Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I received a message in my email, from an unknown person, stating the dangers of promoting my book, “THE HEALER.”

I am yet to unravel whether it is advice, warning, or threat. Please, what do you think of it? Have you had such an experience before?

Below is the message:


THE HEALER WILL BE ON PIRATEBAY AND PLAGIARISED WITH AI SOON!


PLUS YOUR PERSONAL INFO GIVEN TO LOCAL THUGS IN YOUR AREA! YES WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU LIVE. STOP YOUR GOODREADS AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTIONS IF YOU DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN! WE DON'T LIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR LAWS CAN DO NOTHING TO US!


Sent with Proton Mail secure email.

Patrick wrote: "I received a message in my email, from an unknown person, stating the dangers of promoting my book, “THE HEALER.”

I am yet to unravel whether it is advice, warning, or threat. Please, what do you ..."

It sounds almost exactly like the email threat another author posted about in the Bulletin section of this group, so you aren't alone it seems.

My advice: ignore it.

Patrick wrote: "I received a message in my email, from an unknown person, stating the dangers of promoting my book, “THE HEALER.”

I am yet to unravel whether it is advice, warning, or threat. Please, what do you ..."
I got the same worded email. Anyone else? Maybe they are just fishing.

Lots of people, including me, are getting similar threatening and abusive messages from these people. As yet, I'm not aware they have followed through with any of their threats so you can probably ignore them and not worry.

I received something similar

Please report the posts before you ignore.

It's part of a game. I've received similar. That first email was simply the knock on the door. Within 3 days or so you'll get several more from different online "companies" offering reviews (for a price) and marketing assistance (for even more money). They will attempt to convince you that new authors simply cannot obtain sales without book reviews and they have "50 million readers".

Seems like these scam artists are trolling GoodReads for new authors and publishers. Please keep in mind Amazon's policy regarding reviews paid for by exchange in goods or services... a company cannot offer reviews in exchange for money without violating that policy. Even author-to-author review swaps are prohibited. It happens, sure... but can cost your KDP account if you get caught.

Meanwhile, you will have to wade through the garbage to find the legitimate reviewers who will do ARC reviews. They are here, but finding them is a challenge.

The best reviews (and the safest) are still by far the spontaneous ones from readers who did pick your book and read it. This constant chase for reviewers will mostly attract scammers and hackers. Authors must show PATIENCE and let time for word of mouth about your book to go around. Yes, it will take months and years but how could you expect otherwise in a World saturated by millions of aspiring author? Very few of us could realistically dream about one day living off from book sales, thus please accept that fact and stop feeding scammers and hackers by asking for reviews.

Agreed, to a point. If you have a book on Amazon, you run into the algorithm problem. If your book isn't seen, it doesn't sell. Getting your book seen is based on reviews and books sold. More reviews, more sales. That's why new writers try to get reviews.

GoodReads is a forum where supposedly authors can find reviewers. It's also a great place for scammers to find unsuspecting authors. The service they offer (paid reviews) violates Amazon's policy. Yet without reviews, Amazon doesn't put the author's book where potential buyers can see it. It's a Catch-22.

I disagree to a point that authors cannot realistically dream of living off book sales. They can if they've written a great book. The challenge is jumping into the next stage of publishing... marketing. If the writer has the funds for it, they can hire a book marketing firm to do all that for them.

Most don't. That means they have to learn book marketing on their own. It's a long-term effort but eventually it does pay off. Especially if the writer has a second book, then a third. Just takes time to build up author recognition.

That, more than anything, is why book publishers rarely choose a new writer's work. Author recognition. If the writer doesn't come with their own established fan base, publishers will pass on the book.

So authors, when you hit the marketing stage... re-frame your mindset. Whether or not your book is the next The Stand or not is irrelevant. The challenge now is to create a fan base. You have the start of it already with friends and family.

Now go online and use social media to make new friends. Offer giveaways. Discounts. The first book won't make you a ton of money... but the fans you gain with it will mean that second book does better. Grow the fan base and the third will do even better.

Like I said, I disagree to a point. An author with a single title probably won't make a living off their book. An author with fifteen titles, though....