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What Do You Think of Authors Who Download Their Own Books to Make the Kindle Best Selling Lists?
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I hate to break it to you Stacy-Deanne, but the level of foolywang at Amazon makes the rankings and the reviews pretty much meaningless. A lot of authors get friends and family to write reviews for them and to vote down any negative reviews. They even attack people who write negative reviews. It's beyond annoying, but I guess some people will do anything for sales. I think the mindset is that if people see high rankings or lots of positive reviews they're more likely to buy. I think people are advise to do these things on some of the s-p sites and blogs. I think it's unethical, but as I've said before, it's the Wild, Wild West out there.
SMH as well. I didn't realize this sort of thing went on. I can understand why an author would in the sense readers are more apt to buy books that are popular, however this something I wouldn't do. I would feel like a complete fraud.
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It's just ridiculous to me. I mean what is the point of being on a list if some kind of fraudulent act put you on there? I think a lot of the Kindle authors think if they get on these lists then the books will get attention but the only ones that will get attention are ones on there honestly that people actually bought besides the author. If an author has so little confidence in their work to just let it stand on its own then they shouldn't have written it in the first place.
It's sleazy and dishonesty. If no one wants your book then buying it yourself is not gonna do anything for you in the end. It's pathetic and a slap in the face to other authors who do everything the way they should.
Not to mention how someone who does this is cheating readers by making it seem like the book was so popular that it got on the list on its own.
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message 7:
by
The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
This is yet another reason I stopped paying attention to any of the reviews on Amazon. Too much drama.
I feel the same way about this as I do people writing fake reviews (when they never even read the book), tagging, and the same way I do when people beg people for votes for the best book/excerpt when they never even read it. It isn't fair. But the reason they do is so Amazon will kick in and when you're high enough on the list, your book gets recommended. People have been doing these tricks for years, but with the large influx of people writing books now, readers are beginning to notice and they're pissed. There is already a group homing in on self-published books and adding hateful 1-star reviews.
What sucks is, these tactics do work, which is why people do them. You'll be amazed at the large number of human beings who can't be attracted to a book cover, click on the book, read the excerpt and decide for themselves whether or not they want to read it. They want someone to tell them what to buy. In a long thread on Amazon Romance board complaining about authors writing their own reviews, a great number of people admitted to being swayed by reviews, which was why they were angry and felt cheated that they were fake.
I agree with the search inside this book feature; it's usually my deciding factor. I don't read reviews until AFTER I've read the book and am posting my own.
Chaeya
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Reviews don't move me. I like to read what others have said about a book that I've read or interested in reading, but that's the reader's opinion and not mine. I speak for myself. We may have read the same book, but it doesn't mean that we will see the same thing.
The writing world better get their thing together, before people give up on them. Honesty is the key.
I have learned how to spot a fake review from miles away. For me, it actually acts as a deterrent and I am less likely to want to read a book by the author. I refuse to feel manipulated.What is worse than having friends & family put out fake positive reviews is for them to not only vote down negative (or even faintly negative) reviews but I have seen people making nasty comments to a reviewer. There was one book where anytime a person wrote even the most marginally less than positive review, a posse would virtually descend and harangue the poor reviewer. Tacky.
@Tina, yep I've experienced that here on GR. an author's rabid fangrrl one-starred my books. Made me really dislike that author and I'll never read her again. Obviously an author has no control over a fan's behavior but this crap's been going on with this author for a while and she's never objected to it.
Well, on this matter I feel to each author their own. I personally don't feel it's necessary to be this desperate for book attention. I'm in no hurry to become known and forgotten. I want to build my author reputation on the fact that in my reader's mind when they see my name the first thing they think is "oh that's Shiree McCarver's new book so I know I'm going to get my money's worth." This being based on the fact it's true because I'm doing my part as an author. I want my story to become a treasure that people remember and reread and still feel like it's the first time each time. No list, review, or amount of stars on your book can change that for readers if they actually read your book and you did your job as a writer.
I think when an author uses hype to sell their work it's because they know they aren't writing out of love for the craft but a love for the possible income they are getting out of it. So the more they hustle the more they make.
Now our readers are by no means stupid. They know a used car sales pitch when they hear it. You can fool them the first time by being on some list or getting your friends to post fantastic reviews but your work will speak for itself. So I say these authors can go ahead gain the fans, write to fit in with the cliqued commercial masses, look down their noses at authors they think are beneathe them for one reason or the other, but time takes care of everything.
Time has already sorted out alot of the wannabe writers from the ones who bleed on each page of a story they've written. Wannabe writers can't outlast the pangs of time. Authors who are not only honest with their readers, but with themselves you will see putting out new books until they can't write anymore.
Tina wrote: "I have learned how to spot a fake review from miles away. For me, it actually acts as a deterrent and I am less likely to want to read a book by the author. I refuse to feel manipulated.What is..."
I think it is left up to the authors to let it be know or at least the ones in her yahoo group or whatever board she monitors herself, to let her readers know that their actions on her behalf is a reflection on her. I am happy to say I have some great readers that I consider my online family and they have been very respectful. I let them know that like my books or not I only want their honest opinions and when someone says something negative on my board about something I write. They will let you know I'm the first to jump in and tell them when they are taking up for me that that reader has a right to her own opinion. I've only had this happen once and it was when I wrote a trangender male romantic lead. I had a reader tell me she was against it and if I felt the need to publish such "smut" she was no longer reading my books. My readers rung her new one and I called a halt to it. I can fight my own battles if I feel it's necessary. I politely told that reader who felt that way. I write because I have a need to tell a story about Interracial love from several POV, just because you aren't in a trangender relationship feeling no one understands you're feeling, doesn't mean someone out there wouldn't appreciate reading a book that pertains to their lives.
I told her she had to do what she felt was right but if I self publish because I didn't want publishers and editors telling me what I can and can not write I wasn't letting my readers dictate what I can write. I write books for those who are looking for exactly what I'm writing about and enjoy it exactly the way I write it. I make it known that I write outside the box, it's my motto. A reader gave me a three on this same book because of two much sex. I told her I put a lady on the cover that was dressed in soft core bondage gear, the book cover says erotic tales, and when you click to veiw inside cover it says dedicated to the readers who want hot sex between Black Women and Asian Men. I asked how much clearer could I be that sex would be the driving forces behind the love in the story? LOL
I've made the Amazon bestsellers list a couple of times, in the multicultural romance and contemporary romance categories. I have to admit, I was darn proud, and I blasted it all over Facebook because I wanted everybody to know. LOL. Having said that, I don't see the point of downloading your own books to make the lists. You might gain more exposure, but if a large portion (or majority) of the downloads are yours, are you really much better off?
How can you feel proud of any type of accomplishment you had to engineer? And why the heck would you tell anybody?
I was amazed when someone told me that another author had advised her to do that. I always thought that was silly. I also don't believe in asking for votes. My most recent eBook was recently nominated as the selection for a reading group. I was delighted to have been nominated, but did not ask people to vote for me. Since that's the last I heard about it, I can assume I lost...but that's all right. I was nominated; that was enough.
Wow, after posting here I got a 1 star review and a ugly comment for a book I gave away free during Christmas. I wouldn't be suspicious if it wasn't for the fact the reviewer has no history of other reviews. So I guess I brought attention to myself by having an opinion and posting here. Never know who's lurking or who may be posing as being "friendly". I find that in these matters it's turns out to be some one you thought as online friends creating bogus accounts to be shady. Happen to me when I use to hang in chatrooms so why not in what should be more sophiticated forums?
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Please don't feel bad. Some people can do things to get back at others. Keep your head up high and let the water run down your back.
Arch wrote: "Shiree wrote: "Wow, after posting here I got a 1 star review and a ugly comment for a book I gave away free during Christmas. I wouldn't be suspicious if it wasn't for the fact the reviewer has no..."Thank you. That's exactly how I have to treat it. I just think it's a shame that it has to be this way. That in any given situation women would rather break each other down then do what you just did...build each other up. I don't mind getting bad reviews, I just like to know it was actually read. With your reviews you give the positive and negatives and that is constructive for me as a writer because in spite of what some readers may think we don't set out to put our names on a "hot mess" of a book. LOL At least I don't that's my real name and friends and family check the reviews, so even though deliberate mean actions don't bother me, I hate that it does bother my friends and family who don't realize what we in this business have learned the hard way about being a "public figure".
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I haven't been reading books lately. I've been too busy. But that will change, I will try to read at least 2 books a month.
That's why I don't pay attention to 1-star reviews. You can guarantee a 1-star review is someone being absolutely mean. Last month, I got into a big tiff with a reviewer who was going around hitting self-published authors with 1-star reviews and just posting hateful stuff.
We were talking about this last week on my other board. Every author gets them, there are just some mean people out there. What's hilarious is the authors it happened to claimed it didn't change their sales whatsoever, in fact, one lady said she had an increase in sales since she got her one-star review.
Just keep stepping forward.
Chaeya
Hey Chaeya! Long time no talk to. I know it's probably my fault. I haven't been posting and reading the boards much. My mother has been dealing with stage one breast cancer and I have tried to be there for her every step of the way. She's never had a illness before and since I've spent my entire life with an incurable one I've been able to share some insight into positive thinking makes for positive healing. I have been having to deal with my own mortality lately. Heart disease run in both my parents family so I went and got my heart check. It was good, I was relieved. Then mom doctor suggested I start getting mammograms. I did that to and got my letter it was clear but during the waiting time for all these things its hell I tell ya. I have surgery to get through next month and 7 weeks of mom's radiation and hopefully a long break of good health for everyone. So how has things been going with you, the family, and the business...
I think I remember a while back -- like maybe when it first started Amazon had a few problems with people trying to game the system by buying their own book, so did the NYT. They both changed their algorithm, and if I'm remembering right that's why the Amazon algorithm is super-secret. So my first skeptical thought is "Wait, would this even work?"And second thought is even if it does work it probably won't for long. If authors are crowing about it on Kindle boards then a lot of people will start doing it and Amazon will have to change the algorithm again. I guess I only feel kind of "wha???" about authors doing this. I can't see it netting them great results in the long run as that big buy will only last you so long. Say you do it and get into the top 100? A few more people buy your book. Is that really enough sales to keep you there for any amount of time or give you the type of exposure you crave? Better to focus on writing the next book and the one after that.
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Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Shiree, I will keep you and your mom in my prayers."Thank you. So far we are getting only good news and I know it's because of all the thoughts and prayers that has been going out to us from friends and family since the beginning. Never get to much love and thoughtfulness.
I've seen a lot of word going around about this and authors leaving their own reviews with fake ID's. I'm just wondering why an author would do this. It speaks of your credibility.I don't even know how you would go about buying copies of your own book on amazon as they keep a log of when you purchased it. I suppose someone could do that with print books, but doesn't that get expensive?
message 27:
by
The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
(new)
Not all one-star reviews are mean-spirited and/or snarky, just as not all glowing reviews are well-written and get to the meat of why the book worked for the reader. I tend to mix up reading reviews because I feel doing so gives me a better sense of the book overall.
A self-published author who has a book of hers free says she downloaded thousands of copies to appear on the Kindle list. Uh, isn't that not only dishonest but pointless?
I know many authors probably do it but this is the first time I've seen someone admit to it. I did read on a guy's blog one time that he downloaded many of his 99 cent books (bought tons of his own books) to get on the list.
Why?
First off, if you're gonna do it I think you shouldn't tell anyone. Why would an author want folks to know they had to buy their own books for them to get on a list? Another thing is, I thought the point and reward of having a best selling book is that other people liked your book enough to buy it. What is the point of buying your own book just to be on the list? I guess some think it is impressive but it's not if you admit you're doing this. She was acting like this was a smart marketing idea when to me it's just dishonest.
She's now ruined what I thought about a lot of these SP hits. Are a lot of these authors buying their own books? Some people said some were doing this from the beginning but it wasn't until this lady and a few others admitted it that I started to wonder myself. I figured some did it but to admit it in public? I just wonder how many of the authors on the Kindle list are doing this.
It just doesn't make sense because the point is that other people bought your book, not you. I was gonna check out this lady's book but when I heard she did that, it just turned me off. I think it's dishonest to buy thousands of your own books. The only time an author should ever buy their own books is for promotion, signings, events, giveaways, stuff like that. Not to appear on a list and make people think you sold a lot of books when you just got them all yourself.
*Shaking head*
http://www.stacy-deanne.net