Review Sites

If I had to name review sites I actually read they are generally blogs, not these formal reviews sites. I am skeptical that these review sites see much traffic at all.

I honestly don't think reviews matter a whit. I got a Top Pick from Romantic Times on my first book and was nominated for an RT Reviewer's Choice Award. Can't see that it made a difference. Some review sites are more known for telling it like it is than others, but ultimately all reviews are one person's opinion - and most often the opinion of someone who is NOT a writer.

Depends... I think some carry more weight more so then others. Like Veinglory said most are blogs. I myself follow Smart Bitches, but a bad review from them would not put me off a book.

I read Dear Author on a daily basis. There's a Ace/Roc giveaway on at the moment. I've been waiting for Patricia Briggs' Silver Borne and Lisa Shearin's Bewitched and Betrayed forever! (They're Ace authors--sorry for veering violently off topic.)

Very few review sites will ever give a book anything less than 3/5 of whatever they award. As far as I'm concerned that turns a 3star book into a 1star, and a 4star book into a 3star.

I reviewed for a site that had a policy of nothing less than 3 stars. I sent a few books back because of that.

There are all kinds of reasons review sites over rate books. I mean, if you regularly give a publisher's books low ratings they're going to stop sending you free books. If you, as a reviewer (and wannabe author), give an author 5 stars on a regular basis, maybe they'll promote your book when you finally get it published. Review site owners and reviewers can end up in contact with authors and even editors. Great for networking and getting to know names (and getting people to know yours). And reviewers can get to read books from new publishers without shelling out the cash to see if it's the kind of place they want to submit their work. (I'm of the opinion that most reviewers either are or want to be authors)

Besides that, authors will link to the review site when they crow on their blogs or websites about the fabulous review they got. Drives traffic.

Respectable review sites? The ones that will actually give crappy books 1 star.

Yes, I stopped reviewing for review sites for the same reason. They had a rigid template and pretty much did not allow less than 3/5, and once moved one of my 3/5s to 4/5. It wouldn't occur to me to go to one fo those sites to learn about a book.

I go to DearAuthor, Mrs Giggles, Book Utopia Mom, Teddy Pig, Karen Scott and a few others.

I forgot to mention: They also tend to craft reviews in such a way that even the mediocre books end up with a good pull quote that the author can use for promo.

Just a quick note about how owners of review sites are spending more and more time with the industry publishers and editors, please check http://www.toccon.com/toc2010

Xcc, the link didn't go to the article, which I'd have been very interested to read. Is there a shortcut to the article itself?

I’m sorry, I was in a hurry yesterday; so I posted the main site of the TOC conference.

This is the link to all the participant’s stances:
http://www.toccon.com/toc2010/public/content/news-coverage

All hyperlinks go to their respective blogs, which is very appropriate within the times we’re living, and the topic of the conference.

And staying within our topic, these are the book reviewer's take:

Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books:http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks....omments/be-a-tool-of-change-but-never-a-tool/


Jane from Dear Author:http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2010/02/28/tools-of-change-thoughts-from-a-readers-perspective/

I don't even understand how reading reviews helps when they're completely subjective. I've read books with a 1 rating that I thought were great and MANY books with top ratings that I wanted to throw into traffic. How can one person speak for everyone? One person may be able to speak to technique, but that's not why readers read.

jana13k said:

I don't even understand how reading reviews helps when they're completely subjective. I've read books with a 1 rating that I thought were great and MANY books with top ratings that I wanted to throw into traffic. How can one person speak for everyone? One person may be able to speak to technique, but that's not why readers read.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, it's unfair to writers.

However, apparently publishers think this is a great promoting tool. Go figure.

jana13k said:

I don't even understand how reading reviews helps when they're completely subjective. I've read books with a 1 rating that I thought were great and MANY books with top ratings that I wanted to throw into traffic. How can one person speak for everyone? One person may be able to speak to technique, but that's not why readers read.

Click to expand...

I find review helpful because of the words, not the rating. They tell me things about the book that help me predict whether I will like it. And on a basic level specialised review sites tell me that a book in my interest area exists.

xccorpio said:

I agree with you, it's unfair to writers.

However, apparently publishers think this is a great promoting tool. Go figure.

Click to expand...

How are reviews unfair to writers? More of them are biassed positive than negative. If anything I think online reviews tend to be unfair to readers. Online reviews are essential a written 'word of mouth' and they can be great for a book. If they aren't, it may be because a book just doesn't have crowd appeal.

jana13k said:

I don't even understand how reading reviews helps when they're completely subjective. I've read books with a 1 rating that I thought were great and MANY books with top ratings that I wanted to throw into traffic. How can one person speak for everyone? One person may be able to speak to technique, but that's not why readers read.

Click to expand...

Personally, it's about the details for me. If a review says "It's great! 5 stars!" and variations on that theme, I'm not that interested. If a review says "It's great! The heroine was as sweet as pie, and tolerant of the dominating hero because only she could see that his intentions were good" that can be as good as a negative review for me. Conversely, if the review says "One star. It's awful. I couldn't believe the heroine was so cranky and bitchy and she even slept with someone who wasn't the hero!" Oooh, baby, gimme some o' that.

Bad reviews often make me buy the book.

Leaving alone whether reviews are good or bad . . . These places get a lot of traffic.

SmartBitches
Dear Author
All About Romance
Romance by the Book
booklist
affaire de coeur
library journal

Barnes & Noble and Borders also review books they carry.

You might also look at these sites that have good traffic and write interesting, intelligent reviews --

Smexy Books, The Book Binge, The Romance Dish, Booksmugglers, Errant Dreams, Kwips and Kritiques, Fresh Fiction, The Good the Bad and the Unread, Huntress Reviews, Night Owl Romance, Ramblings on Romance, Romance reader at Heart, Romance Junkies, Thrillionth Page, Dangerously Sexy, Isn't it Romance?,

I am crazy busy with a couple jobs, a family, and these books in my head.

When I find a reviewer who thinks like I do, and laughs at the same stuff I do, I bookmark her (or watch for her name). I treat her like a proxy for my own self standing in front of a shelf