Don't go overboard publicizing your book online

While it’s perfectly fine to promote your book energetically, don’t lose sight of the way your promotion might appear to others. Like many other things, online book promotion often work best in moderation.

In some cases, the boundaries are clear. For example, the CAN-SPAM Act outlawed unsolicited commercial e-mail, so you can’t promote your book by sending e-mails to strangers. In other cases, you’ll need to use your judgment. For example, it's fine to ask people to review your book on Amazon. But don’t ask people who haven’t read your book. And don’t review your book yourself.

There’s no laws against these things and for many of it, there’s no practical means of policing it. But that doesn’t make it right, and erasing something you’ve done on the Internet is hard to do. Don’t do something in the heat of the moment if you have any doubts about the propriety.

Shill reviews

For example, for years it was rumored that several authors had posted anonymous flattering reviews of their own books on Amazon. Then in 2004, a computer glitch revealed it was true –- the real names of the authors were displayed, earning them a lifetime of embarrassment. One was John Rechy, author of the bestselling novel City of Night. The ironic thing was that Rechy was a successful writer whose honors included a PEN-USA West lifetime achievement award. He wasn’t absolutely famous, but he didn’t need shill book reviews either. But that computer glitch made him much better known, though probably not in the way he’d hoped.

Dishonest tactics of writing shill reviews, sometimes called “astro-turfing,” depends on contrived reviews to simulate a grass-roots movement for a book on Amazon.
One medical doctor who has a book for sale on Amazon has submitted hundreds of reviews of other books, which serve primarily to point attention to his own book. Apparently the good doctor is not concerned that his reputation as an author has been tarnished, as he’s continued the activity.

In response to years of controversy about abuse of its review system, last month Amazon began requiring that reviewers have an account with a registered credit card before reviews can be submitted. The safeguard prevent individuals from using multiple accounts to submit phony reviews. However, customers aren’t required to purchase a copy of a book from Amazon before reviewing it.

Spam

Oon the Internet, remember that tactics that may seem perfectly fine to some people will appear over the line to others. For example, in 2005 author sent a series of e-mails announcing his book to a list of e-mail addresses harvested from Amazon’s Web site. Several recipients were angry enough to post reviews of the book, mentioning “This author is a spammer.” Even the headline of the book’s Spotlight Review accuses the author of spamming.

Plug your book relentlessly. But don’t do something in the heat of the moment that could damage your credibility. Authors and publishers who lose trust with readers are undermined forever.