RANDOM JOTTINGS

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Long time blogger just moved to wordpress. Love music, theatre, movies, sport (tennis and cricket) and cooking. Two great daughters, two great granddaughters.

RJ Ellory: fake book reviews

The author of A Quiet Belief in Angels and a Simple Act of Violence, whose real name is Roger Jon Ellory, apologised for his "lapse of judgment".

via www.telegraph.co.uk

This sort of thing makes me really really mad.  When there are so many authors out there struggling to get reviewed on Amazon, the fact that a high profile writer feels the need to behave in this way, is totally unacceptable.  The article mentions Orlando Figes, the historian, who also posted fraudulent reviews praising himself and dissing other writers.   These guys are not on the breadline, they are not struggling with a day job while trying to get published, they are established and, presumably, earning good money so why do they do it?  One can only assume they are needy and insecure.  Of course they are also cheats and con artists.

I note that Mr Ellory has apologised for his 'lack of judgement'.  Well that is a polite way of describing LIES.

I review on Amazon and every word I write is true and real and I am ashamed to be in the company of this man who should know better.  Sadly, this publicity will probably sell even more of his books.

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17 responses to “RJ Ellory: fake book reviews”

  1. Lindsay Healy Avatar
    Lindsay Healy

    I was really disappointed by this too, and I feel the same with regard to your last sentence, I spend time writing honest reviews for amazon and this is disappointing for all.

    Reply
  2. Victoria Corby Avatar
    Victoria Corby

    Friends of mine asked if I’d like them to review my books on Amazon – of course I said yes – though they put what they wanted. One friend gave the book four stars as she said I was no Hemmingway… Of course writers reviews their own books – it explains why some dreadful books have about 15 five star reviews and you only have to read them to recognise the same writing style coming up again and again. I don’t understand why someone as successful as R Ellory felt driven to do it though.
    Published authors do have a problem with a book they really don’t like (as opposed to being jealous of), these days you can’t afford to risk getting someone’s back up and having a flood of tit-for-tatism directed against you, especially if you’re still establishing yourself and are particularly vulnerable to bad reviews. It’s easy enough to say simply ignore the books, but I’ve read a few written by popular chick lit authors, that as the mother of daughters I felt had a truly damaging message for young girls. Looks are everything, just lose some weight and it’ll all come right, you can’t work hard at school and have a boyfriend… I never published an anonymous (or named) review but I dreamed about it.

    Reply
  3. Desperate Reader Avatar
    Desperate Reader

    This issue does make you wonder about some people doesn’t it. I’ve occasionally been asked to write an amazon review after I’ve said how much I liked a book on my blog – and I’m happy to do it because I genuinely liked the books in question, I think it’s fair enough for an author to ask as well, especially after someone has already publicly blogged or otherwise expressed their approval. Writing your own rave review under an assumed name however is clearly not acceptable, and worse yet to pan a rivals book under an assumed name.

    Reply
  4. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I believe that Ellory and his ilk are in the minority Linda.

    Reply
  5. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I am sure Amazon could deal with this if it tried. There must be a computer guru there who can trace back reviewers and see where they are coming from.

    Reply
  6. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    When I read about this I was staggered that somebody like Fisges, who one assumes has more than one brain cell, should behave in this totally stupid way. Did he think he would never be found out?

    Reply
  7. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I have added my name to this list. Amazon needs to be pushed into doing something about it.

    Reply
  8. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    Yes Anne – I saw this earlier in the year and thought it delightful. It certainly gives the lie to the feeling that the Queen is a distant mother. Loved Prince C’s response to it all

    Reply
  9. anne Avatar
    anne

    On a happier note, saw something on PBS the other night, a programme put together “by” Prince Charles, to honor his mother, the queen — it was charming, and I wondered if anyone else has seen it? He sat in a room, watching films that were made by his folks/others, when he was small, old style reel-to-reel, and chuckling and explaining what was happening, etc, also went through various photo albums, and it was just such a lovely glimpse into the Royal family as “people”.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9304402/Prince-Charles-personal-tribute-to-his-mother-the-Queen.html
    this seems to be it — lovely.

    Reply
  10. anne Avatar
    anne

    heard about this today on NPR business news. They treated it fairly lightly, but not, like they couldn’t understand “grown-ups” doing it…..
    sigh.
    So unnecessary, so silly.

    Reply
  11. Susan D Avatar
    Susan D

    I have to admit, with no intent to deceive,that I Liked my authorial alter-ego on Facebook. Please don’t hold it against me everyone.
    Meanwhile, this is a growing issue. You can add your name to a list of Readers and Writers who deplore this action.
    http://nosockpuppets.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  12. Dark Puss Avatar
    Dark Puss

    I certainly hope, and I do believe, that you represent the majority of authors Linda.

    Reply
  13. Dark Puss Avatar
    Dark Puss

    I completely agree with you. Figes was a much worse case however as he “issued a string of legal threats to academic colleagues, literary journals and newspapers that suggested he might have written the reviews posted on Amazon.co.uk” (source Guardian 23/4/10).
    He tried very hard using his lawyer, whom he had duped too, to pressurise fellow academics and journalists to back down on their entirely valid claims that he had faked reviews under a number of pseudonyms including “orlando-birkbeck” (!)

    Reply
  14. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    I recently read about this on the blog Book Chase. Not dealing with this author but about a fellow who hired himself out to write reviews. He created a whole business as he could not keep up so he hired others to help him fulfill his “reviews.” This is not a new problem and you would think Amazon would come up with ways to try and prevent this.
    Elizabeth

    Reply
  15. Linda Gillard Avatar
    Linda Gillard

    What made my authorial blood boil was Ellory’s claim in his “apology” that “Everyone does it”!
    NO, WE DO NOT!! Some of us have far too much respect for readers and books to fake our own rave reviews. How dare he attempt to smear the vast majority of authors who wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing? I have 6 novels available on Amazon and I haven’t even asked my husband to review them because it would feel unethical. I’m very happy for friends & acquaintances to review my books, but all my reviews – including the raves – are genuine and unsolicited.
    I’m sure I’m representative of the average author and Ellory is not.

    Reply
  16. Jo Avatar
    Jo

    I agree. And I was shocked at such behavious, especially as I have met RJ Ellory and seen him talk and was rather impressed. I have only read one novel mind.
    I post reviews on Amazon, and from this I suddenly feel that perhaps I am participating in something rather underhand. I concur with what you say – my reviews on Amazon are my reviews and that I am honest about the book that I have read, whether I liked the book or not. I always humbly acknowledge that the book was not for me but for others it may well be the book for them.

    Reply
  17. Liz F Avatar
    Liz F

    Just followed some of the links from the Telegraph article and it all gets very murky very fast!
    Who knew that ‘sockpuppets’ could be used for fraud?
    I haven’t actually read any of RJ Ellory’s books although I do have a couple on my shelves, but I would have thought that he was doing quite well enough without resorting to underhand tactics. It would be good if his publishers did the decent thing and dumped him now, but somehow I doubt that that is going to happen and it seems that he is just the tip of the ice berg with other writers (ones I haven’t even heard of)getting seriously nasty with the people who have ‘outed’ them!

    Reply

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