To say that a reader “shouldn’t rely on reviews anyway” is a bad excuse for bad behavior. If reviews don’t matter or shouldn’t matter then why do it? Why make fake reviews then? When I see new, unknown author and their book description sounds good, I look at the reviews to determine if I want to spend the money. It’s a mixed a bag. I’ve come across some really horrible books that were reviewed as 5 stars. However, all the fake reviews is what really turns me off from taking the risk again.

These fake reviews have harmed the indie writer. Just when “indie” writers were pulling out of the “vanity” stigma of self-publishing, stuff like this pushes them write back in. That’s what it is, right? Vanity publishing – vanity reviews. And Ellory’s actions have harmed the unknown, new writer.

It’s about honesty. If you don’t think it’s a big deal, well then I have to wonder about your ethics and moral code. The best writers are the ones who bleed honesty. The best fictions, the ones that last, that stand the test of time, are the ones where truth creates a connection. The truth of who we are as human beings. If you have to resort to these tactics, then you do not understand the purpose of fiction nor are you a writer in the truest sense.

To say that a reader “shouldn’t rely on reviews anyway” is a bad excuse for bad behavior. If reviews don’t matter or shouldn’t matter then why do it? Why make fake reviews then? When I see new, unknown author and there book description sounds good, I look at the reviews to determine if I want to spend the money. It’s a mixed a bag. I’ve come across some really horrible books that were reviewed as 5 stars. However, all the fake reviews is what really turns me off from taking the risk again.

These fake reviews have harmed the indie writer. Just when “indie” writers were pulling out of the “vanity” stigma of self-publishing, stuff like this pushes them write back in. That’s what it is, right? Vanity publishing – vanity reviews. And Ellory’s actions have harmed the unknown, new writer.

It’s about honesty. If you don’t think it’s a big deal, well then I have to wonder about your ethics and moral code. The best writers are the ones who bleed honesty. The best fictions, the ones that last, that stand the test of time, are the ones where truth creates a connection. The truth of who we are as human beings. If you have to resort to these tactics, then you do not understand the purpose of fiction nor are you a writer in the truest sense.

They are all happy to rake in the dollars from the purchases we make based on reviews, real or phony, then why not hold them responsible for the authenticity of those reviews?

Peace, Seeley

The McCarthyism Witch Hunt had nothing to do with the real ‘threat’ of global communism, and people who didn’t agree with McCarthy were labeled communist. If writers run scared of being accused of sock puppetry rally together to defend themselves against unspoken allegations, the comparison is valid.