Authors & Reviewers discussion

Hi! I've never posted in a GR group before so feel free to let me know if this is the wrong place or is inappropriate, but I wanted to know if anyone has tips on how to prevent reviews from being removed on a certain big-name site.

I very recently started reviewing ARCs on Booksprout and while I have been lucky so far with big-name-site publishing them, I'm finding a bunch of threads where people complained about their reviews being removed or being banned from reviewing on the platform altogether.

In particular, I'm wondering about the default Booksprout disclaimer that mentions it's a "free copy in exchange." Is there a better way of phrasing this so that it's less likely to get flagged?

I also found a good article with some keywords that are likely to get flagged, and I've heard that you can't post more than 5 unverified reviews in a week. I've also found that I can't post reviews before the book has been published, so are early reviews not a thing?

Is all of this still true? I can't really find posts about this topic after 2018 when it seemed like there was a huge ban all across the board, and considering terms and conditions can change a lot in four years, I'd love some updated info. Thank you!

Hi Arenia

From what I recall the wording 'free in exchange for' is troublesome. Because it sounds like you had the copy and 'had' to give a review. Maybe try 'I received a copy from 'whoever' and am leaving this review voluntarily' or similar. It may help but who knows!

You can't publish reviews before books are published because they aren't 'live' on the system you have to wait for publishing day.

Good luck - and I'm sure those writer's are really happy that you are reviewing their books :):)

Elizabeth

Arenia wrote: "Hi! I've never posted in a GR group before so feel free to let me know if this is the wrong place or is inappropriate, but I wanted to know if anyone has tips on how to prevent reviews from being r..."

When I was reviewing, I made it a point to "sneak" it into the review. And I don't mean hide it. I mean don't leave a note on the top or bottom that says "I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review." Say something like "I've seen this book pop up a few times, so when I was offered a spot on the street team for writing a review, I jumped at the chance." Or something like that. Say the same message but try not to use the phrase that 'Zon searches for.

I'm a member of various author groups that provide ARCS. I for one never say that I have recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Just read and review and Amazon won't take them down. Hope this helps!

These are all great suggestions, thank you all! I guess I'll just keep re-wording to see if I can find a good combo!