350 fake reviews on one book!

MysteryRiter · Dec 2, 2011

This has me so engraged! I heard about it on FB and reading the reviews on this book, they are so obviously fake! Plus, the author made up some (I assume) bogus story about the wonderful cause where the profits are going; these two factors have boosted his sales a lot, too. It has infuriated me for the night and I wanted to share.
Read the discussion: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle ...orum=Fx3RFWX8IMGF85E&cdThread=Tx1L5PMCIWRX80I

And the 350 bogus reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005VRAZOS/?tag=absowrit-21

Would love to hear what you think.

Hiroko · Dec 2, 2011

That's just ridiculous. Some people don't realize how the publicity they may generate will only make them look stupid.

alleycat · Dec 2, 2011

Fraudulent reviews are irksome, but it's part of the "Internet age" we live in now. People have to learn to discern what's real and what's planted; or else just ignore customer reviews entirely.

profen4 · Dec 2, 2011

Yeah, I'm indifferent. I'm surprised he was able to do that. It's not easy to game amazon on your own. Certainly some of them look legit - but I didn't read them all.

People have been gaming the systems for years and years. Buying their own books, paying for reviews, sockpuppets ... etc.

Drachen Jager · Dec 2, 2011

I remember a story a few years back about a movie reviewer who turned out to be a fictional character created by the studio's marketing department. Turned out every major studio had a half-dozen such pseudonyms, some being published in big news publications, some of them existed and were just being paid to give good reviews, some were fabrications.

Now you know why Bio-Dome got a couple of good reviews.

escritora · Dec 2, 2011

Now you know why Bio-Dome got a couple of good reviews.

Susan Coffin · Dec 2, 2011

If the author did all those fake reviews, does that mean he read his own book 350 times?

I mean, how silly. Sounds like he had an awful lot of time on his hands.

Satsya · Dec 3, 2011

Well, something about this is wonky.

Almost every Google hit for the author and book is either Amazon, or mechanically referencing that the book is a top seller on Amazon. The only place where it's actually advertised is on the Facebook page for the guy the book is dedicated to.

MysteryRiter · Dec 3, 2011

swhibs123 said:
Certainly some of them look legit - but I didn't read them all.

It would seem that way, wouldn't it? Why wouldn't someone put up a real review if it's selling so well? There are about three real ones, all of which are 1-2 stars. Two of the 2 stars were fake because they praise the author on how great the book is but they claim to have rated it 2 stars because of too much violence. Yeah, like that's not faked...
I agree that some look legit, but they aren't. They can't be. Read the sample of the book. It's so poorly written and edited that I actually laughed. There's no way anyone would give that 5 stars or 4 stars or 3 stars.
I'm sorta making connections to the guy claiming to be making all that money on reddit and was hoping someone else would bring it up, too. This book appears nowhere - no author blog, author site, author social media - except for on Amazon. It probably has nothing to do with the guy on reddit, but I keep thinking that this might be one of his books - after all, he admitted to writing them so fast without editing. He also said that he didn't have any social media, blogs, author websites, etc. Neither does this guy. This book is obviously making a lot of money, too. Does anyone think there's a possibility that this is one of that guy's books? Or am I just being crazy?
Both are plausible.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 3, 2011

Why does it enrage you? It's doesn't harm you, and won't help the book. And why would anyone read through such reviews to see which ones look fake? Talk about time you'll never get back.

Chekurtab · Dec 3, 2011

Does not enrage me. If anything, it looks pathetic...
He won't go too far with the lies.

Alwaysinspired · Dec 3, 2011

Honestly, I don't think it's worth getting upset over. If it is badly written, his sales will slow down eventually. He's made himself look ridiculous by what he's done and has probably destroyed whatever career he might have had. Take comfort in that!!

2011's dreamer · Dec 3, 2011

I read through a few. The reviews are hilariously fake. He's gettin five star reviews where sock puppets are saying, "He needs an editor, but that's the only negative." or "Even though the grammar is bad, this was amazing." There was one real ridiculous reviewer that said he met someone on a train who also read the book and they ended up discussing it. I mean, seriously?

Oh, shit! There was one review that has a sock puppet writing down quotes from the book, and the quotes, taken straight from the book, have commas that don't need to be there and awkward ass dialogue. Yet, the reviewer said, "Classic - this book is the BEST!" Here's the lines...

"$750 a cigar and worth every, nickel"

"Ok, what does a gentleman's gentleman work for?" asked Eugene (The Mafia Boss when talking to Sir Adam's butler).

"A gentleman, Sir," replied the butler, in a fashion that indicated that Eugene didn't qualify.

LOL

One more thing. He has sock puppets commenting on sock puppets' reviews.

Here's one.

Brilliant review, not the best review though one review said, and I quote: "pages turn quicker than a Spanish Bull Fighter waving a red flag with the words "I eat your mum" printed on it"

Smh. Really? Really? lmao.

Finally, when a real reviewer came and gave it a one-star, sock puppets jumped to defend the author, bringing up the author's personal life and the depressing things that's happening to him and etc.

These Mean Streets · Dec 3, 2011

Like others have sais: this is the internet age where anyone can say (or write) anything hidden away behind their desktop.

Another result is that now, instead of honing their writing skills, many choose instead to hone their marketing skills.

Unfortunately, all the marketing gimmicks and lies in the world can't make a sucky book good.

CrastersBabies · Dec 3, 2011

Thanks to Kindle, I usually can get a sample. I never buy anything w/o a sample. If the sample is too short or there is no sample, I pass.

I don't buy ebooks often, but when I do I try to gauge beforehand. I do browse reviews and look for longer, more thoughtful reviews.

Pistol Whipped Bee · Dec 3, 2011

If you pull up his book on the US Amazon site he only has five reviews. I'm guessing they're reviews Amazon deems 'real'.

MysteryRiter · Dec 3, 2011

2011's dreamer said:
There was one real ridiculous reviewer that said he met someone on a train who also read the book and they ended up discussing it. I mean, seriously?

I laughed at that one, too. You'd think if the author created fake reviews, he'd actually try.

Maybe I used to strong of words in the beginning. I'm not 'enraged' as much as I am 'annoyed' or 'disgusted'. But it bothers me that this technique has actually worked for him because there are writers out there who work much harder to promote their much better works and get much less sales. Of course, this guy cares nothing about writing; just money.
It really is funny to read the reviews, though, they are so obviosuly fake.

jjdebenedictis · Dec 3, 2011

The author probably views any controversy stirred up by the fake reviews (such as this thread) a good thing.

But I agree that it won't help. A turd with a shiny bow on it is still a turd.

Parametric · Dec 3, 2011

I wonder if his real name is Robert Stanek. :tongue

Alessandra Kelley · Dec 3, 2011

Has this actually worked for the author? He's gaming the system somehow, that's obvious. But is there reliable evidence it's doing him much good?

And what if it were? Would you want to emulate his techniques?

James D. Macdonald · Dec 3, 2011

I'm told, though I have no way of knowing, that if you order a Kindle ebook, and immediately return it, that the book's sales numbers are still bumped up, but your credit card is never charged.

Libbie · Dec 4, 2011

Hahaha. What a bunch of crap. (the fake reviews, not Jim's comment.)

Becky Black · Dec 4, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
I'm told, though I have no way of knowing, that if you order a Kindle ebook, and immediately return it, that the book's sales numbers are still bumped up, but your credit card is never charged.

Interesting! That's definitely a way to game the system right there. Not that I think they should take away the "Bought this is error? Return it right now!" option away from customers - it's a bit easy to hit the Buy Now accidentally on the Kindle. But they should see that the cancelled sale is never on the books sales rank.

Either this author has a lot of time on his hands that he should be using to learn to write better and/or do some legitimate marketing, or he has a good network of friends willing to spend some time creating a couple of dozen sockpuppets apiece to do all these fake reviews.

What bothers me about it is that like that recent plagiarism case it's someone else wanting the success without the hard work. Someone else who wants to take a shortcut and doesn't see that taking the time to become a decent writer is one of the basic steps you need to take to get to be a best-selling writer. How do they get any real satisfaction about achieving that status through cheating rather than work? Unless it's all about the money of course. But even then, you've got to make the money fast and it's a one-off deal, because eventually people realise what's going on and then the money stops coming in.

Kado · Dec 4, 2011

Becky Black said:
Either this author has a lot of time on his hands that he should be using to learn to write better and/or do some legitimate marketing, or he has a good network of friends willing to spend some time creating a couple of dozen sockpuppets apiece to do all these fake reviews.
.

It's funny that you mention 'time on his hands' as his first chapter opens from 'the hand's' POV. There is quite an obsession with 'the hand'. He even writes the first line of dialogue to sound as if the person is addressing 'the hand'. He literally writes, 'Not waiting for a reply, the hand released the remaining cubes.' Made me chuckle.

Hard to believe all the glowing reviews when you spot a tense error in the first 100 words or so and some clunky sentence structure.

2011's dreamer · Dec 4, 2011

Kado said:
It's funny that you mention 'time on his hands' as his first chapter opens from 'the hand's' POV. There is quite an obsession with 'the hand'. He even writes the first line of dialogue to sound as if the person is addressing 'the hand'. He literally writes, 'Not waiting for a reply, the hand released the remaining cubes.' Made me chuckle.

Maybe this is one of his main characters...

350 fake reviews on one book!

Murder isn't so bad...

Which of them was the machine?

Still around

Professor of applied misanthropy

.

Tell it like it Is

slow and steady

Murder isn't so bad...

Smart donkey. Please don't call me-

We Could Be Heroes

Burninator!

Now what?

Murder isn't so bad...

is watching you via her avatar

Sophipygian

Your Genial Uncle

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

Writing my way off the B Ark