Yikes … what a headline to write. One that I never imagined I would. And I’m glad I did. Consider this a full author alert.

In a podcast I did years ago with the then president of the Colorado Library Association, she revealed that many librarians go to the Goodreads website first to see what readers are saying about books. Everyday reader book reviews counted big to them.

Sounded like a great idea to me and something I shared with the AuthorYOU.org community. When Amazon bought it in 2013, many thought that Amazon would have a heavy influence. Reviews are important; they do influence buying decisions. And Amazon in its own platform has been over-zealous at times in removing reviews that its bots decide violate the guidelines. Not so on Goodreads.

Today, Goodreads is huge … and when something gets huge, it generates attention. The scammers took notice and flocked in.

Scammers? Yup. Bad people are attempting to extort authors … newbies and well-established authors … money-grabber trolls.

The game? If you don’t cough up moneys, your books on Goodreads will be flooded with 1-star reviews. Fake reviewers will bomb everything your name is attached to.

The bomb review trolls have arrived. I hope that gets your attention and considered it a strong forewarning. Take five minutes to read the excellent article in Time magazine that shares the agony and not the ecstasy of a trolling experience by several authors HERE. 

Hmmm … it’s a game and mind changer for me. Until Goodreads cracks down with a might club, I’m a pass on referring others to it, even posting.

I’ve said and written it countless times. The #1 way to sell your books is to get in front of people. Engage them. Virtually and In-Person. If you haven’t read my book, How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech, get it HERE.

If you have it, get it off your shelf and re-read it. It’s in print, eBook, and audiobook. You will learn how I made a successful career, sold truckloads of books, and never had to rely on a book review.

Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 37 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences. 

Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE. 

Follow @AuthorUYOUBooks and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact me.

©2021 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.