Do you read other people's reviews before writing your own?

[Paul Link]

I don't. I usually form a picture in my mind based off of the description by the author. I actually prefer authors that don't provide too much description, though, so I can imagine the character to look how my mind will allow it.

[Lizzie Mustard]

No, I don't read other people's reviews before I write mine. I want to come fresh to a book and I may be influenced by others opinions if I read them first.

[Abraham Ozo]

Many readers have different approaches to writing reviews. Some prefer to read others' reviews before crafting their own to gain insights and different perspectives, while others, like myself, choose to form my opinions independently and then compare them to others' views afterward.

[EnclosedReviewer]

I don't like reading other's people reviews. For sure it changes my mind about a book. When I'm reviewing I like to share my first and genuine thoughts. After that, I read to understand other's people perspectives.

[Kristin Cowan]

I only read other reviews when I am trying to select a book to read or to see if I would like it. I don’t seek them out for books I’m currently reading

[Sadiya_Khan]

Though not of the book I'm reviewing, I read reviews on the side. Typically, I use it to look up new books or pick up a new writing technique. I have my own writing style, but it helps me come up with something fresh; mostly just a line or a word.

[Pranav Dewangan]

I do not read other reviews before posting my own review because it influences my perception and what I am gonna write. I always write my review first. Most of the time I do not read other reviews either.

[Tobi Adefila]

I focus on writing my review, after that I can check other people's review.

[Lizzie Mustard]

No, I don't read other people's reviews before writing mine. I don't want to be influenced by their opinions.

[Moriah Nash]

No, I would get way too swayed by what they've said. I write mine up and fret over it for a day or two before submitting. Then I go in and read some of the people that agreed with me and some of the one's that are way off base. I've rarely changed my mind from what I wrote. It's always interesting to me though to see what people said that loved what I hated and vice versa.

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

No, not usually. I find if I do, there is a danger of constructing my criticism and praise around their review, without making my own mind up. I like to be fresh with my viewpoint and use my own words (which Grammarly sometimes frowns upon!).

[Chris Konstantine]

I've only recently joined but like most of you, I tend to stay away from other people's reviews while working on my own. The reasons are obvious.
That said I did briefly check some other relevant reviews after completing one of my own. I was left wondering if we actually read the same book. It wasn't a matter of personally liking a book or not, but rather the substantial number of errors I encountered while reading it which caused me to gift the book with a whopping two stars. Therefore when I saw numerous five star reviews I was puzzled and it resulted in my rethinking this entire endeavor.

Then something occurred to me. I selected a pdf copy of the book in question, it is likely that others chose a different format. A logical conclusion then may be that the pdf was an earlier version of the same body of work.

Moral of the story? Do your thing, concentrate on what's in front of you, and worry only about what you think.

[Do Thi Huong]

I've only recently joined but like most of you, I tend to stay away from other people's reviews while working on my own. The reasons are obvious.
That said I did briefly check some other relevant reviews after completing one of my own. I was left wondering if we actually read the same book. It wasn't a matter of personally liking a book or not, but rather the substantial number of errors I encountered while reading it which caused me to gift the book with a whopping two stars. Therefore when I saw numerous five star reviews I was puzzled and it resulted in my rethinking this entire endeavor.

Then something occurred to me. I selected a pdf copy of the book in question, it is likely that others chose a different format. A logical conclusion then may be that the pdf was an earlier version of the same body of work.

Moral of the story? Do your thing, concentrate on what's in front of you, and worry only about what you think.

You're right Chris. I prefer to read other reviews after writing my own. But one time, I rated a book 2 stars and thought maybe I was being a little too harsh. So I checked some other 5-star reviews but couldn't agree with them. I also noticed some books with lots of errors and others had a totally different opinion, yet I never thought about the different format that might be the reason before. Thank you for your great insight!

[Chris Konstantine]

You're right Chris. I prefer to read other reviews after writing my own. But one time, I rated a book 2 stars and thought maybe I was being a little too harsh. So I checked some other 5-star reviews but couldn't agree with them. I also noticed some books with lots of errors and others had a totally different opinion, yet I never thought about the different format that might be the reason before. Thank you for your great insight!

And thank you for the kind words, I appreciate that.

I think it's important to remember that we all have different criteria and that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore it doesn't matter if our opinions don't match as long as we are honest. I never reviewed books before joining here, but I've reviewed many PC games. In all honesty I know I'm a "harsh" reviewer, you'll rarely see me award five stars because in my mind that requires near perfection.

We can only be ourselves, and that's just fine in book.

Once again, thank you for your reply.

[Rakesh+12345]

No I prefer writing my own Review.