I couldn't resist it. After spending a few hours wallowing in the slime-pit otherwise known as the
Videos and Animation section of Fiverr.com, roughly one-third of whose denizens are so desperate for $5 they're happy to provide fake testimonials and reviews for anything and anybody, I feel compelled to share the fruits of my labours regarding Raider Publishing International's happy customers and the company's ability to promote their authors.
However, I'll begin by introducing you to a couple of Raider authors who
couldn't be found on Fiverr. The first is poet Charlotte Branch, a young lady who expresses her ecstacy with Raider by rolling her eyes heavenward at every mention of the company's name, not unlike St Teresa of Avila in the famous statue by Bernini:
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Testimonials.html
I was unable to find any books by Charlotte Branch. Mick Rooney has already pointed out that 'Charlotte' looks remarkably like a friend of Adam Salviani's whose photo appeared on his Facebook in 2006:
Now meet 'Gina', who provided one of the shortest and most generic testimonials I've ever seen. She doesn't mention the title of her book (none of these people do), but she's looking forward to hearing from Raider again:
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Testimonials.html
Anyway, on to the
really fun stuff.
'Paul' has been with Raider for two years and couldn't be happier with them. They took his book from obscurity on a "free publishing website" and now it's on the shelves of a bookstore in his home town!
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Testimonials.html
But wait a minute...isn't
this Paul?
http://www.fiverr.com/winningwithpa..._type=rating&funnel=2014080115003820113783040
By Jove, I think it is. 'winningwithpaul', no less!
Our next up-and-coming young author is my personal favourite. Adrian Brody lookalike 'John' would hate us to think there's anything shady about Raider. There can't be, because thanks to them his book is on the shelves at Barnes and Noble and he's just completed a book-signing tour!
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Testimonials.html
Feel the sincerity washing over you as 'John' gets into his stride. "There's a lot of scams out there. Let's not beat about the bush, there's a lot of scams. But Raider's not one of them."
Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much. Here he is on Fiverr as 'jordan831':
http://www.fiverr.com/jordan831/rec...t_type=rating&funnel=201408010920352573631100
Next, allow me to introduce two Raider authors for the price of one. 'Bruce and Carol' are the co-authors of a predictably nameless book published last year and they're planning to work with the company again:
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Testimonials.html
You know what's coming next, don't you? Meet 'oranjegirl' and the obliging Mr Oranje:
http://www.fiverr.com/oranjegirl/do-a-couples-testimonial-video?funnel=2014080108575615818454520
Our next video star isn't on Fiverr either (or at least I couldn't find her). Do you remember Raider's senior executive 'Jennifer Holloway' coming to the company's defence when those nasty Raider detractors were saying nasty things, nastily?
I don't know how much senior executives at Raider earn but the poor woman has been forced to take a second job at Spark Sphere:
http://www.sparksphere.com/
Look at her!
She can't even afford a new blouse!
*shakes head sadly*
Oh, Adam. Adam, Adam, Adam.
Now that we've all enjoyed the pretty pictures I'll say a few words about Raider's radio ads and YouTube videos (all from here:
http://www.raiderpublishing.com/Why_Raider_.html).
Astonishingly, at least after the Green Shore Publishing fiasco, a Google search revealed that these books
actually exist! Sadly, if their Amazon rankings are any indication of overall sales Raider's publicity machine doesn't seem to have helped them much:
Radio ads:
If Tomorrow Never Comes by Amal Bissessar, 2010
7,378,353
West Indian Chronicles: Mamie by Tricia Trotman-Maraj, 2010
4,077,199
Another Day in Paradise by Mark Reece, 2009
2,249,565
Videos:
His Perfect Woman by Pamela Wootton, 2010
11,561,791
Right Place, Right Time by Tom Eccles, 2010
No ranking
Evil Deeds of the Subconscious Mind by Annette Lawrence, 2013
No ranking, and the publisher is CreateSpace. In the video 'tragedy' is spelled 'tradegy', which is interesting as another Raider author used the word in the title of his book
The Tragedy of Kashmir...and it was spelled 'tradegy' at the top of every alternate page.
It gets worse. Whoever made the video gave the title as
Evil Deed of the Subconscious Mind - just
one evil deed - and, being a bit pressed for space, rendered the words "tribulations and everything else that life has to throw at them" as "tribulation...etc." I wonder how much Ms Lawrence paid Raider and what she thought of this awful video? I've made better films with Windows Movie Maker.
Adam Salviani, I can honestly say that what you lack as a publisher you more than make up for as a source of unintentional hilarity.