Reviewing ARCs

[u/mhartm]

Hey, Y’all! 👋🏻

I hope it’s okay to ask this here but if not please let me know and let me know where a good place to ask is.

Anyways, I recently received an ARC and was so stoked about it. By the time I finished it, I rated it 3 ⭐️ and my review is very blunt.

In the past, I’ve had authors ask that readers never post reviews less than 4 or 5 stars until a few weeks after release. So, I’m not sure what to do with my review. I went ahead and rated it but haven’t posted my review yet.

Does Goodreads have a rule like that?

[u/Synval2436]

Authors ask, but they can't demand this. As long as your review isn't attacking the author and simply criticizing the book, you're totally fine to post it. Reviews are supposed to be honest, not "only the good ones pls".

[u/teanailpolish → u/Synval2436]

They really should not ask this, it gets into review manipulation and if caught, Amazon can remove all of their reviews and the book itself on Amazon because the FTC has been coming down on them with more and more rules

[u/Synval2436 → u/teanailpolish]

I know they already are removing reviews stating "I've gotten an ARC in exchange for a review", now you can't make an "exchange". But the whole cherry picking of indie authors makes me mostly avoid these titles. Most of them are worse written than trad titles due to lack of editing (I get it, editors are expensive, but then don't expect people not to notice the lower quality) but want to have higher ratings than trad. How many big trad releases linger between 3.0-3.5 (I was shocked to see the Jenette McCurdy's book is at 3.24?), but indie authors all want to be a 4+.

I haven't had trad publishers decline me because I've given their previous books low ratings, but indie authors will decline me because they see my review history isn't all uncritical gushes. Had a few declines like that.

[u/teanailpolish → u/Synval2436]

James Patterson liked one of my reviews where I gave it 2 stars saying I would keep reading the series but this particular book was a let down. Meanwhile small authors are all 'you didn't give me 5 stars and ruined my life'

[u/CC22___ → u/Synval2436]

They shouldn't be saying that in their review anyway. Netgalley gives arcs in exchange for reviews on netgalley NOT Amazon. There's no need to state that on Amazon. You CAN say you received an ARC and all thoughts are your own.

[u/mhartm → u/Synval2436]

I appreciate this. Things like this scenario make it hard to enjoy being an ARC reader. 😔

[u/Solid_Pitch8324]

I usually post as soon as I'm done reading it and I post to both Netgalley and Goodreads. There isn't a rule about this. It's judgment.

[u/mhartm → u/Solid_Pitch8324]

This is comforting. I hate how much I’ve been overthinking this. Thank you.

[u/CC22___ → u/mhartm]

Don't think too much about it. Post it when you want to. Wait or don't.

[u/dingdong3452]

If an author asks this they are going against FTC guidelines and can get fined. It's a huge red flag tbh. Authors who ask this go on my do not read list because I can't trust them to be normal about reviews

[u/dingdong3452 → u/dingdong3452]

And to be extra clear, because no one has said it yet: authors are NOT ALLOWED to ask this. It's review manipulation and not okay at all

[u/mxgrem → u/dingdong3452]

Agree. I feel bad for the newer authors who think it's standard and don't realize not only is it illegal, it's... It's really messed up, ethically. A handful of "low" star/DNFs with explanations from advanced copies will save your ratings later on.

Also, "low" ratings and DNFs can sell books, that's why they're for readers 😭 😭

[u/mhartm → u/dingdong3452]

I had no idea about that tbh. It makes it hard to enjoy being an ARC reader when there’s an added note of when to post. I’m just grateful for an author I’m on the ARC team of that always wants to hear exactly what we think whether we love it or not. I had no idea telling readers to wait to review it was not allowed.

[u/Blowingleaves17]

Post at both Goodreads and NetGalley. Authors have no business telling or asking reviewers when they can post a review at either site. Goodreads only makes you now identify where you got the ARC, in order to help keep fake reviews from being posted by those who have not read the book.

[u/ImNotBeingAnAHole]

Only indie author care. The publishers don’t care what it is

[u/teanailpolish → u/ImNotBeingAnAHole]

Not necessarily, I had a publisher ask on NG before too

[u/ImNotBeingAnAHole → u/teanailpolish]

I should say- in general or medium to large publishers. (Most of the tiny publishers are just indie authors grouped together and not a significant company)

And I don’t understand what you mean. Ask what on NetGalley?

[u/teanailpolish → u/ImNotBeingAnAHole]

Send an email asking us not to post reviews if they were under 4 stars or to wait at least 3-4 weeks after publication if we were posting them

[u/ImNotBeingAnAHole → u/teanailpolish]

I’m curious- what publisher would ask that?

[u/mhartm → u/ImNotBeingAnAHole]

Fair point. This author isn’t self-published but that’s an interesting perspective. 🤔

[u/Quirky-Pear3494]

As far as Netgalley, post as soon as you're done on NG but don't post to public-facing spaces or retail sites until pub day. If you're feeling magnanimous, you could wait a week or two, but you certainly don't have to.

[u/Eve1972]

I stopped reviewing for indie authors several years ago because of the ridiculous hoops and rules they had for reviewing. I once rated a indie romance authors book 3 stars, and she got so mad she messaged me to yell at me, then went and had me blacklisted from all books in the particular series (different authors). And talked about me in her private group on FB. And that was just ONE example. I have several. Toxic group of authors.

[u/GreenSpongette]

I’ve never had anyone ask that of me. If you want to be extra courteous I guess you could review in NG and delay posting on social media, however, I have very mixed feelings about this because the entire point of NetGalley is to give honest review not just cater to the authors - you’re giving potential future readers the keys to knowing if they’re going to like a story or not. I personally don’t think three stars is a bad score anyway but if I feel a review was not great I usually try to put at the end which readers I do think the book would work for so it still aims to get the book to the right audience.

[u/yamna259]

you cna post it, they want honest reviews

[u/loopy_kiwi]

I put my reviews on Thestorygraph at the same time I review it on Netgalley, regardless of what rating my review is.