From a new review of my novel, The Recluse Storyteller: “This is one time the 4 and 5 star reviews were right on. I loved this book.”

That made me laugh. And smile. And laugh some more. And then it made me ponder the Amazon rating system.

First off, I’m thrilled that the reviewer loved my book. He obviously has been burnt before by misleading reviews, and when I looked over some of his other reviews that was the case. I saw several poor reviews that he given books in the past, indicating that he had downloaded them for free, based upon the positive reviews. When he got into the book, however, the reviews didn’t seem to line up with his expectations.

This is an issue with Amazon reviews. It’s not always easy to know the source of those reviews. Perhaps the author is just using a pseudonym or maybe someone’s mother is showing her hometown pride.

As an author, I am dedicated to real reviews by real people. Sure, some people I know have reviewed my books. It’s certainly their right. I appreciate any review that is honest, and that’s the truth. The last thing I ever want to do is bring in a reader through an insincere review. I’m in this authorship thing for the long haul, and I want to find readers who like my stories and who will stick with me as well. Gimmicks and insincerity just isn’t going to do it.

That’s why I loved this short review. He acknowledged that the positive reviews given were indeed backed up by the writing. What else could a writer want?

Not everyone will like my stories or enjoy my writing style, and that’s fine. But when I find people who do, it’s pretty special and makes all the hours of writing well worth it.

I promise real stories. I promise real reviews. Nothing more. Nothing less.