That's my opinion
Is the complimentary copy a kickback?
To promote a book in Amazon's era
by Giancarlo Nicoli
"That's my opinion, and I'm sharing it" - (Henri Monnier 1799-1877)
Intro
Other than on this site, I publish book reviews also on Amazon.
The past month I received an email from an unknown to me writer.
He had noticed my book reviews and wanted one for himself. He asked
whether he could send me a complimentary copy of the book.
The unlucky answered!
I accepted, explaining that I would not have asked favours or money
in exchange for the book review. I added that I did not assure that
it would have been favourable.
After a few days the book arrived via priority mail from the United
States.
Beloveds readers, I have read the book from top to bottom. It is
too long: author bases analysis on arguments that since a long time
other students have demonstrated to be lacking in foundation. The
style is boring, there's an asphyxiating use of the passive form,
and numerous repetitions. Nearly in every page there's a typographic
mistake. I could list numerous others weaknesses...
I have entered in crisis: if I publish a favourable book review,
I deceit the reader; if I publish the truth I go against the interest
of the author, that gave me the book for free (his donation of the
book has conditioned me to give back the favour, which consisted
in not to publish an unfavourable book review).
Suspicious book reviews (when marketing becomes prostitution)
Today, on Amazon, there are nine dedicated book reviews of this
book. Six bring back the maximum judgment, five stars, excellent
book. Two judge the book as good, with four stars. One has three
stars, average book.
Nine book reviews on Amazon, after a few weeks from the publication
of the book, for the work of an unbeknownst writer, are quite a
lot. Isn't it that the complimentary copy has been sent also to
other serial reviewers?
I have read all these nine book reviews: no author declares to have
received a complimentary copy.
I just don't believe that all the nine reviewers did buy the book,
that's quite expensive by the way.
I have a question: would the reader judge differently the reviews,
had the reviewers declared the book concerned was a complimentary
copy? I believe the answer is yes, and the fact that there's no
such declaration leads me to think there's a deception of the readers.
Operation "clean books"
As far as I'm concerned, we purchase or we borrow from public libraries
all the books we review on this internet site.
This fresh experience with a complimentary copy persuaded me to
establish that offers of complimentary copies will be declined;
and the copies that should come nonetheless will be given as gifts
to the public library of Lurago Marinone, that is Artifex hometown.
The policy regarding the books devoted to the ex libris is different. Those books are difficult to find, sometimes they are expensive, printed in limited quantity. Usually we didn't review them but just showed them, because they were mostly gifts. Starting from today, we'll clearly state their origin: whether we got them as a gift or we purchased them.
We are experiencing your steady kind attention, and we thank you for this. We'd like to keep being a reliable reference for you, and we hope our policy about complimentary copies will find your approval.
