Comments on Barbara Alfaro: Falling Stars

Hi Mary, Thanks for stopping by and commenting. As...

2012-11-10T10:40:48.980-08:00

Hi Mary, Thanks for stopping by and commenting. As someone else has already commented, this new policy is very like a school teacher denying recess time to the entire class because of the bad behavior of some. I hope Amazon will rethink and change this unfair policy. They've been so great to indie authors in other ways, especially KDP Select and affordable ads.

I know an Indie author who has used countless bogu...

2012-11-10T10:08:47.254-08:00

I know an Indie author who has used countless bogus reviews as she and her friends endlessly go back and forth giving one another 5 star reviews. They're fairly easy to spot because every person gushes over the book ad nauseum. I think Amazon did a real disservice by not addressing this problem sooner. Don't tell me they didn't notice. Now, in an effort to make up for what the vetting they didn't do, they punish everyone.

There are always going to be people who find a way...

2012-11-07T19:38:29.860-08:00

There are always going to be people who find a way to cheat in a system geared for honest responses but what's happening here is innocent - "little guys" a/k/a indie authors - are being penalized for the unethical behavior of others. I wonder if John Locke's 300 purchased 5-star reviews were pulled along with my one honestly garnered 5-star review!

Thanks for commenting, Adriene. I wasn't aware...

2012-11-07T19:25:39.403-08:00

Thanks for commenting, Adriene. I wasn't aware of Amazon's new and unfair policy about removing reviews by writers of the work of other writers when I published this post. I think their pros and cons or "vs." columns are fine but those kindergarten gold stars seem so unnecessary. There is an article in the L.A. Times about the reviews being removed. Here's the link
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-why-is-amazon-deleting-writers-reviews-of-other-authors-books-20121102,0,7028228.story

Amazon just responded to (in Joe Konrath's wor...

2012-11-07T18:16:36.872-08:00

Amazon just responded to (in Joe Konrath's words) the moral panic unleashed by authors themselves over the fake reviews and sock puppet accounts. And it did so in its own dumb corporate way. The ones that will be affected the most are us the little guys. I think the star system or any such rating system is like democracy. It's the worst system until you consider the alternatives. In our case the alternative is no rating system. I think a rating system is necessary, but like anything it can be gamed by people.

That's useful to know, Barbara. Coincidentally...

2012-11-07T16:51:25.430-08:00

That's useful to know, Barbara. Coincidentally, I read a blog post somewhere (I wish I had bookmarked it now) that noted that Amazon itself has been known to pull reviews written by Amazon authors reviewing other Amazon authors. Makes no sense. As for the star rating, it's the plight of the writer and other artists always to be judged subjectively. I think the stars are an attempt to impose an objective measure. But yet again, it's only someone's opinion.

Thanks for commenting Sunny. I haven't heard o...

2012-11-06T13:29:56.951-08:00

Thanks for commenting Sunny. I haven't heard or read anything about Amazon removing book reviews by authors. How would they determine which reviewers are authors? And, as you point out, it is a tradition in publishing for authors to review other authors, often colleagues. If Amazon wants to remove something, they might consider deleting those vicious and meanspirited 1-star reviews that so often seem as though the "reviewer" hasn't even read the book. Most thinking people know snide remarks aren't actually reviews.

The idea of a reviewer pulling a review is surpris...

2012-11-06T11:51:35.803-08:00

The idea of a reviewer pulling a review is surprising. But I must admit, you write about it with your usual elegance.

Several members of Redwood Writers (the California Writers' Club that I belong to) have been writing about an article saying that Amazon is going to remove book reviews by authors (because authors are in competition with other authors and might leave snarky reviews). I don't know if you've heard about this possible turn of events...but I find the idea extremely distasteful. Writers and authors and editors and others have traditionally reviewed books by other writers, authors or editors. It's a tradition in the publishing industry.

So I hope that Amazon is NOT going to be removing reviews by authors who comment on other authors' work.

Thanks again for a lovely blog post.