Honest Reviews Underappreciated
I joined Reader’s Circle because I understood that I was being asked to read books and provide honest reviews. Unfortunately, my experience left me questioning what they mean by an “honest” review.
Three of my recent reviews were rejected after I gave the books low ratings. I was informed through their automated system that they expect reviews to be no less than four stars and that they are unable to pay for lower rated reviews.
That does not work for me. If I agree to provide an honest review, I am going to give my honest opinion of the book, whether that opinion results in one star or five. I am not willing to increase a rating simply to receive a few dollars for the review, nor am I willing to change reviews I have already posted when I believe those ratings accurately reflect my experience with the books.
I specifically pointed out that I thought I was being asked to provide honest reviews. I did not receive a response to that concern.
I have therefore decided to stop reviewing books through Reader’s Circle. Others can decide for themselves whether this arrangement is acceptable to them, but I think prospective reviewers should understand my experience before investing their time: in my case, low-rated reviews were not accepted for payment, despite my understanding that I was being asked for honest reviews.