Kindness of Strangers on Goodreads
When I read about a recent book scandal, I was reminded of the line, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Blanche Debois says it in the Tennessee Williams play, Streetcar Named Desire. It’s a curious line because Blanche is not great at assessing strangers, and the only kindness she’s received was that in exchange for sex. Still, that line came to mind, when I thought of how authors rely on strangers to review their work. So much depends on the kindness of strangers who have the power to lift up a book or send it crashing.
Strange Author
That line, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” came to me when I thought about Cait Corrain, who wasn’t kind to strangers. In planning for her debut novel, she acted strangely. Luckily for the authors she had maligned, her shenanigans (a kind word) on Goodreads was exposed. She had created a number of fake accounts and was busy review bombing other authors (mostly of colour) who were also coming out with their books at the same time as hers. While giving their books one-star reviews, she was giving her own five-star reviews.
But after being found out, she got busy apologizing for her actions, blaming substance abuse and depression for her strange behaviour. She’s trying to repair the damage, but so far, it’s not working. She’s lost her agent and her publisher. I don’t know what’s happened with the book she wrote.
In my previous work as a family therapist, I had clients who suffered with depression and substance abuse. Generally speaking, we have empathy for those who are having a hard time managing in life. But in the end, we are each responsible for our actions. In this case, the authors that Cait Corrain hurt need our empathy. What was she thinking? Did she really think she could succeed by tearing down the competition?
Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
This scandal made me wonder about all the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. If she could manipulate that platform (Amazon owns Goodreads) so easily, then others could as well.
As an author who works hard not only on my writing but also on marketing, I’m struck by the fact that some bestselling authors have thousands of reviews. Sometimes it seems overnight, especially when you see reviews on books yet to be published. This is wonderful for those authors. All I want is a fair playing field. One, where every author has an equal chance of being reviewed honestly. Is that too much to ask?
Other Review Homes
I can’t speak for others, but for me, a good review is the reward I get for taking the time to write a good story. I’m a self-published author, so that means I have to work even harder to get noticed. Trade journals and major newspapers do not review books written by indie authors. But early on in my career, I managed to get some notice for my debut novel, A Cry from the Deep, in the Irish Times. And since it was published online, it’s still available. I’m grateful.
And The Miramichi Reader, a fabulous journal of book reviews, is one any reader can subscribe to. The editor, James M. Fisher, largely accepts reviews of traditonally published books, but on occasion, publishes reviews of noteworthy indie books. A few of my novels have been reviewed in The Miramichi Reader. Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, the second book of my Lukia’s Family Saga trilogy, was one that got some attention in that lovely . After my books had been reviewed in their journal, I ended up writing some reviews for that publication myself.
And I was pleased to get a wonderful review from Publishers’ Weekly, a highly reputable American trade magazine for publishers, literary agents, booksellers and librarians, for Paper Roses on Stony Mountain. That was a welcome surprise.
So, some doors have opened.
Relying on the Kindness of Strangers
So, if you love a book, please take time to write a review. No matter the work, every author, beginning or seasoned, sweats over their words. And if you don’t like the book, please be kind. We authors depend on the kindness of strangers.
Thoughts
What are your thoughts on the above? You can leave a comment below.
Good for you, Diana, for speaking out about this very important issue. The Goodreads scandal you wrote about was devastating for the authors who were targeted. While it was Cait Corrain who perpetrated it, it has told me all I need to know about Goodreads and as such, I have stopped using that platform. It’s a shame, but there have been numerous instances of abuse (though none as serious as Corrain’s dreadful deeds) and obviously Goodreads either doesn’t care or doesn’t appear to be dealing with this insidious problem. Thank you for speaking out on behalf of hard-working authors who rely on reviews to get their work out and make a living.
Thank you for your thoughts, Karen. I was shocked that it happened. I thought there were better gatekeepers, but the ones who are determined to cause trouble seem to find a way.