No more sock puppets please
I’m delighted to be able to put my name to the statement below. (Sorry folks but I accidentally published slightly prematurely on that and don’t want to take away anything from my fab co-authors who worked through the weekend and the night to get this together).
Please feel free to copy this letter and distribute as you see fit. If you’d like to add your name to the letter please visit nosockpuppets.wordpress.com.
These days more and more books are bought, sold, and recommended on-line, and the health of this exciting new ecosystem depends entirely on free and honest conversation among readers. But some writers are misusing these new channels in ways that are fraudulent and damaging to publishing at large. British author Stephen Leather recently admitted that he used fake identities online to promote his work. The American bestseller John Locke has revealed he has paid for reviews of his books. The British author RJ Ellory has now confessed to posting flattering reviews of his own work and to using assumed names to attack other authors perceived to be his rivals.
These are just three cases of abuse we know about. Few in publishing believe they are unique. It is likely that other authors are pursuing these underhand tactics as well.
We the undersigned unreservedly condemn this behaviour, and commit never to use such tactics.
But the only lasting solution is for readers to take possession of the process. The internet belongs to us all. Your honest and heartfelt reviews, good or bad, enthusiastic or disapproving, can drown out the phoney voices, and the underhanded tactics will be marginalized to the point of irrelevance. No single author, however devious, can compete with the whole community. Will you use your voice to help us clean up this mess?
Linwood Barclay, Tom Bale, Mark Billingham, Declan Burke, Ramsey Campbell, Tania Carver, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, N.J. Cooper, David Corbett, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Stella Duffy, Jeremy Duns, Mark Edwards, Chris Ewan, Helen FitzGerald, Meg Gardiner, Adèle Geras, Lee Goldberg, Joanne Harris, Gordon Harries, Mo Hayder, David Hewson, Charlie Higson, Susan Hill, Peter James, Paul Johnston, Graham Joyce, Laura Lippman, Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid, Roger McGough, Denise Mina, Steve Mosby, Stuart Neville, Jo Nesbo, Ayo Onatade, SJ Parris, Tony Parsons, Sarah Pinborough, Ian Rankin, Shoo Rayner, John Rickards, Peter Robinson, Stav Sherez, Karin Slaughter, Andrew Taylor, Luca Veste, Louise Voss, Martyn Waites, Neil White, Laura Wilson.
42 Responses to “No more sock puppets please”
Well said.
A lot of strange activities seem to have been happening in the publishing world of late. This is a world I am eager to join and I am glad to see writers such as yourself and others on that list whom I admire taking a stand.
Well done to all of you. It cannot be easy when many of your contemporaries play such games.
Well said! How do I add my name? This practice reflects badly on ll of us, and casts doubts on genuine positive reviews. Disgraceful behaviour!
Thanks – we had hoped to have a mechanism by which people could add their own names. Still a work in progress I’m afraid…
Keep me informed because I would like to add my name too…
Is there a list were honest professional reviewers (yes they do exist) can add their names too?
That’s a great idea Sander. Not that I know – but why not start one?
Probably wouldn’t work. The glove puppets would infiltrate.
Very well said and fucking Amen to that statement! I as a reader feel discredited when I’m giving a review (never given a 1* ever) because of all that crap going on even if I haven’t done anything wrong and that kind of says it all… Hope things will become more balanced and that sites like Amazon will be forced to rethink their account policies in the future!
I think this is common practice. It is very prevalent even in the self-publishing world. Not sure what can be done about it.
Reblogged this on A Knife And A Quill and commented:
If you find yourself in agreement, you may want to add your name as well.
David,
If the letter is still open, please add my name as well. –Rebecca Cantrell
I’m very happy to add my name, reblog, whatever. I feel like a bit of a minnow in the pond with all those great names, but I have already blogged about this, and would be very pleased to add my name and get some support from other contacts.
Reblogged this on Rachel Abbott – Writer and commented:
Following my earlier post, it’s great to see so many impressive names damning this kind of behaviour.
Here, here! Great idea putting this out. Here’s hoping for a level playing field for all. Writers should just stick to writing damn good stories. I still have the utmost faith in our community. We are one.
Reblogged this on Col Bury's New Crime Fiction and commented:
Here, here! Great idea putting this out. Here’s hoping for a level playing field for all. Writers should just stick to writing damn good stories. I still have the utmost faith in our community. We are one.
If letter is still open, please do add my name too – Barbara Nadel
I think it’s safer to read reviews in an established print organ.
To be awkward it’s true the internet belongs to everybody but maybe only in the sense that the land belongs to everybody.
I’m also happy to add my name to the above list – am I able to as I am a self publisher and therefore unable to be a member of the CWA? I shall post this statement on both of my blogs. Great job.
Thanks Mel. As I explain above unfortunately we don’t have a mechanism for adding names. Wish we did you’d be most welcome. We are looking at it though.
Tweeted and FB’d it. I agree completely.
Oops, thanks, missed that! I can always add it at the end of the statement on my own blogs. Cheers, David.
Please add my name!
We’re trying to figure out a way to add further signatories to the list. Bear with us.
Please add my name to the list. The public should know who these crooks are. Their behaviour muddies the names of all authors. whatever corners of our diverse publishing world cheating scams are coming from they need to be exposed.
Thank you all. This is the first solid solution I have heard. From many I have heard indi vs legacy arguments, that seem only to divide our community. This helps bring us together. Well done all.
Reposting on http://writingonboard.com. You can add my name if you figure out how to do it!
When we set up the No to Age Banding website at notoagebanding.org we had a statement that was eventually signed by 4,871 people. All of them emailed in to a dedicated email address and from there to web page was done by liveware not software – if you want to know more please get in touch. Or were you hoping for something more high tech?
Thanks Roger – I think we may be going a simpler route…
It saddens me to think that any author would engage in such underhand activities. We must stand together to fight it. Please add my name to the list.
Hi David,
By way of reblogging at my own website I sign the letter in wholehearted support. I’ll leave it pinned to the top of my blog for the foreseeable future.
Reblogged this on Doggiepedia and commented:
There is a lot to agree with in here… well worth sharing and reading
Reblogged this on and commented:
‘Sock-puppets’ do writers, readers and reviewers an enormous disservice. I fully support the stance of David Hewson and his co-signatories.
When you add further signatures, please add mine.
Lee Goldberg
Excellent post, with which I heartily agree. I was thinking that you might be able to use a petition site for this… just a thought anyway. Sorry if somebody’s said this and I missed it. I’m not always the sharpest knife in the box.
Cheers
MTM
Reblogged this on M T McGuire Authorholic and commented:
Consider this signed by me! I was going to post something along these lines, myself, so David Hewson and colleagues; thank you for doing it so I don’t have to.
You can add my name to the list, too.
Self respect is slipping in some people when they resort to such tactics. No wonder so many good writers don’t get the recognition their work deserves. I’m reblogging this.
Reblogged this on Liz Carmichael's Portal and commented:
And another about the sock puppet reviews
Will provide link at the end of my blogpost on this disturbing topic. Thanks to all for taking this seriously!
I agree the mess has to be cleaned up but I’m not sure that reader reviews are the answer. Writing reviews is not easy and many people, such as myself, do not want to give poor reviews, even if the work in question deserves one.
Perhaps something quick, easy and simple like the Facebook ‘Like’ button is the way forward. Or perhaps something more along the lines of eBay’s seller ratings where buyers can judge the trustworthiness of a seller by the ratio of likes to dislikes.
This is a great beginning though!
Add mine name to the list as well. Many thanks!
I would gladly add my name to this. Thank you for writing and sharing these important thoughts.
Here is where I post my reviews. If a book I read hasn’t earned a four or five from me, I don’t post the review, but send it to the author instead.
http://terrysthoughtsandthreads.blogspot.com
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