What Is Ethical when Reviewing A Book?

[Mari Sloan]

It has come to my attention lately that many of the magazines, on-line commentaries, etc. charge for reviewing books, either directly or indirectly by linking the review with the purchase of advertising in the publication. In each case, when challenged, each publication insists it has done nothing wrong. Most of them also will take 'free reviews", but these are, understandably, placed at the end of the list and never surface to be reviewed. What are your thoughts on this practice?

Have you ever paid for a review?

If you know a publication charges the author or publisher for writing its reviews, does it change the way you evaluate the review?

What IS ethical?

[Eric Stone]

Perhaps it's mean of me, but I do judge people who pay publications to review their books. It encourages the continuation of what is a very bad practice. It makes all reviews suspect by making it difficult for readers to differentiate between legitimate and corrupt reviews. If it wasn't profitable for publications to charge (either directly or through the guise of soliciting advertising) for reviews, they wouldn't do it. As the people who are the targets of this corrupt practice, it is up to us authors to not participate in it.

[Mari Sloan]

I judge the publication, I don't judge the new author. I won't go to publications who sell reviews, but it is up to ME to figure out which ones to avoid. Since I don't do a lot of shopping for books based on reviews, that isn't difficult, but it does affect me in one way.

I am not only an author but I'm also a reader. Since I belong to several book groups, reviewed books become required reading for me. I can't tell you how many awful-to-me books I've been sent to read just because some publication reviewed them highly and the book group fell for the line. What is worse, most of the readers plow through them and try to say something good. I'll go on record saying I HATE Ken Follett. Any book I read of his, even a few paragraphs, renders me unable to write a coherent line for a month. I heard "He was a fleshy man" on an audio book, enunciated in an affected English accent once, and I had nightmares. Unforunately, that's just me. He is reviewed highly by reviewers and I have to skip book group a couple of times a year while the dedicated readers plow through another 600 page Follett. But I digress.

Reviews are not the only way to decide what to read and even the best of them are suspect. I like books that are quirky and different, and have unique characters who are emotional and real. Before I buy a book I like to pick it up, open it and read a couple of pages from the front, from the middle, and near the end. If it reads well, I'll buy it. A review can't do that for me. As an author, that is what I want for my book, to be available so that readers can pick it up and read a little. That sells books, not to everyone, but to people who like and value much the same things I do.

Books are meant for different audiences and are written for different reasons. How an author reaches the people who will enjoy their book is different also. Books can change lives, expose lies and crimes, change the way a nation views its leaders and they can merely make a working stiff laugh. In the end, we love our white knights and our dancing clowns almost equally. The test of time will judge us all.

[Eric Stone]

I judge both. A corrupt transaction requires two parties and they are equally at fault. Both the person accepting the bribe and the person paying the bribe (and let's face it, what we're talking about here is bribery) are hurting the rest of us.

[I. J. Parker]

Absolutely right. In fact, there are any number of things going on that hurt those authors who don't play the game or who don't quite fit the publisher's niche for promoting a book because they aren't writing for the sale.
Sales are paramount motivators for publishers, and many authors are desperate enough to do anything to get the sales, regardless whether the book warrants them or not (see the recent squabble over a soft-porn historical novel about the wife of Mohammed). More disturbing is the trend of readers to accept anything that makes the best seller list as great writing.