'The Message'
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
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?
Very. Especially when they look like THIS!! so often.
They look at all sorts of information sources, mind you - not only Amazon.
But because Amazon has the most "visible" of saleschecks, in both the author ranking (never mind that sometimes they don't update for days) and the reviews, it's one of the biggies.
But how does attaching a name to the review which criticized Lauren's characterization make it more valid or more damaging? Either it's a sensible comment, or it's not; either the editor is paying too much attention to it, or they're not.
once again -- I think it is a consistancy thing. If you can see other reviews by that person , an editor can make a real judgement-- not just a paniced reaction.
Micole, I brought up the example of Lauren's editor wanting her to rewrite because of an Amazon review only as an example of the fact that those reviews have weight with editors.
My desire for consistency or continuity by people who take the trouble to write a review, so that I can use those feedback instances while working? Totally different thing, personal to me. Only thing they have in common is, both are Amazon.