Bloggers Unite™ discussion

I have been noticing a lot of authors rating and reviewing their own books here on Good Reads. Am I the only one who is annoyed with that practice? I don't think that is an ethical practice but I would love to hear other people opinions on it.

Hi Teddy,

I am an author and I really don't like that authors rate their own books. I'm wondering if Goodreads makes you do that when you list them.

The problem with rating them is . . . really, what other than a high rating would an author give to their own books? And, this wouldn't really be a fair rating for the reader if they always mark them five stars. Having said that, I might have in the past rated a few of my books when I list them.

I'd be interested in knowing how authors can list without rating.

Good topic, Keta Diablo
http://www.ketadiablo.com

It is not about an ethical issue. It is nothing wrong with it. You can plainly see that it is the author there are no hidden motives. Now if it is an author that has different names and are rating more than once then that matters. I rated mine because I am proud of my work, but I also wrote underneath that this is not a review. It is my book. It wasn't about trying to do anything wrong. We are on here with each other and we interact and we promote to each other. If it was Amazon I would understand a little better because it is more impersonal. That's my thought on it. But, please always stay true to your beliefs. If it is unethical to you then stay true to that and don't do it.
You can list your book as an author and not rate it. Are you listed as a goodreads author?

Hi Sholanda, Points well taken. I totally understand, but think from a reader's perspective, this inflates the overall rating of a book.

I firmly believe that readers have a right to honest reviews/ratings since they're spending money on the books.

I know what you're saying. It would be so difficult to rate your own book a three or a four (doesn't say much, does it?) But on the other hand, I wish there was a way authors could list the books and NOT rate them at all. Let the reviewers and bloggers decide whether the book merits a five or a one.

Happy writing, Shalonda, Keta

I don't understand the 'list the books' part of this discussion. I'm an author. I signed on as a Goodreads author. I told them the books I've written with no need to review them. In fact, there are no reviews of them on Goodreads (feel free to rectify that for me).

Someone please enlighten me.

Jacqui,

It's been a while since I've had to list one of my books on Goodreads as I have help with that now, but thinking back when I did list them, I can't remember if you have to rate them as you list them. Perhaps you don't, and you can just list your books. I thought a box came up that says, Have you read this? Are you currently reading it? do you own it? etc. That's all I was saying. Is it required you must rate a book when you list it?

I still don't think authors should rate their own books five stars as this would be skewed rating and not totally helpful to the reader who is selecting books. She/he could, however, look at the other reviews on the books from readers on Goodreads.

I'm not fond of the practice of authors rating/reviewing their own books for exactly the same reasons that Keta mentioned. I can't imagine any author in their right mind giving their own book less than five stars, which to my way of thinking skews the rating in their favor especially if there aren't many other ratings for the book in question. As a reader, I find authors rating their own books completely unhelpful, because it's a given that they would rate their own work highly. I can see Shalonda's point about it not necessarily being unethical as long as the author isn't using multiple accounts to inflate the rating even further, but I guess I do find it to be a bit pretentious. There was a lengthy discussion on this very topic a while back in the GR Feedback group. I can't seem to find it now, but as I recall Otis said that if the president can vote for himself that GR authors should be allowed to rate their own book. This is admittedly a compelling argument, however the president does have millions of people voting whereas the books here at GR may have extremely few. As an aspiring writer, I can't see myself rating my own book if it were ever published just for the reasons I mentioned above.

I admit I freely rate my own books but I don't pretend to be anything other than the author. As you said, even a political leader is allowed to vote for themselves and I also believe in the books I write (if I didn't, why would I want others to?) Any "review" I list is almost always a synopsis.

I would love to have others review my books as well - hopefully the reviews would be good, but if not good, honest and helpful (I dislike mean-spirited intentions). I find it useful to hear constructive criticism along with ego-inflating praise. While I can't change what is already out there, I do keep things in mind when I write more.

I am sorry if my rating my own books is offensive - I don't limit my efforts to only my own books though so I try not to be simply "me-me". This subject is indeed thought provoking.

Hi Chelle, how are U? In no way am I trying to disparage authors who do this. I think perhaps I did when I first started listing because I thought we had to. It's somewhat of a touchy subject. Authors aren't trying to fool readers at all, but on the other hand readers have a right to read honest, fair reviews.

I'm with you, Chelle; I don't like reviews that slant toward the personal, either against the author or the publisher, and we've seen lots of those. Thankfully, I've seen very, very little of this on Goodreads. Readers here are candid without belittling.

We know reviews are subjective. What one person loves, another dislikes. That's the nature of the beast.

Happy writing, Chelle,

Keta
http://www.ketadiablo.com

One of my fellow authors said to me, when we both had our first books published and were nervously waiting for reviews, that just like we aren't interested in reading every book in a bookstore, neither should we expect everyone to want to read our books. It's a good thing to keep in mind and certainly helpful when you do receive less than the best in a review.

I find this topic interesting because I seriously had just assumed all writers rated themselves, lol.

Chelle
http://chellecordero.com

Hey, Chelle, I linked you to Keta's Keep, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com under "Keta's Author Friends" on the right-hand side bar.

Hope it brings you traffic. Can you link me too?

Namaste, Keta

I have seen authors rating and reviewing their books on Amazon.com too. I think it is not the best practice.

I saw one author on Amazon rate his own book. Even though he came clean that he was the author, he got flailed by other commenters. If I'd ever considered rating my own book, that certainly scared me off. I don't get enough reviews for one to get hidden in the pile.

I haven't ever done that, but if I get a review from a blogger or a professional site and I have their permission, I would post that on there, but always, always put my name as the poster and tell them where they can find the review through a link. That's only fair to all concerned.

Keta

Authors are biased about their own books, understandably. We fall in love with our characters and the story. You know that, right? All authors think they've written the best book (lol) And what a shock it is to find out, Hey, this is NOT the best book I've ever read (Keta laughing). It's ingrained in us and hard to step back objectively and take a deep look like readers do. No author writes tiwht the intention of writing a bad book. But sometimes it just happens; the book doesn't click for one reason or another. I let reviews roll off my shoulders. They are subjective. The only way we can survive in this tough business.

Happy Reading, Keta

Done, with pleasure.

Chelle
http://chellecordero.com

Keta wrote: "Hey, Chelle, I linked you to Keta's Keep, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com under "Keta's Author Friends" on the right-hand side bar.

Hope it brings you traffic. Can you link me too?

Namaste, Keta
"

Otis made a good point. In a democracy, everyone is entitled to one vote. I don't think GoodReads authors should be required to recuse themselves. That's taking modesty too far.

I do agree that an author ought to show her own name/face with her review, and not try to pretend that the 5-star rating was from anyone else.

If 5-stars from the author was par for the course, it would hardly matter.

Maybe rating one's own book isn't ideal, but there are other uses/abuses which are equally likely to skew ratings in either direction. Some have been mentioned.

There are authors who appear to give the lowest possible star rating to all their perceived rivals. There are also the flame attacks where groups of anonymous "readers" all post very similar, harsh reviews of books.

There are Amazon readers who give a low star rating without reading the book (or only reading the back cover copy, or a couple of pages.

There are also the "Worst Book Ever Written" polls.

In the end, it all comes down to "buyer beware" (and do your own research at least as far as reading an excerpt, or a chapter) because everyone's taste is personal.

Hey everybody. I am glad that this is a good, healthy conversation without anything extra :-) I do understand all points. I just wanted to point out that if the author sets the ratings at five stars, that one rating will not keep the ratings average from being adjusted as others rate. For example my book PurposeFull You. I did add a rating of 5 but with everyone else and their honest reviews, I have a rating now that reflects those ratings and I got things to work on editing too! :-) Just a thought.

OK, I was trying not to get into this because I too rate my own novels. And I take exception to that 'author in their right mind' comment. I rated my debut novel, Ace of Hearts 4 stars because it was my 1st & I feel there can always be room for improvement. Authors, if you don't grow & learn as you write, what's the point?

I apologize if I offended with that comment, Jean. Perhaps I could have stated that a bit more gently, but I only meant it as a figure of speech. Up to now, every time I've seen an author give themselves a rating it has always been 5 stars. Like Keta said it is only natural that an author would fall in love with their own story and as a consequence be biased and want to give it a high rating. That was what I had in mind when I made my comment. You are the first author I've encountered who has rated her own book less than 5 stars. It seems that you have a very healthy attitude and are thinking objectively about your work, which I can appreciate.

It's okay, Julie, as an author I've developed a pretty thick skin & no apology was necessary, but thanks. I guess this time I'm the exception to the rule, so I wasn't offended, in fact, I'm rather pleased withh myself, really!
Take care & keep reading,
Jean

Thanks to this discussion, I went to check my bookshelves (I did give myself 5s) and I discovered that my bookshelves appear to have been hacked.

Does anyone else have books they've never read and never intend to read on their shelves?

Rowena, there are one or two books I can't believe I read, but no, all of the books listed on my shelf are authentic.

Jean and all, while I admit I've rated all of my books on GoodReads as 5, I know that I rated one of my earlier books only a 4 on Amazon (or maybe B&N?) for the same reason - it was an early attempt and I felt I could do better.

Personally I like to see an author rating his/her own book - as a reader it tells me the author believes that the book is good.

Hi all! I am an author and didn't have to rate my book when I listed it. I decided to list my book since it is from a small publisher and it will be a while before it is offered on Amazon. Goodreads, I believe, has a direct feed to Amazon, so for authors who have books for sale on Amazon, they eventually end up on here and you just link your name to them. I didn't want to wait (my book Dark Harmony released from Red Sage on Jan 2, 2010). I don't think I would feel comfortable giving it a rating - because of course I would think it was awesome, at least until my next book comes out, LOL!

Lilly
www.lilly cain.com

OK, you-all have inspired me. I'm going into my bookshelves and rate all my books as 5's. Maybe that'll drum up some business...

Jacqui wrote: "OK, you-all have inspired me. I'm going into my bookshelves and rate all my books as 5's. Maybe that'll drum up some business..."

lol!

Nanette wrote: "Hi everyone,

I think it's okay to rate your own book to start the ball rolling. I actually rated one of my books less than 5 stars, because I believe my other books were better.

best,
nanette"

I agree. But you know I understand both views. I just know that if an author rates their book and someone else rates it lower, it will all even out anyway. Peace

Personally, I think it's a little tacky. But at the same time, I understand being proud of your accomplishments. However, I haven't really come across this practice with the authors I read.

I want to thank everyone for their thoughtful responses. I asked the question because I believe that it is a conflict of interest to rate their own books. I know not all authors that rate their own books rate as a five but I still think it is a conflict. I usually avoid books that authors have rated themselves, unless I see other high ratings with written reviews.

I like to know why a person rated a book the rating they chose. Their likes and dislikes for a book. That is helpful to someone like me who is picking a book to read out of the millions of books out there.

Nanette,

I want know why a person rated the book the way they did with whatever rating. Even 1 or 2.



Nanette wrote: "Hi Shalonda,

thanks for your thoughts..very true.

To Teddy,

what about people who always rate books with 2 or 3 stars with no review or explanat

nanette"

I just kind of roll my eyes when I notice that an author has rated their own book. I just kind of ignore it. I rarely pay attention to the overall ratings, and if I know one of those five stars is from the author, I just kind of brush it off... I do sometimes like reading what they say in a review though, especially a synopsis for a book I haven't heard much about. It's always interesting to see how their synopsis and other's summaries differ.

I did notice for one author- His novel was very recently released so he added a review (no rating) and listed what other reviewers had said on other review sites. I thought this was a good idea for a book that wasn't well known. It allows the author to let people know what other's thought about the book without being overly pretentious.

I find it a little odd but each to his own, I guess. Most authors I see rating their book clearly state in the review area that it is their book, so it doesn't bother me too much.

My own policy would be to add the book to my shelves, but not rate it.

I wanted to add my first novel to my personal shelves (because as well as writing it, I have read it recently!) but I assumed it would be against the purpose of the site for me to give it a star rating or a review, so I didn't. That does mean it's the only book on my list that I haven't rated :)

Rachel, even though you wrote the book, you've read it as well. If you want to rate your own book, go right on ahead. There isn't anything wrong with that.

Rachel wrote: "I wanted to add my first novel to my personal shelves (because as well as writing it, I have read it recently!) but I assumed it would be against the purpose of the site for me to give it a star ra..."

I rated my book for the simple reason that it might draw attention to the book. There is not a review and I would think that if someone was trying to be deceptive and lead everyone down a "fool's gold road" they would put down a written review.

I honestly don't see a problem with the practice since or if the people coming behind me do an honest review of the book.

I don't mind if authors rate their own books; I've done it to mine (and not always five stars). New books and lesser known books can use the jumpstart to get noticed. But I don't think an author should give their own book a written review.

Chelle wrote: "I admit I freely rate my own books but I don't pretend to be anything other than the author. As you said, even a political leader is allowed to vote for themselves and I also believe in the books I..."

Think of a review like being on a jury. Lots of different opinions because backgrounds of each juror vary so much. A victim of rape feels differently than a nun about punishing the rapist.

An author's review should identify the author and be more like a pitch, less an exposition of the writing 'value.' Goodreads prompts you to rate every book, and I have five-starred my three, but they are, after all, that good. LOL.

Reading is personal, and a reader's reaction to a book is reflective of that reader's life experience. So if we are all different, some people won't like my books. I'm okay with that. One five star review in a group of reviews hardly skews the review process. And of course it would be dishonest to post under a different name or somehow rig the ratings with multiple reviews. I'm not smart enough to figure that out. AND I'm too busy writing the next book.

Finally a word to reviewers from a very thick-skinned author, try not to write glowing review and then give it a low star rating because you didn't like one of the characters for making a decision you disgreed with. If an author's written a book that held your attention, shone light on an experience you feel is significant, created memorable characters, tell other readers that, and your opinion that you disagreed with the bum of a husband who left his wife, but don't lower the ranking of the book because of that. Thanks.

The ones I've seen where authors have reviewed/rated their own books in which they talk about how great and amazing they are, etc. sound like to me that they just need a big slice of humble pie. I find those a bit tacky.

It's one thing to put up a review (without the star rating) in order to promote, respond to other reviews, or something along those lines... but I can't stand arrogance. No matter how good you may really be.

Hi!
I've been on GR for 2.5 yrs and only recently became an author. I figured that gives me a unique perspective on this, because I can understand both the author and readers point of view.
Firstly, I have always found it irritating when authors send random messages promoting their books. Getting people who push their books at you can be annoying and can make it seem like other authors are doing the same. I agree that when an author waxes on and on about how great their books is... it makes me question the book. lol

As an author, there are several reasons why authors rate their own book (I am not speaking about reviewing, since I think authors should only do that if they are trying to pass on information.)

1.) A recent change to GR, when we add our books... GR prompts us to add our book and put it into shelves. This serves multiple purposes. It lets the authors fans, followers, and friends know the book has been added. The other reason, is so that when a reader adds the book to their shelves, they get an idea of which shelves to add it to.

2.) We don't HAVE to rate our book. However, we obviously have to put "read" and I don't know about everyone else, but I can't stand having a book on my read shelf that does not have a rating.

3.) Why we give it 5 stars. We put our heart and soul into our books. They are a part of us. Think of it this way, if we didn't love our own books enough to give it 5 stars... would you even bother? That isn't to say that we aren't aware there are flaws. EVERY author has flaws in their writing. I love my husband and would give him 5 stars (lol), but I am aware of his faults. ;)

4.) I don't know about everyone else, but as a reader... if a book doesn't have a rating... I pass it by. lol

In my case, it has nothing to do with arrogance or whatnot. I am actually extremely insecure about my writing. I've been writing my whole life, but I rarely shared my work with anyone. I wouldn't even let my husband read my work. lol Then one day, I decided I needed to stop hiding. I started small. When I had to write a narrative essay for a class, I made it more creative and personal. My professor told me it was won of the most amazing stories she ever read. Then I let some friends read small clips and some strangers. Finally, I took the leap and decided to publish my books. So, far the people who have read my book are amazed that I never allowed people to read my work.

Basically, what I am trying to say... is that putting myself out there is difficult. In a way, rating my own book is forcing myself to believe IN myself.

I can't say that this is how it is for everyone. This is just in my case.

Oh, and just a note: I hope no one takes this as an angry post or anything. Just being informative and trying to give you a different POV. :) I'm sure some authors are doing it for the wrong reasons, but I want you to be aware that some of us do it for the right reasons.

I NEVER attempt to promote my book, unless there is a thread that specifically states for me to post my book. I never send people promotional emails or join groups to promote my book. I would never give myself a review or be dishonest. ;) But again, this is my case. I don't know about anyone else. ;)

To promote one's own book is like being a carnival barker---what most writers hate! But to sustain their existence as a writer, I can understand why, as distasteful as this is.

As for me, I let my readers and reviewers promote my current novel. Two reviewer's (at least) have given my book a 5 star rating and I'll go with that for promotion.

I completely agree. As a reader on GR, I tend to get irritable if someone random emails me about their book. If it's a friendly email and the mention of the book is an after thought, I don't mind it as much...

I don't even mention my book in emails, just my website. If the reader is interested enough, it's not that difficult finding out about the novel, and its reviews on Goodreads or Amazon.

Gerald wrote: "I don't even mention my book in emails, just my website. If the reader is interested enough, it's not that difficult finding out about the novel, and its reviews on Goodreads or Amazon."

I'm not saying you do. lol Just saying I understand why some GR members get hostile towards authors. I'm an author myself, but I can also understand the other point of view. I really horrible with promoting, because I feel almost guilty. I think it's cause I am shy. However, I get wickedly excited when people mention my book. :)

Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out clearly.
I understand the need for some promotion, as well as being proud of your work.. and with the GR system, I also understand that rating is sometimes done just to be done (whether for personal reasons or just because an author has to rate it in order to put it up on the site).
What I meant is that I have seen some reviews from authors that were extremely arrogant. So much so that it almost made me stop reading anymore of their future work. Yes, the author may be that good.. but was it really necessary to have that attitude? There's a difference in being positive and proud of yourself for your published work (and stating that in the "review" you post) or just being clearly arrogant.

I'm an aspiring author working to get published myself. I know that when I get there, I'll likely rate as well just because I'll be proud. I do agree with you, J.D. :) And it is hard to put yourself out there. I was the same way for a long time myself. Only in the last couple of years did I finally let other people start reading my work as well. Haha.

And as a book blogger/reviewer, I don't mind authors promoting their books to me- as long as they're aware of what I'm looking for and don't try to spam me with something completely out of my genre of reading.

Once again, my above comment wasn't mean to sound harsh. I was just saying some of the ones I've read are a bit tacky.

Pixie

Pixie wrote: "Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out clearly.
I understand the need for some promotion, as ..."

Oh, don't worry. I didn't take it badly. I just wanted to explain why some authors do it. Before I added my book onto GR, I used to wonder the same thing. lol Really, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad about your comment. Just trying to explain it all. :)

I can understand authors talking about their book and that they think its great, but I also understand why it would bother you. I mean, when an author builds their book up so much, it's bound to be a disappointment because you start to expect too much. It also makes them seem insincere. I guess, I always think back to how authors are their own worst critics. I feel that this is usually true. It's difficult to believe in yourself and no matter how many times people you know say that you are an amazing writer, you never truly believe it. It's different when strangers tell you it. I get bubbly when someone I don't know talks about how great my writing is. :)

Aspiring writer? What do you write? My books are mostly paranormal, but I have one series that is a Fantasy (elves, etc). I suggest you try to publish something soon. It's a writers market and publishing is changing drastically right now. Traditional publishers are having difficulty jumping onto the ebook train, which is a huge mistake on their parts. Bookstores are closing and more people are turning to ereaders. Even people who said that they could NEVER imagine switching to ereaders, are loving them.
I'm one of those. lol I am obsessed with my Nook. I went into a B&N a few months ago. A worker was trying to sell a Nook to a middle aged man. He wasn't buying it because there were a lot of questions she didn't know the answer to. I ended up helping him and the manager said I should be selling their Nooks! lol

J.D. wrote: "Gerald wrote: "I don't even mention my book in emails, just my website. If the reader is interested enough, it's not that difficult finding out about the novel, and its reviews on Goodreads or Ama..."

J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out clearly.
I understand the need for some ..."

Yes, I agree with you about that. :)

And I write mostly paranormal fantasy, and horror. Usually my characters are vampires or something of that sort. My currently finished novel is YA paranormal/fantatasy. I understand the writer's market is a tough one right now. :/ But I'll keep trying, thanks. :)

Haha, I was the same way with ereaders. I never imagined being someone who would own one, and what do I do? I get one for the first time finally just this past May. :P I love it, too. But at the same time, I'm keeping a nice balance. I still buy a lot of hardcopies as well. I like ebooks okay enough. They're great for convenience and space but if I have a choice, I go for the hardcopy in most cases. I do love my ereader, too, though! :P

Pixie wrote: "J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out clearly.
I understand the n..."

I have to ask, which ereader do you have?

J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out clearly.
I un..."

Haha.. I have a Literati Color Wireless (Powered by Kobo).
I wanted a Nook. But my Kobo was an early birthday present (like a few months early because birthday is in September haha) and well, I'm not going to complain when I get a gift- especially something like that. It's actually rather good. I like it. :)

Pixie wrote: "J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "J.D. wrote: "Pixie wrote: "Oh.. I hope my comment didn't sound harsh. I hadn't meant for it to if it did. I don't think I got the meaning of what I was trying to say out ..."
I've seen those, but never tried one. Everyone always recommends the Kindle, but I LOVE my Nook. lol I don't think I could ever go back to print books. What formats does the Literati accept?