Let’s talk about review bombing

In the vast ocean of online book communities, Goodreads stands as a beacon for readers and authors alike. However, like any sea, it has its storms. One tempest that has been gaining attention is the practice known as review bombing—a coordinated effort to flood a book’s page with negative reviews. In this guide, we’ll sail through what review bombing means for authors, its impact, and how to weather this literary storm.

Review bombing and the most famous cases

Review bombing refers to the orchestrated flood of negative reviews targeting a specific book or author. Imagine a fleet of critics, not motivated by genuine critique, but rather by an agenda to sink the reputation of an author or their work. The consequences can be dire, creating turbulent waters for authors to navigate.

In the beginning of December 2023 an American science fiction and fantasy publishing house canceled the publication of the debut novel by author Cait Corrain after it was discovered that she had created at least six fake profiles on Goodreads. Corrain used these profiles to sabotage the upcoming books of other debut authors with negative reviews while praising her own work.

But also: In June 2023, the American writer Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestseller “Eat, Pray, Love”, indefinitely postponed the release of her new novel, originally scheduled for February 2024. This decision came after numerous harsh reviews on Goodreads. The reviewers in question had not read Gilbert’s book but criticized her for choosing to narrate a story set in Russia, when we are now living the war in Ukraine.

These are not the only cases, but as you can see, the problem can be from both the sides and it usually occurs a not-yet-published book.

What to do when this happens

Well, you don’t have to be a genius in order to understand that as an author, ruining other authors reputation is bad. Like, you never will be able to work again in this field. So, please, just don’t do it.

When this happens to an author, the impact can be dramatic:

1. Financial Undercurrents:
   • The aftermath of review bombing can cast shadows on an author’s livelihood, leading to decreased book sales.
   • Prospective publishing opportunities may find themselves navigating turbulent seas, hesitant in the face of negative online tides.
2. Emotional Swells:
   • For authors, a deluge of coordinated negativity isn’t just a professional setback—it’s personal.
   • The emotional toll can be heavy, impacting creativity and the very essence of an author’s love for storytelling.
3. Navigating Murky Visibility:
   • As negative reviews pour in, the visibility of a book can be obscured, making it harder for genuine readers to discover the literary gem beneath the waves.

What is Amazon doing

Since it is difficult to classify the motivations behind review bombing (they often stem from personal grudges, ideological differences, or attempts to manipulate an author’s success) it is also difficult to avoid them.

Amazon, owner of Goodreads, is working on fortifying their defenses to maintain a fair review environment. Will it succeed? Hard to say.

They promised a better control over the reviews, but for now they just rely on reports from the users.

What you can do

I hope this will never happen to you, of course. If it happens my advice is maybe general and obvious but it might help:

• Respond to negative reviews with professionalism, steering clear of confrontations that might escalate the situation.
• Building a positive online presence becomes the lighthouse amidst the storm.
• Encourage satisfied readers to share their positive experiences, creating a beacon of authenticity.
• Report instances of review bombing to platform administrators, providing evidence of coordinated attacks.
• As author, you can find solace in the harbor of author communities, where shared experiences can offer advice on weathering the storm.

Internet is tough

Internet in general is a beautiful place full of opportunities, but as something relatively new, that still needs to be regulated properly, has its pros and cons. One of these con is that you can’t control people’s bad actions.

Not only Goodreads has this issue. Think about Rotten Tomatoes where movies can be ruined, or Steam for videogames.

The only thing you can surely do, in order to prevent all this, is to build a strong community that can support you when a problem occur. Let’s take the positive out of this Internet: community building online is manna from heaven, something we barely could have thought of until 20 years ago.