2000 Goodreads ratings for G. B. Ralph’s books

MM ratings, as the Romans might have written! We all love a little double entendre, don’t we? Joking aside, check this out:

2000 ratings on Goodreads! How good?

If you want to see my books on Goodreads, or you’ve already read them and want to help me on my way to 3000 ratings, check out my profile here:

Goodreads author profile: G. B. Ralph

What’s the point of rating or reviewing books?

Boost in charts: Each time someone rates or reviews a book, it gets a little boost in the charts. This boost makes the book more visible, and means the algorithm is more likely to recommend the book to other potential readers.
Adds credibility: A book with a single rating doesn’t give a potential buyer much confidence, especially if that’s a 5-star rating from the author’s boyfriend or mother dearest. So, the more ratings and reviews, the more legitimate it is in the eyes of potential buyers.
Gives future readers confidence: Many potential readers will check the star rating of a book (or any product) before purchasing. If they see something averages a high number of stars, they can have some confidence they’re about to spend their money (and time!) on something worthwhile.
Keep track of your reading: It’s a good way to record what books you’ve read, and what you thought of them. If you have a terrible memory like me, you might like to use a platform like Goodreads or The StoryGraph to keep track of your reading, which is great when you’re lining up your next read or making recommendations to other readers.

What’s the difference between a rating and a review?

Ratings are all about the stars! On a scale of 1–5 stars, how would you rate a particular book? A book’s average rating is based on how each reader has rated (or graded) a book. This is how I tend to think of it when rating books:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved it
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Liked it
⭐⭐⭐ It was OK
⭐⭐ Not so good
⭐ Hated it (probably didn’t finish it)

Reviews are all about the text. They’re a way for someone to give feedback, express their opinion, with specific comments about aspects they liked or disliked. Potential readers may flick through reviews to help them decide if a book’s for them or not. Note: reviews may also have space for you to add a star rating as well.

How do I rate and/or review a book?

Anyone can do it! Here’s how:

Go to wherever you bought the book (e.g. Amazon) and/or your preferred book review website (e.g. Goodreads or The StoryGraph)
Search for the book(s) you want to rate/review
Look for the rating/reviewing section (it’ll be called “Rate the book” or “Write a review” or something like that)
Give it an overall rating of 1–5 stars
Add a bit of text to make it a written review – even a one-liner does the trick!