Should Authors Be Allowed To Rate Their Own Books On Goodreads?

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Ah, Goodreads. Possibly the second best source of book blogger drama after Twitter. I've seen loads of Goodreaders complain about how authors shouldn't be allowed to rate their own books. 

So what exactly is wrong with authors rating their own books on Goodreads? 

Well, some say it increases the average rating of the book. Obviously, authors wouldn't give anything less than a full rating to their own books, anymore than an artist would throw a finished masterpiece into the bin. They created it, so why would they say it's a less-than wonderful book? So, the author's five-star rating will increase the overall rating.

BUT, if you think about it, it's really only one rating. There will be so many other ordinary readers who also rate it, and what difference is the author's one rating going to make in the masses of ratings given by those readers? Of course, you have some authors who create many accounts under different names and rate their books, but we're not talking about that. (And it shouldn't even be a question if authors should do that because it is WRONG.)

I've seen many people lose their minds over authors who have rated their own books, saying that it's "unethical" and "dishonest", but really, is it?

What is so dishonest about it? The author isn't deceiving anyone. S/he is only saying that they are proud of what they created and that they LIKE what they created. It's not a matter of ethics or honesty. It's a matter of taking pride in their work.

Some people say that authors are arrogant in rating their own books. Which is just silly. Does anyone really EXPECT an author to point out all the shortcomings of their book? Does anyone even think about buying a book if the authors themselves say that it's a less-than-amazing book?

Well, the authors could just not rate their books at all, but I say; it's the author's choice. If they want to rate their own books, just let them. Goodreads doesn't stop them, and in my opinion, they never should. There really is no harm in it. I'm just tired of people bashing authors just because the authors decided to give their readers a heads-up on the fact that they think their book is awesome.


What is your opinion on the matter? Do you think it's wrong that authors rate their own books? Is it really a show of arrogance? Do you think that it's okay for authors to do this? Why would it be wrong? Tell me all your opinions, whether you agree or disagree!

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