t walks in and sits down on fence

On the one hand, I understand where Deb is coming from, especially because I intend to be a published person from whom this is more than theoretical myself, in due time.

OTOH, I've never paid close attention to Amazon reader reviews precisely because it's such a big random place. I get better recommendations here, or on the All About Romance site, because I can better judge the context and relevance to my tastes. I've never written an Amazon review, but if I did I'd probably do it as "a reader from Seattle," unless there's some way to avoid it being linked to my profile and wish list, which deliberately use my real name to allow friends and family to know for sure it's me.

What I do use Amazon ratings for is for non-media products like kitchen and baby gear, because then they're actually useful--things are more likely to get one star because they're crap that breaks easily than because someone is carrying out a personal vendetta.

Then why post reviews? Answer: you don't. So we aren't talking about you, even hypothetically, right?

No, no, no -- you're positing causality where there is none. Fact A: I don't want a rep. Fact B: I don't write reviews.

What does not wanting a rep imply? That I'll maintain my anonymity.

What is the reason I don't write reviews? Because I don't think I have anything to say that anyone wants to hear.

However, if I read and had an epiphany (I'd say I might say something about Mojo: Conjure, like "about time!"), especially if it was one that ran counter to most of the other reviews, I would say something.

Anonymously.

Susan, since you're going to need to do it from the published writer's POV at sometime in the near future, here's a horrifying heads up:

Editors read the Amazon reviews. So do agents. About the only person they discount entirely is Harriet Klausner.

Here's a little example. My friend Lauren (we share an agency) has a nicely-selling thing out called The Thin Pink Line. Someone wrote a review up at Amazon, saying they wouldn't recommend it because the protagonist wasn't sympathetic enough. Lauren, who had heard it before and didn't particularly want the lead to be too sympathetic, made a mental note and moved on.

Literally later that day, Lauren got a call from her editor, who had the MS for the second book on her desk. Had Lauren considered making the lead more sympathetic? When taxed with it, she admitted she'd been reading the Amazon reviews and got worried.

Not theoretical for the writer. Not a game. Not a passing amusement. To us, this stuff matters. And I don't mind a bad review (ok, I do, but you know what I mean, right?), but I do want to be able to link who is saying what, so that I can use the info, or not, when I'm working and editing.

However, if I read and had an epiphany (I'd say I might say something about Mojo: Conjure, like "about time!"), especially if it was one that ran counter to most of the other reviews, I would say something.

Anonymously.

Cool. Any irritation and/or jubilation caused thereby would be between you and the creator.

Seriously - an editor will pay attention to one review on Amazon? I guess in some cases it makes sense... because there are only a few reviews...

beth, Ruth tells me they read all the reviews at Amazon, to "get a feel for how the public is taking the work."

If Lauren had ten reviews, all loving the book, and one review with a specific reason for disliking it attached - guess which one sticks in their head?

Ok, I may have to start doing it, at least with new books. Understanding Deb's wig...some of those are...less than thoughtful, to put it mildly...I'd hate to trust my rep to them.

"get a feel for how the public is taking the work."

Wow. That's some seriously flawed sampling.

Wrod, wrod with sprinkles on it. Cause I read stuff all different places and can't really afford to shop Amazon anymore.

Wow. That's some seriously flawed sampling

Aint it just? Now slip into my Pradas for a second, and consider that unless the sales are completely over to the top out of the gate on a given book, those reviews might sway my editor against buying the next one.

Scary, no?