membership is low, but statistically we have a very high volume of readers from around the world)

I hope this helps and that I wasn't out of line with anything I've mentioned here.

30detailmuse
Giu 3, 2008, 3:55 pm

I've posted negative reviews on amazon and never had them removed. Actually, I find the negative reviews especially helpful when I'm considering a purchase. That said, I have emailed amazon to complain about reviews that contained frank spoilers, outrageous mean-spiritedness, unrelated negativity, etc. When I've checked back, those reviews have been removed.

I find amazon's customer-review system extremely helpful -- the overall star-rating in a preliminary sort of way, but mainly the individual reviews. In my experience, the reviewers' motivations and authenticity are completely transparent, and I make liberal use of the helpful/non helpful buttons. I gave up long ago on Barnes&Noble's reviews -- at the time, I'd made it my mission to find even one 3-star review ... no luck.

31JacInABook
Giu 3, 2008, 4:22 pm

22: avisannschild

I also post negative reviews wherever I post reviews. I think it would be unfair to post only good reviews and leave negative ones out, statistically speaking. That doesn't really help give a true reader opinion of the book in question.

32lovemybooks
Giu 3, 2008, 4:46 pm

If I have read a book, there is no way I wouldn't be posting a review on one of my blogs. In order to keep the blog constantly updated, I have to do that. If I really love a book passionately, or if I'm asked, I will also post the review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, CBD, etc.

33JulesJones
Giu 3, 2008, 5:54 pm

Authors have been gaming the review system to have negative reviews removed -- and their definition of negative includes perfectly reasonable three star reviews. Read more about one incident at Dear Author.

I'll continue posting my ER reviews at Amazon because I think I owe it to the publishers in return for the review copy, but I'm seriously considering whether I want to post my other reviews there in future.

34mckait
Giu 3, 2008, 5:55 pm

I agree #30. I have posted negative reviews too. Not a lot.. but negative..
and they are still there. Or were last I looked!

I am sure that they must have removed some for others to think so.. but I am pretty sure that they don't take all of them.

35JGoto
Giu 3, 2008, 6:13 pm

I've also posted a couple of negative reviews there that are still there. One has been checked that several readers found it helpful.

36lorax
Giu 3, 2008, 6:21 pm

Frankly, I don't care that Amazon doesn't remove all negative reviews, so saying "I have a negative review that wasn't removed" is totally irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. That they remove some, at the behest of the authors, is enough for me.

37MrsLee
Giu 3, 2008, 6:30 pm

I don't mind putting a review on Amazon, but I need to be reminded. I just don't go there much.

38ThePam
Giu 3, 2008, 6:32 pm

Always.

39ThePam
Modificato: Giu 3, 2008, 6:48 pm

Questo messaggio è stato cancellato dall'autore.

40davedonelson
Giu 3, 2008, 8:01 pm

Very helpful, folks. Scientific or not, I'll forward the info to my publisher, who is a always interested in distribution of reviews--good, bad, or indifferent--as widely as possible. As far as Amazon goes, it may not have a perfect system but it's the 900-lb. gorilla in the room so authors like me have to pay it heed. Again, thanks for your help.
Dave

41NovelBookworm
Giu 3, 2008, 9:31 pm

I've written some pretty negative reviews on Amazon and they're all still there. Maybe the negative ones that are removed are somehow in violation of some other policy?

42Melsy626
Giu 3, 2008, 9:50 pm

I started posting my reviews on amazon when I started my blog. I figure if I'm going to write a review, I might as well post it everywhere!! :)

43RoboSchro
Giu 4, 2008, 3:43 am

I think the deal with Amazon is that authors/publishers can use some fairly well-known tricks to get the negative reviews pulled. If they don't bother to, the reviews will stay.

44JulesJones
Giu 4, 2008, 5:00 am

MonkeyRobo has it right. Amazon doesn't normally manually pull reviews unless someone makes a specific and justified complaint, but they do have an automated moderation system that can be gamed by a determined author. Anyone with an account can click on those helpful/unhelpful buttons on a review, and a review that gets enough "unhelpful" votes will be automatically removed from public view. It's not unknown for authors to get a bunch of their friends and/or fans to vote away any review that isn't unstinting praise.

Of course, most of us have thicker skins, and don't play this game. So you'll see plenty of negative reviews on Amazon, but for a few authors you'll find that negative reviews of their books just... vanish.

45kaelirenee
Giu 4, 2008, 9:05 am

I've written a couple of fairly scathing reviews and posted them on Amazon. While they haven't been removed, I have been flamed for them by other users. I'll still post reviews of fairly unpopular works there (not lowstarred works, just unknown books or ones without many reviews) and new books, and of course my ER books (one from Feb. still hasn't been published, so I can't post my review there!). Since the beginning of the year, I've also posted all my reviews on my blog.

46LisaLynne
Giu 4, 2008, 10:11 am

After reading all this, I'm not sure it's worth bothering to post on Amazon. I doubt I would trust the reviews there, and at least I know that if I post them on my blog, no one can flag them and pull them down.

47Trismegistus
Modificato: Giu 4, 2008, 12:47 pm

While I share others' reservations about Amazon, I do post reviews of any ARCs I receive through publishers to that site, as a way of saying thank you for trusting me enough to send me a free book. (I would never post a review of a book I have purchased myself or received through another individual.)

This method keeps me from having an extraordinary amount of reviews on amazon (I read 237 books last year), so I can fly under the radar and post as positively or negatively about a book as I like. That said, amazon has a long history of removing negative reviews: I first noticed this in the late '90s (back when you could still review anonymously), when my negative reviews often disappeard, even after repostings, while my positive ones did not. There are other problems with amazon's review system too--I recently discovered an author who has written glowing reviews of the books he authored and could find no way to report this to TPTB.

48elbakerone
Giu 4, 2008, 1:05 pm

As said in #44: Anyone with an account can click on those helpful/unhelpful buttons on a review, and a review that gets enough "unhelpful" votes will be automatically removed from public view.

So isn't it possible that everyday Amazon users - not necessarily just publishers and authors - are responsible for the removal of negative reviews?

49lorax
Giu 4, 2008, 1:10 pm

48>

In some cases, maybe, but it's been DOCUMENTED that authors have abused the system.

50RoboSchro
Giu 4, 2008, 1:14 pm

Quite... for an example, see the discussion at http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=34306 . Follow the links from there if you're interested in seeing the reputations of an author and a publisher crumble, once it got out how they were abusing the system.

51avisannschild
Giu 4, 2008, 1:34 pm

To clarify my message above (22) about posting negative reviews, I didn't mean to imply that bloggers shouldn't be posting negative reviews on their blogs. My thinking was only that if I'm posting reviews on Amazon or other sites that are not my own (and not LT obviously) as a way to thank publishers for trusting me enough to send me a free book (as Trismegistus put it in message 47), then if my review is negative surely the publisher would be more appreciative if I didn't actually post my review all over the place... (Maybe I'm just being lazy and trying to justify why I haven't posted any of my reviews elsewhere than on LT yet...)

52anysia
Giu 4, 2008, 1:40 pm

I suppose that depends on your outlook. Who are you writing the review for: the publisher or the reader?

53LeesyLou
Giu 4, 2008, 2:02 pm

My personal understanding is that it's part of an implied contract between the recipient of the ARC and the publisher, that the recipient will file the review where the publisher requests, which usually includes Amazon. Even if it's a negative review, it creates buzz for there to be reviews around (the old "there's no such thing as negative publicity" idea). If it disappears, well, I might object to that but it doesn't hurt me. Yes, the policy whereby Amazon removes negative reviews would hurt me as a potential customer, but that's my problem as a customer, and I always take situations where there is only positive feedback with a grain of salt. It's rare for something to be perfect, after all.

54DaynaRT
Giu 4, 2008, 2:04 pm

>51 avisannschild:
Publishers aren't trusting you, they're trying to drum up publicity for their books. If one of those free books happens to suck, maybe my posting of a negative review will alert them that the book...sucks, publish something else.

55infiniteletters
Modificato: Giu 4, 2008, 3:00 pm

53: We're required to post reviews on LibraryThing if we want to get any more books. Any other sites are optional, whether you see an implied contract or not.

56avisannschild
Giu 4, 2008, 4:29 pm

> 53, 54, 55

I have sent my review directly to the publisher when requested to do so. I guess I tend to agree with infiniteletters that posting elsewhere is a bonus, which doesn't necessarily benefit the publishers if my review is negative. Note that I was just asking how others felt about this. I haven't posted any of my reviews elsewhere, whether positive or negative.

57mckait
Giu 4, 2008, 7:30 pm

I get books from a publisher.. The first batch they sent me had a book that was terrible.. before posting the review I wrote and told them how much I dislike the book. They said that is why they sent me the books, to get an opinion.. so post it!

58Cats57
Giu 5, 2008, 12:59 pm

> 52 - 51 - 54 - 57

Exactly right. While the publisher is out to make money off of the author they are promoting,why would they ever keep publishing someone if their books bite ? And they won't know if they are good or bad unless we, as plain old regular readers don't tell them. I never take the word of the so called "professional reviewers".

My reviews are written with the future reader in mind, not the author or the publisher.

59shawnd
Giu 11, 2008, 7:23 am

I don't post to Amazon. The reasons aren't specific to the issues raised here, but float around them in that it seems issues with Amazon come up with regularity whether it be Vine, privacy, and other issues, which gives me a sense that program in general is wide and loose. The main reason is I feel more compelled to review in a place I seek reviews, in order to give and take. I don't use Amazon reviews because I feel like the reviewers on LT are more like me: particular book nuts who have a wider base of books read to use comparatively and are less likely to have hidden agendas. So I use LT reviews, and thus post here. I have had a book blog in the past but no longer. If the publisher asked me to post a review of my LT book to Amazon I probably wouldn't have an issue with that.

60Esack
Mar 20, 2020, 11:59 am

Hi. I have put my book on here and on amazon kindle. It is self published. Is the Early Review program only for publishers? How can I get a review?

Thanks
Yasmin

62WeeTurtle
Modificato: Mar 22, 2020, 2:28 am

I only post my reviews here, but I have mailed paper copies on request. I don't mind that, and I think that publishers are able to freely quote the reviews posted here, so that could be an incentive for them. They can then post or link the reviews of their books on their websites.

I find I rarely look at places like Amazon or Goodreads for reviews. I typically look here or at libraries, or just word of mouth.

Another note: giveaway can get you reviews but note that it's not (and can't) be a requirement for sending someone a book, I think. You can ask for a review but it's not guaranteed. That said. I've reviewed at least one giveaway book, but I have others and they just aren't a priority for me at the moment, so it can take time.

63lilithcat
Mar 22, 2020, 10:02 am

I think that publishers are able to freely quote the reviews posted here

In your account settings, you can choose to:

1) Allow LibraryThing to give reviews to both non-commercial and commercial entities (booksellers, swap sites, publishers, authors, street gangs)
2) Allow LibraryThing to give reviews to non-commercial entities (libraries mostly)
3) Restrict reviews to LibraryThing

64d_perlo
Mar 22, 2020, 2:17 pm

I leave my reviews on Librarything, Goodreads, and Amazon. I figure, why not. It is a quick copy and paste and may help someone.

65Carmen.et.Error
Mar 22, 2020, 2:55 pm

Amazon's reliance on algorithms to sniff out bad reviews from the honest ones is one reason some people choose not to post their reviews on Amazon. The algorithms have targeted ARC reviews in the past and as a result, the reviewers lose everything on their Amazon accounts; kindle libraries, gift cards, etc.

66susanbooks
Apr 1, 2020, 11:01 am

I don't post on Amazon bc I heard that Amazon claims ownership of your writing (not that I think my reviews are such gems, but it's the principle). No one's mentioning that, though, so is that not true? Surely I can't possibly be wrong? Lol

67lilithcat
Apr 1, 2020, 12:43 pm

>66 susanbooks:

Yes, you are wrong.

When you post content on Amazon you give them a license to use it. Read their TOS: If you do post content or submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, perform, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media.

Basically, the same license you give LibraryThing when you post content here.

68MarthaJeanne
Apr 1, 2020, 2:57 pm

>63 lilithcat: It's a bit different for ER:

Recipients of books who submit reviews to LibraryThing hereby grant LibraryThing, the book's publisher and its author perpetual NON-exclusive permission to use of the review, together with their first name and city/town of residence, for purposes of entertainment, advertising, promotion or publicity without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. LibraryThing, the publisher and the author reserve the right to edit reviews for clarity or language or to use only excerpts from them. Neither LibraryThing nor the publisher is under any obligation to publish a review.

69lorax
Apr 2, 2020, 9:38 am

Huh. I'd never noticed that authors are allowed to edit ER reviews. I haven't requested an ER book in quite a while, and now I suspect I won't.

(If what they mean by "edit for language" is "remove curse words", they can say so. What is changing "This book was awful" to "This book was awesome", if not an edit for language?)

70.mau.
Modificato: Apr 2, 2020, 11:43 am

Well, I would be upset if somebody changed the meaning of what I said. Of course I am not bothered if a review of mine is deleted from the site. However, the wording of the sentence seems to cover the case of use of the review in the publisher's or author's site: this means it is even weirder to "edit for language". (Of course, if they want to correct my English they are welcome!)

71katemcangus
Apr 10, 2020, 10:05 am

>68 MarthaJeanne: >69 lorax: >70 .mau.: The point of editing for language is to be able to make trivial edits, remove curse words, add ellipses. We welcome suggestions if you'd like to submit changes to the wording.

72gilroy
Apr 10, 2020, 2:08 pm

>69 lorax: Actually, that particular wording is why I don't get ER books at all.
Well, that and I'm a slow reader and don't have time to move things around too much on the TBR pile...

73lorax
Apr 10, 2020, 2:43 pm

katemcangus (#71):

So it is in fact broader than curse words, which is what I thought? Anyone who's seen a movie blurb knows how ellipses can be wielded to change the entire meaning of a sentence.

If you want to narrowly allow specific types of edits, then just say that.

"Authors and publishers may edit reviews to remove curse words and to shorten the review. This will not include edits that change the meaning of the review."

For your "add ellipses" provision, if a review mentions positive and negative aspects and the author chooses to wield ellipses to elide all the negative parts, even if that's not what the current text is *meant* to permit, it does allow it. If that's not the intention, you should include some "don't change the overall sense of a review" provision.

74.mau.
Apr 13, 2020, 10:38 am

I agree with >73 lorax:. A compromise solution could be that the author or the publisher shows the author the modified text, and the author may either accept it or have his review removed or anonymized.

75gilroy
Apr 14, 2020, 6:11 am

>74 .mau.: why would the author show themselves the modified text? Wouldn't they show the reviewer the modified text?

76.mau.
Apr 16, 2020, 2:54 am

>75 gilroy: The author of the book, not the author of the review.

77gilroy
Apr 16, 2020, 5:30 am

>76 .mau.: That part I understood. But the way your sentence is written suggests the author of the book shows the author of the book to either accept the changes or have the review removed or anonymized.

78lorax
Apr 16, 2020, 8:29 am

.mau (#74):

I much prefer the language "remove their review" rather than "have their review removed." Let the reviewer retain control; they can choose to remove it rather than have the meaning reversed, but the author of the book doesn't get to say "Make the edits I specify or I will force the review to be removed". Same result, which is not one I like, but it gives a bit more agency to the reviewer.

I honestly do believe that "Give the author of the book the ability to remove any negative wording from any reviews" is not the intention, so I'm hopeful that a better wording can be found.