Letters and Comments

From the Author Who Admitted Manipulating Amazon’s Ranking/Review System

Published on January 19, 2011

Ms. Hoy: Thank you for writing about my new book, The Day the Kindle Died. Following the recent media coverage, I received an email from Amazon. In part it says "customer reviews and sales rank are an important source of information for customers" and "we will not tolerate efforts to manipulate it." I found this to be quite interesting given there are scores of job posts on the Internet for paid Amazon "book reviewers". Please see the three links below and attached screen shots. These are a brief sample of the dozens of offerings for anyone who would like to make some extra money writing "reviews" in their spare time. If Amazon is truly serious about stopping fake reviews, all they need to do is run a Google search and they'll find many employment offers to writers. The basic job requirements appear to be; 1) have multiple Amazon accounts (identities) to post reviews under, and 2) an interest in making $10 for one review or up to $250 for writing 50 different versions of reviews and posting them to Amazon. The math works out to $1 to $2 per hour for a writer's efforts to read an average-length book and write an intelligent review. Clearly reviews are being faked in a very public manner and Amazon cannot be oblivious to these efforts to influence book sales. Amazon has a double standard given that the most prolific Amazon reviewers such as Harriet Klausner post 4 to 6 reviews per day (more than 20,000 reviews presently) and paid reviewers as noted above have escaped the scrutiny of Amazon. Meanwhile, The Day the Kindle Died exposes Amazon's flawed sales rankings and customer reviews and is condemned by Amazon. The hypocrisy is palpable when Amazon claims they "will not tolerate efforts to manipulate" their data, but they do nothing to prevent it and even make it difficult for authors to get "reviews" removed. After reading thousands of online comments this past week I can't help but agree with all of the people who expressed hope that Amazon will read The Day the Kindle Died and fix their broken system so customers can buy with confidence. Amazon needs to remove all sales rankings, Amazon bestseller lists and customer reviews until the integrity of the underlying data is verified. Regards, Thomas Hertog These links are representative of what I found on Google. The Google cache also indicates this activity was prevalent in 2009 and 2010 and is current as of today: Company Admits Buying 5-Star Book Reviews!! (Read more about this outfit HERE.) https://www.freelancer.com/projects/Blog/Amazon-Book-Review-Poster.html https://www.workingbase.com/project/Need-50-Amazon.com-Book-Reviews.1004528.html PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Another way for Amazon and other sites to virtually eliminate fake book reviews is something I've been writing about for years - ONLY LET SOMEONE POST A REVIEW IF THEY HAVE PURCHASED THE BOOK FROM AMAZON! …

These Made Me Smile :)

Published on January 5, 2011

Dear Angela, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for all the great newsletters you have sent to me over this past year (and many years past). I am grateful for the information they contain, the jobs they list and the thoughts they inspire. Thank you, too, for sharing yourself and your family with me through your news from the home office and your willingness to correspond with me when I have written you. I am glad to know you even though at a distance. May God bless you and keep you as we end this year and enter the next. Sincerely, Sarah Clark ~~~~~ Hi Angela, I just wanted to tell you how much I love WritersWeekly. I've been visiting for a few years now and I always find useful and interesting information here. Keep up the great work! Sincerely, Lori G. …

When You Get An Email Meant For Another

Published on December 29, 2010

That inadvertent email you received did not surprise me at all. Recently, I was chatting with the clerk at (a large bookstore chain) while she rang up my order. I mentioned I had never returned a book and wondered what their policy was on returns in case my gift recipient already owned it, adding, "...of course, I'd never return a book I'd actually cracked open." At this point, the store manager glanced over and said, "We appreciate that. Unfortunately a lot of people read books and return them. They treat us like a library..." …

Does WritersWeekly Take All Rights? Heck No!

Published on December 15, 2010

What rights does WritersWeekly buy for success stories and features? If you don't mind, I'd like to try to get some of my pieces reprinted. L. Per our guidelines, we only ask for non-exclusive electronic rights to all features and success stories. You are absolutely free to sell your pieces elsewhere. …

Letters to the Editor For November 24th

Published on December 1, 2010

This week:

  • Donna's 24-Hour Contest Entry Evolves and Gets Published!
  • Does Amazon Remove Old Book Listings? No!
  • Amazon - Do They Draw The Line ANYWHERE?
…

Query Letters That Worked!

Published on October 20, 2010

Hi Angela: I just wanted to compliment you on your book, and thank you for compiling very helpful letters from great and generous writers. I was stuck on a query letter that I was preparing for a science/nature magazine. I read some of the query examples, and was able to write a good letter that I felt confident to send out. Twelve years ago, I took a bold step. I contacted an editor and pitched a story idea. He liked the idea and told me to write it. He published it without changing a word. That was my first article and I was self-taught. I read a great book about writing feature articles and just tried it. After that I approached a neighborhood newspaper in Chicago and wrote several features for them. I am getting back in the writing groove and now, with the Internet and all the info., I feel a bit overwhelmed. But, your book really is encouraging because it's about going for it and being bold. I am glad that this attitude and approach hasn't changed over the years because that's what I'm going for. I am currently unemployed, but have the desire to write full time and make money. That's my dream. Thank you for providing such a valuable resource. Rejection doesn't scare me. Not taking a bold step and trying scares me more! Thanks again. Sincerely, Rosemarie P. …

Another Happy BookLocker Author :)

Published on October 13, 2010

Hi, Angela, and everyone! I don't know if it's possible to keep this short, because this experience has been tremendous. Every step of this process has been a great and pleasurable learning experience, from the straight and candid information provided on the website, all the way through to the formatting, proofing, publishing, ordering, and delivery of the great final product that is like a baby to me. When/if I write another book, I will definitely be coming back to you. Since I've shared my publishing journey, no fewer than a dozen folks have spoken to me about their own thoughts and aspirations to become published writers, much of which is due to my constant comments about how much my publisher ROCKS, always going above and beyond, always encouraging and educating me as an author. For several years, I researched and considered many POD options, and none come close to what Booklocker offers and delivers. NONE. Thank goodness, I found you. Please keep up the good work. Up and coming writers like me need you to keep us inspired, educated, and motivated. I cannot thank you enough. Regina Swint The Other Side of 30 …

DON’T Hire a Designer BEFORE Choosing a Publisher!

Published on September 29, 2010

I agree that people should not pre-format their manuscript before sending it to a publisher. Most publishers' websites have different suggestions and want the manuscript left justified with the right margin unformatted and ragged so they can read it. My manuscripts have been formatted that way since I read TOR fantasy's requirements with like an inch all the way around each page. It cannot be accepted if it does not follow the publisher's unformatted requirements. It is so much easier just to leave it unformatted for the publisher to read it and evaluate it. George Arnold Hall https://www.georgearnoldhall.ca twitter: @georgeahall Business: George Arnold Hall's Pen and Pencil Writer / Developer …

Letters To The Editor For September 1st

Published on September 1, 2010

This week:

  • Writing or Editing for Non-Profits: When to Say NO!
  • Finding Garbled, Illegal Copies of Your Articles Online? You're Not Alone!
…

TOVE ALYCE WARMERDAM (a.k.a. Tove Alyce Sebasstian) PLEADS GUILTY TO FELONY IDENTITY THEFT

Published on August 4, 2010

Hi Angela, Tove Warmerdam (the previous publisher of Seattle Dog Magazine / Queen Dog) has pleaded guilty. They also uncovered a previous felony under one of her previous last names. Her sentencing will be September 8. G. READERS, IF YOU LIVE NEAR SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THIS SENTENCING to show your support for Tove Warmerdam's victims, and to send a message to the judge - that these types of criminals deserve jail time. Tove Warmerdam should not be allowed to walk free after what she did! Read more HERE. Tove Warmerdam's sentencing will be on: WEDNESDAY - SEPT. 8, 2010 8:30 a.m. King County Courthouse 516 Third Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 Courtroom of Judge Julie Spector - Room W842 …

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