Review: Great advice for authors and reviewers!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 9, 2013
4 1/2 stars.How to Get Good Reviews on Amazon:  A Guide for Independent Authors and Sellers by Theo Rogers is a terrific guide for any author who is trying to navigate the treacherous shoals of Amazon.  It is full of interesting insights and comments that combine practicality with good business advice.  There are comments and observations that should help authors searching for a way to reach reviewers and gives tips on how to evaluate the usefulness of their rankings on Amazon.  A lot of very pertinent information is available in a compact dissertation.As a reviewer, I am grateful for some of the hints that are couched in polite terms but which remind authors that there is an entire culture of reviewers out there with its own rules and conventions.  I was intrigued to recognize various positives and negatives that I have run into during my own experiences as a reviewer.  I am in the interesting position of having started as a reviewer and gradually branching out to become first a proofreader and then a copyeditor and editor.  I occasionally write a review for a work that I have worked on but I definitely will only do so if I have enjoyed the story.  Evidently, that is considered a no-no by Amazon but I find it to be a matter of ethics and I certainly would not praise a book that I don't think is worth it.  It disturbs me that this could potentially harm the author and I will have to ponder what I will do about the reviews I have already posted.  I really appreciated the reminder to authors that most reviewers write reviews as a hobby but that we take ourselves seriously and devote countless hours to doing this therefore it behooves the author to be respectful of our time and preferences.  The only thing I really don't quite agree with is the role of 5 star reviews as I rarely confer those, even though I really like a work but that is why I personally give 4.5 stars to many of the titles that I have enjoyed.  I think this is a great work that both authors and reviewers would benefit from reading.A copy of this title was provided to me in return for an honest review.