TIL that 100 four-star reviews don't matter if 3 people hate your book

I hit 100 reviews on my debut novel last month, and I was stoked. Then I noticed the pattern, those 3 one-star reviews all mention the same slow middle chapter, and they're the ones that show up first on the page. The algorithm seems to weigh the negative ones heavier, at least in my tiny indie corner of the market. I spent 6 weeks rewriting that chapter for the paperback version, and now the rating sits at 4.2 instead of 3.9. Has anyone else seen a small batch of bad reviews tank months of good feedback like that?

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hugoharris3mo ago

Honestly, the algorithm probably just has a soft spot for drama. Two hundred happy readers saying "nice book" is way less interesting than three people screaming about a slow chapter. Tbh, I've seen the same thing happen with my own stuff, and the fix is always the same: either rewrite the boring part or just accept that some folks will never vibe with your pacing. Ngl, at least you got a better rating out of it, so those three jerks did you a favor, even if they made you work for it.

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