Spot on, as usual, Mary Ann. I agree completely. Good or bad, reviews are the personal opinions of the finished product. Everyone is different, thank goodness, therefore there are bound to be many different opinions regarding the same work & authors should behave professionally. I’ve not yet written a novel, so I don’t know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a scathing one-star. I’m sure it will hurt, but I may also learn something.

I will say this, however. The one-stars I want to pounce all over as a reader, whether I know the author or not, are the ones in which the reviewer has not purchased the book & goes on a tirade regarding prices (generally “price set by publisher”). Not only does this unfairly drag down the author’s review average, it adds nothing to the discussion as to whether the book in question was good, bad, or otherwise. It’s quite possible I’m being petty about such things but, if you haven’t even bothered to actually read the book (I really don’t appreciate reviews in which the person admits they didn’t finish reading the whole thing), do the rest of us a favor & keep your yap shut on the official reviews. Rant all you wish to your friends on Facebook & Twitter about how much you deplore the “price set by publisher” pricing model, put it in your own blog, whatever. I don’t like that pricing model, either. Just keep that which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the author’s talent off the official review sites. As a reader, I find it distracting & more than a bit annoying. I’ve refrained thus far, but it makes me want to slam that “report abuse” button.

Wonderful points, as usual, Mary Ann. I agree. People vary as do their personal opinions. What one finds fabulous, another may find hideous. To each her/his own. Authors should conduct themselves in a professional manner.

As a reader, though, I do have a concern regarding reviews. It’s a behavior I personally feel is nearly as bad as an author throwing a tantrum over a less than stellar review. Recently, I’ve witnessed several authors having their star rating average trashed by folks who give one star while ranting about how they’ll never buy the book at such an outrageous price. This is generally seen on Amazon Kindle books that are listed as “price set by publisher”. I don’t care for that pricing model, either. From what I’ve read, it robs the author while the publisher rakes in the big bucks. That being said, though, is it fair to trash an author’s work when one hasn’t even read it? The price & someone’s refusal to pay it has nothing whatsoever to do with whether the book was good or bad if the person never read the book. In my opinion, this behavior is unfair to the author & to the reader who would like to see reviews from those who actually read the book in its entirety. The official review sites are no place for this hogwash. If someone wishes to complain about pricing, Tweet it, Facebook it, blog it, or write the publisher. It doesn’t belong in the starred reviews, though. I’ve felt like slamming the “report abuse” button on such reviews, but have restrained myself. I realize these people may be trying to make a statement regarding the pricing model. I simply don’t feel that the official review pages are the place to do so. What do you think of this trend?

They say when you have to defend your work, something is wrong. Find the truth in the comments, and keep your mouth shut.

Everyone wants great reviews, but there are people out there just itching to use what little power they have to put someone else down to make themselves feel, well, powerful.