Thanks for raising this issue, Alex. Having our work read is the second (after the actual writing) most important reason for putting a piece 'out there' - after that we don't have much control. Being able to thwart those who'd prey on us, though, is almost as good as finding those who actually like our efforts.

I wonder if you've heard of Harriet Klausner. She was the number one reviewer on Amazon for years. She posted as many as twenty reviews a day. There were times when we reviewed the same book. Either she skimmed the book or she made it up, because it didn't sound like the book I read. My biggest gripe is that this kind of thing works, not necessarily for sales, but for the reviewer. If they can get their review spotlighted on the front page, people will vote for them, and they do vote for five-star reviews, especially if it's a favorite writer. Apparently Amazon now has a first-come-first served policy. Any fool can order the book, revise the synopsis and be one of the first to post. Some of them have thousands of votes. Amazon doesn't even require that the reviewer read the book. I always try to tell a little bit of the story to show that I did, and I've been accused of writing a spoiler review. If you read professional reviews in the newspapers, they often tell enough of the story so the reader knows what it's about. I try to look at the review that Amazon provides on top of the page. If the book is a dog, they'll tell you so.

Dave

I was recently approached by a very persuasive woman with a very characteristic English accent who told me that she wanted to "brand" me as an author. One of the several things she mentioned that her "team of experts" would do for me was to give my book(s) high-quality "professional" reviews… All for a very steep price. After she got quite pushy, I declined her services quite un-politely. She did say that I needed at least 15 reviews for each book in order to place highly as an author at Amazon. Hence the need for reviews… Good, bad or ugly.

I've learned that very few authors have a hit with their first book. The middle road to success generally amounts to many books, articles, and stories and 10 years or more of exposure for author recognition. Regardless of what friends and family say about your writing, the only measure of true success can only come from recognition by complete strangers who like what is written. However, determining what is good taste is in the eye of the reader, and that varies a lot.

We have to put our works out there for people to find them. Having so many poorly written books published by POD and e-book charlatans who do not edit books anymore affects everyone who publishes. The cream will rise to the top, but it may be like finding a needle in a haystack amid all the trash that is being generated.

Ron