Sock puppet harassment
One of the common problems independent authors have, on Amazon, is fake reviews intended to damage. Any book with few or no reviews may become a target. What do these reviews have in common? They almost always say "couldn't finish the book." They nearly always come from a "person" with no information in their profile. And now, with the KDP Select promotions running, these people can download a book for free and have "verified purchase" above the trashing review. And the most expensive books are the most likely targets.
These people know exactly how far they can go without breaking Amazon's review guidelines. They may totally misrepresent the book, proving to anyone who has read it that they didn't, but it's not the people who have, but the people who haven't they're deliberately misleading. And the intent is emotional abuse of the author.
From what I've seen of these reviews, they do a keyword search for something they expect to be in the book and when they find it, they'll take a bit of the description, a bit of that element and a bit of the author bio, if it offers something they can use, and write a review that looks like they read part of the book.
The author can't fight this type of abuse. Only readers can, but who will read a $3-5 book with one or two stars under the listing everywhere it appears? Would you even go to the book page? Would you look inside? If you did and then bought the book, would you write a review, on Amazon? Or would you carefully back away? Would you risk harassment to aid an author being harassed, with a review of this type, on each of several books, all purportedly by different people?
Think carefully before you say yes. You know it happens. Do you go to check a one or two star-rated book with one review? I've learned someone must and I'm learning how common it is. I can't even read the book and write a review to help the author, because I am one. And "everybody knows" indie authors are all buddy-buddy and lie. You say you don't believe that. Do you believe every indie author with several five star reviews got them from friends and family? "Everybody knows they all do."
That's bigotry and coercion to accept it. Be part of the "everybody," or else be one of "them."
These people know exactly how far they can go without breaking Amazon's review guidelines. They may totally misrepresent the book, proving to anyone who has read it that they didn't, but it's not the people who have, but the people who haven't they're deliberately misleading. And the intent is emotional abuse of the author.
From what I've seen of these reviews, they do a keyword search for something they expect to be in the book and when they find it, they'll take a bit of the description, a bit of that element and a bit of the author bio, if it offers something they can use, and write a review that looks like they read part of the book.
The author can't fight this type of abuse. Only readers can, but who will read a $3-5 book with one or two stars under the listing everywhere it appears? Would you even go to the book page? Would you look inside? If you did and then bought the book, would you write a review, on Amazon? Or would you carefully back away? Would you risk harassment to aid an author being harassed, with a review of this type, on each of several books, all purportedly by different people?
Think carefully before you say yes. You know it happens. Do you go to check a one or two star-rated book with one review? I've learned someone must and I'm learning how common it is. I can't even read the book and write a review to help the author, because I am one. And "everybody knows" indie authors are all buddy-buddy and lie. You say you don't believe that. Do you believe every indie author with several five star reviews got them from friends and family? "Everybody knows they all do."
That's bigotry and coercion to accept it. Be part of the "everybody," or else be one of "them."
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The problem with this particular spate of reviews is every download while a book is on promotion is a 'verified purchase' and anyone can post a review of anything if they've ever made a purchase from Amazon, whether that person purchased that product or not.
Spinner Spins
Regular, probably not. Subject, practically anything.
- Sharon L. Reddy's profile
- 18 followers
My theory is, that the reviewer is also an independent writer, but with a rabid resentment toward those deemed less worthy of publishing their work. I can think of one, in particular, who gave a scathing review on Amanda Hocking's book, which spoke more of issues with the reviewer, than with the book Ms. Hocking published. Whether that writer/reviewer would even bother with essentially anonymous torments, would be another question.