Reviewing Reviews #1

(I may do a series of reviews that I come across in the future for discussion purposes only.)

I write reviews on Amazon and read many before I decide to purchase  a book. I do look at the low rated ones as well as the five star.

Contrary to popular belief, many of the reviews, good or bad, are written by people who have nothing to gain out of writing them. But there are a lot of undeserved low ratings as well as some overinflated great ones.

First off, who is to tell what one person believes is a five star review?


"A five-star novel is a work of exceptional literary genius. I am not an English major (or minor), and I am only medially well-read. But I know a five star work leaves one breathless, both emotionally and intellectually. After finishing such a book, it is impossible to initiate intercourse with another literary work for some time. An example of such a book would be Blood Meridian, Moby Dick, The Brothers Karamazov, or the like. I am not part of the kindle revolution, but I'm not a total stick in the mud, either. C'mon people, this is not a five star work. Of course, being the internet, all things exposed to popular mediation are subject to the extremes of wild fanboy(girl)-ism, or Swift Boating, but can't we have some objectivity here?"

Wow. Everyone has their own system where they grade things differently. Obviously the reviewer here felt that the book in question was nowhere near the literary genius that it needed to be to garner so many five stars. This person gave the author three stars which is fair but I cannot rate a book based to YOUR liking just as you can't for me. Why don't people understand this. The rating is justified but rate a book according to its merit and don't bellyache over other people's ratings.

 If you start your review off with, "I don't understand how this book got so many five stars...." YOU'VE LOST ALL CREDIBILITY. Go sit in a corner until you agree to play nice with the rest of the children....

Here is a bit more of this "review".....

"I feel like an 11th grade English teacher who has given an assignment to the class, and am now reading the work of the brightest pupil in the class. Yes, it was handed in early, every objective was completed, and the margins are properly aligned (although there were at least three grammar/spelling/syntax errors, one the result of a functional spell-checker and non-functional human editor)." 

This is based on conjecture and assumption. What makes this reviewer so justified in feeling the way that he does? The review sounds almost PERSONAL, which a review should never be. It should be related to the work at question and not based on some imaginary hallucination in which all he does is insult the writer.  He wants us to be objective? Try being unbiased. Did he actually sit there and count the errors, then analyze them? Volunteer work would be an amazing start for people like this.

In this strange, wonderful, but sometimes dreary world of writing, it takes a lot to please your audience. Everyone wants you to write characters that they and only they can relate to in every way. Take this review for example.....

 "My first issue with (*******************)  by J********** is the language barrier. The book is a sore reminder that British English can be quite different than American English. The sample that I read is littered with British terms and slang that take a while to figure out the meaning from the context. For example, a father refers to something as "f_g." [Amazon did not post original review due to inclusion of this word.] Obviously, in American English this is a derogatory gay slur. But for British English, it (I think) refers to cigarettes. There are many such instances where the American reader will have to pause and figure out what the author means by a certain word and its usage. Your average American reader may not have that kind of patience. I deduct one star in my rating for this reason."

This reviewer is actually complaining about the author using British words instead of American. Now the writer is actually BRITISH! The author lives there! How should she write? Should the author had written an American version where the characters speak with a Bostonian accent that smokes cigarettes instead of fags?  I mean you have to at least know that if someone asks for a fag on the street, they're not asking you if you are carrying a homosexual person in your pocket! 

For goodness sakes, when the 2012 Olympics were in London, many newspapers, blogs, and television shows had segments where they explained the differences in British and American words. Not all Americans need a British/English translator to read Brit Lit and it's insulting to assume that the writer needed to include it. Isn't it a prerequisite to at least study English Literature in schools? 

Take a look at this gem, albeit from the same review....


 My second issue are the characters themselves. The author appears intent on making EVERY single character (at least that I encountered in my sample) possess an unlikeable character flaw. While flawed characters may smooth the path towards interesting scenarios and story lines, this also turns off the reader, who CANNOT associate himself with ANY character. The bottom line is that if the reader does not like the characters, why would he care to read what happens to them? I deduct a second star for this reason.

Really? I don't read many books where the characters don't have character flaws. I can't point to a person on Earth that didn't have a character flaw...especially an unlikeable one at that. I guess the author that received this unlucky review needs to go to the store and and purchase a crystal ball. 

Then she should create characters based on what this reviewer feels as acceptable. Here is the thing about writing. You won't relate to ALL the characters and sometimes that is a beautiful thing. Without it, you wouldn't have the insight or knowledge from other people's points of views, concerns, dreams, destinies, etc. 

Literature would be pretty boring if it were that way. Writers write characters the way that they see them, plain and simple. You're going to relate to some and others, not so much. It  shows diversity and will create a pretty interesting storyline if you ask me. When you read, you are walking in someone else's shoes for awhile. You are not going to agree with all their choices or decision making in the book. Guess what? There are people in your life that don't agree with YOUR choices and decision making. Does that mean that they are right and you are wrong?

I can't relate to someone who has lived a criminal past for all of his life and decides to go rob a bank. Sure he has a mother that is dying of cancer and she needs money for treatment, but I couldn't relate to committing a crime just for that reason. I can relate to the sympathy that character would have for his mother's health, as so would a lot of people. But what about the reader that absolutely HATES his mother? 

They couldn't relate to robbing a bank to save a person's life that they totally detest. Hell, they may even be happy that she won't be on this Earth for long and decide to jump for joy. They may even relate to robbing a bank! People who think like this should probably resort to writing their own stories instead of only looking for characters that you can relate to. It would be nice, but nice doesn't make interesting reading.





".....I was very excited to buy this book for my Kindle Reader but...$17.99...are you kidding ? In this economy ?"

Okay that book is very expensive for Kindle but then again, this isn't a review.


"I have only read the sample, but that all it took for me to be disgusted."

READ THE BOOK. THEN JUDGE! I can understand not wanting to read the entire book because it doesn't catch your fancy. That's perfectly fine. God knows I have hundreds of books that I stopped reading that didn't interest me in the slightest. But then, that makes me NO longer ABLE to write a fair review on the book. In this case, I don't write a review at all. It's just like those people that say, I don't read Romance books but downloaded it anyway and hated it! 

Really? You don't like Romance, downloaded it anyway, and were horrified that you didn't enjoy the subject matter.  I have been surprised by reading genres that I have no interest in and was pleased. But then again, I go into reading...say a Western, and fully expect myself not to be able to follow because I don't read books of that subject matter. 
  
If one is really good and blows my mind? That's awesome. All that states to me is that the writer writes with universal appeal. I study Astrophysics. If I wrote a book that only PhD professionals can understand, then I'm obviously not writing to the layperson. But if I write that same book so that a ten year old can understand? Congratulations. That is a book that has universal appeal and can attract people of all backgrounds. 

It doesn't mean, however, that the first book for the PhD's isn't any good. It just means that people with PhD's or someone that is into science and technology would be able to understand it. A writer with universal appeal has the ability to make a lot of money and become extremely successful as well. 

It is hard to sit down, write something, and finish it. It's even harder to listen to criticism, but that can only make someone's work better. It's unfair to write a review that has nothing to do with the actual product. If your professor graded your paper that you worked so hard on, just to give you an F because you didn't use the right pencil or paper that they would have preferred. It's one thing if your professor ASKED you to use a certain pencil or paper but another if you learned that in hindsight. 

Just something to think about folks.
 

My Birthday Gift To You!

I'm giving away these two books on the Amazon store for free on my birthday September 10th 2012 so take advantage of this today

Thank you so much for your support!

Bad Writing When You're Not A Writer

You want to know the wonderful thing about self publishing?

Non-writers can now be writers! First, let me clarify.

I was browsing on the Kindle store for books that I might have been interested in when I came across a book written by an undertaker. One review that was posted gave the book one star for bad writing.

The authors tried to make an entertaining compilation of stories covering the entire mortuary process (removal through funeral), but the stories are rather dull and filled with impertinent information (e.g., long background histories of some of the writers, and extraneous details regarding the setting or unimportant background characters). I can only assume it is because the people who wrote them are not writers, they are undertakers....

She pretty much answered her own question with this one. Not everyone can be a writer, but does that mean that we silence the voices of those who aren't? I've read books from people of all walks of life. Sometimes, it's not about brilliant writing, flowing prose, and a gigantic vocabulary.

It's about the life experience that they are sharing. Reading about other people's life experiences can make your own very rich. Could some people benefit from an editor or even another writer to help the? Sure they could. But many people aren't really concerned about a few typos or a comma splice here and there.

I feel as if my life has truly been enriched by reading the stories of cancer patients, the Amish, Loyalists in the American Revolution, slaves in the Civil War, paramedics, doctors, lawyers, police officers, fireman, people with Lupus, serial killers, dentists, stockbrokers, people sold into sexual slavery, drug addicts, white supremacists, black supremacists, prisoners on Death Row, celebrities, etc.

Some of these stories were full of errors, but I didn't let that stop me from receiving the message. What we don't understand, we fear. What we fear, we destroy. Learning about other lives will make yours much richer.

When Keeping It Real Goes Terribly Wrong: Writers Edition

Revealing Eden: Save The Pearls Part One

The blatant black face on the author's website is what startled me in the beginning. I heard about this particular book on Tumblr where a few African American bloggers had made several posts about it, making claims that the author was a racist.

I jumped on the issue, did some research, and found out that she has made some serious gaffes in the media. I had to see for myself what all the hoopla was about.

Sure enough, many of the negative reviews were posted within days of each other. It is safe to say that many of them didn't read the book. As I said in an earlier post, if you aren't familiar with the book, then reviewing it really isn't fair: even if the content is disgusting and abhorrent.

In this post-apocalyptic world, Pearls are White, Coals are Black, Asians are Ambers, and Latinos are Tiger-eyes. Okay.....I was leery about the descriptive terms used for different races. I couldn't understand under any circumstances why those particular terms were used and how the author failed to foresee that many would take offense?

As a writer, I tried to push my personal feelings aside and just read past those descriptions. I admit that I did NOT purchase the book, but took the liberty of borrowing a copy.

The content was fair but downright confusing at times. This mysterious world, where reverse racism is king, didn't have a lot of description. There were many things in the novel that were not properly explained. I really wanted to know if the Coals were one hundred percent immune to The Heat, as it is aptly described in the book.

We all know that Black people do have more melanin in our skin, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we're immune from skin cancer or other disorders relating to sun exposure and a warming climate. What happened to Black people with lighter complexions? We do run the gamut from passing for white to deep ebony. Did they suffer like Whites?

The main character Eden, seemed downright selfish and silly at some points.When she wasn't acting whiny, she was downright childish. Then again, this is a young adult novel and it isn't unheard of for teenagers to act in such a manner.

Since the book hit Tumblr, Twitter, and a few other social media websites, the book has tumbled in the ratings on Amazon. When I checked Friday, there were about 103 negative votes. As of today, the official count of one star votes sits at 151. More one star reviews are pouring in as we speak.

The biggest problem that I have with the book is that this world is supposed to show the readers what would happen if everything were reversed. What if Blacks held the power and our features suddenly became more desirable than features attributed to Whites?

You'd have to assume that since the world is reversed, then Black features are NOT desirable while white features ARE. You would also have to assume that if the world was reversed, that Blacks and other minority groups would be more than willing to oppress Whites if given that opportunity.

Conceivably, if the book had not reached the African-American community of readers, if such a category still exists, perhaps there might be some backlash. The first young African American reader who responded to me loved the book. But then, she’s the kind of free spirit who would eschew limiting herself to a single category. Ms.Foyt--the huffington post

This quote was taken from an article that she wrote in the Huffington Post. When I read it, it was hard for me to keep my composure. Is she saying that black people don't read enough to be labeled in a category? Is she trying to state that only a certain group of Black people are the ones that will "get" her book? Does that free spirited Black woman speak for all Black people?

Not too many years ago, I can imagine that this story might have generated heated comments about the sexualized fantasies about black men. And yeah, there was one. And having checked out that blogger, I strongly suspect that he belongs to a much older generation than young adults. Otherwise, I’m happily surprised to say there has been not a blip of protest.--Ms.Foyt--the huffington post

Crystal ball...crystal ball....

And there is reason to support my belief when you consider that the novel has won five literary awards, including the Eric Hoffer Best Young Adult Novel 2012 (Eric Hoffer was a great humanitarian), or that Marianne Williamson called it on her Facebook page, “A fascinating story…for lovers of all ages!” or that dozens of reviewers from the San Francisco Book Review to Fresh Fiction to many book bloggers have embraced it with glowing reviews.
And if you ask if all these reviewers are white then consider that you have a racist point of view.--Ms. Foyt-savethepeasrls.com--the website for the book....

 Ms. Foyt continues to defend her book, understandably so against the racist accusations. She cites the glowing reviews of her book as a reason why she feels that she is not racist, because if she were, then those reviews wouldn't exist. This is where her logic fails.

I don't think Ms. Foyt is racist, but she is terribly misguided. She really didn't think this book through, instead of just relying on that one African American that told her the book was all kinds of awesomeness. Race is still a very touchy subject and we should continue this dialogue for many years to come. We owe that much to our future generations. If I give Ms. Foyt credit for anything, she has brought the idea of white privilege to the forefront.

What Ms. Foyt doesn't understand is that turning the tables and reversing the roles does not help end racism. It encourages it. It simply shows that regardless of whichever group holds the reins to society, they will abuse their positions and eagerly become the oppressors. It contributes to this never ending cycle of racism that will be hard pressed to die out.

Should Amazon do the responsible thing and stop selling this book? Absolutely not. The Turner Diaries is blatantly racist and yet, it still sells. We can learn a lot from books like The Turner Diaries and even from Revealing Eden.

The lesson is that we've still got a long way to go.

Amazon, Reviews, and Twelve Year Olds

 Bad reviews can be hard to take at times, but unfair reviews shouldn't be tolerated at all.

I've done some research and learned how one bad review on Yelp could totally destroy someone's business, even if the review isn't fair. IN the link that I provided above, the author illustrated a perfectly good example of the unreasonable accommodations that most people are looking for.

Take for example Amazon.com. ePublishing has been a wonderful thing! It has taken the publishing decisions out the hands of the big publishing companies and given the power back to the writers. Writers, that could wallpaper their walls with rejection slips from the powerful literary agents and publishing houses, can now bypass that and take their books straight in the hands of the voracious readers. With the Kindle, many people are turning off their television sets and getting comfortable with a good book again. The E-Publishing business has opened many opportunities to writers that didn't exist in the past.

Now the bad. There are many publishing companies that refuse to market their books on Amazon for a variety of reasons. One of them being that people can write a review on your book without having purchased it! Now it's fine to review a book that you may have at home, purchased through other avenues, but is it really in your author's best interest to have people randomly writing reviews on books that they've never read?

Most people would argue and say that one bad review may not hurt you. That may or may not be true. But it could be devastating for an author that is starting out in the novel writing world. Many reviewers have stated that they look at negative reviews first before they read the positive. Again, I'm not advocating that there is anything wrong with this, but if the review is based on nonsense, then the review shouldn't stand.

I read a negative review once because the author dedicated her book to God. What did Amazon do? They let the negative review stand, even when it had NOTHING to do with the actual book.

Amazon is full of hit-or-miss reviewers complaining about books for a plethora of reasons; many being grammatical, syntax, or punctuation errors (the funny thing is, lots of those reviews are filled with grammatical, syntax, and punctuation errors themselves). Some even for book covers, formatting, or just down right mean and personal reviews that have no merit.

Oh yes, ePublishing can get pretty nasty! There was one romance author that went so far to track down a three star reviewer, that she had the reviewers address and place of employment. (Hey, people act really strange when you mess with someone's income)

Does Amazon have an obligation to authors or its buyers? Or both?

Personal attacks, reviews that are obscene, harassing, spiteful, or books that were NOT purchased by the reader should not be allowed on Amazon. Again, many publishers thought Amazon was insane for allowing some of these ridiculous negative reviews on their products stand.

ePublishing is a wonderful thing. Without it, some of my books wouldn't have seen the light of day. Amazon should probably revise their guidelines to get rid of some of these awful reviews. It's not fair to the author and ultimately, not fair to the reviewer. They just may pass on a fabulous find just to save a few ridiculous reviews.