One star reviews

Do they matter, these one star reviews? They seem to matter more to some than they do to others:

http://www.newstatesman.com/voices/2014/03/your-book-sucks-are-authors-being-bullied-one-star-amazon-reviews

They matter.

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Do they matter, these one star reviews?

Do they matter to whom? And is that your own (rhetorical) question? Because this article isn't remotely about if they matter. This article is about Amazon not removing fake reviews of the malicious kind, and one author's anger about that.

Amazon does remove fake reviews of the good kind (such as ones bought from Apex), so clearly they want to maintain integrity to their ratings system. Maybe bad ones are just harder for them to police.

LC wrote:

Amazon does remove fake reviews of the good kind (such as ones bought from Apex), so clearly they want to maintain integrity to their ratings system. Maybe bad ones are just harder for them to police.

Please explain the difference between me, as a publisher, sending a book to Apex Reviews be reviewed and me, as a publisher, sending a book to Amazon to be reviewed in the Vine program.

dkchristi wrote:

They matter.

Yes, they do, DK, especially to authors with only a few reviews.

One of my books on Amazon UK had two reviews -- one five-star and one four-star -- before it was attacked by the Amazon review mafia. They downvoted the four star review written by a Vine Voice Top 500 reviewer so severely that the reviewer removed it, presumably because it affected the reviewer's status. The two-star review and two one-star reviews added to the remaining five-star review dropped the average from 4.5 to 2.2:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Short-Stories-Shelagh-Watkins-ebook/dp/B004NIFTHY/

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Please explain the difference between me, as a publisher, sending a book to Apex Reviews be reviewed and me, as a publisher, sending a book to Amazon to be reviewed in the Vine program.

You paid a company who makes its living providing a product: reviews for authors. They must satisify their customers or they won't get repeat business. They also won't get business from other customers once angry authors who expected good reviews for their money start spreading the word. So an Apex reviewer who writes a bad one won't be hired to write another. For all you know, the reviewer didn't even read your book. She skimmed enough to make her review sound plausible, satisfying her boss (Apex) and you (paying customer).

When a publisher sends a book to Vine (or the New York Times or Newsweek or Publishers Weekly), Amazon gives it to a reviewer of its own choosing. There is no guarantee to the publisher of a good review, no payment beyond the book, hence there is integrity to this model. Something your paid Apex review lacked. That's why Amazon kicked its reviews off. They were phony, fraudelent, bought puff pieces.

With Vine, Amazon KNOWS their reviewers aren't paid to perform. It doesn't care if the review are good or bad. It is simply providing an outlet for authors to GET reviews while maintaining integrity to the process.

You really didn't need to be told that, though. That's why you chose Apex over Vine. I honestly think you're just trolling at this point, and I don't have time for this anymore.

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before it was attacked by the Amazon review mafia.

Hard to say. Maybe they were genuine reviews by disappointed readers, maybe they were people you knew personally and this was some sort of petty "revenge." Which is what Ann Rice was complaining about in that article. She has a point. The guy who lives to write one-star reviews seems to have mental problems. She shouldn't even have engaged him on Twitter. And authors should never engage reviewers on Amazon, IMO.

Also, I didn't know that Vine reviewers could remove their reviews. That's unfortunate, too. As far as I know, the rest of us can't remove our reviews.

LC wrote:

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Please explain the difference between me, as a publisher, sending a book to Apex Reviews be reviewed and me, as a publisher, sending a book to Amazon to be reviewed in the Vine program.

You paid a company who makes its living providing a product: reviews for authors. They must satisify their customers or they won't get repeat business. They also won't get business from other customers once angry authors who expected good reviews for their money start spreading the word. So an Apex reviewer who writes a bad one won't be hired to write another. For all you know, the reviewer didn't even read your book. She skimmed enough to make her review sound plausible, satisfying her boss (Apex) and you (paying customer).

When a publisher sends a book to Vine (or the New York Times or Newsweek or Publishers Weekly), Amazon gives it to a reviewer of its own choosing. There is no guarantee to the publisher of a good review, no payment beyond the book, hence there is integrity to this model. Something your paid Apex review lacked. That's why Amazon kicked its reviews off. They were phony, fraudelent, bought puff pieces.

With Vine, Amazon KNOWS their reviewers aren't paid to perform. It doesn't care if the review are good or bad. It is simply providing an outlet for authors to GET reviews while maintaining integrity to the process.

You really didn't need to be told that, though. That's why you chose Apex over Vine. I honestly think you're just trolling at this point, and I don't have time for this anymore.

You suppose a great deal. I didn't pay anything. I sent a book for review, the same as your publisher sent a book for review. Your book probably cost more to produce than mine, so your publisher "paid" more than I did.

Amazon Vine reviews have different costs. A book valued at $20 (production costs) receives a review just the same as an electronic device with manufacturing costs of $200. One review cost $20 and the other cost ten times as much. Whether a reviewer would feel obliged to give a high rating for an expensive item depends entirely on the individual; some would feel obliged, others wouldn't.

LC wrote:

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before it was attacked by the Amazon review mafia.

Hard to say. Maybe they were genuine reviews by disappointed readers, maybe they were people you knew personally and this was some sort of petty "revenge." Which is what Ann Rice was complaining about in that article. She has a point. The guy who lives to write one-star reviews seems to have mental problems. She shouldn't even have engaged him on Twitter. And authors should never engage reviewers on Amazon, IMO.

Also, I didn't know that Vine reviewers could remove their reviews. That's unfortunate, too. As far as I know, the rest of us can't remove our reviews.

Reviewers can edit/delete reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=16465311

Excellent Testament To The Universal Power Of Friendship
Apex Reviews

"Love is only temporary but friends are forever."
Kelly Wheeler

This quote, which opens the moving new anthology Forever Friends, is a perfect summation of the contents to which readers will be treated inside. Edited by Shelagh Watkins, administrator of PublishedAuthors.org, Forever Friends offers a poignant, profound and oftentimes amusing look into the various layers of friendship, as well as those who explore them. Featuring poems, short stories, and commentary from authors all over the globe, the anthology serves as a stark reminder that, though we may differ in our cultural approaches to relationships, the emotions with which we experience them are quite universal.

Compiled in various sections, ranging from "Family Friends" to "Lost Friends" to "False Friends" to "Spiritual Friends," the literary offerings contained therein just as equally travel the full spectrum of friendship, covering all imaginable ground in-between. There is reminiscing over childhood heroes, protectors of the four-legged ilk, and gracious musings over friends who were quite literally lifesavers. There are also poems that wish for the spreading of global goodwill, as well as verses rendered in homage to friends that are gone, but not forgotten. For added contextual flavor, preceding each section is an insightful blurb helping to foster within the reader a greater understanding of what that particular facet of friendship is really all about. Consider, for example, this literary jewel that precedes the "False Friends" section:

"False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us the instant we cross into the shade."
Christian Nestell Bovee

Among its numerous virtues, perhaps the most salient aspect of Forever Friends is its ability to communicate universal truths about life, love, and the frailties of the human heart in such a realistic way that the reader does not have to have experienced the specific episodes recounted within its pages; the passion and inspired delivery of each contributing author provides the reader with the benefit of a vicarious ride through the depths of their seasoned souls. Such an ability does not come easily, and it speaks volumes of Editor Shelagh Watkins' innate sense of discernment to have selected such an eclectic mix of talented authors with the skill to pull it off.

An engaging and appealing read, Forever Friends will surely move the hearts and minds of readers of all ages, guaranteeing that you'll see the world around you -- and even yourself in a different light by the turning of the final page.

I get attacked by one star slash and burn reviewers every so often and usually it's on a book that is starting to move units and gain traction or one that has a number of high reviews already. These reviews are not designed to give any meaningful feedback on the content of the book, but seem to be filled with personal venom toward the subject of the book or theme of the book and designed to keep others from buying the book. I suspect members of other author's review teams trying to stiffle competition. There are only so many eBook dollars out there. One dead givaway to me is one or two quick one star reviews after your book appears on the top 100 or top new release list. another dead givaway is getting one star reviews on a book that customers are buying and not returning, they have 7 days to do so with kindle books. Believe me, it it was that bad customers would not spend their money and keep it.

dtpollard wrote:

I get attacked by one star slash and burn reviewers every so often and usually it's on a book that is starting to move units and gain traction or one that has a number of high reviews already. These reviews are not designed to give any meaningful feedback on the content of the book, but seem to be filled with personal venom toward the subject of the book or theme of the book and designed to keep others from buying the book. I suspect members of other author's review teams trying to stiffle competition. There are only so many eBook dollars out there. One dead givaway to me is one or two quick one star reviews after your book appears on the top 100 or top new release list. another dead givaway is getting one star reviews on a book that customers are buying and not returning, they have 7 days to do so with kindle books. Believe me, it it was that bad customers would not spend their money and keep it.

The book of short stories that I linked to above, DT, was #1 in the category "Short Stories" on Amazon UK for ten days. The reviewers closed the stable door after the horse had bolted. They were trying to stop the book from making sales. KDP Select did that, but by then, the book had probably sold as many copies as it was going to. I may have missed out on a few sales, but nothing like as many as the reviewers would have wanted me to miss out on.

The are authors gaming the systems with review teams and trades etc to pump up their 5 star reviews so they get on the Best Rated list for visibility and that leads to the best seller's list. I have seen books out there with over 100 5 star review after a month on sale, but some other readers chime in and are baffled at how those 100 5 star reviews happened after they read the work and come up with an opposite opinion. Amazon wins, because a lot of units are still sold.

dtpollard wrote:

Amazon wins, because a lot of units are still sold.

... yes and Amazon isn't going to bite the hand that feeds it.

dtpollard wrote:

The are authors gaming the systems with review teams and trades etc to pump up their 5 star reviews so they get on the Best Rated list for visibility and that leads to the best seller's list. I have seen books out there with over 100 5 star review after a month on sale, but some other readers chime in and are baffled at how those 100 5 star reviews happened after they read the work and come up with an opposite opinion. Amazon wins, because a lot of units are still sold.

I did a bit of searching around and found this blog that is following the amount of fraud going on using the review system and the "up" and "down" voting system:

http://witchrants.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/rant-on-fake-amazon-reviews-and-other-abuses-of-the-amazon-review-system/

I've been a victim of this several times.

An author works hard writing and editing a book.  Since getting a traditional publisher is like playing the Lottery, one submits to a POD publisher or goes the route of self-publishing.  Both require self-promotion.  That is the bummer for me.  I hate self promotion.  I dislike people who talk about themselves and then find myself in that same category to promote sales.  I have yet to see results from self-adulation and regret having my latest novel, “First American Back” published.  What I wanted and got was an edited book.  I somehow forgot that I would have to do the majority of the promotion. 
I’ve had it with self-promotion.  Posting a book on forums is no problem.  Having to tell the prospective customer that you are a genius or something to that effect and that you have special insights is CRAP.  Having someone else promote your book and you, is something else entirely.  When I find a good book, I automatically like to share that with others and write a review (my opinion) about the book.  I might even say something flattering about the author if I happen to know him/her and feel they deserve special attention.
 
Whether I get a One Star or a Five Star doesn’t matter to me.  If I get a review, it means someone read the book and that was the objective.  If they didn’t like it, and sometimes they don’t, that’s okay.  Even negativity can turn out to be positive in getting attention.
I had good and bad reviews on my book, “They Plotted Revenge Against America.”  The bad reviews were politically motivated.  I won’t go into detail about that. I expected no less and felt that I had hit the nerve intended.
 
I have never written anything expecting a Number One Best Seller and therefore am not disappointed with the results.   I don’t want to do self-promotion.  I am nothing special and would prefer to remain anonymous.  I want my privacy.  It doesn’t appear that a writer can have his privacy if he/she expects to sell books.  Speaking personally, I have yet to notice a return on my investment of time and money in anything I have written.   Unless I feel I have something that needs to be said or written about, my writing days are numbered. 
 
Making a post on this forum is a risk.  Feedback would indicate that few would get a 5 Star Review.   In some cases, a negative Star would seem appropriate

Abe F. March wrote:

 
Making a post on this forum is a risk.  Feedback would indicate that few would get a 5 Star Review.   In some cases, a negative Star would seem appropriate

LOL! Abe, the discussions on this forum do get very heated at times, but I firmly believe such discussions are therapeutic -- they stop you taking it out on the cat! We all like to vent, let of steam, state our opinions and we can do it here and then walk away. There's no comeback, no recriminations. We kiss and make up and all is well with the world.

When authors start buying negative reviews for competing authors's books, money is involved and that behaviour cannot be tolerated and walked away from. It has to be faced head-on and punished.

LC wrote:

You paid a company who makes its living providing a product: reviews for authors. They must satisify their customers or they won't get repeat business. They also won't get business from other customers once angry authors who expected good reviews for their money start spreading the word. So an Apex reviewer who writes a bad one won't be hired to write another. For all you know, the reviewer didn't even read your book. She skimmed enough to make her review sound plausible, satisfying her boss (Apex) and you (paying customer).

When a publisher sends a book to Vine (or the New York Times or Newsweek or Publishers Weekly), Amazon gives it to a reviewer of its own choosing. There is no guarantee to the publisher of a good review, no payment beyond the book, hence there is integrity to this model. Something your paid Apex review lacked. That's why Amazon kicked its reviews off. They were phony, fraudelent, bought puff pieces.

With Vine, Amazon KNOWS their reviewers aren't paid to perform. It doesn't care if the review are good or bad. It is simply providing an outlet for authors to GET reviews while maintaining integrity to the process.

Fraudulent paid-for reviews are not single reviews; they are bought in batches:

http://zonalert.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/why-are-paid-reviews-unethical/

I am with Abe.  Self promotion is not my thing.

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Fraudulent paid-for reviews are not single reviews; they are bought in batches:

It's not either/or. Both are.

Re the Kindle board saboteurs, I'm not sure why that website author wrote about it in such amazement. Attacking someone's product, or even livelihood, because you don't like them or their product is an old story. Traditionally published authors who have written controversial books have had their Amazon page flooded with one-stars by people angry about the subject, or angry about the author's comments in an interview. You see this same behavior in other areas, such as actors, TV personalities or even researchers losing their jobs after making un-PC comments or publishing an un-PC paper.

I agree, LC.  A case in point is when Jimmy Carter's book, "Peace Not Apartheid" went public.  He was called many names including antisemitic.  I bought his book and thought he wrote truth about a subject that he was familiar with.  I bought his book just to see what all the furor was about.  Truth doesn't set well with those who don't want to acknowledge it. Sales can increase when a public figure or celebrity is cast in a bad light.  I'll bet the publisher was pleased with the attention.

I have thought about even posting on this thread because of a one star review that I have gotten.  I believe the reviewer came from this forum....but I could never prove it.  If some one genuinely dislikes my stories, they could at least use their own name to write the review.  It is, also, hard for me to comprehend the hate it take to post a review saying they never read the book but wish to put up a one star review.
Love,
Betty