If you’re an author, you’ve probably been reading about the NY Times “book reviewers for hire” article by David Streitfeld. If not, it’s the first link listed below this post. In that article he talks about a man named Todd Jason Rutherford, who ran a lucrative business selling enthusiastically positive, but fake, book reviews. He ran ads on Craigslist to hire reviewers, who soon realized they could write more reviews—and make more money—by not actually reading the books, but just skimming the text or Googling to learn enough about the book to fake it.
Streitfeld also reveals that John Locke, the author who became the first self-published writer to sell a million Kindle ebooks through Amazon, bought 300 of those reviews. In addition, Locke requested that those reviewers purchase their copy from Amazon, so the reviews would have the “Verified Amazon Purchase” tag to add credibility.
That’s three hundred five-star reviews! Think about that. How much do you think 300 glowing 5-star reviews would increase sales? I have some great reviews and ratings, and though a few of the early ones were from family members and friends, the rest are not—and I didn’t pay a cent for any of them.
Yes, I know publishing is a business. Locke and others like him are undoubtedly smart businessmen. But as much as I’d like to make money, I’m conflicted and can’t look at my writing strictly as a profit-making product. I can’t subscribe to the all’s fair in love and publishing mindset. I’m proud of my writing. I think it’s worth reading. I want the opinions of readers to be genuine. I don’t want someone buying one of my books based on misleading reviews. I don’t want to deceive readers to make a dollar.
In reading about this issue, I realized this is another black mark against self-published books. Those of us who’ve chosen that path have already faced prejudice, mostly from other publishers and authors who consider self-published work synonymous with poor quality. Now, if readers think they can’t trust reviews of our books, we’re even more disadvantaged.
I also learned certain groups of self-publishers (and small presses?) trade positive reviews of books they haven’t read, as in, I’ll give your book 5-stars, if you give mine the same. Some time ago, I got caught up in the “marketing ploy” of trading clicks on descriptive tags on Amazon. Though tags only help readers searching for books, not influence their buying, it felt dishonest, and I took my book off the list the next day. I know we self-publishers are at a great disadvantage in getting our books noticed, but I would rather mine get noticed honestly and for the right reasons.
If you’d care to read more about this issue, follow the links below, but I have two questions for you. Do you read reviews or, at least, consider the rating before buying a book? And do you think it’s unethical for authors/publishers to pay people to write positive book reviews?
- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/business/book-reviewers-for-hire-meet-a-demand-for-online-raves.html
- http://janefriedman.com/2012/08/28/extra-ether-buying-book-reviews-still-admire-john-locke/
- http://davidhewson.com/2012/08/28/sorry-to-say-it-but-publishing-needs-a-code-of-conduct/
- http://jeremyduns.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-update-and-request.html
- http://www.edwardwrobertson.com/2012/08/a-few-notes-on-john-locke-paid-reviews.html
I agree with you. Especially if a self-published author is trying to build a career, they need to stay honest. I guess I’m not totally against the idea of paying for a review–it’s a service like any other, right?–except that review would have to be genuine. So if the reviewer read your book, didn’t like it, and posted a negative review, you’d just have to deal with it and accept that you’d lost some money. I know that when I agree to review a book for a fellow self-published author, I’m always honest. I’ve reviewed … I think four novels so far, and I’ve only given out one 5/5 rating. In this global age, everything we post on the internet can be accessed by everyone, and if you don’t act with integrity, it’s hard to get people to trust you.
Michelle, I know Kirkus Reviews has a paid service for indies, but I think they promise to be honest. I’ve questioned, more than once, whether I should review books, now that I’m published. It’s certainly harder, now.
The idea of paid reviews and traded reviews that are disingenuous definitely puts a knot in my stomach, but you, unfortunately, find practices like this in a lot of things. It’s lead me to just decided that I know I want to conduct my business with honesty and integrity. It might be naive and foolish to think so, but I like to believe that such things will eventually lead to success. If it doesn’t, at least I know I played fair and did my best. If it does, then it will be all the more sweeter.
And what other people do is none of my business. If they want to play that game, fine. I’ll be over here, doing my own thing, playing my own game. Theirs is American football; mine is rugby. Rougher, tougher, probably not as popular, but a hell of a lot more fun.
A lot of time, if I’m looking at a book, it’s the blurb that decides it more often for me, or word of mouth from sources I trust. If I’m uncertain, I actually read the BAD reviews over the good reviews. A few good reviews to give the book some credit, and then I compare them to what the bad reviews are saying. I think you can tell a lot more from the bad reviews; if a bad review is well written and intelligent, you can pretty much trust it, but if the review seemed to be written by someone who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about….you know the reviews I mean…then I’m more likely to give the book a chance.
I agree, L.S., I’d rather do it the hard way and be at peace with myself.
But I can’t quite share your opinion that what others do is not my business. True, I can’t control what they do, but if it has an impact on my business, I resent that.
I look at the percentages in book reviews. If a book has 231 positive reviews(4s & 5s) and only 6 negative(1s & 2s), I tend to discount the negatives. But, like you said, if the negative reviews are written by someone who sounds like they actually read the book and have good reasons for their low rating, that means a lot more than someone who simply writes “Hated it.” or “I don’t know how anyone could give this book more than 1 star. It was boring.” Some people pick up a book, especially if it’s cheap or free, that they should have known they wouldn’t like and then give it a bad review. I’d like to smack those people.
What these people do is not only unethical, it is actually illegal, but unfortunately, they don’t always get caught. There are many readers who distrust the reviews on Amazon, and I guess for good reasons. And you’re right, Linda, it hurts above all those independently published authors, who work hard and are honest. And yes, this kind of false advertising happens in other areas as well. That doesn’t make it any less reprehensible.
Christa
Yes, Christa, I know many people just consider this a normal business practice, which is why I’m a loner author. I’ll give a free book to a reviewer, but only if I know they give honest reviews, good and bad.
Do readers distrust reviews on Amazon as much as authors do? That’s my concern. I get angry when I see a book with an interesting description and a 4.8 overall rating and I download the sample only to find it’s just not a good read: weak premise, plodding pace, stupid grammatical errors. I feel duped, and I probably won’t ever try another book by that author. I don’t want to alienate potential readers like that.
Old school methods here. I browse endlessly..pick up a book in the store…scan for writing style….pick up another… and so on….and….if I can’t find what I’m wanting or looking for in a writer’s style I also ask the best read clerk in the store what she has read and recommends….there is an amazing clerk at my bookstore…she asks what kind of writing i’m looking for and then she gives her expert advice on what she has read ( and that is quite significant I can tell you)……you know, that woman should be writing book reviews instead of clerking…..I’m going to ask her about that next time I go in to wander through the books. Otherwise, I never get interested in a book based on a written review.Very… very old school reading.
AEoF, I’m happy your method works for you. Word of mouth is probably the best way to discover a book.
Unfortunately, for authors like me whose books are only available online, we’ll never reach the “old school” readers like you.
I do read reviews, but usually can tell which are from family v/s non-attached readers. However, paying someone to give you a good review smacks of Lobbyists paying off candidates during an election……….currently legal but also clearly immoral. It also shows that those with $$ continue to grow their $$ sometimes without scruples. It’s similar to the book selling millions with the innocuous title 40 OR 50 SHADES OF GRAY which masks a cheap novel of S & M. If you can’t be honest with your audience you obviously have something written that you are ashamed to admit. Since I haven’t any $$ for advertising my books are just now (after a year) beginning to find an audience outside of the family and friends….but at least my new reviews are honestly gotten and they give me warm and snuggley feelings because they are real. I would really miss learning how my books are truly received if I were paying for their reviews.
I agree, Kathleen. It’s great to have family and friends rave about your writing, but it’s something special when total strangers do the same. I think we all need that unbiased validation.
As for those 50 Shades books, I think a lot of sales have come from readers curious to see what all the hoopla is about. But beyond that, it disturbs me that so many women actually enjoyed those books about such an abusive relationship and are willing to admit it publicly!
Indeed! Sad really…..and yet when I was in charge of the funding for Abuse and Neglect in Louisiana in the 80s I found in most cases that women as well as children prefer to return to abusive husbands and fathers rather than face the unknown……a tough nut to crack for sure….particularly without the Mental Health funding needed by most.
A terrible truth, Kathleen.
These are all things I not only suspected at the beginning of my writing exploits, but many of these things I also witnessed first-hand. Knowledge of these practices made me a very frustrated and disgruntled writer. I even gave up writing for while, knowing I’d never be comfortable doing these things myself. In the end I made a decision steer myself away from those who found no shame or dishonor is duping their perspective fans.
Fair warning though, Linda, if you don’t play their games you will be snubbed by those who do and, unfortunately, those are (often, not always) the self-published authors who are getting the most attention and are the most valuable contacts when networking.
Normally I’d be the moral police, here. But I’ve decided I can only police my own conscious and others can not or will not be swayed in their way of thinking, nor will they cease these unethical practices. And yes, I believe that readers are starting to catch on to these “marketing maneuvers”, which makes your word of mouth advertising far more important than ever before.
Personally, I’ve become extremely cautious in my reviews. I now review only books by people whom I’ve had no direct contact – it keeps me honest. I also rate books fairly and evenly:
1 star – hated it, poorly written, poorly developed,
2 stars – it was good, but flawed in several ways,
3 stars – I liked it and it was well developed,
4 stars – I liked it a lot, it was well developed, and I’d personally recommend it to others, and
5 stars – The cream of the crop – all the requirements of #4 and I’d read it again!
Everyone has their own rating system, and I won’t fault those who give 5 stars to a book that they liked, simply because they liked it, However, because of the practices you’ve mentioned, I’ve become wise enough to read reviews only as a way to determine genre and personal interest. I don’t think I’m alone, but I do think the damage is already done in some ways.
Dang – long comment again.
Oh, and to clarify – I do write a detailed review of the book (without spoilers) when assigning a star rating, which is why I am slow to review a book, and why I try to stick with reading books in my own and preferred genres.
Love your long comments, K., you know that.
Yeah, it became obvious to me early on that the playing field was not level. I almost joined one group of self-published authors until I realized I would be expected to rave about the other members’ books. I don’t have time to read books that don’t interest me, and I don’t offer an opinion on a book I haven’t read, nor will I rave about a book I feel is, at best, mediocre.
Thanks for the warning, but I’ve already experienced snubbing. That’s why I wrote that post a week or so ago, saying I don’t expect to ever be on a best sellers list. I know I’m not playing the game. And I know the game players don’t consider me an equal. I don’t care. I know I have the talent to compete, but I don’t have the other things it takes to be in the “in crowd.” So, I’ll just let my books stand on their own, and I believe they’ll reach the readers they were meant to.
You read on a different level than I do. I’ve rarely REVIEWED a book, I usually just offered my opinion on why I liked it. I generally don’t even rate a book I can’t give at least 3 stars to. Of course, I read so little now, the point is practically moot. I guess it’s all moot if no one pays attention to reviews and ratings anyway.
I second that – Let the books stand on their own! And you’re probably right about how reviews are becoming moot with all the white noise these unethical practices have generated. I do a lot of research before buying any book that was self-published after the Y2K – first and foremost I read the free sample, but worse yet, now you have to actually research the small presses too, due to some very unethical practices going on there. Don’t get me started. LOL.
Wow, the internet is buzzing with bloggers having their say on this topic, K. Unfortunately, the traditional publishing industry is bolstering the idea that only self-publishers do this and that’s because their writing is so bad they can’t get legitimate positive reviews.
One question: why the qualifier “after the Y2K”?
Because as a reader I’m a writer’s worst nightmare. I’m informed also as a writer. LOL.
There are several reasons why I wait, but I’ll address the main reason. The Y2K mark has more to do with a book “seasoning” than the actual year 2000. I’m not much of one to rush out and by a book based on it’s initial popularity. I’m reading books right now written in the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s.
With my reading list being so long I’m able to wait for a time and see if a novel has any long-term impact on my genre. I do read for enjoyment, but I also read as a writer. I value books that have something to offer in the terms of craft and genre bending.
As you know the genres I prefer are king and queen of speculation, authors are testing new ground almost daily. Much of that writing falls flat, confuses the reader, pushes the limits too far. By waiting for the cream to rise to the top, I can spare myself a lot of agony wading through the messy bogs.
The truth is we write what we read. The other truth is that all trends tend to run a route of full circle. I’m very specific in the books I read, because I’m very specific in the books I write and when the time comes, when the style, tone, and content that is my passion returns to popularity, I want to be one of the best who had taken the time to mold my ideas, and my craft. I believe that is what makes an author more than a momentary blip on the radar.
Do you realize how much you intimidate me, K? I’m just glad I don’t write in your genre.
We write what we read means I’d better get back to reading. I’ve now written two novels that verge on a genre I don’t read, so I need to switch it up for book three. I read (most often) contemporary fiction, character-driven, and that’s how I’d like to “brand” my fiction.
I admire your patience. I wish you a status of icon rather than a blip!
HA! There is absolutely no need for you to feel intimidated at all! It is my knowledge of how little I know and how much I need to improve that keeps me in this constant state of study. In fact, if I ever reach a point of confidence in my ability to craft a good story, I will then need to tackle the bigger issue at hand, which is editing!
I need to study both, though I think I’m lazier than you.
Oh the chance of it all…old school and new…conversing like this about books in blog world…at least! (Don’t have a clue how to type in a smiley face icon so just assume it is there like this….:) .
LOL I guess we both are old school and new at the same time.
Thank you for sharing this post. I think its important to the readers & the author to gain honest feedback on their books.
I tend to judge a book by its cover & blurb, the ratings & reviews for me are an after thought. So i tend to judge a book by the book itself which is always good for the author.
I can also see the need for reviews though & i can see why people would pay for them, but i don’t think i agree with it.
The most valuable reviews are the real ones, it helps us authors to grow.
You’re welcome, Georgina(?).
I didn’t mean to imply reviews are the most important way to judge a book, so thank you for pointing out that we should always read the blurb and sample pages. Some authors say they never read reviews of their books, so even an honest one wouldn’t help them grow, but I do read mine for that reason.
Yes it’s Georgina
That’s fair enough, I don’t think I would be able to stop myself from reading them!
I hope a lot of readers will judge books on ALL the information they are given and not just the reviews, but I am aware it’s not always the case.
That would be ideal, Georgina. We can only hope.
I respect the way you do things, Linda, and I’d be in the same boat if I was self publishing. There is no way I would pay for reviews, and I could never be part of a group that posts rave reviews of the other writers books just because they are writer friends. I think it’s part of having integrity, and I guess I’d rather have that than money (at this point anyway!!! lol if I was relying on selling books to survive, maybe it would be different?).
There has been a lot on the web this last week about these kinds of goings on, and to be honest the groups of indies who talk each other up, and congratulate each other and tell everyone how wonderful everyone else is just make me cringe, and have been whats put me off! How can a writer grow and develop if no one is actually giving critique or proper feedback? If all anyone says is ‘oh you’re wonderful!’? Not for me. If there were more indies like you, and I believe there are plenty out there I just haven’t come across them, it would seem like a safer environment. Call me crazy, but I’d rather a 3 star review that was honest than a 5 star that screams of hype.
Thank you, Cassie.
Sometimes being ethical makes you the odd man out in business, but I don’t know how to be any other way—and I don’t want to learn!
I don’t think you’re crazy, but I’d rather get a 5-star that was honest.
Now it appears all positive reviews will be questioned, so I guess they’ll have to start something new.
I do look at reviews but soon learned it’s not always safe. I recently read a novel that had loads of five star rave reviews. The story wasn’t that bad but some of the writing was awful and it was obviously written by someone who’d never researched their subject – they went by boat from Dublin to Madrid!
As an author I get a huge glow of pride when I get a 4 or 5 star review but then the odd 1 or 2 star reviews really hurt. That’s when I have to remind myself that what makes a good book is so subjective.
And, yes, completely unethical to buy reviews.
Hello, Huw, thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog.
I’m curious, did you review the book with sloppy research? Reviewing gets complicated when you’re an author yourself, don’t you think?
Oh, yes, those good reviews are what we pray for, and the bad ones hurt something terrible. But there are different degrees of those. The only bad review I would listen to is one written by a genuine reader who makes solid criticisms. The others, written by people who don’t like my genre and should never have read the book in the first place, I just roll my eyes at. The same goes for ones written by people who just don’t seem too bright.
Hi Linda. Yes I did review the book – although under a pseudonym and I did try to be constructive – pointing out the good aspects of the novel as well as the flaws. But reviewing other writer’s work always makes me feel slightly uncomfortable – after all, who’s perfect?
I know what you mean about those who don’t seem ‘too bright’… or haven’t actually read the book properly. One reviewer (2 star I think) said they gave up part way because they were confused by the number of characters in the book. I added them up and came to about 8 main characters and a dozen ‘supporting cast’ – hardly excessive I thought.
Another reviewer said I seemed to have ‘given up’ towards the end of the book and wondered if I was holding back for the sequel. Well, if they’d actually read the book they’d have known a sequel would have been totally impossible!
Good for you, Huw.
I’m thinking about creating an “anonymous” Goodreads account to avoid the discomfort of reviewing under my author name.
It’s puzzling how some readers miss key points, isn’t it? I swear I have at least one review written after reading only the first half of my book.
Oh, wow. Like you, I’d prefer everything I earn to be honest and true, and I’d feel like crap if I knew people were buying my book because of fake and purchased reviews. I think in some cases it can work, if it’s a paid review service where they actually read the book and they are respected in the industry. I do read reviews on books before buying them, but they rarely influence whether I buy or not. I’m just curious as to what other people thought. I want to form my own opinions. But I don’t review books unless it’s a blurb for a book about to be published, or a recommendation I give in my newsletter or on my blog. If I review a book, it’s not under my name. I have an anonymous profile on Goodreads to do that because I ran into too many issues otherwise, and for me, personally, it felt unprofessional. It’s different for everyone.
Michelle, I don’t have the budget to use a legitimate paid review service even if I wanted to, but if it’s a service where reviewers actually read the book and write an honest review, that’s totally different from the scam reviewers the NY Times article referred to.
I always look at the averaged star rating, but don’t like to read many reviews before I read the book because I don’t want to be influenced by others specific opinions. I always read the blurb and sample pages though. And after I read the book, I do go back and read reviews to see if my opinion matches many others.
I wish I had thought ahead before I set up my Goodreads account.
You can always create another account. The one I have is a name only I know, and I don’t have any friends on it. It has been very freeing to create an account where nobody I know can see what I am reading and want to read.
Do have no books read listed on your author name account? I like the idea of that and I don’t. I like the compare feature at Goodreads, which I often use to see whether my reading tastes are the same as someone who really liked a book I’m considering reading. I also compare books with authors I’m not familiar with because I think that might indicate whether I’ll like their writing.
No, I do not list any books on my author name account. I deleted all of those books long, long ago. But I can still use the compare feature on my other profile, where I’ve re-listed all of my books read, to-read, and am-reading. That took awhile. I think it was worth it because it felt like a fresh start for some reason. Reading is such a personal, private thing for me. I don’t like other people sifting through my bookshelves.
You always make me think.
So any reviews you’d done under your author name were lost? Had you reviewed any friends’ books up to that point?
Yes, many, and yes, they were all lost. And yes, I had reviewed friends’ books at that point. A few intense and emotional situations made me realize that just wasn’t a good thing for me to do anymore.
Hmmmm
You’ve sparked a very interseting thread here, LInda.
In response to your questions. I’ll read a review if I have the time–more often than not I don’t. So often I just don’t agree with reviewers that I really don’t have much faith in them. I read blurbs and samples before I’ll read reviews.
Also, if I see that a review is from a paid reviewer I won’t trust it at all–good or bad. I think the reason to this is because I know they’ve read the book as a job. It changes the experience, takes away from the intimacy of the read. I’m sure it’s not always the case but I still tend to pay no attention to it whatsoever. And if I’m completely honest, it leaves me wondering if the author has so little belief in his/her book that there is the need to pay someone to read it. This post though has made me realize that for some writers it may seem like one of the few options they have open to them.
I’m curious, Jennifer, how do you know the review is a paid one?
There are many reviews that say something along the lines of: this is a paid review, or, I am reviewing this book for payment, some such thing, you must see those often as well?
There are also those that state they were given a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
I can’t remember ever seeing a review noted to be paid for, Jennifer, but I’ve seen many that indicate they received the book free in exchange for a review, though.