March 1, 2012
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Rating Erotica
So, I’ve had my Nook for a while now, probably about a month…but I hadn’t done much. I downloaded a couple of games and a few books, subscribed to two magazines. The other night I was browsing the ebooks under $5 and free ebooks. I was a bit surprised that there was erotica, but I shouldn’t have been. I didn’t pause at any of them, because they were all rated 3 stars or less, so I didn’t bother, thinking they were badly written.
Tonight, I decided to take a look at a couple of them, and read the reviews. I was quite irritated when I read them. The point of reviewing and rating a book is NOT to complain that it’s disgusting or not your style. You know very well what it is, so why bother downloading it and “reviewing” it? It’s sad for the author to have to have poor customer ratings on their work simply because people are rating it that shouldn’t be. The REAL reviews rated the work 4 or 5 stars. So I downloaded 6 of the stories. I only “bought” the free ones, though. I’ve read two of them so far, and the writing isn’t bad at all.
Anyway, the point of this rant is, if the book isn’t your style in some way or if you find the material disgusting, DON’T FUCKING RATE IT AT ALL. It’s NOT your job to tell readers that they supposedly shouldn’t be reading it, and that it’s immoral or whatever. If I had my erotica published, I would be pissed that those people were leaving those “reviews.” Maybe you get used to it, but I would think there’s a difference between a harsh review that’s REAL about your work and a “review” that’s simply complaining about the “nasty trash.”
/end rant
Comments (25)
I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I write erotica EXTREMELY well…
The downside to this? I don’t really post it anywhere because it’s more of a “personal” thing (althouh yes, a few people have read some of it).
It’s more something that I like to keep under my hat.
As someone who’s read a few of those types of stories though, I can tell you that MOST of it is garbage. People who have no idea how to write simply saying “things” for the sake of saying “things”
So I was like “Damn baby, you fine,” and I shoved my huge cock into her and pounded her till she couldn’t take my huge cock anymoarrrr… bla bla bla…
Seriously? Story… fantasy… ooey gooey words… come on now… it’s for fun…
@LKJSlain - Well, yes, I understand that there’s a lot of erotica that isn’t quality (just like porn), but I guess what I’m saying is that seemingly Bible-thumping Christians “review” these stories as being wrong and filthy and unnecessarily down rate the stories when they might not deserve it. I like to think that I’m good at writing erotica as well
Absolutely agree !!!!!!!
@crazy2love - Eh… it’s really not all about bible thumping christians. (Being one myself
) It’s more about people who have nothing better to do with their time, or think they’re doing good of some sort… OR, people who like the stuff, then feel guilty, so try to counter act it by “writing a poor review” haha. Really, they’d do better just to keep their mouths shut and take it to the pastor if they think there’s a problem.
I know. It’s like giving a one-star review to “Friday the 13th” because it has scenes with people getting their throats cut, or something.
BTW, it isn’t just books that have this problem. I’ve seen food products that have this, too. I was searching for shark on Amazon a while back, and I found an entry that had repeated one-star reviews from people who had never actually eaten the shark, but were only talking about why other people shouldn’t eat it. That’s totally not what reviews are for — in fact, that’s not a review at all.
Agreed!
People misuse reviews all the time, I don’t usually read them
Why write or read erotica when you can go out and make it!
When are you gonna post your review, crazy?
LOL I know exactly what you mean. I have a kindle and I’ve actually downloaded quiet a few free books. If I really like it I’ll give it a good review. If I don’t well then it was free so I don’t have much to complain about.
Your banner is adorable. Did you take the photo? The University of Chicago Press has a free e-book each month or so. Go to their site and you should get info about it. If you can’t find it message me because I have the link in my e-mail.
that’s so obnoxious, I was looking on amazon at this tea sampler I was thinking about getting and was reading the reviews. someone gave it 1 star… I read the review “I ordered 2 and only got one. this is a bad seller”
are you serious?! that is NOT how you rate things! seriously people need to learn the right way to do things, they just make things more difficult for the ones that actually KNOW what we’re doing.
I agree.
SEX IS DIRTY AND SINFUL RATE IT OFF OF AMAZON
well I won’t share how I rate it
People suck and that’s not fair to the author what so ever. If people know what it is and have a problem with it, they shouldn’t read it to begin with.
Yeah, I think anyone responsible for rating a book should at least be objective about it going in.
I generally find customer reviews to be fairly useless. Most of the time, the reviews are only written by people who were so highly unsatisfied that they were motivated to inform everyone else, and people who are satisfied don’t bother to write anything unless there was something extraordinarily nice about it. Book reviews in particular are very untrustworthy, because in most cases the reviewer is not a writer or an editor and has no idea what makes a book good. And it’s very personal anyway. But yeah, what you’re talking about here is just silly.
The only “professional” erotica I’ve ever read was written by Anne Rice, but under a different pseudonym. It was a three part series and I read the second book. At some point I suppose I should go and find the other two. Otherwise, if I’m in the mood, I go to Literotica.com, which like any amateur writing website ranges from pretty decent to fairly lame writing.
Sinner!
I so agree but there is a TON of erotica on the nook
Another reason to mistrust reviews: There are some authors who resort to dirty tricks. They will give a bad review to a book that they feel to be competing with their own, and have their buddies to give bad reviews also.
Sleazy, but true.
@LKJSlain - Haha my definition of Bible-thumper is one who is constantly all “praise Jesus” and always telling people they are sinners and going to Hell and all that…and you don’t strike me as that sort
@TheSchizoidMan - I know, customer “reviews” are bad across the board, because people down rate things for the wrong reasons, which is unfortunate.
@BoulderChristina - I read them sometimes, depending on what it is. I usually pass by the ones that aren’t real reviews though, but stupid complaints.
@Jacques_Duclo - LOL!!
@wyckdstorm - Exactly! I don’t understand why someone would complain about something that’s free.
@vexations - Thanks, and unfortunately I didn’t take that photo, but I did take the ones in this post.
@raspberryjade - It is obnoxious, and unnecessary. Don’t people have a civic duty to review responsibly?
@ShimmerBodyCream - Then no bewbs for you
@godfatherofgreenbay - I’m pretty sure I know you rate it, lmao
@ItsAll_A_LoveWar - Exactly, they shouldn’t read it to begin with.
@amateurprose - Yep
@leaflesstree - I think there are some avid readers that know what they’re talking about when they leave a review, but for the most part I agree with you.
@SolidStateTheory - Yep
@mralexx - I’ve been noticing that, lol!
@dsullivan - Wow I didn’t know that…how sad!
@crazy2love - Well, I don’t tend to try and force others to think the way that I do. I do keep that in my heart, but yeah, I believe that people get further with ujnderstanding when they discuss things, not when they fight or just start preaching.
I think the key point is not that they rated it, but why did they read it in the first place? If it’s not your cup of tea, don’t read it!!!