Thinking about buying your way onto the NYT list?

Marissa D · Aug 24, 2017

I watched this go down in real time on Twitter today. It was bizarre, to say the least. Nor did it work: the NYT removed it within a couple of hours.

http://www.pajiba.com/book_reviews/...y-onto-the-new-york-times-bestseller-list.php

mccardey · Aug 24, 2017

Wow. Just - wow.

Shoeless · Aug 24, 2017

That was a crazy story to follow. Kind of frightening that it got off the ground, but also reassuring that it was intercepted and shut down.

MaeZe · Aug 24, 2017

Crowd sourcing detective work. :Thumbs:

It's especially interesting in that it didn't really cost anything, or at least not much. The rating was based on unfilled orders that could be cancelled before the books shipped and there were no books to ship.

frimble3 · Aug 24, 2017

MaeZe said:
Crowd sourcing detective work.

It's especially interesting in that it didn't really cost anything, or at least not much. The rating was based on unfilled orders that could be cancelled before the books shipped and there were no books to ship.

It didn't cost much, unless you don't count dignity and reputation as much. If she were to have a second book, and it was good, who would believe it? For that matter who's going to have much faith in 'the publishing arm of Geek Nation'? They may not be scamming authors, but readers got feelings, too. Being played is not a happy feeling.

Ari Meermans · Aug 24, 2017

Feelings, yes. More importantly, we have wallets and I know for a fact mine snaps shut faster than it opens.

MaeZe · Aug 24, 2017

frimble3 said:
It didn't cost much, unless you don't count dignity and reputation as much. If she were to have a second book, and it was good, who would believe it? For that matter who's going to have much faith in 'the publishing arm of Geek Nation'? They may not be scamming authors, but readers got feelings, too. Being played is not a happy feeling.

All that's a given, I was just talking about the "buying" part. This has clearly backfired for these cheaters.

Sage · Aug 24, 2017

Ha, I just fell down a twitter hole trying to follow this story. I should have known that there'd by a thread here already with a link to the most comprehensive run-down of what happened.

Kjbartolotta · Aug 24, 2017

I doubt anyone's gonna pay for it now, but I'd kinda love to hear a review of her book. Also, they should make a movie out of this story and she can play herself. Everybody wins!

be frank · Aug 24, 2017

Wowzers.

Introversion · Aug 24, 2017

Ari Meermans said:
Feelings, yes. More importantly, we have wallets and I know for a fact mine snaps shut faster than it opens.

Yours opens?? :evil

Sage · Aug 24, 2017

Kjbartolotta said:
I doubt anyone's gonna pay for it now, but I'd kinda love to hear a review of her book.

Someone on twitter (can't find it now and unwilling to fall back in the rabbit hole) posted screenshots of the first few pages--I assume what's on Amazon's preview. I don't know how legal that is, but the writing certainly speaks for itself.

Filigree · Aug 25, 2017

I read those. They were horrible. Felt like reading really bad teenage Reader-Insert fanfiction, with all the requisite overused dialog tags, independent body parts, and trite phrasing.

Ancoelle · Aug 26, 2017

So crazy... but totally believable.

Shoeless · Aug 27, 2017

Ancoelle said:
So crazy... but totally believable.

Reading how easy it was to actually just call up bookstores and ask "So, do you report to the NYT for sales?" I'm actually astounded someone didn't try to game the system much earlier.

BenPanced · Aug 27, 2017

Cheeses. At least when L. Ron Hubbard's acolytes pulled the same stunt to get the Battlefield Earth series on the charts, the books were already on shelves.

Old Hack · Aug 27, 2017

Shoeless said:
Reading how easy it was to actually just call up bookstores and ask "So, do you report to the NYT for sales?" I'm actually astounded someone didn't try to game the system much earlier.

I strongly suspect it's been done already, but in a more subtle (and therefore more time-expensive) way.

Katrina S. Forest · Aug 28, 2017

I did the same! (Falling down the rabbit hole of Twitter, I mean.) The scary thing is the cover looks professional enough that without knowing the story behind it and seeing only the NYT bestseller list, I may have very well bought it out of curiosity.

Of course, now I'm going to go buy and read the real #1.

Cobalt Jade · Aug 28, 2017

Nice way for the author to kill her career (at least under that writing name.)

If the book's been pulled, seems like it's no loss to the world.

Frankie007 · Aug 28, 2017

some people are apparently stupid desperate, right?
i have a feeling Lifetime will make this into a movie....

Toothpaste · Aug 28, 2017

Katrina S. Forest said:
I did the same! (Falling down the rabbit hole of Twitter, I mean.) The scary thing is the cover looks professional enough that without knowing the story behind it and seeing only the NYT bestseller list, I may have very well bought it out of curiosity.

It should be noted that the cover also has pretty shady ethical implications. Essentially the design was stolen from another artist.

Thinking about buying your way onto the NYT list?

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

mccardey

Shoeless

MaeZe

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

MaeZe

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Kjbartolotta

Potentially has/is dog

be frank

not a bloke, not named frank

Introversion

Pie aren't squared, pie are round!

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Ancoelle

Shoeless

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Katrina S. Forest

Cobalt Jade

Frankie007

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!