Horrors! Can it be true? Is it Klausnergate? A top reviewer at Amazon UK (current ranking #18) who pops out a healthy number of reviews on an almost daily basis and even states on his profile page in part, "All I can do is give a brief synopsis of the contents of the book and the author's background (if I know it). Criticism is a dangerous area. After all just because I do not like a book does not mean that everyone else will think the same. " Now doesn't that have a familiar ring to it!
But wait, there's more. According to recent comments on said reviewer's reviews, it appears the Brits may finally be on to him and discussions are quite lively at times and in defending himself said reviewer may have opened up another can of worms. Every one remember top ranked Gunny who gave nothing but glowing five star reviews and then turned around and sold those very same books as like new? See his comment here when challenged about whether he'd read the book (and I'll quote in case it's deleted),
"If you would like to give me your e-mail address I will forward the electronic receipt for sale of the said book by me on Amazon. The same goes for the Terry Pratchett book Sourcery. I am sat here wondering why I have to justify myself to you, but to clear things up once and for all I am prepared to make an exception. I always sell books after I have reviewed them, there is no point in keeping a book that you have read and anyway"
Interesting, is he receiving free books from the publishers and turning around and selling them? Thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
Yes, no doubt. The only differences are, he writes w/o errors, cleanly, and he responds to comments. I see some guy "one-eyed Jack" who posted a number of criticisms there got wiped out by Amazon! How familiar. Can't touch this (the shills, that is). This Klausner.uk "reviewer" also seems to like threatening his commenters with lawsuits. How telling! So, what did we learn? That Klausner is not unique. Wait, but we knew that all along... It's a world-wide Payola II. Will Attorneys General pay attention to this?
Also, his numbers are much lower than Harriet's. No one can beat Harriet! Our dear friend L.E. will calculate exact numbers, but in the meantime someone posted in the comments there that this guy drops about two (2) reviews a day on average. That is what Harriet claims to be able to read -- but we know she reviews three to four times that. But OK, all quibbles aside, this guy is a good topreviewer material. I wonder if someone with posting access to the .uk site could post this blog's address there: seems like there's quite a few like-minded people there.
> is he receiving free books from the publishers and
> turning around and selling them?
Quite likely. Here, http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R998ULF0QC2Y9/&ASIN=0316730521, he says this himself: "I am sitting here with proof in front of me that I sold the above book on Amazon on April 27, 2008 to a Miss Cook."
Here he's trying to be smart in response to some guy's telling him he didn't read nor doesn't even have the book. Well, perhaps he did have it: got an ARC from the publisher (unlikely he paid for it out of his own pocket, right? I mean, he's reviewed 2395 books... at, say, ten bucks a pop, that's over twenty grand -- a most unlikely amount of discretionary money for someone not averse to wasting his life on posting masses of fake reviews, i.e., plot recaps w/ five-star ratings). Then he "reviewed" it (reworded back-cover blurb with five stars attached), and then, yes, right, he sold it to someone. Funny how he substituted issues: instead of proving he actually bought this book (and the rest of his 2K+ books he's reviewed), he talks about his having had it at some point.
But, just like it is in the Klausner case, these are secondary issues: what's important is (1) that his reviews are not reviews but promo blurbs, and (2) That he reviews way more books than one could read in the same time period, and (3) his ratings are overwhelmingly positive. Those are three sure attibutes of a shill.
FYI, he's over at Amazon US also, http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/APRY1W9VFEFQ6/ref=cm_aya_pdp_profile. I just love the "In my own words" taking a snipe at people who won't use their real name so their opinion doesn't hold weight.
Ultimately, in the end it's buyer beware. It seems like more people every day catch onto (and comment) on Harriet's reviews. I stick with reviewers that stay in the same genre as I do, but still we don't all like the same book everytime. If I'm not sure or its a new author I get it from the library.
> I just love the "In my own words" taking a snipe
> at people who won't use their real name so their
> opinion doesn't hold weight.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Well, intellectually it's on par with Pam T's famous retort that reading books you review is "not an Amazon requirement". When they try to justify unjustifiable, everything goes, iow.
LOL, here's another of his comments when he's received complaints on his reviews,
"Whether I liked the book or not (incidentally I did not think it one of Wilbur Smith's best) is really of little or no consequence. The job of a reviewer, something I did for a living for 30 years or more is to give the potential reader an insight or brief synopsis into the storyline of the book, whether the character's are believable and the story well written, without giving too much away. A short history of the author is also acceptable if known. Although I do occasionally comment on whether I enjoyed a particular book or not this is really irrelevant, as it is my own personal opinion and may or may not correspond with the thoughts of other reader's. On occasion it may even encourage people to buy a book they will not enjoy. Finally I certainly did not copy, or take information from the sleeve notes but see no reason why, in certain circumstances this should not be done, if they are an accurate reflection of the contents of a particular book. They are more than likely a well written, clear and concise reflection of the contents of the book and if one was purchasing from a conventional bookshop, or even taking a book on loan from a library, would be the only information a prospective reader would have at hand to help them make a considered choice."
Hello????? I WANT to know if you liked the book and why. That's the most important part at least for me.
> Whether I liked the book or not [...] is really of little
> or no consequence. The job of a reviewer [...] is to give
> the potential reader an insight or brief synopsis into the storyline of the book
Pfffffttt. What an idiot. Well, I mean, I hope at least he doesn't believe this himself.
Now, now. In order to tell us if he liked the book or not (and why) the poor dear would actually have to READ the books, now wouldn't he?? And we can't have Amazon reviewers going around reviewing books they've actually read!!
I haven't participated here in a while, so let me just say that I'm a reviewer, and I do get books from publishers, for free. What I do with them is really up to me, but I feel like it would be wrong to sell a book that I got for the purpose of reviewing it. No publisher has ever said as much to me, but I was born with a conscience and never got over it.
> Now, now. In order to tell us if he liked the book or not (and why)
> the poor dear would actually have to READ the books, now wouldn't he??
> And we can't have Amazon reviewers going around reviewing books
> they've actually read!!
Indeed, indeed. We're being unreasonable here.
> I feel like it would be wrong to sell a book that I got for
> the purpose of reviewing it. No publisher has ever said as
> much to me
No? That's strange. I remember buying quite a number of second-hand books stamped in rich gold on their back covers, "Review Copy, Not For Sale" (or something similar). But even if this is no longer stipulated explicitly, I totally agree with you, a reviewer shouldn't feel free to sell his review copy. Matter of fact, I'd think they should be returned to the publisher. Finally, I'd personally live with free copies, and even selling them, if (1) it was stipulated in the review that the reviewer reviews on publisher's request, and (2) if the review was good (most important).
I'm not sure how things work in the UK, but here in the USA reselling those freebies should be declared as income if I'm not mistaken. Also, if someone got more than $500 worth of anything from one entity said entity should be sending a 1099 to the IRS stating that income. Or are review copies not considered to have value? Since Deborah has stepped in maybe she has an answer on that.
I'd love to find this reviewer's seller page and see if he's calling them as new/never been read like Gunny did or selling them as used.
Oh my, this is getting interesting. For those who have followed his not-too subtle comments to one eyed jack, this review posted today has serious undertones. Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Inquiring minds want to know.
If you are plagued with vermin of one sort or another and many country dwellers are, or possibly just have your local farmer's permission to shoot across his land, then an air rifle is a cheap and quiet way to rid yourself of unwanted intruders. Air rifles can be used in reasonably confined spaces, barns, close to building etc. without running the risk of doing any permanent damage. This book is a simple yet comprehensive guide on the subject of hunting and gives you all the information required to use a gun safely, whether it be an air weapon or something a little more powerful. The safety rules for using firearms hold good whatever form of weapon is used.
"There is no doubt about it, the book is somewhat dated, being published 20 years ago and gives little or no information on the more modern equipment available to the enthusiast but that is not really what the book is about. There are plenty of other more up to date books that catalogue the various models of firearms. What this book does and does well is tell the reader how to hunt with a rifle and how to do it safely, both for your own protection and that of others and it does this very well. It also gives an insight into what you can and cannot shoot, and the laws that govern the sport. However because of the age of the book an update may be in order, possibly from the internet, as the rules are constantly being changed. Also a point to remember is that all land even if it looks like a derelict plot belongs to somebody and permission must be obtained to shoot on it.
As I said this book does give information on the equipment needed but much of this has been superseded by modern and more advanced and more sophisticated gear, particularly in the realm of night vision sights, powerful lamps for night use etc. Age is not always detrimental, far from it and this book is an informative guide for anyone interested in the hunting side of the sport."
I should have made a distinction between review copies/ARCs/galleys and finished/for-sale versions of books. I get both. ARCs are ALWAYS stamped with "Not For Sale" on the cover. Ditto review copies and galleys.
There are times, though, when there isn't a special 'reviewer copy,' and I just get a copy of the same book that gets put on the shelf at the bookstore. I *still* don't think it's ok to sell those, since they were sent to me for the purpose of reviewing them.
Review copies are not considered to have any value, even if they're the for-sale versions. I get the book, they get the review. It's considered a barter situation since they don't pay me for the review. If they paid for the review, that would definitely be taxable income.
The last couple of months I have started reviewing ARCs. The publisher told me that I could not sell them, however, if I enjoyed it I should "pass it along to another reader." Plain enough English for me! I wouldn't feel right selling it anyway. I won't even take it down to the used book seller for them to sell.
Stephanie, good for you. I'm still curious about the books that are given free for review that AREN'T ARC's. Clearly, some of the top reviewers receive frequent offers (and not just for books) as you can see from reading some of their "In my own words". I'm pretty sure CD's and DVD's don't come in an ARC version, but what do I know?
Do we know if Harriet gets ARC's or the real thing?
Post a Comment