Review site watchdogs?

Karen Junker

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Does anyone know of an organization or anyone an author can contact if a published review is factually incorrect (or say, a personal attack on the author, not her work)?

Is there someone who will ask the review site or publication to remove a review if it is clear the reviewer did not read the book (or the entire book)? Or maybe ask them to print a correction?
 

JournoWriter

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Thanks to the First Amendment, nope.
 

cornflake

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Does anyone know of an organization or anyone an author can contact if a published review is factually incorrect (or say, a personal attack on the author, not her work)?

Is there someone who will ask the review site or publication to remove a review if it is clear the reviewer did not read the book (or the entire book)? Or maybe ask them to print a correction?

You're free to ask someone to print a correction, but you certainly can't force them.

As to the rest... no, thank goodness?
 

Osulagh

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Ah, no. You can ask them directly, being polite and open-minded, or you can bring it up publicly and refute something that has been said (best not to argue). Otherwise it depends on your country if it's in print, and if it's online there's no governing body other than the internet available so freedom of speech is globally accepted.

If I may ask, is there a particular reason why you're asking this? It sounds like you've got a complicated problem on your hands, and/or reacting badly to a review.
 

Fruitbat

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I don't know about a watchdog site. Even if you found one, a (publicly posted or not) squabble on it might just bring more attention to the bad review.

I think the best bet is to just try to get more reviews. That dilutes the unfair review and tends to make it stand out to other potential readers (or this one, at least) as just another one of those reviews from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.

And/or ask the reviewer and/or the site it's on, to remove the review and explain your reasons.

Last, if you know the reviewer's real identity, I believe you can pay an attorney a hundred bucks and have them send someone a "cease and desist" letter for just about anything. I know if I received one, I'd probably delete the review because getting such a letter contains the hint of a lawsuit and who needs it. However, I think it would be over the top in most circumstances. And then some people like to fight and might just add that info. to their review. So I'm just saying you could do it, but I wouldn't unless the review contained seriously personal and damaging information.
 
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Karen Junker

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If I may ask, is there a particular reason why you're asking this? It sounds like you've got a complicated problem on your hands, and/or reacting badly to a review.

No, it's for no specific thing -- but lately, I've seen others posting on social media and almost ranting about how certain authors get 'attacked' -- and get bad reviews that call names, etc. Also, I have heard of several reviews where it is clear the reviewer didn't read the book (or all of it, anyhow) and they will say something based on a factual error or a lack of having read/comprehended the book itself.

I know it's not a good idea for an author to respond in any way to such a thing. But what if we had a go-between, who could encourage review sites to clean up some of the worst -- I mean things like calling the author idiotic or things of that nature.
 

Bubastes

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I'd leave it alone and move on. There's no positive outcome in confronting a reviewer, directly or otherwise.
 

Fuchsia Groan

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I work for a publication that runs reviews. We received two requests from authors that we did follow up on:

1. The author accused the reviewer of misinterpreting something in a way she found very insulting. The reviewer did not intend to insult her; I believe it was an honest mistake (poetry isn't literal, so misreadings happen). We ran a correction nonetheless because it seemed like an important point to get right.

2. The author said the reviewer had spoiled an important late development in her book. We apologized and redacted the offending sentence online. Now, I think there's a margin of error when it comes to what is and isn't a "spoiler," and again, the reviewer wasn't trying to be malicious. But I sympathized with the author's concern that her fans might read this spoiler and be upset.

We made these corrections/ redactions because we provide edited content that we hope people will see as having some authority. But review sites are a whole different thing. They aren't edited or curated, and anyone who reads them should know to take them with a grain of salt or ten. I've seen attacks and errors there, and I simply put no stock in any review that reads like a rant. I hope any thoughtful reader would do the same. I actually like that these sites present unfiltered public opinion and leave it to me to decide whom I believe. I wouldn't especially want to change that; I think there's a place for both curated/edited and unedited reviews in this world.

When the comment rises to the level of personal libel or threats against the author, I dunno. That might be a case where mods and/or lawyers would get involved. But just getting things wrong? It sucks, but it happens. I've read movie reviews where famous professional critics didn't seem to grasp the basic plot of the film. Criticism is opinion, dependent on one person's interpretation, which can be limited. In the Internet age, with hundreds of wildly differing reviews at our fingertips, that should be all the more clear.

That said, I don't think I'd read my own Goodreads/Amazon reviews. I might have someone else screen them for useful info/feedback, but that's it. There are things authors don't need to see, and reviews (at least good ones) are written for readers. If a reader hated my style and characters and just wants to sound off, perhaps garbling the plot in the process, I think that's their right. Hopefully other reviews will counterbalance them.

ETA: This opinion could be influenced by my experience teaching literary classics to college students. Many of them hated and/or misunderstood books that I loved. It annoys me when people won't give a book even a fighting chance, but again, it happens. We all start from different places as readers. I don't think Toni Morrison feels gravely insulted when college freshmen dismiss her books as "depressing" or "immoral" or completely fail to grasp what she's saying.

When one reviewer alone wields enough clout to kill a novel's sales based on a misunderstanding or malice, I can fully understand the author's anger. But how often does that happen, especially on a review site?
 
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cornflake

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No, it's for no specific thing -- but lately, I've seen others posting on social media and almost ranting about how certain authors get 'attacked' -- and get bad reviews that call names, etc. Also, I have heard of several reviews where it is clear the reviewer didn't read the book (or all of it, anyhow) and they will say something based on a factual error or a lack of having read/comprehended the book itself.

I know it's not a good idea for an author to respond in any way to such a thing. But what if we had a go-between, who could encourage review sites to clean up some of the worst -- I mean things like calling the author idiotic or things of that nature.

I can't see any way that'd go but bad, honestly. I get the intent, but it's so antithetical to the basic principles of writing, the Internet, etc...
 

Karen Junker

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Thanks, Fushcia -- I really appreciate your opinion.

Just speaking to your last question -- there was a bit of a furor recently over a plagiarized book, where the plagiarist (after being contacted by the original author and asked to take the book off the net) made up some sock puppet accounts and started posting horrible reviews of the original author's work, as well as horrible accusations, etc. on some other places, like reader sites, etc. I think this author has a lawyer, so they will be trying to fix all that, but...

I've seen some pretty bad and unkind reviews. And like you, I mostly ignore them. But a friend of mine was particularly upset about how people treat another author he knows and was wishing that we could at least have some panels at cons about being more sensitive in reviews, not making personal statements about the author, etc.

My only published work was 10 years ago and I remember being hurt that I only got 3 stars on a review. But it wasn't a bad review, and looking back, I think it was actually pretty nice -- but that's not the kind of thing I was thinking of. I was thinking of things such as you mentioned your publication doing to make reparation for an insult (even unintended) or not print what might be a spoiler. I just wondered if there was anyone who acts on an author's behalf. Mostly so authors don't do it themselves and go off the deep end and get a reputation! :)
 

nkkingston

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The most important thing to remember is that reviews aren't for authors. They're for readers. And you have to judge them on that basis. There's obviously scope for corrections when there's a factual error, and sockpuppet reviews should be pursued by the site they're posted on (since Amazon, Goodreads etc have policies against sockpuppeting), since they can mislead readers.

DNF reviews are a positive thing for a reader. They're still give important information about the book - whether it contained topics the reviewer couldn't handle, characters they couldn't connect with, a plot that took too long, the style of writing etc. That's information readers can use to decide whether or not to buy a book.

Equally, much as it's unpleasant, so can a review that focuses on the author. Not all of them (though unjust snarking at an author can drive some sympathy sales!), but if a review raises the subject of an author's behaviour or opinions that is something that can influence whether a reader buys that book. For example, for all my love of Sci Fi I'm not interested in buying Orson Scott Card's books because I don't want to give money to someone so openly homophobic. The same goes for authors that bully reviewers, or behave badly on social media. Their books might be brilliant, but there are millions of brilliant books out there and I'd rather support other authors.
 

shaldna

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Does anyone know of an organization or anyone an author can contact if a published review is factually incorrect (or say, a personal attack on the author, not her work)?

Is there someone who will ask the review site or publication to remove a review if it is clear the reviewer did not read the book (or the entire book)? Or maybe ask them to print a correction?

In my experience when something is incorrect or a personal attack it's best to contact the publication/site - I had a bit of a problem with someone on Amazon a couple of years ago who had a real life issue with me that they took to attacking me on a professional platform by insulting me personally. Amazon dealt with it in the end.

Other than that, no. I don't really think that censoring reviews is a good thing. I think that opinions on the work are always valid, no matter whether the author agrees with them or not.
 

Karen Junker

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Good point, nkkingston ! In fact, the same friend who wanted to defend that other author got mad at me when I pointed out that my personal policy was to NOT buy books by an author who I knew was donating money to a church that openly lobbied against gay marriage -- and he felt that I was attacking the author simply by making that statement. So it's so subjective.

But to be fair, there's a difference between simply stating that and calling the author names -- which I have seen happen. Oh, sure, I realize that part of the problem is the rhetoric one hears that makes someone believe that just by disagreeing with them, you are attacking them. That is a real thing people believe -- and I try to show them the difference between criticizing their work and an actual personal attack, but some people just don't get that. Ditto with saying you don't like something and people think you are somehow trying to take away their first amendment rights.
 

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If a person reviews in bad faith having a go between will have no effect.

If a reviewer makes a good faith error having a go between is unnecessarily escalating what could be a simple and direct request.

If the reviewer made no mistake and the author is being unreasonable, having a go between will probably cause an internet shitstorm.

Basically it takes the largely legitimate issues reviewers have with authors interfering with their customer-to-customer communications, and adds more people, more room for misunderstanding and more drama.

Like most reviewers I have been contacted by authors about alleged inadequacies several times. Once was a mistake I corrected with apologies, quite a few times was unpleasantness including insults, threats to sue, or sincere hopes that I would die of cancer. Most long term reviewers approach post-review author communications with trepidation based on a balance of probabilities more than anything else.
 

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The thing is, most people can tell the difference between a judicious (if opinionated) review by someone who's actually read the book, and a rant by someone with an axe to grind.

I read Amazon and Goodreads reviews a lot, and while Amazon's voting function is somewhat less useful (well-written reviews will be upvoted, but for "controversial" books and authors, people also tend to upvote or downvote reviews based solely on their political leanings), on Goodreads, the more worthwhile reviews still tend to mostly percolate to the top.
 

veinglory

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Also Amazon and Goodreads have fairly functional reporting and review systems to remove noncomplying reviews. It sometimes take more than one attempt but in my experience they are at least 90% effective. At which point any conflict is between the reviewer and Amazon/Goodreads.
 

Karen Junker

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Thanks, Amadan and veinglory -- I have not read many Goodreads reviews and the ones I've read on Amazon (I do have memory issues due to brain damage) have been a mix of what seemed like fairly decent reviews (meaning they state the reviewers opinion and why) and a few reviews that seemed too over-the-top good (so I assumed they were written by family and friends) or too bad (reviews that mark a book down because it's only available in print, or not a genre the reviewer likes, etc.).

Most of my review experience (giving and reading) is on Yelp (so not about writing but about other things). And I am dumbfounded by what gets placed in the 'Not Recommended' files -- there is an algorithm that will filter out some reviews for various reasons. But the ones that remain sometimes seem unfairly generous or unfairly negative -- they do have a way to flag reviews that violate certain rules, but I wasn't sure about book review sites (except Amazon and Goodreads) having any guidelines or rules. I'm thinking of review sites that have a stable of reviewers (is that what you do, veinglory?). I mean, I know that SmartBitchesTrashyBooks reviews can be pretty biting at times -- even if they are amusing -- but I've sometimes bought and read books that they've given a low score, just to see for myself!
 

veinglory

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Yelp is weird, I have learned that any place with more than 3 stars on Yelp is probably great--and every place has at least a few crazy negative reviews.
 

Marian Perera

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Enough reviews, and they won't just balance out the crazy one, they may call it out.

I have one review on my first novel calling me a dirty pervert and claiming that I'm sexist. A later review said this was really amusing, since the book was so far from sexist that it had three women who fought in different ways for what they wanted or believed in, and they all ended up fine. The later review comes off as much more balanced. If readers prefer Nasty Review to Balanced Review, they probably wouldn't have enjoyed my book anyway.

I was annoyed at the time because I sent a free paperback copy of my book at my expense to the reviewer who went off the deep end at it. It was a large enough review site that I didn't realize this particular person would get the book. But in the end, the novel got the sales I hoped for,and I know where not to go for reviews in the future.
 
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