Did a writer get bullied on Goodreads? (Salon Article)

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

There has been a lot of debate about it but in general I think it was concluded that any review copies were considered compensation, and that reviews posted on Amazon and Goodreads counted as well as those on blogs. There's lots to be found on google about it if you are interested.

I wouldn't worry too much as I've not heard of anyone being prosecuted and a lot of reviews still fail to disclose but it is something to be aware of.

Yeah I've read up on it since mentioned but I don't think ARC ebooks can count. You don't own a ARC ebook it's like a Library copy once you read it you must return it. Now I could see if it was a paperback version you could keep it then it would be compensation. I don't get to keep ARCs they expire after I post my review.

It's just like going to one of Amazon's event playing with the new Kindle and giving a video review. There is no compensation going on unless you get one to keep one.

[Tome Keeper]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Yeah I've read up on it since mentioned but I don't think ARC ebooks can count. You don't own a ARC ebook it's like a Library copy once you read it you must return it. Now I could see if it was a paperback version you could keep it then it would be compensation. I don't get to keep ARCs they expire after I post my review.

It's just like going to one of Amazon's event playing with the new Kindle and giving a video review. There is no compensation going on unless you get one to keep one.

I agree to disagree. If a company is asking you to review a product (which sending an ARC be it electronic or paperback is) then it is not the same as picking up a book off your own back and reviewing it. In the first case a disclosure should be made but in the second case there is no need. Companies don't send ARCs to be nice, they send them with the hope/expectation that you will review them which will encourage others to read the book. I personally just put an [ARC provided by x] at the end of my reviews to avoid any issues (as unlikely as they may be).

I guess this is why it is discussed so much in book reviewing circles, as there are different interpretations.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

I agree to disagree. If a company is asking you to review a product (which sending an ARC be it electronic or paperback is) then it is not the same as picking up a book off your own back and reviewing it. In the first case a disclosure should be made but in the second case there is no need. Companies don't send ARCs to be nice, they send them with the hope/expectation that you will review them which will encourage others to read the book. I personally just put an [ARC provided by x] at the end of my reviews to avoid any issues (as unlikely as they may be).

I guess this is why it is discussed so much in book reviewing circles, as there are different interpretations.

See that is a entirely definitely matter. It's now becomes a moral question in that case of rather it is the right thing to do for readers to know where you read the story from.

It's not that I don't think people should tell where they got their copy from. I think it's a good idea to tell but I just don't think it falls under the FTC rules as a compensation because you are not being compensating. Now if they paid me something to read the book and write a review then it would fall under the law you mention or if I actually got a finished copy of the book when done reading it then yes it would fall under that law.

ARCs I get are not even ebooks really they are mess of a word doc put into pdf or epub format that I the reviewer have to decipher and imagine what the finish copy will look like and have all those errors and formatting corrected.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

On Goodreads I believe you have to put the book you've selected on either the Read, Currently Reading or Want to Read shelves, and then have the option of adding it to other shelves as well. You can rate books on any shelf so would solve the issue, maybe not to everyone's taste but it is one solution that allows people to rate books for interest but also allows other people to only see 'real' ratings.

No, that's not true. Those are only the original exclusives shelves, but you can create as many exclusive ones, with the meaning you like, as you desire.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

No, that's not true. Those are only the original exclusives shelves, but you can create as many exclusive ones, with the meaning you like, as you desire.

I have one for short stories so they don't count toward my readers challenge goal. I have another for DNFs.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Hmm..not sure what I think of that.
I'm not a blogger just a reader and I haven't been compensated for anything when I do a ARC review. I get a drm ebook that isn't mine to keep. The formatting is a mess and yes I do wish they would pay me to read it as sometimes it's just not worth my time.

I don't believe that is necessary for putting a review on GR. You don't run a site that is making any money or drawing viewers. That ruling was decided that folks doing reviews (for free books essentially) were doing it as a form of advertising, thus it had to be "noted." However, since you do it on GR, it is not as though you are advertising it.

Just my opinion. Since I do reviews on my blog and though it has nothing to do with my own books or anything I sell, I have the disclosure statement on my blog. I'm also an Amazon associate, so I do stand to gain a few pennies if someone actually buys the books through my site. So technically I am "advertising" the book even if it is a bad review....

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I have one for short stories so they don't count toward my readers challenge goal. I have another for DNFs.

Yeah, my DNF shelf has seen a lot of activity this year.

[mitford13]

Deleted - duplicate.

[Tome Keeper]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

No, that's not true. Those are only the original exclusives shelves, but you can create as many exclusive ones, with the meaning you like, as you desire.

I know that but I have just tried to add a book to another shelf that I created, and this causes it to automatically be shelved under read as well, I could not get it to appear on a exclusive shelf but not on an original shelf at the same time. As far as I know there is no way around this.

[Ken Maltby]

I think this explains a lot "Howard, who describes herself as a woman who was “bullied throughout her entire high school career,” ". There are some who believe they gain some kind of status when they claim to be a victim. Some people will see bullying, or at least claim that they are being bullied, on any encounter that they feel is negative. It may be impossible to disagree with her and not be called a bully.

Luck;
Ken

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

I know that but I have just tried to add a book to another shelf that I created, and this causes it to automatically be shelved under read as well, I could not get it to appear on a exclusive shelf but not on an original shelf at the same time. As far as I know there is no way around this.

Of course there is. I have a lot of different exclusive shelves, and books appear only there. Wishlist or nextpurchases. Books are only there, not in read or to read.

[Tome Keeper]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Of course there is. I have a lot of different exclusive shelves, and books appear only there. Wishlist or nextpurchases. Books are only there, not in read or to read.

Ah, I was getting confused with exclusive. However, from what I can see most users don't create lots of their own exclusive shelves. So it would still be a possible solution to the ratings problem, not a perfect one but a solution that would still allow for people to use the ratings system as they saw fit, which was my original point.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Tome Keeper

Ah, I was getting confused with exclusive. However, from what I can see most users don't create lots of their own exclusive shelves. So it would still be a possible solution to the ratings problem, not a perfect one but a solution that would still allow for people to use the ratings system as they saw fit, which was my original point.

If we go there, most of the users don't rate what don't have read . Anyway, we agree to disagree

[Fbone]

The fans who rate an unpublished book 5 stars now would still rate them 5 stars after release. They are just doing it early. And they can change their rating/review later if they wish.

I've noticed ratings in general drop as more people read the book.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Fbone

The fans who rate an unpublished book 5 stars now would still rate them 5 stars after release. They are just doing it early. And they can change their rating/review later if they wish.

I've noticed ratings in general drop as more people read the book.

Average I only look at ratings if there's quite a number of them.