When you read a book and you notice a misspelled word or a typo do you blame the author? Do you blame the editor or proofreader? How about punctuation? Whose fault is it if the punctuation doesn't conform to your standards? (ie; Oxford vs AP, vs Chicago style…)
The answer is unfortunately — the author gets blamed. Even though he/she paid a proofreader, an Editor, a formatter, and a cover designer, marking a book back one point (from 5 to 4) make a big difference in an author’s paycheck. You are blaming an author for someone else's oversight or confusion. Maybe the reviewer is wrong?
Here’s a good example of how an editor or reviewers ignorance changes the value of a novel. It has caused me to be criticized and marked down many times.
SULL (NOT PULL)= the action by an animal to being restrained by a lariat, a collar or harness. It’s a western word that is used by people familiar with livestock - horses, cows, goats, dogs, and even cats. Look for it in the dictionary and it’s not there. Why? BECAUSE — people who publish dictionaries aren't familiar with the western world as we know it. The word has been around for a long time. I heard my great grandfather use it when I was just a small child. Don’t mark me down because of your ignorance!
COMMAS: It’s a matter of opinion. Which is correct? He ate the meat, potatoes, and the bread. He ate the meat, the potatoes and the bread.
The answer of course is BOTH. It depends on your education and training as to which style you use. Gene Small, my HS English teacher, told me to pick one and stay consistent. Marking an author down because of punctuation is just mean!
Same with the covers or style or sexual content. If you don’t like it… here’s an idea DON’T REVIEW — leave it alone!
Pure vs convoluted — When you go to the Kindle New Releases on Amazon and look at the review section. A pure review is ZERO. No reviews — it’s just been released (like JUNGLE GIRL yesterday.) that’s pure. When you see a new release with 78 reviews or even 10. That’s convoluted. PHONY REVIEWS to make an author more salable. I don’t subscribe to this; too much a cowboy purist in me, I guess.
Reviews weaponized: I loaned a guy several thousand dollars when I lived in Panama. He never paid me back. So, I would write him often and chastise him about his debt. He began buying my books and leaving scathing bad reviews. Marking me at 1 every time. I complained to Amazon and eventually after showing copies of my letters and his purchases (normally my free offers) and the pattern created, they block him. But they never reversed the 1’s — my average was knocked to it’s knees on several titles.
Don’t like the cover but never read the book? Yep, that happens more than you think. No problem until you leave a nasty review about the book cover and admit you have not read the book. This has happened more than once in my short Amazon association.
Here's a couple of examples -- actual word for word from the novel reviews.
Drucilla Graham
1.0 out of 5 starscover
January 17, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
Love native American books I always look at the cover the cover of this book is puzzling. I know you can not judge a book by its cover. But it show a native American but the son who is a half breed looks black and is mother is white? Because the mother is white the son should be light .he is darker then his father. I am a logical person and see book covers in a logical way. To me the covers should represent what's in the book. I will read the book and review the book by its story.
Les
3.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining Western.
August 25, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is a Western and I found it to be entertaining. The story itself was interesting enough to maybe warrant four stars, but the presentation was rough and would have benefited from some professional editing and proofing.
2 people found this helpful
SO THERE IS MY REVIEW OF REVIEWERS. As a whole they are honest people but are ignorant as to the ramifications of the effect on author's sales and consequently their income. (End of whine)
Average reviews on Amazon. 1= horrible, 5= highest rating.
1. CRYSTAL COWBOY 4.6
2. PARTNERS 4.6
3. UNTAMED 4.8
4. ALASKA BE DAMNED 4.7
5. TRES PIEDRAS 5.0
6. LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM 4.8
7. TRUST ME 5.0
8. BOOMER 4.7
9. EXPAT 4.6
10. TUCSON TERRITORY 4.8
11. MURDER IN PANAMA 4.9
12. SHOOTER 4.6
13. HALF BREED 4.8
14. HART RULES 5.0
15. REVOLUTION OF FOOLS 4.7
16. JIMMY HART TRILOGY 5.0
17. COIN OF THE REALM 5.0
18. PEPPER PYLE 5.0
19. UNBROKEN 5.0
20. WILSON’S WAR 5.0
21. BROKEN BADGE NEW
22. KID MUSTANG 5.0
23. SHANIKO SAM NEW
24. MOSTLY MOABLY 5.0
25. SECOND VERSE 5.0
26. COUNTERFEIT KATHOLIC 5.0
27. WILLFUL IGNORANCE 5.0
28. RING OF FIRE NEW
29. COTUN BAWLS NEW
30. MIND YORE MANNERS NEW
31. WILDERNESS COWBOY NEW
32. BAD MANNERS NEW
33. SLAUGHTER AT STINKING SPRINGS NEW
34. OBSIDIAN ASTEROID NEW
35. DIAMONDS IN THE DARK NEW
36. JUNGLE GIRL 4.0
37. SIEGE AT JUNTURA NEW
38. FORBIDDEN FRUIT NEW
39. KNIGHT TRANE NEW
40. BLOOD BATH NEW
