Authors Lounge discussion

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed an increasing number of posted reviews/ratings that are based on book samples alone. (Or are reviewers just more openly stating that it is from a sample?) By "book samples" I'm referring to the 10% portion available to "look inside" or download as an ebook.

In a recent 20-minute browsing session on Amazon I came across 5 books each given one-star ratings with reviewers stating it was based on the sample. These reviews are added into the formula and dilute the overall star rating. Will potential buyers take the time to read the 'fine print' and see that the review was from a sample? Does it matter?

Do you give the same (or any) weight to such reviews?

I have not noticed this, but I do NOT like it. I think we should all email Amazon and ask that this practice be discontinued. No one can rate a book based on such a small sample!

I suppose then question is if sample ratings are a new accepted standard. I'd think not, buy I've been surprised before.
My feelings are mixed as to the weight such reviews should/do hold. I've read books before wherein I knew extremely early on that the book was either wholly not to my taste or that were so poorly written that I could not go further. Interestingly I once used the "look inside" feature to peruse the first couple of pages of a book on Amazon. I wanted to see if the book was as filled with errors as the book description. Boy, was it. I didn't review it because I hadn't read it but part of me wishes I could have reviewed the book if only to warn away other people.
Ultimately, I think ratings based on a sample alone is a dangerous practice. Not so much because the person didn't read the entire book but because I think it invites the wrong kind of reader to offer ratings. I tend to think such people would generally be less likely to give the type of serious consideration required to write a well thought out and constructive review. But that's just my opinion and not based on any evidence.

That's a tough call. I wouldn't put much weight on a positive review of an excerpt, but I would on some negative ones. I agree with Khaalidah.

Ann wrote: "I have not noticed this, but I do NOT like it. I think we should all email Amazon and ask that this practice be discontinued. No one can rate a book based on such a small sample!"

Ann, I wonder if this trend will continue regardless of any action Amazon could take. These "reviewers" might simply no longer disclose that a rating was based on the sample. Personally, I no longer give much weight to ratings as a factor in my decision to purchase a book. I look through the sample. If the writing is good and the subject is interesting, I'll spend a few dollars to support the author.

Khaalidah wrote: "Ultimately, I think ratings based on a sample alone is a dangerous practice. Not so much because the person didn't read the entire book but because I think it invites the wrong kind of reader to offer ratings..."

Khaalidah, good point. And how many great stories would be missed by forgoing a book based on negative sample ratings? I think back on a few books that started off slow for me, but then found their stride and were rather memorable and enjoyable.

Horace wrote: "That's a tough call. I wouldn't put much weight on a positive review of an excerpt, but I would on some negative ones. I agree with Khaalidah."

Horace, I've only noticed one 5 star rating based on a sample (but that doesn't mean there are not many more out there.) This person did say that they liked the sample so much they would buy the book...but did they?

Monica wrote: "Ann wrote: "I have not noticed this, but I do NOT like it. I think we should all email Amazon and ask that this practice be discontinued. No one can rate a book based on such a small sample!"

An..."

That's a good question. But if enough negative attention were brought to the practice, I think it would stop.

I doubt sample ratings will stop, although they might be driven underground - people just won't say. GR & Amazon both reward people for being top reviewers & well liked. This drives people to try to climb the stats & that means some will cheat, but I don't think it's a big deal.

Some people judge the book by the opening chapter(s). I almost put one down the other day because it started poorly, but it wasn't that bad & I hung in there. It got better & was a 3 star book by the end. Uneven, but pretty good. (New, self-published author I'll keep an eye on.) Some dropped it based on that first chapter, though.

No system is perfect & some will game any system. As readers, we must become more sophisticated in how we choose books. A decade ago, there were 1/2 million books published yearly. With self-publishing on the rise & ebooks, there are so many books available that I'll never read a significant percentage of those available. It's a reader's market out there. The biggest problem new authors have is getting noticed.

The opinions of my GR friends weigh in a lot more heavily than that of strangers. That's one of the primary reasons why they're friends here - we share the same taste in books. I could easily read nothing but 5 star recommendations by my friends.

On Amazon it tells you if its a verified purchase or not. In that case you at least know they bought the book, they didn't just read the blurb and what they could for free.
As a writer I guess I feel like the first couple of chapters and the blurb should be indicative of your style and quality. If not, you need to keep editing and working. Those first few chapters are so important for hooking the reader. Don't expect readers to overlook a weak opening and keep reading because it gets better later on. Rewrite those openings until they are perfect.
Of course there are always case where you have a mystery or plot twist in the middle of the book. Just reading a sample won't tell the reviewer what the twist is and that will alter their review. But it should be obvious to those who have read the book.