Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Rating your own books 5 stars--yay, or nay?

There's been a bit of a buzz lately on one of the writing loops I belong to about this very topic.

Some people say they've given their own novels 5 stars on various places, because they love their work and feel they have a right to cast their vote like anyone else.

Me? I won't be doing this when my books come out. Here's why:

1--I wrote the book. I'm naturally biased, because I think I'm brilliant. LOL. So where's my fairness in rating my own stuff? Sorry, but of course I want my book to have the highest ratings possible. (Hey, at least I freely admit it. Don't judge me!)

2--It smacks of desperation (and tackiness, if I can be honest), even if that's not your intent. If you need to rate your own material to help boost your ratings, perhaps send it out to more reviewers instead of "skewing" the results to your favor.

I'd love to hear arguments for both sides, so what do you guys think? Rating your own books--good or bad idea? Dish it, yo!

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:13 AM

    I wouldn't rate my own book this way, although I wouldn't be ashamed of mentioning the link where it could be rated to friends who I know would give me a good rating. ;) LOL! Of course, I wouldn't ask them to give me 5 stars...I'd only mention that the rating scheme was available and if they wanted, they could rate it.

    I know that people have said that they don't see it as any different than voting for yourself in an election. Personally, I don't see that as the same thing at all.

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  2. eh. I won't be rating my own books. That said, if my hubby wants to rate me, (and he'd better rate me high) then I have no problem with that.

    I also don't plan to respond publicly to any review--good, mediocre, or bad. That just never turns out well for the author. (remind me I said this when i get my first bleh review and I start spouting off the desire to respond, mkay?)

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  3. Anonymous11:40 AM

    Mel, you can vent to us...just not on the blog. LOL!

    (Of course, your work is brilliant, so of course that reviewer will be wrong. ;) )

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  4. I don't comment on or rate my own books. I'm totally biased and it isn't a fair vote. I don't reply to reviews either, other then to thank them for reading it, if I know it will be accepted in the meaning that it was given. Some reviewers don't like contact at all. That's fine with me.

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  5. When you say rate...where are you talking about?

    Like on Amazon or Fictionwise? I won't have a roblem clicking the stars. I wouldn't review or comment my own book, though.

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  6. Can't people tell if you've rated your own book? I'd be afraid that someone would be able to trace it back to me, and then I'd look foolish.

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  7. I wouldn't rate my own book on Amazon, certainly. (I don't really know how all the other systems work, so I can't comment on them!)

    And I'm also not comfortable asking people to review my book on Amazon...that always feels a bit like rigging an election, to me. Then again, I'm totally okay with the whole mentioning the concept in a holiday letter or a post, without any hinting, nudging, or the like going on. :-)

    Cara

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  8. Anonymous7:01 PM

    That's what I would think, Lucinda.

    I mean, sure, I'm proud of my book and think I'm brilliant. So of course I think it's 5 stars. But actually rating yourself 5 stars?

    *shakes head*

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  9. You can think you are great all you want. You HAVE to think that to succeed in this biz. Therefore we all KNOW we think it, so just keep it to yourself. :)

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  10. Anonymous11:50 AM

    I do agree that it looks tacky, regardless of the author's intentions. I made that mistake once, when I was playing around with the rating system on Goodreads. But then I figured out how to wipe my rating, and that's what I'm doing from now on.

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  11. I agree, authors shouldn't rate their own books--it does look fishy & desperate.

    I also get irritated when authors on Goodreads recommend their own books during discussions (sometimes even starting their own threads i.e. good books about elephants. I've written a great book about elephants. Ugh!)

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  12. I'm against it. When I was in that Amazon contest a lot of people were rating their own entries. I didn't get it.

    Now, getting friends who aren't exactly unbiased to rate your books... I think that's okay. So obviously my ethics line isn't too far out... but I would draw it at rating my own book.

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