The reading market has changed considerably in only a few years. The world wide recession has brought literature sales internationally to an all time low, yet the invention of the kindle and similar gadgets have permanently altered the way people read. While brick and mortar stores suffer, e book sales are steadily increasing. This brings about an interesting question: how relevant are book reviews today?
Not all reviews are the same. The studious tend to read only appraisals published in academic presses and tend to judge all other media of review irrelevant. However, one has to question this judgement when most readers are paying more attention to opinions published on the internet. It seems less important what is respected than what's making more people buy their reading material.
Those who take literature seriously prefer to read scholarly reviews and view all others as immaterial. However, most readers are not of this caliber and while respect is granted to accomplished magazines, the fact of the matter is that the masses are finding their way via their modems. It's needless to consider the influence of the most respected when what is regarded with contempt by some is in fact the most influential.
Now that we've established the most popular form of appraisal it needs to be considered precisely what it is that sells literature. The general public, when searching for a good read, would previously make their first stop at their local store. This is where they would hope to hear verbal recommendations according to what the store worker hopefully knew about their preferences.
If not, they would have heard positive things from their friends. Word of mouth used to be key. These days, with the advent of e books, this is less of a possibility and the market has needed to find other methods. What the press says about novels has become far more pertinent.
However, authors don't seem to mind whether they receive a negative or a positive appraisal, as long as they receive a write up. It seems that a good review might push a novel's popularity through the roof, a negative one won't make too much of a difference. All advertising is good advertising.
While internet book reviews have risen in importance with the advent of kindles, these write ups will benefit the sales of a novel whether they're good or bad. It's crucial to the market that readers are able to shop from their living rooms and what the internet says about books is an important part of this process.
Not all reviews are the same. The studious tend to read only appraisals published in academic presses and tend to judge all other media of review irrelevant. However, one has to question this judgement when most readers are paying more attention to opinions published on the internet. It seems less important what is respected than what's making more people buy their reading material.
Those who take literature seriously prefer to read scholarly reviews and view all others as immaterial. However, most readers are not of this caliber and while respect is granted to accomplished magazines, the fact of the matter is that the masses are finding their way via their modems. It's needless to consider the influence of the most respected when what is regarded with contempt by some is in fact the most influential.
Now that we've established the most popular form of appraisal it needs to be considered precisely what it is that sells literature. The general public, when searching for a good read, would previously make their first stop at their local store. This is where they would hope to hear verbal recommendations according to what the store worker hopefully knew about their preferences.
If not, they would have heard positive things from their friends. Word of mouth used to be key. These days, with the advent of e books, this is less of a possibility and the market has needed to find other methods. What the press says about novels has become far more pertinent.
However, authors don't seem to mind whether they receive a negative or a positive appraisal, as long as they receive a write up. It seems that a good review might push a novel's popularity through the roof, a negative one won't make too much of a difference. All advertising is good advertising.
While internet book reviews have risen in importance with the advent of kindles, these write ups will benefit the sales of a novel whether they're good or bad. It's crucial to the market that readers are able to shop from their living rooms and what the internet says about books is an important part of this process.
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