Tayari's Blog: The Power of Amazon?
Posted by TayariJones on October 31, 2006 02:30 PM
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Bookshelf
I blogged a few weeks ago about The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue after discovering it on The Writers Block. I was so impressed that I recommended it to you and I have also assigned it to my students here at George Washington University. Today, as I was preparing for class, I was rooting about for some secondary sources for the discussion and I found out that the major reviewers pretty much ignored this novel when it was released, but amazon.com sent it directly to it's top reviewers and, as a result, The Stolen Child has rocketed to the top of the charts.
I am always heartened to hear of such back-door ways of publicizing a novel. At Tomales Bay last week, I met Donohue's agent who told me that The Stolen Child has sold 50,000 copies in hardcover.
My question to you is how much do you rely on amazon reviews when deciding to buy a book? Do you even check to see what the amazon best sellers are? Do you write amazon reviews on a regular basis?
I only write amazon reviews if I really like a book. If I want to give it three or fewer stars, I keep my opinions to myself. Of course I am entitled to my assessment of any book, but I don't feel obligated to publish them. Part of this may be due to the fact that I am liable to meet these authors in a social setting and I really don't want to chat about THAT over Chardonnay! But really, I don't know what is gained for me to pan someone else's book-- or even give it a lukewarm review. For a person in my position, that seems a little gratuitous. (Word to the wise: don't give an author three stars and then ask her for a favor three years later. She'll remember.)
As for reading Amazon reviews, I do check to see what other readers are saying. One thing I often do when I see a particularly bad review is check to see what other books that reader has reviewed. That list is often the shaker containing all of the grains of salt you'll need to understand the bad review!
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There are 2 comments on "The Power of Amazon?". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by Michael Fischer ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
On Amazon, I'm not sure I rely on the reviews more than I rely on the "customers who purchased this book also purchased these books” reference.
I've discovered a lot of great books via that reference, especially when it comes to short story collections, which obviously don't get as much publicity as novels.
October 31, 2006 08:43 PM
Comment #2, by Ladylee
Now, I must say that I have about 10 authors I really like and I buy their books the first week they come out... So I could care less about a review in those cases...
I also write reviews, although sparingly. But when I haven't read anything by an author, I read the Amazon reviews, and I must admit that if I see too many bad reviews, I keep it moving.
November 1, 2006 12:01 PM