star ratings book reviews

Book Reviews: Star Rating Systems for Books

Book Reviews: Star Rating Systems for Books

Rating Systems for Book Reviews

Star rating systems for books.

When it comes to book review systems and star ratings things aren't always clean cut. Different people have their own systems when reviewing books. Even the top sites aren't aligned when it comes to what each star rating actually means.

The meaning of a 3 star rating has often caused a lot of discussion in the book blogging community. Some consider it a bad rating whilst others view it as a positive rating. The big reason behind this is because a 3 star rating on Goodreads is good, but on Amazon it's not.

Other reviewers have opted to use different rating systems altogether. An example of this is the C.A.W.P.I.L.E rating system . This rates books on a scale of 1 to 10 across different categories.

“The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.” James Bryce #Quote

So what is a good review?

There is no right or wrong way to review a book. Everyone will have their own personal opinion about each book they read and as a book is rarely for everyone, it's normal to see a mixture of star ratings for the same book. Some will love it, some will hate it, and some will just think it was OK. All are valid reviews and equally worthy.

As the scope of a review is to help potential buyers decide whether the book is for them or not, a good review is one that is well balanced and gives information that will help them make that decision.

A 3 star review that explains the pro's and con's of the book could actually do more to convince a potential buyer than a 5 star rating that just says they loved it.

It's also worth noting that one person's reason for not liking a book could be another persons reason for picking it up.

You might also like: SEO for Book Bloggers: How to Improve SEO for Book Reviews

How to decide on a star rating

When reviewing a book how do you pick which star rating to give it? On what criteria is your rating based? Emotional attachment or technical aspects?

Do you weigh up the writing style, character development, grammar, etc...? Is formatting something that could cost the book a star? Or is your rating based purely on how the book made you feel?

Are Ratings Necessary?

Given how many different rating systems there are for reviews, are ratings really necessary?

Personally I like them. It helps when checking which books were the best/worst over the course of the year (perfect for this time of year as many book bloggers look back to give an overview of their reading throughout the year).

Star ratings might be particularly useful when you can't remember the details about every book. Ratings make it easy to find which rated highest.

Star ratings are also good for those who don't have time/ don't want to read a full review. It gives them an overall screenshot view of how readers felt about the book. If a book only has 1 and 2 stars it's likely they'll give it a miss. A book with a mixture of ratings all over 3 stars is more likely to catch their interest and make them consider it.

How I rate my books

For my reviews I follow the Goodreads system and consider 3 stars a good review.

It's actually very rare for me to give a book a rating lower than 3 stars. This is because over the years I've gained a clear idea about the sorts of books I enjoy and so tend to only select books I'm pretty sure I'm going to like. I'm definitely more picky about the books I read now than I used to be.

When it comes to deciding what rating to give I generally go with my gut feeling on finishing the book. Was it a page turner? How did I feel about the characters? Was it easy reading? Did I like how it dealt with certain themes or topics? I'll consider all this and more but the most important thing for me is emotional attachment. How invested was I in the book?

Before concluding this discussion about giving reading recommendations and star rating systems there is one last thing we should look at...

Books You Did Not Finish

When it comes to DNF books people have different views and systems for them.

Some, myself included, will just leave the book and not rate it. At most it may get put on a list on Goodreads filed under DNF.

Other book bloggers review and rate the books they DNF. They rate the part they read and, obviously, ratings for these books tend to be low.

Both are fine. Again it's a personal choice.

I my case I very rarely DNF a book. Some books I've read that didn't start out all that great really picked up later on and turned into good reads.

You might also like: Ways To Write More Creative Book Reviews

When it comes to giving reading suggestions and recommendations what system do you use? How do you rate books you've read?

A couple of years ago I saw a conversation on Twitter about star ratings. Most people said they started with the 3 star reviews as they gave, like you said, the pros and cons. They also stated that unless the book had numerous 1/2 stars, they discounted those and didn't read them. Both I can agree with. What surprised me was that most said they didn't read the 5 star reviews either as they thought these were too gushing about the book and often fake - this I didn't see coming. In my opinion 3 stars is a good rating and those that have a problem with them need to realise that these are from what I've seen the ones that have the most impact on whether someone buys a book or not.

I totally agree. I think 3 and 4 star ratings are the ones that have the highest impact on sales. From an author point of view obviously it's nice to have all amazing 5 star ratings but the review also needs to give the reasons why for it to have a real impact on buyers.

My reviews and ratings are just my own nonsense and how I felt about the book, storylines, and characters. But I don't see myself as any type of influencer or my opinions of any commercial valud. I'm just an avid reader with definite likes and dislikes in what I chose to spend my time reading.

I think that's a lot of reviewers. There are loads of book bloggers that do it just as a hobby.

I remember being on a blog tour and gave the book three stars, and I was asked by the author to take down my review from Amazon. I politely declined as I don't consider three stars to be poor.

WOW I would have declined too. You can't ask someone to review your book and then edit or censure them when they do. Very unprofessional.

I stopped adding a number or star rating on my blog (though I do have to think of that number when I add my review on Goodreads) after I found it difficult to really decide that this book was more of a 5* than another.. especially with the wow reads.. so now, it is just my thoughts

I only add the star rating on my blog for 5 star reads (I give a 5 star award badge to those). I do mention in my video reviews the star rating I gave though, and add them to Goodreads.

Mathematically speaking, 2.5 is average (half of 5), and for me, every book starts out at 2.5 and if it moves up quickly, I'll keep reading. If it doesn't I'll DNF that one. Now, how to get higher than 4 is tougher for me. Last year I had a whole bunch of 4.75 star ratings of books that missed getting 5 stars by thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much! But if you make me laugh out loud (or smile throughout the time I'm reading), or if you make me cry, that's what will push a book up to 5 stars. A few chuckles or a few "aw"s without a true emotional connection and the book loses from a quarter to half a star!

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Just Peachy Editorial

YA & Adult Fiction Books

Lifestyle · April 4, 2022

Best Book Rating System: Categories for a 5-Star Scale

You’ve just finished reading a book that made you feel some type of way – good or bad.

You want to share your thoughts and opinions with others, maybe give a recommendation or criticism.

But how do you decide what rating to give a book? What seems fair and logical?

“Did I enjoy it enough to make a five star? Was it lacking just a little to make it a four? Or maybe I feel like it was a three but that seems kind of low? I just don’t know.”

If you’ve ever had these kinds of thoughts, you aren’t alone, and this post is for you!

What you will learn:

Why book ratings are so important
Where the best places are to leave book ratings
How books are typically rated
How to rate books based on certain criteria
My book rating system SPECS

I often find myself unable to decide how to rank a book. Sometimes I stress over it, and come back to it later only to think that maybe I’ve changed my mind about what I previously rated the book.

I wanted to create a better, more objective way to rank all the books I read.

I didn’t want it to be based on an emotional whim – from either my initial reactions or once that euphoria had worn off – or to let others’ opinions influence my own.

My rating system will give you the categories and criteria to rate books, in any genre, more effectively and with less stress.

Why are book ratings so important?

Book ratings matter to everyone involved in the industry.

Publishers rely on readers for feedback and to market their books.

Authors rely on ratings much in the same way as publishers.

And, of course, readers rely on ratings to decide whether or not to read a book, whether or not it will be something they will enjoy too.

We all love sharing our thoughts on books with others who enjoy the bookish lifestyle as much as we do.

Where to rate books?

There are many websites out there to rate and review books but these are by far the best:

If you aren’t already on GoodReads, you definitely should be! This is THE number one place for books. It is user friendly and extremely popular. You can rate, review, create lists, and so much more. [I’m sure you already know this but if you don’t… seriously, go sign up for Goodreads, like right now ;)]

Ah, of course, good ol’ Amazon. If you didn’t already know, books are where Amazon got its start. When it was created, that was all they sold. So it’s no surprise that it is still one of the best places for book lovers (and I think it really needs no explanation).

Barnes & Noble (or Books-a-Million )

Obviously the most popular book retailers are going to make it on this list as well. Although, from my experience, their online presence isn’t as large as the first two on this list. But these are two more great places to leave ratings for books.

How are books rated?

Typically, books are rated on a five star scale , with one being the lowest score (or worst books) and five being the highest (or best books). But what do these five stars really mean, anyway? In general, this is how I use the 5-star rating system:

A 5-star book is one that I loved, an absolute must read, and now a favorite of mine. It’s a book that will live on my shelves forever and I would re-read in the future. The story has left a lasting impression on my heart and I would pick up anything else by this author without question.

A 4-star book is one that I really liked. It’s a very enjoyable story, but just short of epic. Certain areas may not be as fulfilling as they could have been. I’m not quite as captivated or blown away, but still had a great experience. I’d recommend this book to others and continue reading from this author.

A 3-star book is good and worth reading. I enjoyed it but it felt a little lacking. I may recommend it to a certain audience. It gave me mixed feelings, possibly with potential it didn’t quite live up to. It’s a good experience, not amazing, but not bad.

A 2-star book is just ok. It’s not a book for me and not one I would recommend. It didn’t hold my interest, and probably felt more of a chore to get through. Not completely terrible, but I didn’t have a good experience.

A 1-star book is one I just didn’t like, at all. Most likely I DNF’d it (did not finish). I would not recommend it to anyone and it is definitely not for me.

And while this system seems efficient, it can sometimes also feel unclear. Sometimes I agonize over deciding between star ratings.

I wanted a better rating system so that once I had stacked up a plethora of book ratings, they weren’t skewed in their comparison, but ranked equally and fairly.

No more wishy washy feelings.

I wanted something more c oncrete and decisive, that actually analyzed the content of the book.

So I created a simple but in-depth method.

My Ranking System:

I wanted a system that would work across the board for all types of genres, since I read all kinds of books. I didn’t want it to be too complex or niched. I decided on five categories that include the five essential elements of narrative for every story.

S – Setting

This includes world-building, lore, atmosphere, etc.

P – Plot

This includes structure, arcs, pacing, climax, tension, resolution, hooks, etc.

E – Engagement

This includes immersion, enjoyment, themes, genre, tropes, etc.

C – Characters

This includes development, relatability, depth, dynamics, arcs, etc.

S – Style

This includes writing, voice, point of view, narrator, etc.

These “specs” are the categories and criteria I use to rate books. Each one is scored out of five , just like the typical five star system. Then you take those scores, add them together, and divide by five to get your overall score.

When you do the math, you may end up with a decimal figure. So here’s how I would round each score so that it matches up to the overall 5-star scale:

0 – 1.4 = 1 star book

1.5 – 2.4= 2 stars

2.5 – 3.4= 3 stars

3.5 – 4.4 = 4 stars

4.5 – 5 = 5 stars

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you decide on the following SPECS for a book.

Setting = 3

Engagement = 4

Characters = 5

Add them together to get 19. Then divide by five to get 3.8.

So your overall rating for this book would be 4 stars.

As a reviewer, I want to give my audience the most authentic opinions possible.

I want readers to understand my reviews and know they can trust I have shared my perspective based on important criteria.

All book reviews are, in a way, subjective, because they are based on a single individual’s experience. Everyone is entitled to their own tastes, and we will not always all agree.

But the SPECS system is a method that will allow reviewers to base their feedback on evidence from these categories, rather than simply on an emotional response.

I hope that it will also help other reviewers who sometimes struggle like I do over choosing the rating that feels right.

You’ll Also Love

February 22, 2023 at 11:36 am

As an Author, The Mildenhall Legacy, March 2022, I have received nothing below 5 stars from a certain age group (20 – 35). Professional reviewers have given the book 3.5 or above. I appreciate the fact that people of different age groups will have differing opinions about my work. That said, I like hearing (from the pros) where I can improve my writing skills!

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The Best Book Review Sites For Enthusiastic Readers

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Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots 🤓

Blog – Posted on Friday, May 01

The best book review sites for enthusiastic readers.

Book lovers, stop us if you’ve heard this one before: you’ve just finished a mind-blowing book and you need to hear some discussion about it. What do you do? Dive straight into the limitless realm of the Internet and search for book review sites, of course.

Or here’s another scenario: you’ve finished reading a novel and now you’re searching for something to fill the void. Maybe you want more of the same, or maybe something completely different to switch things up. You’ll probably also scour the Internet for ratings and trustworthy recommendations.

Fortunately, there are endless review blogs and book review sites that you can peruse. Un fortunately, not every one of them features a wide enough variety to help you. But don’t worry: we’ve got you covered with ten of the best book review sites to satisfy the bookworm in you. If you want to cut to the chase and get a personalized pick for a book review site in 30 seconds, we first recommend taking this quick quiz:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Then read on for the full explanation of all of the best book review sites out there!

1. Goodreads

It’s impossible not to mention Goodreads when discussing book communities: it’s the Facebook of book reviews — the ultimate social media platform for bibliophiles. If you’ve somehow managed to go this long without stumbling upon this omnipresent site, here’s the run-down: you can use Goodreads to organize, display, and discuss your virtual bookshelf with other users.

Goodreads recommendations are based on your listed interests. You can follow authors and book influencers ranging from Celeste Ng to Bill Gates . This allows you to see all their reviews, which vary from compact one-liners to critical analysis, and watch the new reviews roll in. For a quick verdict, just take a look at the star rating that they give the book.

Also if you like to browse lists, Goodreads compiles the best and most popular books for every genre. There’s also the annual Goodreads’ Choice Awards to celebrate each year’s new releases, where you can cast your vote or peruse the list of contenders to find a new book to read. It’s a site for every kind of reader, with abundant ways to comment and interact.

2. LibraryThing

This is the OG of all online book catalogues and discussion boards — take a look and you’ll see that it’s an oldie but a goodie. Of course, the basic functions of LibraryThing are rather similar to Goodreads: there are millions of books that readers can add to their lists, as well as review with star ratings.

While the interface harks back to the earlier days of the world wide web, LibraryThing has a secret weapon that’ll appeal to all readers, especially modern ones: their Zeitgeist . This page displays the latest crème de la crème of the whole site, from the most popular books to the hottest reviews , which you can also write with the help of a good book review template . Just a glance shows that the readers here know how to read between the lines and wield their words!

So if you’re hoping to read or share some in-depth literary thoughts with fellow sharp-minded users , LibraryThing is the site to browse. (You can even access it without creating an account!)

3. Reedsy Discovery

Now, if you’re searching for some hidden gems to peruse, Reedsy Discovery ’s got your back. While our blog features everything from classics to contemporary hits, Discovery’s specialty is indie publications, many of which are accompanied with succinct comments from experienced reviewers . There’s no better way to broaden your horizon!

Moreover, if casual and creative reviews are more your cup of tea, then rejoice: the burgeoning community of readers on Discovery can leave comments, one-line reviews, and video reviews (calling all Booktubers!) on just about any book. It’s a fun and interactive way to geek out over your favorite reads and discover all the coolest new titles you won’t find anywhere else.

Looking for something new to read?

Trust real people, not robots, to give you book recommendations.

Or sign up with an email address

4. LoveReading

Though it’s UK-based, this prolific site caters to audiences around the world. LoveReading is strictly a reviewing site, with a base of staff writers and carefully selected contributors, so you know the reviews are top-notch. The staff often give quite personal reading experiences in their reviews, which make their recommendations very endearing, like they’re from a close friend. They even offer you presents — well, if you think of giveaways as presents!

LoveReading covers books from every genre you can think of. They also have weekly, monthly, and yearly list features to keep you up to date with the latest stellar releases, so you’ll never be in want of something to pore over.

5. The Millions

In search of reviews that really dive into the themes, metaphors, and overall executions of interesting and highbrow books? The Millions has got you covered.

Written by a collection of seasoned critics, these reviews are speckled with memorable quotes, elegant analysis, and plentiful comparisons to other works — which means extra reading recommendations for you! If contemporary and literary fictions are your go-tos, then The Millions is the site for all your lit nerd needs.

6. SFBook Reviews

Those who think quantity and quality don’t go hand in hand, you clearly haven’t encountered SFBook Review . The five reviewers on the team here share two common and important goals: firstly, to follow the outpour of new titles in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres every year, and secondly, to give thoughtful reviews to as many of them as possible.

This team knows their SFF niches inside out, so their verdicts are very credible. Still, their reviews are quite friendly and personal — they discuss other related books and share their reading experiences to help you make your own reading choices.

7. Bookpage

Bookpage features all kinds of genres: from children’s books to nonfiction, from the works of household names to debut authors, and so much more. Their format is neat and straightforward — they bring you the volumes they think are most worthwhile, recommending them to you by summarizing and concisely commenting on the prose, the theme, and the plot of each chosen book.

In addition to this, Bookpage also features author interviews and articles that unearth the deeper themes and purposes of certain books. If you’re a true book lover seeking like-minded literary aficionados, this may be the perfect place for you.

8. Book Riot

Avid readers, you’ve probably stumbled upon Book Riot more times than you can remember. While it’s not a site that individually assesses titles, it has lists for everything — from timeless literary giants to the top books in each genre. What’s more, Book Riot has lots of thinkpieces that dive deep into the way certain titles make readers feel — be it exhilarated, motivated, or enraged — and that’s really all you need to know when deciding to embark on a new reading adventure.

Additionally, if you’d rather listen to discussions and reviews rather than read them, you'll be happy to know that Book Riot has a range of podcasts for you to choose from.

9. NetGalley

NetGalley is another platform bringing you new and unconventional recommendations. They specialize in connecting authors who are publishing to readers who’d like to preview and put in their two cents. While the database of books available here are not the most expansive, those that are featured are certainly worth your time.

Readers can benefit most from NetGalley via their book recommendation site, Bookish , where the staff reviewers update you with their recent reads and in-depth thoughts on those reads. Along with that, Bookish also has book club kits, equipped with comprehension questions and discussion points, to help readers explore stories mindfully.

10. BookBub

While it’s very similar to Goodreads, BookBub focuses more on connecting readers to books that might suit them specifically — which is partly why you’ll see plenty of bargains and deals promoted on the site.

Because of this promotional value, BookBub has quite a strong author community. Diana Gabaldon and Gillian Flynn , for instance, are constantly recommending books on their accounts. So if you’d like to tag along with your favorite author, this is an excellent website to visit. The only drawback of BookBub is that they only have community reviews from users based in the US, and you have to sign up in order to read them.

With these ten sites, you’ll be sure to find your little community of fellow book lovers regardless of what your interests are. Here’s to exciting TBR lists and nourished minds!

If you want to try your hand at reviewing, we’ve got a little guide to help you out ! On the other hand, if you want to plough away at your books, why not consider the Kindle Cloud Reader ?

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On the 1st of January 2021, the seminal works of 1925 became yours to have, to read, and to adapt! And what a year it was for literature. The full list is a little rough to navigate, so we’ve gathered together twelve of your best bets — and they’re all gems.

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Watching Nature, Seeing Life

HOW I RATE BOOKS: A Rubric for Star Ratings

lake-scene-captioned-how-I-rate-books-I-review

On a scale of one to five . . .

Some of you have asked me how I rate the books I review. You know, those little stars at the top. How do I decide how many?

That’s a very good—and very important—question, since stars have a big impact on a book’s life and pathway out there in the wild world.

In the old days, I rarely gave a book five stars. A true ratings miser, I only lit all five of those pointy little celestial bodies when everything about the book was blow-me-off-my-feet, stick-with-me-forever marvelous beyond description. After all, how could I put any book in the same category as To Kill A Mockingbird ? Back then, if you suggested I pin that coveted five-star rating on a lesser novel, I just couldn’t do it.

If I’m honest, I also have to admit that I liked feeling that little surge of power as I sat on my desk chair throne, my index finger hovering like a scepter over that star bar. It was way, way too easy for me to slap two or three stars on a book—an evaluation often based on arbitrary judgments not about the book’s quality, but about whether or not the book served my tastes or needs or interests or opinions. I gave little consideration to whether or not I was harming a solidly written book’s trajectory, or if I was being unnecessarily harsh with an author who didn’t see things like I did or who didn’t write in a style or genre I preferred.

I blush just thinking about it.

And I remember a kid I knew in high school, who used to say to anyone getting a little too big for their britches, “Who died and made you God?”

Later, I went to writing conferences and joined writing groups, where I connected with fellow writers at all stages in their publishing journeys. I saw firsthand their devotion to craft, and the diligent, often solitary and gut-wrenching efforts they put into their books. They dug deep and worked hard—often for years on a single project. As my awe and respect for them grew, I ditched that scepter and instead yearned to give them ALL five stars . . . A+ for effort, every single one.

One problem swapped for another— obviously . Not a bit helpful to readers, or advertisers, or influencers who count on star ratings to guide their choices and recommendations. And it sure didn’t help those hard-working writers of good books when I hurt their ratings with star stinginess, or when I instead coddled the authors whose books weren’t yet ready for market.

So, after researching protocols and advice from a variety of seasoned reviewers and book bloggers, here’s what I do now:

I neither skimp on stars nor slather them, and I try to assign stars according to consistent standards. A grading scale I found on fictionophile.com helped me a lot. It made sense to me (a former teacher), and agreed with what I found on other respected sites. Here’s what that top book blogger wrote:

AMAZON STAR RATINGS for Books, DEFINED

5 STARS is an A, A-, or even a B+. This means you enjoyed the book. It fulfilled the measure of its creation. The 5-star novel was enjoyable, didn’t have any major plot holes, and the writing was good enough that you’d recommend it as a nice read. Five stars doesn’t mean the book has to be the best you’ve ever read, or even better than the last one you reviewed. It just has to be a good novel.

4 STARS is a B, B-, or even a C+ novel. The 4-star rating is for novels that you liked but had at least one issue with. A plot hole that disturbed your reading enough that you didn’t enjoy the overall story. Maybe a few too many typos. Too much repetition. But you still found the story compelling enough to read in a short time and you enjoyed it. The novel doesn’t have to be the best one you’ve read in the genre, it just has to hold your attention.

3 STARS is a C or a C-. So only average or NEUTRAL. You neither liked it or disliked it. This really is the kiss of death rating. The “okay” novel. If you give a novel this rating, there should be SERIOUS issues because, remember, many advertisers won’t accept novels with this overall rating. So the 3-star novel should be one you didn’t feel compelled to finish, or one whose overall plot didn’t quite make sense (and you feel wouldn’t make sense to others). This is a novel that you wouldn’t recommend unless it was the only thing someone had to read and they were stuck in an airport for two hours.

2 STARS is a D or a D-. This is a novel that has at least three major negative issues and you feel these issues will prevent others from enjoying it at all.

1 STAR means F. The author completely and utterly failed. You hated it totally and absolutely. That means there was no plot, it was riddled with grammar errors, and everything about it was boring, boring, boring. The author should throw the book away. Never give an author a one-star review unless you feel they really should give up writing and get a job at the local grocery instead.

I like this rubric, and though it’s tailored for Amazon, and for fiction, for consistency’s sake I use it on every site to which I post a star-rated review. It’s as objective as an assessment of “enjoyable” can be 😆, speaks to a book’s overall quality, and keeps my opinions about a single element in a book from swaying my star-rating.

Also, if my rating falls between stars, I always round UP, never down.

My written review then elaborates on whatever elements of the story I’d like to focus on, as well as my feelings about the book’s content or style. If the book really wowed me, here’s where I can distinguish it from less wonderful 5 star books. If I give it 4 stars instead of 5, I say why.

Often, I won’t review a book. If you’ve tracked my reviews, you’ll notice that most have 4 or 5 star ratings, and I usually say pretty nice things about them. That’s because these days I don’t review books I can’t give 4 or 5 stars—and there are a lot of them. Some have so many issues that I simply choose not to finish them; others absolutely aren’t for me, for a variety of reasons; and others I quietly lay aside, sad that the author or her publisher delivered her potentially beautiful baby to the market before the book was ready for birth.

Sometimes, if an author still wants my thoughts about her work, I may review her 1-3 star book privately with her, in a manner that can help her improve her craft, or develop her ideas, or tap new information. I do it congenially, instead of waving a nasty scepter of rejection.

‘Nuff said. My TBR (To Be Read) pile could easily hide small dogs right now, and I’d better get to it.

Hope this helps your own review process.

Now a few pics I posted earlier this week:

bee-on-sunflower-nature-photography-new-book

Bit player, stage right. (See her? …the tiny bug on the petal?).”

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.”

—Psalm 57:2

three-possums, nature-writer, new-book, sugar-birds-book

When mama possum leaves her kids by our gate for a sunbath.

baby-possum-feet-and-tail, nature-writing, new-book

Our dogs were heading their way, so I moved these little guys outside the fence . . .

where they trailed back to Mama.

Girl Holding Kitties, Nature Writer, New Book, Summer Reads, Book Club Books

When just-turned seven means all this.. . .

And in THREE DAYS, this Tuesday, August 3, Sugar Birds will arrive in paper, ebook, and audiobook!

LAUNCH DAY EVENTS

If you’re local, please drop by Village Books in Lynden at noon on launch day! I’ll be signing books there, and would LOVE to see you IN PERSON!

Then, from 5 -6 pm PDT, will you come to Sugar Birds’s virtual launch party? You can watch it on Zoom or simply listen on your phone as author Maggie Wallem Rowe and I chat about the book. Click here to get your (free) ticket—and a copy of the book, if you haven’t already preordered one (or if you want another for a gift)!

Thanks for coming alongside me through all this book marketing stuff, friends. Your patience as the book consumes so much of my blog and SM space has been heartwarming, and I’m grateful for your kindness and support.

Watching Nature, Seeing Life : Through His Creation, God Speaks

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What Do Amazon's Star Ratings Really Mean?

Nothing in the maze that is online shopping is ever what it seems. Unless it’s a product you already know, buying something is always a bit of a gamble. The way the fabric feels, whether the cream will give you a rash—these things remain impossible to assess through a screen. To make a decision, buyers often rely on those who purchased before them: They read the reviews.

On Amazon, like many ecommerce sites , buyers also leave star ratings for items, from one to five. They’re important shorthand, symbolizing at a glance how people felt about a certain item. They also serve as a convenient way to filter, rank, and manage the overwhelming amount of choice that is a hallmark of 21st-century living. (How else can someone decide between, say, over 40,000 shower curtain options?) Higher scores are crowdsourced seals of approval; Amazon even built brick-and-mortar stores devoted entirely to goods with four or more stars.

But Amazon’s little yellow luminaries are less straightforward than they appear. Why does one product get 4.7 stars and another get 4.8? I know what you're thinking: Louise, clearly these are just averages—take the total number of stars and divide that by the number of reviews, and there you go. Just simple math! But reader, that is not the case. While Amazon says these stars reflect the “average customer review” of an item, the calculation behind them is more complicated—and mysterious—than that.

Starting in 2015 , Amazon began weighting stars using a proprietary machine-learning model. Some reviews now count more than others in the total average, based on factors like how recent they are and whether they come from “verified” purchasers (meaning Amazon could confirm the reviewer actually bought the item they claimed to love or hate). David Bryant, an Amazon seller who also blogs about the company, believes Amazon may also take into consideration factors like the age of the reviewer’s account and the average star rating they usually leave. “There appears to be some discount applied to reviewers who predominantly leave negative reviews,” he says.

The new system is largely a good thing, at least from the customer’s perspective. Five-star ratings from three years ago probably shouldn’t count as much as three-star ratings left just last week. But it also represents an additional layer of algorithmic secrecy, which can be frustrating for third-party merchants on the ecommerce site. Amazon's seller forums are full of merchants struggling to understand the black box of how their products are ranked and rated. "Why would a 5-star review make the average drop a full star?" asked one poster last year.

Sellers have a lot to lose if their product rating goes down. Good word of mouth can turn a relatively unknown item into a huge success. “Reviews are more important than a brand,” says Fred Dimyan, CEO of Potoo Solutions, a firm that consults with ecommerce companies. “There’s major brands that are being crushed by small direct-to-Amazon or direct-to-consumer brands.” He points to Cali White activated charcoal and coconut toothpaste for example, the number-one best-selling toothpaste on Amazon, which beat out famous companies like Crest and Colgate.

Star ratings aren’t only influenced by Amazon’s algorithms. They’re also sometimes manipulated by sellers who pay for glowing reviews in order to raise the rank of their products in Amazon’s search results. “Amazon very quickly removes positive reviews because they find them sometimes to be fake,” Dimyan says. “They more quickly remove positive reviews than they remove negative reviews.” After this story was published, an Amazon spokesperson denied that the company prioritizes positive inauthentic reviews specifically. "We estimate more than 90% of inauthentic reviews are computer generated, and we use machine learning technology to analyze all incoming and existing reviews 24/7 and block or remove inauthentic reviews," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Best Compact Cameras That Really Fit in Your Pocket

Even “verified” Amazon reviews may not always be what they appear. “There are plenty of verified reviews that need to come down and should be deleted,” says Chris McCabe, a former Amazon employee who now runs a consultancy for Amazon sellers. “All of them were from buyer accounts that had a stake in what they were buying.” For example, the seller may have reimbursed them for the item via PayPal after they bought it. Amazon prohibits posting reviews “in exchange for compensation of any kind (including free or discounted products, refunds, or reimbursements) or on behalf of anyone else.”

Courting reviewers is just as important to Amazon as the reviews they write are to sellers. The company relies on a sprawling network of contributors—who mostly do this work for free—to get customers to trust its products, many of which aren’t sold by household names. This setup has spawned an elaborate ecosystem that goes beyond just distinguishing real reviews from fake. First, there’s the Vine program , where sellers can have new products reviewed by Amazon’s “Vine Voices” in exchange for giving them free merchandise. (If you’re thinking, “Can I get free stuff?” the answer is probably no. The Vine program is unfortunately invite-only .)

Amazon also reviews its own reviewers and ranks the Top 10,000 Contributors on a constantly shifting leaderboard. Members of this elite crew are given badges to display on their profiles, like “Top 500 Reviewer.” The rankings aren’t influenced just by the number of reviews a person has but also by how many customers found their feedback to be helpful. On the webpage where Amazon lists these esteemed tastemakers, it invites you to “Take a minute to explore the reviews written by these customers. They will inspire you.” The company also honors top reviewers from previous years in its Hall of Fame . But the system is also competitive—reviewers who enjoy being in the top 10,000 can’t simply rest on their laurels. A handy Reddit bot monitors who gets cut from the list each day.

Have a tip about Amazon? Contact the author at [email protected] or via Signal at 347-966-3806.

Update 5-26-19, 1:25 pm EDT: This story has been updated with Amazon's statement.

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Decoding the 5-Star Book Rating System: A Reader’s Guide

Delve into the world of literature as we demystify the 5-star book rating system, unraveling its nuances and significance

Within the vast expanse of literature, opinions on books can diverge widely. What one individual considers a masterpiece, another might deem an ordinary read.

To navigate through this sea of subjective experiences, the 5-star book rating system has emerged as a prevalent tool for readers to articulate their sentiments and share insights about a book.

In this article, we will delve comprehensively into the nuances of the 5-star book rating system, exploring the distinct connotations of each star and outlining practical strategies for its application.

Unveiling the Spectrum

The 5-star rating system provides a simple yet effective means of articulating your overall assessment of a book. Below, we delineate the customary significance of each star:

One Star: ★☆☆☆☆

Typically assigned to books that you found disheartening or struggled to connect with, this rating denotes a strong sense of aversion.

It could suggest subpar writing, one-dimensional character development, perplexing plot trajectories, or an amalgamation of these factors.

A one-star rating unequivocally signals that the book drastically undershot your expectations. This is a book you would NOT recommend to like-minded readers.

Two Stars: ★★☆☆☆

A two-star rating implies that while the book might possess redeeming attributes, it ultimately failed to captivate your interest or left you underwhelmed.

It could have harbored latent potential, but notable flaws were detrimental to your enjoyment. Now, this may be something that would interest others but leaves you cold, i.e., too much gore, too many spicy scenes, etc.

Be sure to state that in your review so that other potential readers know there are qualities you did not enjoy, but they may! Even a “negative” book review can guide readers to something they may enjoy.

Three Stars: ★★★☆☆

Connoting an average read, a three-star rating might have had instances of intrigue, yet it failed to impart a pronounced impression.

It does not scale the summits of excellence nor plummet to the depths of dissatisfaction, nestling instead in the middle stratum of the spectrum. It was pleasant but lacked memorability.

Four Stars: ★★★★☆

Awarding four stars communicates your genuine fondness for the book, affirming it as a noteworthy read.

It might have featured a compelling narrative, well-sculpted character dynamics, or a narrative style that resonated deeply.

While not bereft of minor imperfections, the book resonated with you on a lasting level.

You would certainly recommend this book and would also read more from this author in the future.

Five Stars: ★★★★★

Symbolizes a profound connection with the book. These are the tomes you deem masterstrokes, ones deserving a universal recommendation.

Awarding five stars signifies recognition of impeccable prose, engaging storytelling, and a lasting impact on your psyche.

You may even revisit this book in the future and list the author as one of your favorites.

In employing the 5-star rating system, strategic considerations come into play:

Embrace emotional reflection.

Probe your emotional resonance with the book. Did it evoke laughter, tears, or contemplation? Gauge how profoundly the book affected your emotional and intellectual faculties.

Contextual Insights

A singular star might only sometimes denote a poorly composed book.

It could result from a mismatch between the subject matter and your personal tastes. Equally, five stars don’t assure universal appeal; a book you adore might not synchronize with another’s preferences.

This is why a written review is always the most effective way to share your thoughts on a book.

Champion Consistency

Endeavor to uphold a consistent rating framework across different books. This aids in illuminating your distinctive inclinations and facilitates a comparative assessment of various literary works. This is ESPECIALLY important if you have followers who rely on your reviews to introduce them to new works.

Augment With Reviews

While the star rating provides a rapid snapshot of your judgment, coupling it with a brief review enhances context. This assists fellow readers in gauging the book’s resonance with their biases.

5-Star Book Ranking System

The 5-star book rating system is valuable for articulating your sentiments regarding a book.

It condenses intricate reactions into an accessible and shareable format. Remember that a book’s merit extends beyond its star rating; personal connections, thematic pertinence, and idiosyncratic preferences all contribute.

Thus, whether you confer five stars upon a life-altering novel or a solitary star upon a book that failed to align with your expectations, your ratings contribute substantially to the diverse tapestry of literary viewpoints.

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Book Ratings: My Rating System For What I Read

Need some help figuring out how to rate the book you just read? Here’s my book rating system for deciding how to rate my reads, on a scale from one to five stars (including some half-stars).

I want to preface this by saying: book ratings are incredibly subjective. My system works for me, but it might not work for everyone – and that’s ok! This post is only meant as a starting point to help you figure out your own book rating system. 🙂

How I Rate The Books I Read (5-Star Rating System)

The rating system I use is based on a 5-star scale (like Goodreads ), mainly because that’s the main book tracking app I’ve used over the years. It helps me stay consistent.

I have added some half-stars into the mix for more variability. Goodreads won’t let you add a half-star when rating a book, so I just round up or down, then write my half-star rating into the ‘review’ text box for that book.

This rating system translates best for fiction books (but can still be used for non-fiction).

When it comes to fiction books, most of the rating decision comes down to emotions and feeling. Did the story resonate with me? Did I connect with the characters? Did the plot keep me intrigued?

My ratings for non-fiction books are similar, but more based on whether or not the book taught me something new or gave me an interesting perspective on a topic.

Without further ado, here is my 5-star scale book rating system!

Here are all my favorite book apps for reading tracking, listening to audiobooks, and more .

a woman in a white dress holding a stack of hardcover books

5 Star Book

This book blew my mind, gave me a strong emotional response, and/or changed my outlook on life. I never wanted it to end.

This is the type of book that will stick with me years from now. It might even become one of my all-time favorite reads.

I will be recommending it to basically everyone I know, and I may even re-read it in the future.

The characters were fully-formed and felt so real they basically leapt off the page ( if fiction ). The plot kept my eyes glued to the page, and the writing style really resonated with me.

I can’t wait to share it on Bookstagram and discuss it (and/or fangirl over it) with others who have read it. AMAZING.

4.5 Star Book

This book was wonderful, and I will definitely recommend it to others. It was just missing that special ‘spark’ or emotional factor that would bump it up to a 5-star read.

The story had strong character development and an engaging plot, and I felt it was a unique read that stood out from the pack. It was a great read, but not quite incredible.

4 Star Book

I really enjoyed the experience of reading this book. I might have loved parts of it, but as a whole it wasn’t quite as memorable as a 4.5- or 5-star book.

I’m glad I read it and will likely recommend it to others if it’s a genre they enjoy. Above-average.

3.5 Star Book

This was a mostly-enjoyable read, if a little predictable. I can see why others loved it, even if it wasn’t my favorite.

Maybe I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d hoped, or the pacing wasn’t as strong as it could have been. I’m still glad I read it, but I might not enthusiastically recommend it to others.

3 Star Book

This book was ok, yet mostly forgettable. There were redeeming qualities, and it was mostly interesting enough to finish. But, it didn’t hold my attention as much as it should have.

Maybe something about the story felt unrealistic, or the characters were somewhat cookie-cutter. It wasn’t a bad book, but it didn’t stand out for me. An average read.

2 Star Book

Certain things about this book annoyed me or got under my skin. I sort of wish I hadn’t read it, because I felt like I wasted my time.

The writing was sloppy or the story was poorly-executed (but likely not both at once, or it would be a 1-star read or a DNF – see below ).

I didn’t get much enjoyment from the book or really learn anything new. I would not recommend this book to others.

1 Star Book

I’m not sure I’ve ever rated a book one star, mainly because if I dislike it that much, I would DNF it (i.e. not finish it).

But, a 1-star book for me would have no redeeming qualities. I likely wouldn’t read another book by that author in the future.

DNF (Did Not Finish)

I put this book down and decided not to finish it. I can tell it isn’t the right book for me, and I’d rather spend my time reading something else. (There is no shame in DNFing a book!)

If I DNF a book, I don’t rate it.

(Check out this post for more bookish terms & lingo that you might come across on Bookstagram or while using a book app like Goodreads.)

Why rate books?

You might be wondering why it matters to rate books in the first place.

For some, it might not! But personally, I like being able to look back at my book ratings and see how I felt about certain reads at a glance.

Rating books helps me figure out whether or not I want to recommend them to my friends and family. It also helps me decide which books I want to pick up in the future.

Additionally, rating a book on an app like Goodreads or The Storygraph helps others decide what to prioritize, reading-wise. When I see a friend rate a book 5 stars, I’m more likely to pick up that book.

And while everyone enjoys different books, a book’s overall rating is like a crowdsourced recommendation for (or against) a book.

You can choose to do with it what you will, but I often take those ratings into account when making my own TBR list . There are just too many books out there, and not nearly enough time to read them all!

Like I mentioned above, rating books is extremely subjective, but I hope you find this ratings breakdown helpful in determining your own rating system.

How do you rate your books? I’m always curious to see different methods. Feel free to let me know in the comments!

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Christoph’s Content Corner

Content Strategy Leader, Head of Content, Content Marketing

by Christoph Trappe
November 19, 2020 November 19, 2020

Amazon star ratings: How Amazon calculates star ratings for different countries

Trappe Digital LLC may earn commission from product clicks and purchases. Rest assured, opinions are mine or of the article’s author.

Amazon star ratings matter. If we can say our book has 5 out of 5 stars that matters. Even 4.5 is probably okay. But people certainly look at Amazon star ratings to make decision on their purchases. Like with anything on Amazon, there’s a method to how Amazon star ratings are calculated and displayed.

Read next: Your guide to making online reviews work for your business

For example, for my latest book – Content Performance Culture – Amazon is showing different star ratings for different countries. For example:

USA: 4 stars
Germany: 3 stars
Canada: 3.5 stars

The difference doesn’t even mean that readers in Germany or Canada like it less than readers in the United States. It’s a matter of how Amazon calculates the ratings. In other words: It pulls reviews differently based on where reviewers purchased the book and where they review it from.

Calculating Amazon star ratings

Interesting, how is that possible? How are Amazon star ratings calculated? Basically, it comes down to this:

Amazon takes all verified purchases – so purchases of the book from Amazon. Those are applied to all countries’ calculations of the Amazon star ratings. So a verified purchase in that country gets taken into account. In addition, all other reviews from that specific country get added to the total.

Here’s how that looks in a more visual format:

Here’s how I figured this out. I try to send potential buyers their specific country link to purchase the book. For example, somebody in Germany gets the Amazon. de link while somebody in Canada gets the Amazon. ca link.

An exception: I also offer signed copies to people in the United States and Canada via this paypal.me link . But I don’t offer to mail signed copies outside of North America. Once, I sent a signed copy to the United Kingdom from the United States. The package and book were severely damaged during transport and the customer asked for a full refund. So I was out the production cost and the postage which was more than the book.

Read next: How to turn your blog into a book with real chapters

Now if that UK customer would leave a review it would show up on the United Kingdom Amazon site, but not on the United States or Germany or other Amazon sites. Since they bought it from me directly, Amazon wouldn’t consider it a verified purchase. Them buying it on Amazon UK would be a verified purchase however.

Read next: Why there are so many No. 1 and best-selling authors now

Amazon star ratings by country

Let’s break down my Amazon rankings for my latest book for the three countries.

United States

As you can see in the screen shot, as of this writing there are five global ratings. The United States shows 4 of the 5 total with 2 of them being verified purchases. One of the verified purchase is for 5 stars while the other one is 1 star. The final review came from Canada but since the book wasn’t purchased through Amazon it’s not showing as a verified purchase and the 5-star Amazon star rating doesn’t carry globally.

Of course, a 1-star Amazon star rating hurts, but the reviewer also has some points. I previously published some of my negative speaking feedback received as well. Since it was a verified purchase it carries globally, just like the other 5-star verified purchase. Though, there are other 5-star reviews, the verified purchase reviews get more weight from Amazon worldwide.

In Canada, the 2 verified purchase reviews form the United States carry over and the one review of an unverified Amazon purchase show for a total score of 3.5.

In Germany, there are no reviews yet from Germany but the two verified purchases from the United States carry over. Since one was really good and one was really bad the overall Amazon star rating showing in Germany is 3 stars.

Strategy to increase Amazon star rating

When I know somebody bought a book or read a promotional copy, I usually ask them for a review and send them the link to Amazon. That’s also a strategy I implemented with my first book .

It is important to try to get the best possible Amazon star rating. They show prominently on Amazon, in ads like this one:

The most obvious way to get a good Amazon star rating of course is to produce a good product that people are willing to review. Keep in mind that not everyone will love it though, so once again it’s a numbers game. The one negative review has some points about formatting, which happened because I wrote the book completely in Google Drive on an iPad. That’s not an excuse but it happened. I certainly could avoid those reviews by buying a computer and finalizing the book that way.

Another strategy is to gently ask and remind people you know read the book to please leave a positive reviews. Some will and some won’t. Maybe the ones that don’t didn’t like the book to begin with.. Since we aren’t after negative reviews, I don’t bother them after asking them the first time.

You can also remind people on podcasts and social media that the book is available for purchase and you’d love a positive review. Some people might also leave you a negative review just because they don’t like you. Hard to believe, I know, but it can happen.

That’s why it’s a numbers game. Hope your readers that love the book leave a review and try to remind the ones you know of to do the same.

Read next: “Mean” things people have said to me on Twitter [VIDEO]

Also consider what countries to focus on. If you are planning on speaking in Germany ( and I’m currently offering global virtual keynotes ) a positive rating can help. Especially if you are asking the conference and attendees to buy books there.

Read next: Is the use of emotions the most overlooked B2B marketing strategy?

Need help with your book marketing and production? Drop me a note know to get the help you need to be successful.

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Our Star Rating System

Remember that each person who reads a book takes something different away from it. Books are a highly personal thing. While one person may think a book is the greatest thing they’ve ever read, another may not enjoy it as much. Below are the guidelines our reviewers follow:

1 star: Reviewer doesn’t recommend this book at all.

2 stars: Reviewer wouldn’t read it again. Needs work.

3 stars: Reviewer enjoyed the book.

4 stars: Reviewer liked and would recommend the book to friends/family.

5 stars: Reviewer considers book to be something that everyone should read. You would definitely read it again.

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Why star ratings matter—and when they don’t

BY Anne Bogel
IN Books & Reading

Readers have all kinds of complicated feelings about how they rate their books, and I am no exception. If you listen to my podcast What Should I Read Next or have discussed rating and reviewing with us in the MMD Book Club , you know my feelings about the common—and seemingly simple—star rating system are complex.

The nice thing about star ratings is they’re an easy-to-use shorthand to capture how much you enjoyed a book . The not-so-nice thing about star ratings is that it’s easy to conflate this rating—which is highly dependent on your taste in literature—with how well the book is written . These are not the same thing.

And yet, star ratings matter—at least public ones do. Readers use them every day to decide which books to read and which books to buy. Plenty of devoted readers say they’ll never read a book with less than a four-star rating. But these ratings are incredibly subjective. People give one-star reviews because the book cover was bent when it arrived in the mail, or they weren’t in the mood for a thriller, or there was too much profanity for their taste. (Did you catch that? For their taste .)

Not only that, there’s been a rise in review bombing , where there’s an intentional effort to negatively impact a book or author’s ranking. It’s not easy to tell when a book has been targeted so that makes it harder to know how much you can actually trust a site’s rating or the reviews left there by strangers.

All this means I’m hesitant to publicly share my own star ratings for the books I read—or put too much credence in the aggregated star ratings I see online.

But when it comes to your personal reading journal, star ratings are a whole different matter! And finding a way to elegantly capture your shorthand assessment of what you’ve read was a top priority while designing My Reading Life: A Book Journal .

The journal has 100 book log pages for readers to log what they’ve read, and to say I OBSESSED over how to design these pages is an understatement! I’m keenly aware of how what you track subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) changes what you pay attention to when you read, and I took that responsibility seriously.

I won’t go into every detail here today, but I do want to tell you how you’ll track your ratings in this journal.

I’ve seen it over and over again: readers benefit when they’re able to separate the questions of quality and enjoyment in their minds. In other words, if they can learn to ask themselves both “Was it good?” and “Did I like it?”, they’ll gain more insight about the books they’re reading and about their own personal taste. I needed the journal to simply capture their answers to both these questions. But how?

The solution was to give readers space to rate each book for three separate categories:

Enjoyment: Was the book to their taste? How much did they enjoy it? (It’s worth noting that this is what the official Goodreads rating system captures.)
Craft: Was the book well-written?
Overall: What single rating do they think the book deserves? For me, this is typically the average of the previous two ratings, but sometimes I make exceptions. (Every reader can do what they want in their own reading journal!)

You’ll also notice that for rating purposes, we opted for diamonds instead of stars. I wanted this subtle difference from the stars to which many readers are accustomed to subtly signal that we’re inviting them to approach ratings in a fresh way. (We also carried the diamond motif throughout the journal. Check out its book lists and you’ll see!)

For a quick-and-easy way to remember what you thought about a book, ratings like these—in your private, personal book journal—are pretty darn great. I hope you find the rating feature we built into My Reading Life to do good things for your reading life—and I can’t wait for you to get yours so you can start using it!

I would love to hear your thoughts on star ratings and numerical ratings in general. Do you use the star rating system at all, or some other method? Tell us all about it in comments!

P.S. If you’re interested, follow me on Goodreads here . You can also hear me discuss the star rating system on this episode of What Should I Read Next .

32 comments

This is exactly why I’m looking forward to My Reading Life: A Book Journal. I need the hand-holding of what sorts of things to write down so I remember why I liked or did not like certain titles. I found I actually like the rating page on Edelweiss, where it asks from 1 to 10 to rate writing quality, character development, “couldn’t put it down”-ness, intellectual depth, originality, and overall. Sometimes, I planned on giving a certain Overall rating, but when I looked at the individual ratings, I realized I needed to either bump it up or bump it down. I do use stars on Goodreads and Instagram for a “quick take” on a book. But I prefer a reading journal to get into the nitty-gritty of a book, including spoilers if it will help me remember a book better.

I am so looking forward to receiving my book journal! It looks like the perfect tool to help me remember more about the books I read and why I liked them (or didn’t).

Maybe you can make another edition with the new MMD color scheme of blue linen and gold for next year??? I think the new branding is GORGEOUS and would love a journal to match 🙂

Ooh, Kate! I love that idea. I would definitely buy a blue/gold reading journal.

I very much prefer a 1-10 rating system. I wish more people used this. I find myself wanting half’s ALL the time on Goodreads. I rate books on Goodreads mostly by my personal taste. I also accompany all of my ratings now with at least a few sentences. My ratings and reviews are for me and anyone who follows me can decide if we have similar tastes and can go from there as far as how to “use” my ratings. As far as a reading journal…I may be in the minority but I would prefer just a blank line to rate however I see fit (so a 1-10 system for me). 😊. I did order this journal though and will for sure make good use of it .

I too prefer a blank page to work with.Somehow pages with Qs or prompts are a bit overwhelming for Me.

I’m not sure I can always separate how much I enjoyed a book from how well it was written. Any tips on how to think about those things?

I usually tease this out in community. There are so many books that I’ve loved that others don’t see as “good” writing and when they explain their thinking, I agree with them, but still felt like the experience for me was enjoyable. Other times, I find myself enjoying stories I know aren’t well written (clunky sentences, silly cliches), but the premise and characters create a space that is fun to experience. I feel like traumatic books also fit in this space: books that have really difficult subjects, that beautifully share hard or terrifying things that people have survived. I am in awe of the craft and the bravery and never want to read it again.

I also use a 10 star rating in my journal. I gave up long ago believing the ratings on Goodreads; they are so arbitrary and limited. To me it doesn’t matter that I gave a book a 3 and you gave it a 7- we are different readers.

I am so excited to get my reading journal! I’ve long wanted a better way to track what I am reading/my thoughts on the book. I do use Goodreads but hates the star system. I wish half or quarter stars were an option. I mostly use the stars to give others an idea of what I thought about a book. 3 is “just ok, 4 is great and 5 is SO GOOD. But it’s so subjective! I don’t write a review for every book but I will write something if I feel it bears mentioning (like trigger warnings for things or if something starts slow but gains momentum).

The star ratings have fallen on hard times. These days I only read the 3-star reviews. I find that too often the extreme of the ratings are used to grind someone’s ax. I want to know, will I like the book/movie/application. I want to read the comments to see what was good and what was bad about a book; Is it in a genre I like; does it have a likable hero; and is it well constructed? I take my personal rating system from an explanation I once heard from Siskel & Ebert. 5stars=I’ll buy you the book. 4starts=I will pester you constantly to read the book. 3stars=a good book that is well written and has a hero I can relate to. 2stars=missing something, either a poor writing/editing job, no strong character, or other such flaws. But only one, so if I like the genre I may give the author another try. 1star=too many flaws to bother with another try.

Agreed. Most 1 star are usually a poke at Amazon. “It took me three weeks to get the book and two pages fell out!” So what? Five stars can be similar: “Best thing in the history of mankind ever since the finger or G wrote on the Moses’s tablets!”

So I stick with threes but mostly just buy what I want. I keep some and give away lots.

I like that method. There are very few books that I read that I will recommend usually a literary fiction or non-fiction. This does not mean I don’t enjoy a thriller or a romance book but it’s my taste. Some people give four and five stars to everything. I think five should be held to a very high standard.

Thanks for this star reference Nick, great observation 👍

Rating and reviewing books is still relatively new to me. I’ve never kept a journal of any kind before, although I have an extensive collection (in an overstuffed little pressed flower notebook) of quotes and passages I’ve loved and use jewel-toned little paper clips to mark pages in my books with the same. I’ve only been on Goodreads for a couple of years, and just started writing actual reviews this past spring. It’s mainly a place to record my thoughts on a book, without rehashing the plot/summary. It’s become like a “public” reading journal for me. I also wish half-stars were an option. Stars themselves don’t tell me much about a book, though. I usually want to know others’ thoughts, as I’m curious how they feel about a book and why. Anyway, I look at stars simplistically like this for me: 5=not enough superlatives, 4=excellent, 3=didn’t love or hate it, 2=didn’t care for, 1=waste of time. And books I didn’t finish don’t even get mentioned–I just delete them from my account.

I rate most things that I read and write a lot of book reviews. I ALWAYS ask myself who is the book for, what are strong points and where is it weak? I detail that I make no money from Amazon.

I want to be helpful. I often say that ‘if you like lots of bullets, and blood, and heart skipping action, well, Wuthering Heights might not be for you.

I was excited about a book recently and read a review that it was really a 300 page advertisement. Next time I went to the book store, I went to see if the assessment was correct. It was, and I’m happy I didn’t spend 25 bucks on it sight sight unseen.

My star rating is kind of like school grades are supposed to be: I rarely give 1 or 2 stars though it does happen. I’m a writer, too, and know what it takes to make a book. If a book is really that lousy, I just wont rate it and be glad I’m done. Three stars is good – good info, a good turn of phrase, good for your genre. Four stars is really good, high praise. Five stars is when the writing or story if so good I just can’t put it down. My most recent 5-star went to Anne Patchett for The Dutch House. Not everyone will like it but I thought it was wonderful. And I measure everything written by Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.

I wonder, why bother publicly rating a book anyway? Everyone knows it’s mostly BS. I use the back page of my planner, a simple list to keep track of what I’ve read. I give my books a letter grade: it takes a lot to get an A+, B- is common. Comments are limited, since I don’t like the pressure of writing a “book report”, but I sometimes include 3 words to help me remember the book later. 3 words, like the old “Game of Thrones” podcast game.

Anne, I agree with you about the star ratings but Goodreads, NetGalley, etc. do not give us any options. I want to help authors with their books and I rarely give below a 3-star rating unless the book is a true dog. But, it makes things awkward when people are just giving out 4-star ratings (and I think NetGalley loves this) when a book doesn’t warrant that sort of rating. It’s a slippery slope and I don’t know how the book industry is going to handle this moving forward. A very good post. Thanks, Mimi IG: @bookbimbo

First I cannot wait to get your reading journal – it is supposed to be delivered September 21st and I am on pins and needles! I have used your forms in the past, but think this will be so much better. I learned about from a friend of mine who heard you in a bookstore (yours) and I really like your columns. Sometimes I just skim until something catches my eye. I am not only a reader. but an audiophile as well. I am reading one “real” book with actual pages, listening on my phone when out walking which I do a lot of, and listening to a CD book in my car. I do post reviews of my books on Goodreads and for the most part mine rate 5 stars with a few 4s thrown in. The star system is as you say very personal and right now I am obsessed with only a few genres – mostly historical fiction when I am actually reading a book, and thrillers when I am walking with a few other types in the car. I do find that many people do not understand the difference between a review and a synopsis. A review is not meant to be the latter. Thanks for all your recommendations.

Sincerely, Audrey Fowler

The star ratings I give on GoodReads are completely subjective–how much I personally loved or hated a book. And my ratings don’t necessarily have to do with the writing quality of the book; just how I felt about the book after reading it. 5 stars–one of the best books I have ever read in my life and will probably want to re-read it over and over. 4 stars–I liked the book a lot, but may not ever re-read it. 3 stars–I liked the book OK, but not one I’ll ever go back to or think about again, probably. 2 stars–There was probably something in the book that I didn’t like very much–a character, or the plot, or the resolution. 1 star–the book was either terrible (writing, illustration, or both); or the book offended me greatly in some way. And I don’t expect other people to necessarily agree with my ratings. I don’t write a lot of reviews; and sometimes I only write a sentence or two about a book. Much of the time, I don’t bother writing anything, because I don’t have the time, or I can’t think of anything to write about that particular book.

I’m in for a WSIRN alternative to Goodreads with these things in mind! Would love to be able so separate quality from enjoyment in my ratings. Sometimes I give 5 stars on GR if I didn’t personally love a thing but feel the author accomplished what they were trying to. Sometimes I rate more personally, and I do feel this hurts the author sometimes, e.g, it’s not her fault that I did not want to see Anne and Gilbert get it on. 🙂 In my book journal I have 5 positive categories and 5 negative. Such overkill, but I use them all – things like “Right book, right time” for that NF that hit the spot but I probably won’t revisit or recommend. I use “Enchanting” or “Creative” for those books that stood out as unique and unputdownable but fell short of perfect for me because of the dark, twisty, or otherwise outside-my-taste kind of things. It’s crazy fun choosing a category instead of stars for my personal rating of a book. (FYI, one of my didn’t like categories is “Not for me”. Solves the quality vs. enjoyment issue perfectly.)

be able “to” separate….shouldn’t comment on my phone.

I have been conflicted on my Goodreads ratings in the past. I was a hoarder of 5 stars as if it’s the best book I read, how can anything top that. Recently (can’t remember if it was pre pandemic or not) I went back through some that I really, really liked and changed them to 5 stars. Most of my books get a 3, I liked them. But, it could also depend on what was going on in my life when I read the book, maybe I was going through something and didn’t get into the book like I would if I read it at a different time. I joined Goodreads in 2010 and have read over 610 books but only gave 5 stars to 4 books and 2 were in 2010 and if I rated them now they would have probably been a 3 but at the time just starting, I wasn’t too sure of my ratings.

I love giving star ratings if they are a 3 star or above. I have a hard time giving 1 or 2 star ratings because I feel bad, but I also take book reviewing seriously and my followers trust that I will be honest about what I read and recommend. Thankfully, I’ve honed my reading tastes enough that I have very few 1 and 2 star ratings every year. I’ve also been more willing to DNF books and then they don’t get a rating. I may have loved 2/3 of a book and disliked 1/3 (The Dutch House, I’m talking to you) so what would have been a 5 star, got bumped to a 3.5 star, but then since I listened to Tom Hanks read it aloud, that jumped it back up to a 4 star rating. I really do try to factor all kinds of things into my ratings. Even though I’m not a huge thriller fan, when I read them I try to think of readers that typically read thrillers and if they would like the story or not when I give my rating.

Hi Anne I’m not that sophisticated of a reader. But I am eager to grow. In the future could you share what is the difference between “enjoying a book” and “the craft of writing “? In my mind if the writing isn’t good I’m not going to enjoy it 🤷‍♀️ Thanks

The quality of writing definitely impacts my rating. I just can’t give a high rating to a book that is poorly written and a book that is exceptionally well written may get an extra point even if it wasn’t top of my list for enjoyment. I guess that’s why so many books with 4+ ratings on goodreads have disappointed me, because I’m not giving a book a 4 or 5 unless the writing is very strong

I too use Goodreads for my reading history, but in the past couple of years have done more than just use the stars. I write a non-spoiler review, without restating the synopsis, that will help me remember the book, and give others an idea of why I rated the way I did. I do like that with using the Goodreads site, I have enough ratings for the ‘Recommendations’ section to suggest new titles is getting on the mark more often with books I might like.

I like this article. I always assumed ratings were based on something intelligent and literary. Naive, I know. Thanks.

This will make a great gift for my book club exchange.

So excited to get my new journal, YAY!! ✨🤩✨

I decided long ago to separate these two ideas (enjoyment vs quality). My star ratings, where I give them, reflect my enjoyment of the book, whether expectations were met, etc., and are subject to change upon re-reads and new thoughts as the books “settle” in my mind. Written reviews are where I share my ideas on the quality of the book, whether it was “well written” and the criteria by which I made that judgement. I’ve found it also helps for me to think of the star ratings in terms of percentages (1 star = 20% enjoyment, 2 = 40% enjoyment, 3 = 60%, etc), I’m not sure why it helps but it does make assigning a star rating easier!

Since Goodreads refuses to provide the option for half stars, when my personal rating includes a half star, I leave their rating space blank and just make a note in the review section of what my rating is.

I’m still weighing a full migration to StoryGraph. It’s not ideal, but Goodreads is getting out of hand and I do not like the proposed ‘upgrades’ they’re testing.

I haven’t been a fan of keeping journals as it makes me uncomfortable. I’m an introvert and not fond of sharing my thoughts, even with myself. Therapy is probably required. I was wondering though how keeping a reading journal helps with choosing new titles?

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What Do Those Stars Mean on Amazon?

If you take anything away from my blogging about reviews, it should be to review books and leave them high marks. Granted, not every book is the best—and some truly deserve low reviews, but there’s a lot of room in between.

One of the primary problems with the Amazon 1-5 star rating/review system is that it’s highly subjective—but not just as a matter of opinions about writing and stories… but also about the review system itself. If you read a perfectly average book with no major problems, and you enjoyed the story line, but it’s not changing cracking your all-time top ten novel list, it should be a three star rating, right?

Wrong. It should be five stars .

People tend to set up their reviews based on a system of product comparison, but a 5 star review does not have to be the best book you ever read; neither does it have to be perfect (lots of books have the occasional error in the minutia). A 5-star book doesn’t even have to be better than the last book you read. Three is not the middle, and in fact a three star review shows up as a “critical review” under the Amazon system… i.e. you thought the book was bad.

Here is what each of those star ratings mean: 5: you enjoyed this book in the way that it was meant (has the expected tropes, themes, etc.) 4: you generally liked the book but you have at least one major issue with the book and it detracted from your enjoyment (lots of repetition in the writing, a major plot hole, far too many typos, etc.) 3: a novel you neither liked nor disliked—you didn’t care if you finished it or not. You might read it if you were stuck on a desert island and this was all you had… then again, you might use it for TP instead. Because some advertisers and listing services don’t allow 3-star books, consider leaving no review out of apathy and sympathy. This review hurts an author’s rating. 2: the novel is plagued by multiple, serious issues and you want to prevent others from suffering in an attempt to read this book. There are typos on practically each page (lack of editing,) serious inconsistencies, or a glaring lack of research. There was a plot, characters, and setting, but you didn’t really enjoy it. 1: a colossal failure. You hate this book so much that it keeps you up at night—there was no plot. Don’t leave a 1 star review unless you truly feel the author should never write again—this is not the appropriate review to leave if you bought a romance that you thought was a “Clean Christian romance” from the cover/title but it actually turned out to be an Amish bodice ripper.

Perhaps the best blog I’ve read on this topic (which I obviously borrowed some thoughts from) come from https://teylarachelbranton.com/reviews-what-those-stars-mean-to-authors/ (her list of Dos and Don’ts for reviewing is highly recommended). Teyla Branton frames it in the context of a school report card: 5 stars is a B+ to A, 4 stars is a C+ to B, 3 stars is a C or C-, 2 stars is a D or D-, and 1 is an F.

On that report card theme, imagine you believe in a literal divine creation narrative from the Judeo Christian perspective (that God created the earth and everything on it in six days and that evolution doesn’t exist.) You’re also in high school and take a chapter test on Darwinian evolution. You can score 100% on the test despite having vastly different beliefs than those in a textbook. That’s kind of how this system is supposed to work: you can give 5 stars even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea. However, if the book was presented as a fantasy novel but turns out to be a literary novel about a man who thinks he is a wizard dealing with life in a mental institution, it would be a 4 star novel unless it clearly states it’s about a man with mental illness. “Does the book share the story it sets out to tell?”

Because Amazon runs with an average and because 3 star reviews actually translate as negative, this is how to interpret the 1-5 star rating system: 5 Stars: probably only has 1 review, otherwise excellent 4 1/2 Stars: excellent 4 Stars: okay 3 1/2 Stars: crap 3 Stars: crap 2 1/2 Stars: crap 2 Stars: crap 1 1/2 Stars: crap 1 Star: crap

Remember—this might be the most important thing for any given author! Handing out low reviews is perhaps the biggest kind of insult you can give any author. Remember that movie you saw in the theater—the one that you didn’t hate and kinda liked, but the details and plot were a little fuzzy in your memory by day two? It’s not much different than what Hollywood churns out on a daily basis to the tune of millions of dollars. Make an author feel like a million bucks today: leave a 5 star review… they probably deserve it more than you’ve ever even realized.

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Reviews: What Those Stars Mean to Authors (or When Should I Give 5 Stars)

As an author, I occasionally read the reviews of my books on Amazon, and sometimes this is a torturous event. I’m going to share with you what those stars mean to authors. But first let me give you a little background.

See the screen shots from my novel Tell Me No Lies. I have a lot of great 4-star reviews, but every 4-star review has brought my overall rating down. I had to get 100 more reviews, with enough of them 5-stars to bring it back up to 4.5 overall.

Reviews: What Those Stars Mean to Authors (or When Should I Give 5 Stars)

One time a reviewer told me how much she’d enjoyed my book, and that she’d LOVE to review another one on her website, if I’d send her a copy. But she’d given me only 3 stars, which to me means a C book (boring, neutral, just okay—at least according to Amazon ratings). I’d have grounded my children for bringing home such a grade unless there was a very good reason for it. Part of her reasoning was that she’d expected the book to be a different genre, but that reasoning did nothing to help my book. I wasn’t interested in sending her another book. I’ll get enough three-star reviews without her help.

Reviews help sell or stall books

Many readers have no idea of the importance other readers give to reviews. But consider what you check for the next time you are looking for a book from an author you’ve never heard of before. I bet one of the things you do is to read the reviews to see if others liked the book or if there are any serious issues with it. So in a very real way, reviews help determine the wage the author earns. Reviews also decide whether or not certain companies will accept advertising for a book (some will not accept books rated below four stars), so your rating is important and it affects the author in serious ways.

Oh, and if you think an author will never see your review, think again. Authors are people, too, and I can’t tell you have many of my friends have been the recipient of really mean and ugly comments in thoughtless reviews.

What Those Stars Mean to Authors (and to Booksellers and Advertisers)

5 stars is an A, A-, or even a B+. Great for authors. This means you enjoyed the book. It fulfilled the measure of its creation. Meaning that a romance isn’t judged as a general fiction, a teen story as an adult novel, or genre fiction as a literary novel. The 5-star novel was enjoyable, didn’t have any major plot holes, and the writing was good enough that you’d recommend it as a nice read. These 5-star reviews help balance the 1 and 2 star reviews from people who picked up the wrong genre or wanted sex in a clean book (or vice-versa). Or the picky reviewer who found one typo and therefore decided the entire book was poorly edited (if that was the case, EVERY published book would be junk). Five stars doesn’t mean the book has to be the best you’ve ever read, or even better than the last one you reviewed. It just has to be a good novel. This rating could also be given to a novel you would have rated only 4 stars but one feature (world-building, a character, or plot element) was so cool that you reward the author’s effort by giving them that extra star (and you can say this in the review).

4 stars is a B, B-, or even a C+ novel. Okay for authors, but if they have an overall rating more than 4 stars, keep in mind that you are taking down their rating. The 4-star rating is for novels that you liked but had at least one issue with. A plot hole that disturbed your reading enough that you didn’t enjoy the overall story. Maybe a few too many typos. Too much repetition. But you still found the story compelling enough to read in a short time and you enjoyed it. The novel doesn’t have to be the best one you’ve read in the genre, it just has to hold your attention. Think of yourself as a teacher giving a grade. Again, if you had been going to give the novel 3 stars, but something cools really stood out, give the author the benefit of the doubt—and the extra star.

3 stars is a C or a C-. So only average or NEUTRAL. You neither liked it or disliked it. This really is the kiss of death rating. The “okay” novel. If you give a novel this rating, there should be SERIOUS issues because, remember, many advertisers won’t accept novels with this overall rating. So the 3-star novel should be one you didn’t feel compelled to finish, or one whose overall plot didn’t quite make sense (and you feel wouldn’t make sense to others). This is a novel that you wouldn’t recommend unless it was the only thing someone had to read and they were stuck in an airport for two hours.

2 stars is a D or a D-. This is a novel that has at least three major negative issues and you feel these issues will prevent others from enjoying it at all. There are sex scenes in a supposedly clean novel, the character thinks about their college literature classes entirely far too much, or the character isn’t consistent. Maybe there are typos on every other page, or repeated use of wrong words. A 2-star rating could also be a book that you felt you really wanted to give one star to, but because it had some redeeming feature (great world-building, a character you really enjoyed), you gave it an extra star to encourage the author.

1 star means F. The author completely and utterly failed. You hated it totally and absolutely. That means there was no plot, it was riddled with grammar errors, and everything about it was boring, boring, boring. The author should throw the book away. Never give an author a one-star review unless you feel they really should give up writing and get a job at the local grocery instead.

Are my rating descriptions correct? You may not feel so when rating a book, but I bet you feel that way when reading reviews! And I assure you that’s what book advertisers and sellers see—and it’s certainly what those stars mean to authors (or most of them).

DOs and DON’Ts of Reviewing

1. If you have a real issue, mention that, but rate the overall book not that one thing.

2. Don’t give the book a terrible review because it’s not a genre you like. Just don’t review it. For instant, if you hate romance, people who love romance won’t be helped at all by your review.

3. If a review contains explicit scenes (or violent, or religious, or whatever), don’t give them a bad review because you hated that part UNLESS it goes against what was in the book description. So if a book description talks about fighting, don’t be shocked if there’s violence. If it mentions faith, don’t be shocked if the characters see things through a religious point-of-view. If it says romance, don’t be surprised if there is a love story. In these cases, your review will only make you sound like an idiot for not reading the description. And it’s not fair to authors.

4. Unless you are a reviewer and received the book in exchange for a review, don’t point out that you “bought” the book for free or for a discounted price. Sometimes publishers will offer a book for free or at a discount as a way to advertise the book. But it is unlikely the book will be free for long. If you say you got the book for free, people will feel cheated when they have to pay, and that’s simply not fair to the author or the publisher. You are reviewing the book not the price. However, if you were GIVEN the book from the author or publisher for the purpose of reviewing, then by all means you need to state that, but not everyone is chosen as a reviewer so this is different than saying you downloaded the book at a discount. I can’t tell you have many time reviewers will say something cruel like “This was junk, but fortunately I downloaded it for free so all I wasted was my time.”

5. Be kind with your wording. Authors are real people with real feelings. I’ve known promising authors who never published the third in a series because of cruel reviews. I loved the books and am still waiting to read that third novel.

6. If you were having a bad day when you read the book, consider not reviewing it at all.

7. If there is a certain subject you hate, and it happens to come up in the book, consider not reviewing it at all, or at least mention your bias in the review. Again rate the entire book, not just that scene.

8. Don’t tell everyone what happens in the book unless you put SPOILER ALERT. Even then, I wouldn’t do it. Readers won’t buy the book if you tell what happens. The author was careful in the blurb not to give it away, and you shouldn’t either. Remember, this is the author’s JOB. They get paid on how many books they sell. Careless reviews make it hard for authors to keep writing.

9. Do say what in particular you liked about the book. Use specifics without giving away plot. Tell us WHY you are rating the book this way.

10. Do give a 5-star review if the book fulfills its purpose. It doesn’t need to be earth-shattering or the best book you’ve ever read. It just needs to be a good, compelling novel, comparable with a novel of that same genre. You can be very glowing in your review if you feel it deserves more than 5 stars, but don’t knock a good novel down to four just to say it’s not as good as that brilliant novel. If we all read only brilliant novels, there would be only a few dozen books to read. Some people feel they’re not being critical enough if they rate something with 5 stars. I say baloney. If you enjoyed it and would lend the book to someone, give it a good rating.

11. Do click to report reviews you feel are abusive. These would include reviews that attack the author as a person or that attack a group of people, a religion, etc. Or anything that is not a review. Example: “I’m giving this one star because I couldn’t download it and Amazon wouldn’t give me a refund for the Kindle I don’t know how to use.” Yes, this is real review on one of my books.

12. Do comment on other reviews if you disagree or feel they are being too harsh. But do so KINDLY. Better yet, write your own review and rate the book higher to even out their negativity. But don’t hassle other reviewers, even the rude ones. Everyone has a right to their opinion.

13. Do comment on other reviews to thank the reviewer for good information they’ve included.

14. If your review is 3.5 stars, say that in your review, but always round up not down.

So now you know what those stars mean to authors. Please let me know if you think of any more Do’s and Don’ts and I’ll add them. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to share the link to this post on social media or with a friend.

Reuse notice: you are free to print for personal use or non-commercial use with friends, share this post link anywhere, quote a short excerpt with attribution and a link to this site, but you may not use this post in its entirety on your own page. Thank you for caring about copyright.

53 Responses to “Reviews: What Those Stars Mean to Authors (or When Should I Give 5 Stars)”

How to write a useful & fantastic book review | browzly.

[…] a view on what most readers thought about a book. These are very important to authors, here is an article that can tell you how important these are for the author. So, be mindful when you give your book a […]

Nadine Berger

Very insightful, thank you for posting this. I do have a different rating system for my blog and goodreads than I do for retailers. If I rate a book three stars on my blog (and goodreads) for me it’s a good read, not great, but I will automatically turn it into four stars on retailers because I don’t think it rated the five stars but for books that I rate four stars there are times I keep the rating the same and others that I will turn it to five stars on retailers depending on how I felt about the book and why I rated it four stars. There are very few times I will post anything less than three stars on retailers because of the negative impact unless its something that needs to be addressed, for example paying $7.99 for a book that has sooooo many errors it was hard to read the book. If I am paying that much for a book it should be edited and the story should flow I shouldn’t have to figure out what the author is trying to get across to the readers.

Teyla Rachel Branton

Thanks for the comment. It’s interesting to see your reasoning. I think you make a valid point about the cost of the book vs errors. My feeling is that all books should be edited by at least three editors before being published. Yeah, a $7.99 price AND errors would be a no-go for me!

I agree overall with this article. Some reviewers have said that they will give 5 stars only if the book changes their life, but how many books are there like that? I am in my sixties and been an avid reader throughout my life and yet only a handful of books have changed my life. Does this mean I should have marked the other hundreds of books (books that I loved) 4 stars or less? No way! If I love a book, whatever the reason, it gets 5 stars. If a book changes one’s life that can be mentioned in the review. In fact, the words “change my life” are not even really true, not if one looks back years later. A book can affect you, but the book alone cannot change you even if you feel that way for a short while.

Thank you so much for your comments, and you make a good point. The few books that stand out in my mind fade and new ones take their place all the time. I change and so does my perception. I think the older we get, the more we understand that there is place for all kinds of literature, and that good books don’t have to mean life-changing.

I don’t agree with your rating system. I would be more on a par with Lyndzee as well but truthfully, the stars are too subjective to hold much meaning. If I am giving a half star, I already rounded up, otherwise it would have been the lower number. I would not give a 5 star review to a book that just fulfilled a purpose. I am sorry to hear that a 4 star review lowers the author’s standing but I feel it’s a solid number and a positive rating. Reviewers are people who all rate differently and this whole system is about as imperfect as can be. I agree with being kind but truthful and honest about what a reviewer did not like as well as not giving away too much of a fictional plot. I will also say that author’s/writers need to develop a thick skin because no longer writing due to bad reviews is not a reviewer issue at all. Some authors may do better with not reading their reviews and continuously reminding themselves of why they are writing and publishing in the first place. Putting your work out there means accepting that not everyone will like it or necessarily be nice about it.

That’s okay, we can agree to disagree. Most authors I know do avoid reading their reviews. Sadly, too many of them attack the author these days. I personally read two romances recently that I’d only give one star, but I didn’t because I know I am not the author’s target reader. I guess I feel that I don’t want to be the person throwing rocks at people who are trying to climb the cliff, you know? Thanks for your comments!

And this just to add that you are absolutely right that the system isn’t perfect. By attacking the author, I thought I should clarify. It’s not really the review but the blatant attacks on the author as a person. “This author shouldn’t write anymore. This author only does garbage. This author needs to die a painful death because they’re so stupid.” is a lot different than, “This book has too many errors. The characters didn’t grab me. Or I thought the plot was too simple and here’s why.” There is trolling and attacking and thoughtful reviews. A world of difference! By the way, Lindzee is also a writer now. I’d be interested to see if she still feels the same way from the other side of the fence! (Hint, if you’re following this, Lindzee.)

PIA MOGOLLÓN

I agree I am simply not going to give a five star review to a book that I didn’t absolutely love. I will definitely take into consideration that anything less than 4 stars is harmful though. But there are so many books that while I totally enjoyed reading them, I don’t love them. They weren’t magnificent they were juat a pleasant to read and to me giving them a 5 star review tajes away from the books that are magnificent and mind bending and consciousness shattering and all that. That said I would never attack an author as a visual and performance artist I always to applaud anyones effort at putting their creativity out there. And try to always start reviews always with what I liked about a book and spend very little time on what I didn’t like. If I absolutely hate a book, I generally just don’t review it or likely even finish it. However it is rare that I find nothing to like about a book that I’ve spent the time reading all the way through.

I think it’s good that you look for something constructive to say! That helps a lot. Much more encouraging for authors, who really do need support!

Book Review Star Ratings - Kathy L. Brown Writes

[…] ratings. Of late, I’ve thought long and hard and read what other reviewers (Inside the Inkwell, Teyla Rachel Branton, and Rosepoint Publishing all have excellent perspectives on this topic) have said about the […]

Thank you for your insights on reviews. I reposted this blog on my Twitter account.

Thank you for the tweet!

How do you fell about reviewers taking away stars for using bad language? I’m polite but I always put out the irony of a book about murder , but the F-word upsets them. Also, should the Thor be punished for the readers own personal moral bias? I don’t think so. I’ve read some very silly reviews and am tempted to tell these readers that we are adults and it’s assumed adults are the intended audience. Grow up! Also, cruel reviews when I can tell the reviewer is in a bad mood… those should be reported or taken with a grain of salt. I know this article was written a few years ago, but I’m writing this in 2019 and the country is very divided along so many lines. I find it disturbing to politicize the arts and use ratings to “punish” or push ones own agenda. That’s just me, but I’m aware of things taking a very ugly turn. Let’s hope it gets better soon! So, when reading a review be sure and read between the lines. There are nuances that are as telling about the reviewer as the book. I do this with movies and books I’ve become pretty adept at knowing when a review is relevant and when to ignore it. Thanks for the article. I agree with the way you say the ratings should be. —K

You make some good points. The swearing issue is exactly why I’ve jumped in wholeheartedly with Book Cave (mybookcave.com), because they promote books by content rating as well, so readers aren’t shocked. I wish they had even more books rated there, and that Amazon would buy them out or something, lol. There has been a huge swing toward more profanity since the onslot of indie publishing. In my research, I found there are usually less than 30 swears to a book that is published traditionally, but indie published book (unless they are sweet or religious) usually have 100+ to 500 per book. But aside from that, keep in mind that there are a whole generations that consider the f-word to be a serious offense. They’ll overlook a d-word or an h-word, but not that. Especially not when it’s used four times a page. Basically, most people over 40 or so are not fans of this kind of thing. To the younger generation, the f-word isn’t worse than the d- or h-word, and they’ll overlook it regularly. Your best best is to include in the description that the book contains adult language. That way readers are prepared. There is also the argument that if an author is getting a lot of reviews that mention profanity, maybe it’s time to shake things up when expressing anger or upset. Because most people will overlook a few swear words used with feeling, but if there is one in every paragraph (or even four to a page), it becomes repetitive, just like other words authors try to avoid (then, really, definitely, look, etc.). In that case, it isn’t so much about age or the swear words as it is about being repetitive and therefore annoying. So instead of swearing, a person might punch a hole in the wall or scream or kick a chair. I have a friend who stopped reading a book because the character was constantly pinching her nose, so repetition is death, regardless of what the word is. Since authors want to appeal to as many readers as possible, they may want to consider searching for swears just like they do any other overly used words or actions. I never saw a review that said an author didn’t swear enough, have you? Maybe not gritty enough, but never one that says they missed the swearing.

Thanks for replying! You made me think one this a little more. I agree about something like the repetition and that any language used over and over can become redundant even if it’s not profane. So, in that case it would affect the quality of the writing. I would give that add an exception. As someone definitely over 40 but not easily shocked I’m actually more tolerant. I read a lot of Celtic Noir crime and they are dark, violent and there’s dirty language. I think it would sound silly any other way. But regardless, back to taking away stars in a review based on ones own moral bias, I just don’t think it’s fair. Religion has a history of stifling creativity and one has to be careful they aren’t attempting to silence an author . That’s why I’m not a fan of leaving a cruel review under the umbrella of anonymity and possibly ruin a career. I’ve seen great books get bad ratings because of technical issues, or they didn’t approve of the main characters life choices , too many naughty words etc. The internet is the wild West and the freedom of it is often exploited for political purposes, religious purposes and pushing an agenda. I can smell those kinds of reviews a mile away but not everyone can. Again ty for replying personally. I could write a book about the way I feel about this subject and segue right into 70’s punk rock then on to caring for Pomeranians. Lol. Maybe I will! Heads up… Nasty words will be included. Regards, K

With all the books that are based on religion, make fun of religion, or create new religions (like in so many fantasies), one could argue that religion also initiates a slew of creativity, lol. But I hear what you are saying. Good luck in your writing!

Pia Mogollón

Great points ehen reading reviews of books im curious about reading I often take them with a grain of salt and as you say have gotten good at discerning whether the reviewer is giving constructive criticism or justbbeong hateful. Ad far as the rating system I pretty much only give it a cursory glance but am as I said more interested in the content of the review. And yeah giving a negative review because you don’t like the genre is pretty base. If I didn’t like the genre I wouldn’t continue reading it. That said there’s another pet peeve people who give a negative review after saying they couldn’t even finish it. I believe if you didn’t finish it you’ve got no right to review it.

I agree! If you can’t finish a book, you shouldn’t rate it. Who knows if there might have been something redeeming? Or maybe the reader wasn’t the target audience. My eyes glaze over on books my daughter adores. We like different things. But I guess it also depends on WHY a reader stopped reading. Were there too many errors? Were there plot holes. Even then, it’s a hard call. A private email might go a long way toward getting an author to spend more time on editing, lol.

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[…] Explaining rating systems. […]

Thank you for this. I didn’t know what those stars meant and I’m glad to know now. This will better help me when I’m reviewing books on amazon. I always try to go into detail of why I’m rating what I rate.

It’s always great to give details in review as to why. Thank you for your comment!

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What Do Those Stars Mean on Amazon? – Inside the Inkwell

[…] the best blog I’ve read on this topic (which I obviously borrowed some thoughts from) come from https://teylarachelbranton.com/reviews-what-those-stars-mean-to-authors/ (her list of Dos and Don’ts for reviewing is highly recommended). Teyla Branton frames it in the […]

I think this can be a very subjective issue, which is part of the problem. As an author, I appreciate more now exactly what impact the rating of a book can have on your potential sales and ability to promote the book. However, that problem stems from a defunct rating system, that as a reviewer we have no control over.

As a book reviewer, there is no set general guidelines on how to rate a book, and even the book giants Amazon and Goodreads, which are now both owned by the same company, do not agree – as the different numbers mean different things on their scales. That being said, ratings are very useful within the community, and are used for a specific purpose. Among the majority of book reviewers I interact with, there seems to be a reasonably standardised opinion regarding the numbers, which I’m sorry to say do not match with your own interpretation.

A 5* read could never be considered a B+. This book is gold, you need to own it, you want to reread it, you want to delve into its pages and never come back out. It is a fantastic read that you regularly recommend to anyone who will listen to you. A 4* book is a very solid read, very enjoyable and engaging, but doesn’t reach the pinnacle of a 5* book. You would still recommend this book, and you may reread it, but it wasn’t without its problems. A 3* read is quite average. You read many books like it. It is enjoyable enough but there are more issues with it than plus point. You would likely only recommend it to someone who fits a particular niche who would enjoy it, it’s not for everyone, and it usually isn’t all that memorable. You are unlikely to reread it. A 2* read has lots of problems. A lot of people don’t even finish it. The plot is poorly executed, or the book is poorly written. A 1* read you actively dislike for a variety of reasons, or you couldn’t even finish due to the poor quality.

I personally use the ratings system as a way of cataloguing my own library for my own reasons, so unfortunately I would be unable to change that to bolster the ratings of a book for the benefit of the author.

I’ve noticed that reviewers on Goodreads tend to leave lower star reviews. I would LOVE it if everyone looked at a 4-star book and thought: “That’s still a great book.” But unfortunately, from my research, there seems to be something wrong with a 4-star book (maybe because it didn’t change a life?). I am not swayed from my stand, but I appreciate your post and the difference in opinions. I feel that a literary novel with life-changing substance (the only books I’d probably give 5 stars for on your scale) can’t be compared to a book that is simply a great romance or a great sci-fi book. Those books were great, but they just weren’t life-changing for me (and perhaps none of those in that genre will ever be but they’re sure entertaining and I love reading them). They were still better then 90 percent of books out there, and though I’m never going to reread them (let’s be honest, I’m never going to reread any book except maybe three in my lifetime), they fulfilled the measure of their potential and deserve 5 stars. So that’s where I was going with that. I would rather reward great effort on the part of an author whose book fills the potential within their genre. Again, thanks for the comment. Good luck with your writing!

Thank you for explaining the rating system. It is very different from the rating and evaluation systems I am used to using. A 5 star rating would not be allowed and 3 stars would mean it was exactly as is was meant to be – perfect in other words. The 4 and 5 stars would mean that it was over and above perfection, something extraordinary, and rare. I will remember what these star ratings mean to the authors now – thank you.

You’re welcome. I appreciate the comment, Tina!

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Fox Emerson

wow! Great post Rachel. Wish I’d read this before I started crying over my 3 star review from a fellow author off Goodreads. I might have felt a bit better after reading the review she gave me for my book Monique.

I have to agree with your rating system, but it is interesting reading the comments just here on your blog how many people have a different opinion on ratings. It’s led me to believe that you can’t really take the stars too seriously. Someone giving it a 3 star thinks the book is great but it didn’t blow their mind. Another reader who feels the same will give it 4 stars because their interpretation of 3 stars is different.

When I review a book, I follow a simple guideline that is very similar to your blog.

Thanks, enjoyable read and also made me feel a little less alone getting a 3 star. Let’s hope that’s the lowest I get…

Yeah, sometime I wonder if readers want “teach the author” a lesson, or something, but I think a little kindness goes a long way. I’ve added two epilogues to books because readers have kindly mentioned they wanted one. If they’d been hateful or punishing, I wouldn’t have wanted to please them.

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[…] I’ve been wondering about book reviews. We are constantly extolled to write book reviews on Amazon and on Goodreads or whatever. It seems like a reasonable thing to do. Supportive, right? […]

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[…] Rachel Branton touches on this subject in her blog post, Reviews: What Those Stars Mean to Authors (or When Should I Give 5 Stars). Based on her own experiences with reviews accompanied by mismatched ratings, she […]

Susan Allred

I am a product tester and BOY do I wish someone had given this article as reading material before I began testing products–especially books! It’s insightful and it lets us, as reviewers, understand more fully how our opinions affect you as authors.

The only thing I might hedge on would be #4 – talking about how we got a product for free. I agree if you happen to download the book for free, don’t mention it. But for people like me who are given free books specifically for the purpose of review, I’m required by Amazon to mention that I got it for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion. I have to check mark a box 3 separate times that I will state that disclaimer in my reviews.

Star belly sneetches here we come! We were just having a similar discussion at work the other day. All of us agreed that 5 means it blew your world. 4 means it was good. 3 means it’s okay but you couldn’t finish it. 2 means it was stupid and awful. 1 means the world is a worse place because it was written. The conversation happened because we were reading some reviews on Amazon–some said they loved the book, but then they put down a three. Others said, there was nothing wrong with the book, but it just wasn’t their genre and so they gave it a three. We laughed because it was completely misleading. Anyway, the star system is messed up because it means so many things to so many people (like a kiss, heh heh, but that’s a different topic altogether). As a reader, I TRY to read the reviews, but when there are so many, I generally read a few reviews only. So if the top ones are negative, that’s all I’ll see. And yeah, I do look at reviews because there are so many books out there in the same genre, so I want to find the best one. As an author, the star ratings are important because if you don’t have a certain amount of stars, only certain companies will take your book and feature it on their site (for reviews, giveaways, etc). So you’re right when you say that stars equate author’s pay. It would be nice if it worked another way, but it doesn’t. a more advanced system than stars would be preferable where we could judge different aspects of the books: professional, fun, cleverness, dialogue, classic material that will live on, etc. BUT THEN no one would take the time to write a review because it would be so hard, so yeah. Crazy stuff. OH, and before I leave this rather lengthy reply, yes, authors do have feelings. I have seen some reviews that made me cringe and they weren’t even written for me. Comments with titles like Ugh, yuck, don’t waste your time, etc. Sometimes I had read some of these books and didn’t agree at all. This to me denotes a certain road rage. Of course, If you’re a perpetual road-rager, you might not see anything wrong with this. If your motivation is to reach other readers to warn them about the things you didn’t like and you honestly believe that everyone will have this reaction (and who doesn’t? We always assume people have our same opinions), then leave a thoughtful reply that will benefit both the reader and the author. That’s my take on stars.

You know, that’s exactly what I don’t get—the meanness in some of the reviews. As though the author did them a MORTAL WRONG by writing the book, and it’s their job to take them DOWN!

Thanks for all your comments! Oh, about the grade thing. The only time I’d actually ground a child for grades is if they were purposely not trying, and then it would be from video games and such until they got back on track. I strongly believe parents need to support their children this way. However, I agree that it’s not necessarily the grade that is all-important. Fortunately, my children seem to enjoy school and learning so this is rarely an issue. They love to read and that helps a lot. So no worries about child abuse here! We love our kids!

If you receive a book for free in exchange for review, you are required BY LAW to state that in your review. So not admonish reviewers to do otherwise.

A five star review means I loved it and would highly recommend it to everyone. Period. It is not a B+, not in anybody’s opinion. Yes, every book should measured against its peers (nobody should compare Twilight to the Great Gatsby or either of those to Shakespeare). But a book that’s “pretty good” should not be marked with five stars.

And a one star review means I cannot recommend it, based on my opinions. If we reserved one-star ratings for books riddled with errors, then nobody (outside the self-published world) would ever get one star reviews.

Gina, about the FREE book, I meant that you downloaded it at a temporary discount, not that you got it from the author. Certainly, you should disclose that. But saying in a review that you “bought” the book for free isn’t fair because that book isn’t always going to be free. We should be reviewing the book and not the price. I’ll clarify. Thanks!

Tony Laplume

Also, it disturbs me that you would punish your kids for getting low grades. My brother averaged A’s throughout school, and was personally devastated in a very real way, because of the pressure he put on himself, when he got something else the one time. Grades aren’t everything. If you’re not really learning, the grade doesn’t mean anything. It’s the education that counts for something.

Do I let this slide or not? I’ve already commented more times than I ever do on any blog and I’m pretty sure my reply to this will be moderated out, heh heh. But Tony (and Gina), how could you take the author’s breezy comment about grounding her kids for a “C” to mean she abuses her kids? It’s like you’re trying to be antagonistic. I think it was pretty obvious that the analogy here is that you don’t get into prestigious colleges with a “C” average, and neither will an author be able to survive on a “C” average. It doesn’t matter if you personally believe an author is a “C” average or not–it’s what the vocal and paying masses think that matters most where a paycheck is concerned.

Exactly right, Stephanie! My three oldest received scholarships to great colleges, and with his grades and ACT scores, my fourth will as well. They did the work on their own, though we were always there to help and encourage them. Yes, we had curfews and family standards. Expectations. If we hadn’t been involved in their education, I don’t know where they would be today. Two are close to graduating, and it’s nice to see them being responsible and understanding that if they work hard, they can succeed at ANYTHING. They tell me stories all the time about roommates who don’t, whose parents pay for everything while they party. Not sure what will happen when they have to face the real world. My second child has taken more time, that’s okay. As long as she’s happy and a contributing member to society, that’s what’s important.

I’d say that any truly discerning reader will be able to sift through reviews rather than look only at the surface. If the reader can’t do that with reviews, then chances are they won’t be reading the book itself very critically. And then, does it really matter? Some of my very favorite stuff doesn’t get the best reviews on Amazon. The popular stuff always averages above everything else. Popularity doesn’t always equal quality.

What are some poorly reviewed books that you enjoyed? Can you tell us? I agree that readers SHOULD be able to discern. Hopefully . . .

Peter Ackroyd’s The Plato Papers instantly became one of my favorite books ever. It has an average of 3 and a half stars. Pretty outrageous. Javier Marias’s Your Face Tomorrow trilogy, all brilliant, only the third getting the full five. But each of them have very few reviews. To my thinking, everyone should be reading those. And those are just the ones from the last time I bothered to read Amazon reviews, because for the most part they’re pretty worthless. Hence my entire point. For some people they’re helpful, but I guess I come from the perspective that they aren’t, so I’m not as concerned as you are about them.

I’ll take a look at these (first reading a sample chapter). My concern comes mostly because low reviews do mean a lower paycheck overall because so many readers do judge by reviews. But I think if an author keeps writing and continues to hone his/her craft, things will always improve. Thanks for the conversation!

I see what you’re saying Tony as a reader. But as an author, some companies won’t take your book on their site (to feature, for giveaways, promotion), etc, unless you have a certain amount of stars. These companies simply don’t have enough time to read every book submitted to them to find out for themselves whether this book was good or not. Their criteria is that the book must have 4-5 stars and have at least 4-6 reviewers on Amazon. Also, bad reviews on Amazon equates sloping sales (at least for a few weeks until a good review shoots the sales back up). Sure, it’s helpful if there are different opinions out there; in other words if your average rating is three stars, but you have a die-hard fan who is VERY vocal about it and they promote you every chance they can, and their review is favorited by other reviewers so that it stays at the top for everyone to see–but that very rarely happens. How many times do you promote your favorite books? If you do it a lot, you’re a rare commodity. Though kudos to you if you do. Your favorite authors will cherish you.

Yeah, I think that because so many people use Goodreads, they don’t realize that on Amazon the stars don’t exactly mean the same thing!

Wow, Rachel! I didn’t realize that’s what amazon’s star rating system means. I’ve been going off goodreads: 1 star-did not like it, 2 stars-it was okay, 3 stars-liked it, 4 stars-really liked it, 5 stars-it was amazing. So even from website to website the description of ratings differs. No wonder there’s a discrepancy!

I have to agree that the star-rating does seem to be broken. Looking at Lindzee’s comments, ratings mean a MUCH different thing to her than it does from where I’m standing. For an author trying to pay for a promo on a 3-star book, the 3-star rating is terrible. So I guess if a book changed my life, I’d probably give it the same 5-star review as I did another book I enjoyed, but in the review I’d rave about HOW much I liked it and how it changed my life. Too bad there aren’t more ratings, or they aren’t explained better or are more universal. Because right now the ratings, particularly on Amazon, indicate that 5 is for loved it, 4 for liked it, 3 for it was just okay, 2 for I didn’t like it and 1 for I hated it. I have so little time to waste that it would be hard for me to pick up a 3-star book unless someone I trusted recommended it. Sad, but true. Yet going by what Lindzee said, she’d still read and recommend 3-star books. Thanks for your comments, Lindzee and Mike!

I personally think the star rating system is broken and doesn’t make much if any sense. Everyone has their own interperetations of what each star means. Some people think they are being generous if they give 3 stars, others think 4 stars is being way too harsh. It’s a broken system.

I can understand an author wanting to explain a star rating system in this way to up their own ratings, lowering the bar to a more reasonable level in regular readers’ minds. But the truth is, the system is broken and doesn’t work.

Personally, I like Youtube’s rating system. If you liked it, there’s a thumbs up. If you didn’t like it, a thumbs down. That way, the people who neither liked nor disliked aren’t artificially lowering or raising someone’s rating status. I’ve found that Youtube’s rating system gives a rating that is much more consistent with the quality of the content.

I rate a bit differently than you. If I give a book 5 stars, it means it changed my life. I could not get through it fast enough. I could not stop thinking about it. The characters feel like life-long friends. The writing was superb. There were next to no grammar errors, etc. 5 star books for me are pretty rare. I’ve read 21 books since the beginning of the year, and only given 4 of them 5 star ratings on goodreads. Most books I rate 3 or 4 stars. 3 stars is average, 4 is fantastic. If I rate a book 4 stars, I will reread, and I’ll eventually want to buy it if I haven’t already. 3 stars means I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t stay with me and if you ask me about it now I’ll have a hard time remembering the basic plot. 2 stars is bad, and if a book gets 1 star I didn’t even get through it. I know a lot of my friends rate on pretty much the same scale as me.

When reading reviews for buying a book, I tend to discard a lot of the 5 star and 1 star reviews, especially if there are only a few reviews there. If all I see are 5 star reviews, I assume the author got all their friends and family to go rate the book, and the review is biased. I tend to read the 3 and 4 star reviews when deciding whether or not to purchase a book.

I guess if I were to assign grades to my star system, 5 stars would be an A++, 4 stars is a solid A or B, 3 stars is like a B- or C+, 2 stars is a D, and 1 is an F.

It’s interesting to read about another perspective on the rating system! Great post.

Elizabeth H. Cottrell

This is exactly the way I approach my own ratings, Lindzee. If you don’t save the five stars for books that were transformative, how can you ever reward those authors for their work? Thank you for this perspective. But I agree with many of Teyla’s other points — it’s not fair to give a negative review if you just don’t like the genre.

Matt Athanasiou
Sep 16, 2022

Rethinking Star Ratings For Readers

13 min read
UX , Design , Product Strategy
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About The Author

Matt Athanasiou is a Principal Designer and Writer. As the former, he primarily works in Experience Design, improving customer needs in digital and physical … More about Matt ↬

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Product ratings and reviews should provide clarity about a product’s qualities. Unfortunately, the nearly ubiquitous star rating scale can foster assumptions; it often lacks clearly defined measurements and fails to encourage written reviews. Context is important, and in this article, we will discuss a solution to improve communication among readers for finding and sharing literature.

The Setting: Ratings And Reviews

There is no shortage of articles criticizing star ratings . Many, myself included, have considered reimagining the ubiquitous star rating system. I might have continued ignoring those thoughts, disregarding the inconsistent and often bewildering star ratings that I encountered on apps until my frustrations mounted with Goodreads.

I love literature, and I believe it deserves better than a grading scale that elicits confusion and degrades communication among readers. In this article, we’ll imagine a better one to practice thinking and building more satisfying experiences.

The Inciting Incident: User Dissonance

The rating and review that inspired me to dig deeper into the star rating system can be paraphrased like this:

“The author’s writing is lyrical, and the story is lovely and haunting. However, this is not a genre I typically enjoy. Three stars.”

My brain stuttered when I read this comment. Had I written the review, even if I preferred other genres, I would have rated the book five stars. I expected anyone who said a book was lyrical, lovely, and haunting would feel the same; I expected that the original reviewer and I would share an understanding of what makes a book three stars versus five stars. The rating seemed at odds with the review, and I kept wondering how the original reviewer and I could be on such different pages.

Rising Action: Surmounting Problems

The reason users can have different definitions of star ratings is that the current rating system affords individual interpretations . The system inherently lacks clarity because it is based on glyphs, pictures representing words and ideas, but representations require interpretations. These idiosyncratic definitions can vary based on how someone’s experiences tell them to decipher a depiction — as shown in the aforementioned rating example, as mentioned by the Nielsen Norman Group , or as seen in the clown face emoji.

The system’s vagueness allows it to be applied to every disparate thing, from books to bras to brooms. Said another way, star ratings are not optimized for any one thing. “

In an attempt to prevent individual interpretations, many companies uniquely define what each star category means on their sites. However, with a widely used glyph scale, this puts an unreasonable onus on users to learn the differences between every site to ensure correct usage—the equivalent of learning a homonym with hundreds of definitions. As there are few reasons to think one five-star scale broadly differs from another, companies reusing the system should anticipate that:

Individuals have acquired their own understanding of the scale;
Individuals will use their loose translation of the scale across the web.

Unfortunately, this creates countless little inconsistencies among user ratings that add up.

You can notice some of these inconsistencies if you scroll through ratings and reviews on a site like Goodreads, where there are a variety of interpretations of each star category. For instance:

One-star reviews ranging from DNF (Did Not Finish) to extortion scams ;
Two-stars reviews ranging from unwilling to read more of the author’s work to being okay;
Three-star reviews ranging from a genre not typically enjoyed to being recommendation worthy.

The only way to understand the intention behind most ratings is to read a corresponding review, which brings another problem to light. After gathering and averaging data from a mix of 100 popular classic and modern books on Goodreads — 50 of these are based on their most reviewed from the past five years — I learned that less than 5% of people who give a star rating write a review. We have to guess what the rest mean.

The inherent impreciseness and guesswork attributed to the system can hinder the overall goal of people using a social literature app. That goal can be summarized from Goodreads’ own mission statement :

“For readers to find and share books that they can fall in love with.”

Without speaking a common language through standardized rating definitions, readers relying on one another to discuss and discover meaningful literature becomes exceedingly difficult.

Additional Rising Action: Counter Arguments

However, let’s pretend everyone using a site like Goodreads agrees on what each star category means. The problem remains that a rating still tells us nothing about what a reader liked or disliked. Without personalized context, well-defined star ratings mainly act as a filtering system. People can choose to disregard books below a specific number of stars, but even they need to learn more about the books within their read-worthy range to decide what to read. On a social literature site, users should be able to depend on others for insight.

You might argue that algorithms can learn what everyone’s ratings mean and dispense recommendations. Let’s ignore the red flags from Goodreads oddly suggesting that I read a collected speech about compassion and a biography about The Who’s bassist , because I read a superhero novel, and let’s agree that this could work. People do trust algorithms more these days to accomplish tasks, but there is a tradeoff: socialization declines. If you overemphasize a machine finding and sharing books, users have fewer reasons to interact to achieve that goal as well. That is counterproductive to creating a social literature site.

In a world where quarantines are easily imagined possibilities and remote work spreads, the social aspect is becoming increasingly important. Studies show us that connection between people is more of a basic need than previously thought, and the improvements mentioned in this article will keep human interaction in mind.

The Climax: A Contextual Solution In Three Parts

What follows is one solution, among many, that addresses the aforementioned issues by observing three guiding principles:

Building trust,
Respecting time,
Creating clarity.

The focus will be on a social literature app, but you can imagine some of these concepts applied anywhere star ratings are used. Let’s discuss each part of the solution.

Part One: Building Trust

The first piece of our solution primarily centers on trust, although it is not novel: readers are required to “Shelve” a book as “Read” before writing a review.

This feature is a step toward assuring readers that reviews are genuine. It also builds reviewers’ confidence that they will contribute to a credible conversation. Although users can lie to bypass the gate, honesty has more incentives on an app to find and share literature. A liar has little use for the former, and for the latter, if their intent is to gain attention for a book, they risk getting caught in a discussion that uncovers them, per the upcoming suggestions.

Part Two: Respecting Time and Creating Clarity

Simple and familiar, being mindful of people’s time, and contributing to clearness: once a reader shelves a book as “Read,” they can “Favorite” it.

Because this is a straightforward input, it requires less effort than deciphering the differences within anyone’s five-point star scale. Not favoriting a book does not indicate that you disliked it, and that is not the purpose. Favoriting tells people this is a noteworthy book for you, which may inspire them to learn why, read reviews, and interact with others. The number of times a book is favorited can be tallied to rank it in lists and garner extra attention.

In addition, vastly improving on our principle of clarity, once readers shelve a book as “Read,” the app also prompts them to mention what they enjoyed.

Respecting a reader’s time and developing a common language for users, the prompt provides a list of predefined answers to choose from. The options are mostly based on conventional literary characteristics, such as “Fast-paced plot,” “Lyrical language,” “Quirky characters,” and dozens of others.

Every quality a reader chooses gets added to traits others have chosen. On a book’s overview page, the selected qualities are ranked in descending order, equipping prospective readers with a clearer sense of if they might like a text based on top traits. The number of qualities a reviewer can choose is limited to encourage thoughtful selections and discourage abuse by selecting every trait on the list.

Similarly, there could also be a “Wished” list that follows the same structure as the “Enjoyed” list. “Wished” would create opportunities for people to mention what else they would have liked from a book, and the collective traits of reviewers could further assist in someone’s decision to read a work.

Part Three: Building Trust, Respecting Time, And Creating Clarity

Every feature mentioned so far is enhanced by the final piece of our solution: written reviews. Allowing users to explain their thoughts, such as why they chose the qualities they enjoyed, gives potential readers a deeper understanding of the book they are considering.

However, remember the aforementioned stat that, on average, less than 5% of raters write reviews on Goodreads. That number becomes easier to understand when you consider that imparting meaningful feedback is a learned skill—you can find popular lessons on sites like Udemy , MasterClass , and others. Plus, add to that the fact that writing reviews can be more time-consuming than choosing ratings. Despite these hurdles, a site can offer guidance that motivates people to provide additional context about their thoughts.

In our solution, users are not merely given a blank text box and asked to write a review. The users are prompted to share their thoughts and receive suggestions to hone their feedback. The suggestions range dynamically, depending on a reader’s earlier choices. If they favorited a book, the prompt might ask why. If they chose the “Well-developed characters” option from the Enjoyed list, the prompt might ask how the characters are well developed. The prompt might also nudge users to read other people’s reviews for ideas.

The dynamic suggestions will particularly benefit books with sobering subject matter. For instance, only 1% of raters have written reviews for Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl on Goodreads. This is unsurprising when you consider the devastating historical context surrounding the book.

Commenting on typical story elements like pacing feels disingenuous to a book like Anne Frank’s — like giving a star rating to a friend telling you a story about themselves — but we should not shy away from talking about difficult literature, because discussing art can lessen our prejudices and expand our empathy. Prompts for these types of books might supply tips for close-reading a passage, mentioning what a story means to a reader, or asking how a book made a reader feel.

Finally, these features require regular usage to benefit readers. Growing an active community around them can be accomplished by building healthy communal habits, which hinge on voices having the capacity to be heard. Thankfully, one of the oldest features of the Internet can do a lot of the heavy lifting to solve this: commenting. Many sites offer the ability to comment on reviews, but several also employ a “Like” feature — the ability to press a button that “Likes” a review or comment — and liking comments can weaken the voices of a community.

Scammers can abuse the feature with bots to garner large amounts of likes and attention, people can waste time and emotional energy chasing likes, and the feature discourages people from using their words: all issues that fail our guiding principles, and even the ex-Twitter CEO admitted the like button compromises dialogue. Generating trust, meaningful usage of time, and clarity among users builds a safer environment for genuine conversation to spread, so comments should be protected from elements that detract from them.

Falling Action And Resolution: Let’s Be Thoughtful

Why any company utilizes a star rating system is a question for them. Reflecting on how easy to use and almost expected the scale has become, it’s likely companies simply copied a system that they believe is “good enough.” Maybe they were enthralled by the original Michelin Guide or Mariana Starke using exclamations points to denote special places of interest in guidebooks, but mimicry often flatters the originator more than the mimicker. Either way, the perks of ubiquity do not outweigh the vagueness that engenders numerous problems. At the forefront of those is stunting stronger connections between people trying to speak a shared language.

This article shows one solution for those problems, but there are others. Companies like The StoryGraph already provide alternatives to achieve thoughtful interactions around discussing literature, and people have additional ideas . Thoughtfulness can take a little longer to solve, but:

If we encourage people to not solely judge a book by its cover, we should extend that advice to its star ratings. “

Let’s look beneath the surface of things and use our hearts — just as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s eponymous Little Prince had to learn to do — to discover meaningful new territories in books and elsewhere. A good place to start would be reading or rereading that story, marveling at the stars dotting its illustrated skies, and writing a review to share what we each found buried within the pages.

Epilogue: What Readers Can Do Today

While the recommendations throughout this article are focused on how a company can change its rating and review system, companies can be slow to change. Fortunately, there are steps readers can take to be more thoughtful when reviewing the literature. A simple process today might look like this:

Both users and algorithms pay attention to these ratings. If you ignore leaving a rating, you lessen the chance of readers discovering books they may love.
Explain why you chose your rating.
List common story qualities you enjoyed—these can vary depending on genre, but here is a starter list . Even better, write a sentence to say why you enjoyed specific qualities.
Discuss a passage (or several) from the book that you found important.
Mention what you wish you had known before reading a book and mark the review with “Spoilers” at the start if you include any.
Link to other reviews that you think best sum up your perspective.
Not only will this help people find new literature, but it will also encourage them to write and share reviews.

You can use variations of this process to review other products, too. Remember that the most important part is that we use our words. This helps reduce confusion that might come from a lone star rating, and it helps us build stronger connections.

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I Gave Up Using Star Ratings On GoodReads And It’s Kind Of The Best

Why I stopped using starred ratings on Goodreads and how it lead to enjoying the book-related social media platform so much more.

Kelly Jensen

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen .

View All posts by Kelly Jensen

I’ve been using Goodreads since early 2008, just a mere year or so after the site launched. I was a full-time graduate student in Information Studies (aka: librarianship) and it was a wonderful way to keep track of everything I read.

My most popular review to date is the one star review I gave to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society, which I read back during the height of the book’s popularity. It did nothing for me, and I was pretty honest in saying that.

I cannot for the life of me remember what I wrote about it, aside from not liking it and being very much done with the overuse of the word “feckless,” but I know many people engaged with that review because it was a single, lone star. To this day, I get comments and responses to the post.

Star ratings were something I took a lot of pride in over the years. For me, 3 stars was a “good book.” Most books I read were 3 star books. Many others were 2 stars (“it was okay”). A rare few earned 4 stars (“great”) and even fewer saw a 5 star (“amazing”). I’d say the distribution of 1 stars (“not great”) mirrored the 5s. It was a system that worked for me.

Until it was a system that didn’t work for me.

I’m a Goodreads author*, but I am and continue to be engaged in book reviewing. I don’t find it a conflict of interest to review books by my peers and to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses. But I also review in a manner that reflects not only my opinion of the book, but also the way I can see the book working for another reader. I might loathe the story and writing style, but I can pinpoint what sort of reader would like it. This is a skill I learned through reading a lot, through my education, and through my on-the-ground work as a librarian. I might not be the reader who needs a specific book, but I know there’s a reader out there who does (see: Raganathan’s 2nd and 3rd laws ).

Before I made the profile conversion, though, I did something radical: I stopped using star ratings.

Star ratings, as much as they worked as a personal system, allowed too much room for quick-fire reactions from other readers. Not understanding the way my system worked, it was easy to assume that because I gave 4 stars to the Twilight graphic novel, I thought it was outstanding. This isn’t true; I thought it was quite successful at making the leap to graphic format and that readers who loved the books would be satisfied with trying this format. I couldn’t tell you the faintest about the book now, what it did or didn’t leave out, but I can return to that review and recall exactly why I rated it as such.

Because, as I found out through comments and responses left on my reviews over the years, once you use a starred rating, many people don’t read the actual review. Or, they read only the reviews which merit a low star rating or a high one, ignoring all of those reviews falling squarely in the center.

It’s those reviews in the center that I as a reader care most about.

In dropping my ratings and sticking to merely written reviews—some lengthy, some short, nearly all with a note about who the book might be perfect for or what books it’s similar to—I’ve invited much more nuanced and thoughtful commentary from other readers. They’re not always in agreement, but, the thought behind those responses is far more critical and worthy of consideration (from myself and other readers!) than those I found when using a star rating in conjunction with a review.

I’m a voracious reader, and I’ve found another benefit in dropping my ratings: I take more time to consider the things I want to remember about each specific book, rather than quickly judge its merit and move on. Even when I consider my old reviews which had both stars and reviews, I still catch myself looking first at the star rating before considering whether to read my notes or not. My brain wants the lazy route, and by not offering that tool anymore—and I haven’t in a couple of years—I’m forcing myself to slow down, consider, and spend more time wading in slowly to what it is I really want to remember.

It’s also allowed me to consider the sort of energy I do and don’t have when it comes to engaging with other readers on Goodreads. One reason I use it is for the social aspect; but I want to be social in ways that are useful. I can’t remember the details of every book I read, say, six years ago. I can, however, remember those I read six months ago. When I made the conscious choice to move from star ratings to pure reviews, I also made the conscious choice to note that I only respond to comments on reviews from the six previous months.

I’ve found my love for Goodreads to be much higher because I can respond better. Because I find myself reading other people’s reviews more carefully. Because I no longer feel I need to give readers a number and allow them to judge what it means by their brain’s easy routes.

If we’ve learned anything about Goodreads ratings, it’s that Goodreads star ratings mean different things to different people. By eliminating them all together, I feel like I’m better conveying what I got out of the book and what it is another reader might get out of it, too. Or where they might find themselves loving a title I didn’t connect with (and vice versa).

Dropping stars from my reviews made me a more thoughtful reviewer and a more thoughtful member of the community.

I’m never looking back…unless it’s to enjoy how many more people have loved the one-star review I left of a book that certainly saw no repercussions from it.

*Reviews are for readers and not for authors, so I feel compelled to note that I don’t read the reviews of my own books, unless it’s sent to me by someone else as a thoughtful, positive review worth looking at. We all need a little sparkle in our days sometimes.

The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week

What do star ratings mean to you?

As a reader, you’ve probably rated and left reviews on books before. What do those star ratings mean to you? How do you decide what rating to give a book? Here’s how I approach them, and I’d love to hear what you do!

I loved the book: it kept me engaged, I read it quickly, and I want to read more. To earn five stars, a book must have good grammar and punctuation, and must do well at showing instead of telling. A few mistakes here and there are okay, as long as they weren’t too distracting. In my opinion, a book does not need to be “life-changing” to earn this star rating, but it does measure up to good books in the same genre. If I want to give them 4.5, I always round up not down. Because I’m pretty careful choosing my books, many of the book I read deserve 5 stars.

I liked the book, but a few things preventing me from loving it. Maybe there was a character that got on my nerves, or I didn’t love the ending. I also give books four stars if they were brilliantly written but had several grammatical errors that kept pulling me out of the story. Again, if I think it’s 3.5, I’ll round up to 4. If a book has an overall 4.5 star rating and I give it 4 stars, I am aware that I am bringing down the author’s overall rating.

If I keep thinking positively about the story after a few weeks or find myself recommending the book a lot, I may go back and up the rating because it apparently grabbed me more than I realized at the time of the review.

The book was okay. I don’t regret reading it, and I might read the next book in the series if it’s steeply discounted and I don’t have other good books to read, but it’s not a book I’d recommend to friends. Books might receive this rating if I hated the ending, if there were glaring grammatical and punctuation errors throughout, or if there was a lot of telling instead of showing.

In my opinion, three stars is not a good star rating for a book. I would count three star as a negative review, because I know that when I buy books, I only buy books that have an overall rating or four stars or more.

I didn’t like the book. The story line was was predictable, the characters didn’t grow, there was only telling and no showing, or the book had enough grammatical or punctuation errors that it was often difficult to understand what was going on in the story.

I hated the book. The writing was nonsensical, the plot went nowhere, or it read like it was written by someone who barely speaks English. I also give books one star if I hate the main character. If I feel that way, then the author has completely failed in their purpose to get me inside the character’s head and explain the motivations for their actions.

When you shouldn’t rate a book

There are also times when I pass on writing a review. For instance, if a book isn’t a genre I like, I don’t feel I should review it as my perception will be colored. If I’m sick, having a terrible day, or dislike the author’s politics, I will not write a review because I’m probably not going to be fair. You get the idea.

On a final note, remember that authors are people too. They have feelings. They’ve put their heart out there on the page, so always make sure your comments are about the book and its plot (no spoilers!) and not an attack on the author personally.

What process do you use to rate books? What does each star rating mean to you? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below.

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I am a copyeditor and a typesetter of print books, and have been editing and typesetting (using InDesign) for fifteen years. As the executive editor at Book Cave, I enjoy helping authors be successful, and I only get interrupted a little bit (ha!) by my way-too-smart-for-his-own-good four-year-old and my cute one-year-old.

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How is a three star rating a bad review? I give tons of books three stars. Three stars means I enjoyed it but it wasn’t all that great. There’s things holding it back but it’s still nice.

A five star rating is reserved for the best book of the year. I only give a five star rating to 1 or 2 books a year.

One star means “I regret reading this.”

Hi. Sent you a personal email. Just one extra comment. I’m a writer but also a geriatric. Published my first INDIE novel when I was 69 years old. By the way, I’m a male.

I use a similar rating system for giving stars to a book, but I often read several reviews before purchasing the book. I mostly get books free from authors directly because I want to leave a review for that author, or if I’m a beta reader or editor for the book. I don’t purchase many books at all, so reading reviews gives me an idea of what to expect and whether or not I may like the book.

One thing that really bothers me about reviews, however, are the ones that just say “good book” or “I liked it” or “Don’t waste your money.” I, as a consumer, want to know what you liked about the book, or what made it good. Why do all the other reviews say it’s mediocre but your rating is for 5 stars? I realize that authors encourage any reviews of their books, but reviewers should make the effort to tell us why they rated or reviewed the book the way they did. Even a full statement, such as, “I liked the book a lot because the main character reminded me of my childhood best friend,” would be better than just saying it was okay.

When I get into a series, I give 5 star ratings. I read the free books on my Kindle & will buy the rest of the series. I read the reviews & decide for myself whether to read a book or not. I don’t always buy books according to the reviews because some of the reviews are based on their feelings not mind. Some reviews say there is too much sex, bad words & etc. I say don’t read the book but don’t given it bad reviews just because you don’t like the sex or bad works because some readers don’t mind.

I agree that readers shouldn’t base their reviews only on certain aspects of the book they don’t like, such as the sexual content or bad language. I try to include the fact that the book has those particular elements, and others, such as a lot of violence, in my reivew, but I don’t base my entire review on one element I don’t like.

Although I rarely leave a 1-2-star review, I often read them. The reviewer’s reasons may or may not be thngs that would put me off, and as I read, I amy or may not agree with their assessment.

I sometimes struggle with how many stars to give although I think I follow what you have outlined in general. I think your explanation will help crisp up my decisions about how many starts to give. Thank you for sharing.

I don’t agree with you regarding writing a review for a genre that I don’t normally read. I deliberately try to read a wide variety of books so as to stretch my horizons. If I start a book that is ‘out-of-the-norm’ for me, there is something about it that has caught my attention and I believe that it deserves to be reviewed. I do try to be specific regarding what I liked or didn’t like about the book so people reading the review can determine whether they would have a similar reaction or not (ie whether they should consider my review in their decision about reading the book or not). I rate based on the specific book, not how it compares to other books in the genre, so I don’t think it matters whether I have read a lot of books in the genre or not.

I don’t tend to be real picky when it comes to editing/grammar/writing style/etc. If the story resonated, I liked the characters and I am satisfied with the ending then I am generally pretty happy with the book regardless of how it was written.

I’m not too picky, I definitely give new authors a try, I read different genres, different ratings, different languages, etc. I certainly don’t review every book I read, it all depends on the book. If it just isn’t my cup of tea, I don’t review. Don’t want to discourage others from reading just because I didn’t like it for no particular reason. 5 Stars: Loved it, grammar/spelling was 95-100% right, I actually went and looked for more by the author and/or preordered the sequel/next in the series already. 4 Stars: Either I loved the story but the grammar wasn’t too great, or I liked it quite a bit but it wasn’t a favourite (=not loved) and the writing was great, or it wasn’t 5 star worthy but I can’t even quite say why… 3 Stars: It’s okay but there were issues I had with it. Spelling, grammar, plotholes, obvious timeline errors… 2 Stars: If I didn’t like it because of specific things (bad grammar, plot holes you could drive a truck through or something similar) I usually give it 2 to 3 stars depending on severity of the “thing” that drove me nuts. 1 Star: If I think it’s only worth 1 star I usually wouldn’t review at all, so one star reviews only happen when I got lied to. Lying for me are things like: *making it look like it’s a new story when it’s just a re-release with new name cover and sometimes even changed character names (2 of my fav authors have gotten 1 star reviews because of this!), *saying it’s a standalone when it clearly isn’t, especially when it “ends” in the middle of the story trying to get you to buy the next parts, *claims to be clean but ends up extremely smutty or the other way around, *if the plot seems awfully familiar and is clearly just adapted or even stolen.

I pretty much give 4 or 5 stars because I’m picky about what I read. But if the book manages to pull my emotions out to the point I either laugh out loud or cry, then that book will always get a 5 star rating from.

Your system does not seem to allow for rating of the REALLY good books. [The kind I read slowly and savour, that leave me wanting to read another (different) book by the same author after re-reading confirms it really was that good and that are complete in themselves (even if part of a storyverse).] But maybe you haven’t been fortunate enough to read any yet.

I tend to think of the star-ratings as meaning bad, poor, good, very good, and excellent.

Being honest from the thousands of stories I have read over my lifetime many have been very good but even rounding up I doubt as many as a hundred would rate as excellent. How is the poor reading addict supposed to find guidance to the good, well-told stories amongst all the inflated, sock-puppet, and prostituted reviews? Perhaps we could have a caveat on reviewers giving their overall reviewing stats to put their ratings into context. {Personally I have just re-read CJ Cherryh’s Faded Sun trilogy – having happened on a pocketbook omnibus edition suitable for reading in breaktimes at work – and thirty years on I still thought this was VERY good.}

At a time when the extent of story-based content of digital “books” is becoming obscured by supposed page-counts and reading times, with file-sizes equally ambiguous and no failsafe of actually checking in a bookshop, the gaming of reviews and deliberate spiking of sales in search of momentum is leading increasingly to Emperors New Clothes scenarios. There are undoubtedly reading licences available which individual readers could find worth accruing but it is becoming harder and harder to determine which. At the same time authors seem to be being ground up by marketing machines. I have heard it alleged that truth in advertising can exist but this may have been a marketing ploy.

I give a 5 to books that I really like. I give 4 for to many errors or a constant use of one word that I really hate by the end of the story. I quit reading if books do not interest me. I was an English teacher; but, do not let it stop me from enjoying a good story. I only read books that rate my interest. I rarely ever read romance because too many of them are not fit to read. There are some authors that I won’t touch.

I fall between you and RosaA in my rating system. At 76 I have been reading a long time, and am also on a fixed income. I read many of the same authors as Rosa did, plus Pearl Buck and James Patterson, James Mitchner and Agatha Christy. If it’s cheap enough and I don’t want to think too hard, I will read almost anything. I also loved Tolkien and my great grandson has gotten me into Robert Jordan. My two biggest negatives are grammatical errors and series that are all the same with just the victims and bad guys have different names. I am also not a romance fan. I try not to give negative ratings because I know every word has the author’s blood in it. I have edited and proofread professionally on a limited level, and have done newspaper writing, mostly human interest, and I’ve done some short stories, but they have never been published.

That’s a fair system. I usually only leave reviews if the book was sensational (4-5 stars), extremely disappointing (1-2 stars), or if an author asks for a review. And am I the only person who hates it when a reviewer says, “Loved it!” and leaves a 1- or 3-star review?

i give d same ratings as u stated above nicely put by u….if i give 5 star ratings it means to me i loved d book & would like to read more of the said authors books …. & a 4 star rating means i enjoyed d book but something was missing to capture my full attention….3 star is book was okish if i had missed reading it wouldnt ve made a dfference… 1 & @ star means i m disgusted with d book & left reading it on page 1 itself

My rating system seems to fall in line with yours. I will generally choose not to leave a review that is less than 3 stars. Don’t want to hurt the author’s feelings.

5 Stars Loved it, in fact I want to read it (or listen to it – I do lots of audio books) again immediately. It was interesting and did something new with the genre. I’d recommend it to anyone who reads, even if this isn’t a genre they normally read.

4 Stars I really liked it, possibly new and interesting in the genre but I don’t want to read/listen again. I’d recommend it to anyone who reads the genre.

3 Stars I liked it but it’s fairly standard for the genre. I won’t be recommending it to anyone.

2 Stars I didn’t like it, it was boring, or badly written.

1 Star Hated it, I wish I could un-read it.

5 stars are for books that suck me into the story and I hate when it ends. There are very few of them. 4 stars are for a good read, believable characters, an interesting plot and a stand alone book. 3 stars are for not such a good read or a genre I don’t normally read and didn’t get the best out of it. I always say if that is the reason. Usually it is that the characters or plot don’t live up to a good read, but I persevere in the hope that it get better. 2 stars are generally that I read it but considered it a waste of time 1 star is for books that I gave up on or hated. Spelling, geographical or historical correctness don’t come into it unless it is so blatant as to be annoying. I am not an expert in any of these areas.

I agree with you mostly. But I don’t think a 3 star rating is bad. I give three star ratings when the book might not have been as good as expected, but I have enjoyed the other books written by the same author who I generally give 4 stars or even a 5 star rating to. I guess my hope is that the book just didn’t speak to the author as much as the others and the next one written will be back to the 4 star rating I generally give,

I also agree about not leaving a rating for books that are not in the main genre that you read. In my opinion you don’t have enough information to base a rating on. But on the other hand, I will also give a book a rating but not write a review because I don’t have enough experience in the genre but I really enjoyed the book.

5 stars are for great books that will stand the test of time (assuming our civilization survives). 4 stars are for books I enjoyed that are not 5 star quality, or provisionally for seeming-5 star books in a series where it’s too soon to rate them as 5 stars unless and until the series is completed at a 5 star level. 3 stars is neutral, midpoint of the scale. 2 stars is negative, with some redeeming feature that makes it better than 1 star. 1 star, I HATED, or it’s plagiarism (@#$%^&*!), or a rip-off sold of a common-domain book available for free elsewhere, such as on Gutenberg (which I will note if that’s the case).

I apply the same points to my review that you have mentioned. I hate to give a bad review. I don’t often leave a 3 star because I usually pic ARCs in my genre and they seem to always be well written. I have found that Indie authors are just as good or better than the big company published ones. I have read over 2900 books since receiving my kindle. From those books I have only DNF around 5. Well I have to go write a review.

I tend to rate mine similarly to you. Although if it looks like it’s going to get below a 3, I usually don’t finish it. I have went back and finished some and gave them good ratings. Sometimes it’s just not the right time to read a certain book. I consider 4 & 5 to be good ratings. A 3 is a maybe I will give the author another chance.

When I’m looking at reviews for books where the overview looks interesting, I start with the 3-star reviews. If I’m attracted by what I read there, I’ll read the 4-star reviews. Generally, 3 stars tell me the “warts” about the book–spelling, editing (or lack thereof), the believability of the plot/characters, etc. Oh. And cliffhangers. If a book ends in a cliffie that would require me to purchase the next book(s) to continue the story, I’m gone. Period. Being on a fixed income makes me pretty critical of “weekly serials” and the like. If the 3-star reviews pass my review, I’ll head on to the 4-star ones.

The 4-star reviews generally give me a bit more “meat” and the like. I still get info on spelling, sentence structure, editing (again, or lack thereof), while giving me more “meat” about the book. I’m picky, so I read reviews with an eye to my “would this be a book I’d purchase in hard copy?” list. I live in a very small apartment, so my list in quite critical to me. For me to say that it’s a book I’d order in hard copy format is quite something.

I have to admit that, to me, a lot of the 5-star reviews seem quite unreliable as they’re TOO fantastical in a lot of cases. It’s the same, in my opinion, with the 1- and 2-star reviews. They’re just too fantastical in a negative way.

I hope this helps. I grew up reading Andre Norton, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Brian W. Aldiss, Larry Niven, Fritz Leiber, Philip K. Dick, Philip Jose Farmer. Later, I came to enjoy books by Anne MacCaffrey and David Weber. At 68 years of age, I’m no longer worried about “dating” myself. *chuckles*

I agree with you, Rose, that 5-star reviews are overdone to the point of meaninglessness. I often feel like they are written by the author’s friends. I reserve 5-star for a book I would love to reread although I seldom have the time with so many good books out there. I use 4-star for books I would readily recommend. Goodreads interprets 3-star as “I liked it” so I use 3 on Goodreads for books I don’t regret reading, but wouldn’t suggest my friends read, but I up those to 4-star on Amazon because their translation of 3-star is just “OK.” I am an author myself and well aware that we are people. If a book merits less than 3-stars, I often leave it unrated. The exception would be an issue that I felt needed to be publicly pointed out like gross incompetence to promote an agenda.

I rate a book on how it flows, does it make sense, and does it hold my interest. I’ve read books that half a page the main character is talking to a squirrel.

Thanks for the explanation on the meaning of star ⭐️ ratings, I found this most helpful, as I do love reading and leaving reviews… Thanks again….

I feel the same. There are few that I rate 5 stars. I mostly do 4 or 3. I hate giving lower but will if needed.

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WWE Bash in Berlin

WWE Bash in Berlin 2024 - Star ratings for every match

While not the most dramatic one this year, Bash in Berlin was yet another successful WWE premium live event. This year has been excellent for big shows.

The action was great throughout the show, with all five matches delivering. We got technical classics, huge title matches, and violent brawls. Bash in Berlin was made even better thanks to the passionate German fans, who didn't slow down throughout the night.

But, with zero bad matches, which ones stood out? Let's look back at Bash in Berlin and rate each bout out of five!

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#1. Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens - Undisputed WWE Championship

Cody Rhodes took on Kevin Owens at the PLE [Image credit: WWE.com]

The opener of Bash in Berlin saw another successful title defense for Cody Rhodes, as his reign rolls on. The American Nightmare had an incredible back-and-forth match against Kevin Owens, which ended with a bang.

The two started as friends before things quickly devolved. The action was fierce, with Rhodes and Owens diving all over the place. We saw German suplexes and Cody Cutters before things came to a head. Both superstars got more violent over time, with some more huge moves on display.

KO kicked out of a Cross Rhodes before the big moment which saw the champion land awkwardly on his knee. That's when this match went to another level, from Kevin Owens' internal conflict to another few near falls. The end saw Cody Rhodes prevail after kicking out of a second Stunner.

Despite the two becoming friends again after the match, it was fantastic. Owens and Rhodes gave their all to ensure the opener would be among the best matches at Bash in Berlin.

Rating: ****1/2

#2. The Unholy Union vs. Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair - WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

The Women's Tag Team titles changed hands in Berlin [Image credit: WWE.com]

While it took place after the incredible Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens opener, the women had a solid showing of their own. Jade Cargill did great at Bash in Berlin, as she and Bianca Belair regained the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from The Unholy Union.

The powerhouse duo weathered the early storm from Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. Their heel work helped build to the comeback, as Belair and Cargill took over and showed their dominance. The Storm got the win for herself and The EST of WWE, with the two set to embark on their second tag team title reign .

This was a great way to start it. Jade Cargill has gotten better, with Bash in Berlin the proof of her visible progress.

Rating: ***3/4

#3. Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk - Strap Match

The action started before the bell, as Drew McIntyre assaulted CM Punk during his entrance. The two brawled around the ring until the match began properly. Things got violent pretty much off the bat, as Punk hit an early GTS on McIntyre. However, he didn't even try to touch the corners.

This brawl went all over the place, as both stars used the leather strap to pummel their opponent. McIntyre took some huge bumps, even having his head rammed into a chair in the corner. The Scottish Warrior slammed CM Punk over the top rope through a table.

The drama stayed high at Bash in Berlin, with a few close calls. However, the match ended emphatically. The Best in the World hit a GTS before touching each corner , ending with five in total. Punk even took his bracelet back, ending this absolute slugfest on the highest note possible.

What a match this was. Insanely violent, while leaving more for their potential feud-ender at Bad Blood . The Strap Match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre is another contender for the best bout at Bash in Berlin.

#4. The Judgment Day vs. Terror Twins - Mixed Tag Team Match

Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest were insanely over at Bash in Berlin, as they took on WWE's newest couple. The Terror Twins got some fun offense in until Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan used their heelish ways to gain the advantage.

The biggest moment of the Mixed Tag Team Match came when Mami finally got her hands on Dirty Dom . However, Ripley was unable to hit the Riptide as Morgan got some unique offense on her. The Women's World Champion has truly improved in the ring.

Meanwhile, after a double Razor's Edge from The Terror Twins, the numbers game nearly caught up to them, but Priest rallied and took care of The Judgment Day. This eventually led to Rhea Ripley pinning Liv Morgan with the Riptide, an effective way for us to head to their next title match.

Regardless, there were enough moments for this mixed tag bout to be among the highlights at Bash in Berlin, as the babyfaces came out on top.

Rating: ****1/4

#5. Gunther vs. Randy Orton - World Heavyweight Championship

The main event of Bash in Berlin saw the home favorite, Gunther, defend his title in an in-ring masterclass. The Ring General took on Randy Orton, who came mighty close to winning his 15th world title.

The match started slow and picked up the pace over time before both stars laid into each other. Gunther injured his right arm early on, leading to a night of struggle. The Austrian had to improvise his moveset during the match, which gave Orton the advantage. He even hit the RKO for a close two-count.

Gunther eventually took control and stopped further RKO attempts before making Randy Orton pass out from a Sleeper hold. This was a gutsy performance from the World Heavyweight Champion, as he won an intense psychological war against the WWE legend. A great way to close out Bash in Berlin.

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IMAGES

Star Rating System and Steam Scale for Book Reviews
How To Rate a Book- Comparing Star Rating Systems
Results for star rating book
How To Rate a Book- Comparing Star Rating Systems
Book Rating Scale
How to Write Better Book Reviews

VIDEO

My By The Star Ratings Bad List (Updated)
No pain and 250+ five star reviews 🤍 #cliponearrings #clipons #earcuffs #earrings #hypoallergenic
WEEKLY VLOG✨a new book series obsession, reading Powerful + lots of 4/5⭐️reads
The Star Rating Advantage
reading one star reviews of my five star reads
Health star ratings, are they really healthy?

COMMENTS

Book Reviews: Star Rating Systems for Books
5 stars - loved it. The meaning of a 3 star rating has often caused a lot of discussion in the book blogging community. Some consider it a bad rating whilst others view it as a positive rating. The big reason behind this is because a 3 star rating on Goodreads is good, but on Amazon it's not. Other reviewers have opted to use different rating ...
The Definitive Guide to Book Ratings
I always struggle with book ratings, so we're going to put it to bed with the definitive way of rating books. The 5-Star Book Rating Scale. We're going to go in reverse order so I can gather my thoughts about the bigger star values. One Star ⭐. A lot of people will give a book one star if they don't finish it. That is not my style. If I ...
Best Book Rating System: Categories for a 5-Star Scale
Then you take those scores, add them together, and divide by five to get your overall score. When you do the math, you may end up with a decimal figure. So here's how I would round each score so that it matches up to the overall 5-star scale: 0 - 1.4 = 1 star book. 1.5 - 2.4= 2 stars. 2.5 - 3.4= 3 stars. 3.5 - 4.4 = 4 stars.
The Best Book Review Sites
Then read on for the full explanation of all of the best book review sites out there! 1. Goodreads. Review styles: star rating, community reviews. It's impossible not to mention Goodreads when discussing book communities: it's the Facebook of book reviews — the ultimate social media platform for bibliophiles.
HOW I RATE BOOKS: A Rubric for Star Ratings
Five stars doesn't mean the book has to be the best you've ever read, or even better than the last one you reviewed. It just has to be a good novel. 4 STARS is a B, B-, or even a C+ novel. The 4-star rating is for novels that you liked but had at least one issue with.
What Do Amazon's Star Ratings Really Mean?
On Amazon, like many ecommerce sites, buyers also leave star ratings for items, from one to five. They're important shorthand, symbolizing at a glance how people felt about a certain item. They ...
Decoding the 5-Star Book Rating System: A Reader's Guide
Augment With Reviews. While the star rating provides a rapid snapshot of your judgment, coupling it with a brief review enhances context. This assists fellow readers in gauging the book's resonance with their biases. 5-Star Book Ranking System. The 5-star book rating system is valuable for articulating your sentiments regarding a book.
What Does A Goodreads Three Star Rating Mean to You?
To me a three-star rating signifies a good, solid book. In fact, three stars are my default rating. Most of the books I read are threes, which feels right statistically speaking. Not every book can be the best book ever. If it did, the word "best" wouldn't mean much. For the same reason, every book can't be the worst either.
Book Ratings: My Rating System For What I Read
The rating system I use is based on a 5-star scale (like Goodreads), mainly because that's the main book tracking app I've used over the years. It helps me stay consistent. I have added some half-stars into the mix for more variability. Goodreads won't let you add a half-star when rating a book, so I just round up or down, then write my ...
What Is The CAWPILE Review System?
This 1-10 scale is arguably too specific to be broadly adopted, so instead, we convert the number back into a 5 star rating as follows: If the book score 0-1, there is no score. If it scored 1.1-2.2, that's one star. 2.3-4.5 is two stars. 4.6-6.9 is three stars. 7-8.9 is four stars. 9-10 is five stars.
Book Rating System
Whether you are rating a book on an App like Goodreads or for your own book blog, it can be challenging to decide on a Star rating. After you have taken the time to give a detailed explanation in your book review, a star rating can feel like a cold, hard, definitive stamp across the whole novel.
Amazon star ratings: How Amazon calculates star ratings for different
Amazon star ratings matter. If we can say our book has 5 out of 5 stars that matters. Even 4.5 is probably okay. But people certainly look at Amazon star ratings to make decision on their purchases. ... Though, there are other 5-star reviews, the verified purchase reviews get more weight from Amazon worldwide. Canada. In Canada, the 2 verified ...
5 Star Ratings Books
avg rating 3.81 — 1,494,851 ratings — published 2018. Want to Read. Rate this book. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Books shelved as 5-star-ratings: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Harry P...
Our Star Rating System
Below are the guidelines our reviewers follow: 1 star: Reviewer doesn't recommend this book at all. 2 stars: Reviewer wouldn't read it again. Needs work. 3 stars: Reviewer enjoyed the book. 4 stars: Reviewer liked and would recommend the book to friends/family. 5 stars: Reviewer considers book to be something that everyone should read.
Why star ratings matter—and when they don't
Plenty of devoted readers say they'll never read a book with less than a four-star rating. But these ratings are incredibly subjective. People give one-star reviews because the book cover was bent when it arrived in the mail, or they weren't in the mood for a thriller, or there was too much profanity for their taste.
Books With a Goodreads Average Rating of 4.5 and above and With At
Clear rating. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 3. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by. Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author) 4.66 avg rating — 525,982 ratings. score: 37,635 , and 381 people voted. Want to Read.
What Do Those Stars Mean on Amazon?
Here is what each of those star ratings mean: 5: you enjoyed this book in the way that it was meant (has the expected tropes, themes, etc.) 4: you generally liked the book but you have at least one major issue with the book and it detracted from your enjoyment (lots of repetition in the writing, a major plot hole, far too many typos, etc.) 3: a ...
Reviews: What Those Stars Mean to Authors (or When Should I Give 5
What Those Stars Mean to Authors (and to Booksellers and Advertisers) 5 stars is an A, A-, or even a B+. Great for authors. This means you enjoyed the book. It fulfilled the measure of its creation. Meaning that a romance isn't judged as a general fiction, a teen story as an adult novel, or genre fiction as a literary novel.
Rethinking Star Ratings For Readers
Unfortunately, the nearly ubiquitous star rating scale can foster assumptions; it often lacks clearly defined measurements and fails to encourage written reviews. Context is important, and in this article, we will discuss a solution to improve communication among readers for finding and sharing literature. The Setting: Ratings And Reviews
Why I Stopped Using Star Ratings on Goodreads Reviews
Star ratings were something I took a lot of pride in over the years. For me, 3 stars was a "good book.". Most books I read were 3 star books. Many others were 2 stars ("it was okay"). A rare few earned 4 stars ("great") and even fewer saw a 5 star ("amazing"). I'd say the distribution of 1 stars ("not great") mirrored the 5s.
What do star ratings mean to you?
Books might receive this rating if I hated the ending, if there were glaring grammatical and punctuation errors throughout, or if there was a lot of telling instead of showing. In my opinion, three stars is not a good star rating for a book. I would count three star as a negative review, because I know that when I buy books, I only buy books ...
How do I view and filter reviews and ratings?
To sort reviews on the book page by star rating, from the desktop site: Scroll to the Community Reviews section to view and filter reviews from the community. To view all reviews with a specific rating (e.g. the bar for 4 star reviews to see all 4 star reviews), click on the bar for that rating. Tap on the Filters button to sort reviews and ...
Amazon Ratings: Why Customers No Longer Need to Write Reviews
Since making the change, Amazon now refers to the star-only reviews as "ratings.". So, rather than "2,500 reviews" next to a product, you may now see something like, "2,100 customer reviews and 2,450 customer ratings.". This means that 350 customers opted not to write a review, and only left their star ratings.
Book Driving Test Reviews
Do you agree with Book Driving Test's 4-star rating? Check out what 25 people have written so far, and share your own experience. | Read 21-25 Reviews out of 25. ... Dear Glory, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a positive review on Trustpilot. We are thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our services!
WWE Bash in Berlin 2024
The action was great throughout the show, with all five matches delivering. We got technical classics, huge title matches, and violent brawls.

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Best Book Rating System: Categories for a 5-Star Scale

What you will learn:

Why are book ratings so important?

Where to rate books?

Barnes & Noble (or Books-a-Million )

How are books rated?

My Ranking System:

S – Setting

P – Plot

E – Engagement

C – Characters

S – Style

Here’s an example:

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Join Discovery, the new community for book lovers

Blog – Posted on Friday, May 01

Which review community should you join?

1. Goodreads

2. LibraryThing

3. Reedsy Discovery

Looking for something new to read?

4. LoveReading

5. The Millions

6. SFBook Reviews

7. Bookpage

8. Book Riot

9. NetGalley

10. BookBub

Continue reading

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Heard about Reedsy Discovery?

Want to be a book reviewer?

Cheryl Grey Bostrom, Author

HOW I RATE BOOKS: A Rubric for Star Ratings

AMAZON STAR RATINGS for Books, DEFINED

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What Do Amazon's Star Ratings Really Mean?

WIRED COUPONS

Decoding the 5-Star Book Rating System: A Reader’s Guide

Unveiling the Spectrum

One Star: ★☆☆☆☆

Two Stars: ★★☆☆☆

Three Stars: ★★★☆☆

Four Stars: ★★★★☆

Five Stars: ★★★★★

In employing the 5-star rating system, strategic considerations come into play:

Contextual Insights

Champion Consistency

Augment With Reviews

5-Star Book Ranking System

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Book Ratings: My Rating System For What I Read

How I Rate The Books I Read (5-Star Rating System)

5 Star Book

4.5 Star Book

4 Star Book