I’ve been asked to read some books by both friends and strangers, but I’ve been careful about which I choose; I won’t accept unless I’m pretty positive that I’ll be able to rate the story 3+ stars. But I’ve run into a issue with people I know who have written books and either self or vanity published.
I recently read a vanity published book that honestly should be rated two stars if I’m being generous. The writing was fine, but the plot meandered without much of a point, and the editing (punctuation in particular) was awful. It was very self-indulgent.
So what to do? I’ve decided not to let friends know I’m reading their books, and if I enjoy the book, leave a great review. Otherwise, radio silence.
Incidentally, I have the same problem with authors I don’t know. By personal choice, I will not leave less than 3 stars as long as I feel the writer did their best. However, if the writer is lazy or arrogant, all bets are off. (This is why you’ll rarely see 1 or 2 star reviews from me.) Want to risk a review from me? Submit a request here (be aware that it takes me a bit of time to get around to reviews).