Self-Publishing is Completely Corrupt

[Paul Whybrow]

I didn't say this - it's the title of this article from the GoodEReader website :

http://goodereader.com/blog/commentary/self-publishing-is-completely-corrupt

After reading it, and clicking on the links, I feel weary at the casual dishonesty of people who offer paid-for book review services.

In particular, this link to an old story from the New York Times, titled 'The Best Book Review Money Can Buy' made me mad:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/b...and-for-online-raves.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I've long thought that there's as much money to be made from offering support services to writers, as there is from actually selling books, and some of the people doing it are conmen, flim-flam men and shysters. It's no wonder that some people look down on ebooks so much.

What really appalls me about this though, is that Amazon and other ebook sales sites allow it to happen. They're destroying their own credibility.

 

[Carol Rose]

I wouldn't worry too much about people who pay for reviews. From talking with readers for years now, they're far more likely to base their decision to buy on word of mouth from people they know, not from strangers on Amazon or Goodreads. In the end, racking up paid reviews isn't going to do as much for the author's sales as the services who offer this lead the author to believe it will.