We’re still talking about sockpuppets and bought reviews, so here are the latest links:
A group of mostly crime writers has published a sort of open letter condemning paid reviews and sockpuppeting called “No sockpuppets here, please”.
Barry Eisler responds at length to the various review scandals as well as to “No sockpuppets here, please”.
Joe Konrath posts a satirical writer’s code of ethics and likens the whole uproar to a witch hunt. And besides, we should all unite against traditional publishing and its shills, since they are the real enemy.
Hmm, I guess I must have missed the calls to burn John Locke or R.P. Ellory or Stephen Leather or Orlando Figes at the stake then. And I think we all got it by now that Joe Konrath really, really does not like traditional publishing.
Seeley James points out that the real blame here lies with Amazon not policing its reviews and reviewers better. Seeley James actually carried out an experiment and posted fake reviews with sockpuppet accounts for nonsense e-books in an obscure category to see whether Amazon would catch them. They didn’t.
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I really find this whole episode distasteful in the extreme. Unfortunately, this is just the type of notoriety that will actually increase RJ Ellory’s sales, at least in the short run.
I’m pretty disgusted with all of them, Locke, Leather, Ellory, Figes and anybody else indulging in sockpuppeting and fake reviews. I’m surprised that there are still some defenders of John Locke (though not of RJ Ellory) on the Kindleboards.
But yes, people will likely buy Ellory’s book to see what all the fuss is about.