Fake Reviews on Goodreads and Amazon
An awesome blogger Jen at Red Hot Books, posted a great article on how many authors are faking their reviews. Someone had tweeted the article to me and I thought it was really interesting so I read on.... And she begins positively talking about my book Fire Baptized.
I was shocked!
Due to the flood of fake reviews she'd almost decided not to read Fire Baptized because it had so many 4 and 5 stars. Thankfully she did, and she gave me FIVE stars! Woop Woop!
Here's her awesome article:
http://www.redhotbooks.com/2012/02/gi...
I was shocked!
Due to the flood of fake reviews she'd almost decided not to read Fire Baptized because it had so many 4 and 5 stars. Thankfully she did, and she gave me FIVE stars! Woop Woop!
Here's her awesome article:
http://www.redhotbooks.com/2012/02/gi...
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Yep. Maybe throw in a one star and say, "This writer sucks! I vomited while reading the book! Who told her to publish!"
I could write a one star review! " I'm giving this book one star because I wish I had written such a perfect book!"
(but you book is still on my to-read shelf and I will get to it this month)
I have yet to read it... :DI do get suspicious when I see all 5 and 4-stars though.
We're all such a suspicious reading group! lol!
I usually skip over 4 and 5 star reviews. Lately it's so rare for me to find a book that I would rate that highly. I always suspect that glowing reviews are written by someone connected to the author or fans that drank the Kool-aid and refuse to be critical. 3 star reviews are usually more balanced and I read 1 star reviews for the laughs.
Yesh. I feel you. I do read the 4 and 5 stars if I already follow the person's reviews. I will browse other 5 star reviews, but I mainly decide from the book blurb and cover. ITs only when I'm on the edge of "should I read it or not" where I'll give reviews alot of wieght.
Pfft, I never got a review request! I agree with the blog post. Even my parents, who are not tech savvy, can spot fake reviews.
I definetly requested you months back, but I didn't hear from you. I pretty much assumed you had a massive pile of "Please oh please read my books!" So many book review bloggers are backed up.Additionally, you scare me....
LOL!
Which is saying alot cause I'm insane.
However, I always dreamed that if I did get an unpleasing review from you... You would put some cool pictures of kittens and air thrusting star troopers to help me swallow the pain!
Oh! I got a book recommendation but I didn't realize it was a review request! Sorry.I do have a neat little pile going but your book does sound enticingly perfect for me.
Oh no, I sent an email on cuddlebuggary. I think its a little icky to mass recommend my book to people...
Regardless, how would you like a book copy from me? Print or ebook? If you want it in print, please message me your address on goodreads. I'll send you one immediately! If ebook, just drop me an email at wrigkenya@gmail.com.
I am also respectfully requesting some thrusting of star wars characters in the review, if possible....
I'd like to add, from an author's POV, sometimes trolls fake review books they haven't read. Sometimes it is retaliation for a book that an author may have unfavorably reviewed (which is sad because it prevents many authors from reviewing books), sometimes it is a psychotic hater that puts up fake one-star reviews for every book a certain author releases - even those not released yet. I've had my share but generally GoodReads has been extremely helpful and often ends up banning the IP address of the user (even when they have many different addresses) if it seems like they are only out to hurt one person. I wonder if it will come to the same with fake good reviews...those are equally as damaging (to readers, at least, who want honesty) and very easy to spot at times. Sigh. Either way, fake accounts are everywhere :(
Karina wrote: "I'd like to add, from an author's POV, sometimes trolls fake review books they haven't read. Sometimes it is retaliation for a book that an author may have unfavorably reviewed (which is sad becaus..."Oh yeah. Before my book was even out. I had two people give me three stars... I was like what the hell? Its not even published!
Yeah and GR's answer to that is that people use the star rating system to remember what books they want to read, so they can rate books that haven't come out yet. Fair enough, I suppose. But three stars? That's not quite bad, not quite great...what do they think your book will be "so-so" and therefore "let's remember it"? Anyway, I understand they can't police it. And I have negative reviews which are legit but when it's pretty obvious when you get the same ratings from the same people and look and see they haven't rated anything else EXCEPT your books. Flattering? No. Sabotagey? I'd think so.And that's how the fake good reviews on GoodReads go as well. You find a book that doesn't have many reviews but the ones they have are all five stars. You look at the user. They only created their profile the day the book came out and only rate that book and then they disappear.
OR the accounts are used to attack honest reviewers.
Luckily in this case, if the book gets popular enough to get other reviews, the truth will come out as it always does. Just too bad that a few readers have to be duped in the process.
Fake reviews are so bad that I start to doubt my OWN reviews. That's right, I get reviews (good ones, even) on Amazon and I'll go look at their profile and think, "Is this person even real? Is this someone I know trying to make me feel better?" Fake reviews suck. That's why I don't read reviews, but go off recommends from reviewers I trust.Kenya, I think I've seen you on Kindleboards. Congrats on the good REAL reviews. :)
Thanks so much Kate!!!By the way, I checked out The Angel and her gun. I will definetly be grabbing that when I get home today. It looks great.
I like this thread so much, I un-liked it and re-like it just for kicks. =D
KW
My Readers Group K KILLERS.
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Kenya: Maybe you need to write a couple fake 3-star reviews on Amazon just for good measure. All those glowing reviews are getting you in trouble!