Comments on: Monday Midday RoundUp: The Brave New World of Reviews

By: Kaetrin

Kaetrin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:07:55 +0000

There seem to be plenty of great romance reviewers in blogland – why doesn’t the Washington Post just ask Jane to do it? Or, Sarah from SBTB or Jessica from RRR, or Keishon, or Tumperkin, or – well, you get the picture. I don’t think they’re looking very hard.

By: kirsten saell

kirsten saell — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:24:51 +0000

You know what I find sad? The fact that people like Kassia Kroszer and a bajillion others still have to talk about ebook prices.

I think the only way publishers will wake up is if readers who prefer the ebook don’t cave and pay $9.99 for an ebook that’s $5.99 in mm. And don’t cave and pay $5.99 for print instead, either.

But DO email the publisher and tell them that you will not be purchasing the book in any format until your preferred one is offered at a reasonable price.

Because as long as they can make up those lost ebook sales (which don’t matter one fig to them) with paper sales, they haven’t lost anything, have they?

By: azteclady

azteclady — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:31:08 +0000

@Karen Scott: :sob: :sad: now what am I gonna do? :sad: :sob:

By: StephS

StephS — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:23:18 +0000

OK, Ron Charles complains that he can’t find a sympathetic romance reviewer but later in the interview regarding how they decide which books to review he says, “But your practical question was about what happens when the 150 books come in, on these carts. Our book reviewer manager brings them up, makes the first cut, taking out a lot of self-published books, romance, weird science fiction from publishers we’ve never heard of, textbooks, political tracts by different groups that are more like pamphlets or statements. A lot of stuff goes immediately before we even get to it.” So he and his book reviewer manager are already lumping romance with “weird science fiction”. That doesn’t really give the impression that he or his paper is taking the Romance genre too seriously to begin with. Wonder why they can’t find a reviewer?

By: Erotic Horizon

Erotic Horizon — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:11:40 +0000

Karen I could not agree with you more… but remember we have “Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008″ – which although not enforced to the blogging community and operate on a honesty basis…

It is still there…

I wonder how the FTC will deal with overseas bloggers who actually are paid by US pubs and marketeers.

E.H>

By: Karen Scott

Karen Scott — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:33:27 +0000

Thank God I’m a Brit.

By: RStewie

RStewie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:37:12 +0000

It sounds to me like The Washington Post’s reviews are not reviews I’ll be reading, seeing as to how I DO like “this crap” and am “sympathetic” to Romance.

By: Kalen Hughes

Kalen Hughes — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:02:21 +0000

Charles indicates that they are trying but really cannot find someone who can review romances intelligently at the Post.

Honestly? I guess tapping one (or more) of the “name” bloggers that cover romance on the internet hasn’t occurred to them? *rolls eyes*

By: XandraG

XandraG — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:45:52 +0000

Breaking News, FTC fears that Someone On The Internet May Be Wrong(ed).

I understand what they are likely trying to stop–the use of corporate shills for astroturf-y (fake grassroots) marketing campaigns disguised as individual opinion, but this won’t stop it from happening. All they’ll do is outsource the “individual” homegrown opinion-marketing to freelance opinion bloggers/SEO writers operating out of other countries.

By: joanne

joanne — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:17:58 +0000

Tax bill? you are already supposed to account for any gifts/income.

Absolutely, but: who is and who isn’t and who counts what as a gift and/or income?

There’s also bound to be someone who wants to be the legislator getting their 15 minutes in the spotlight.

It was just a thought, not an indictment.

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:04:52 +0000

@joanne: Tax bill? you are already supposed to account for any gifts/income.

By: joanne

joanne — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:01:50 +0000

The FTC has decided that in order to adequately protect consumers, bloggers must start disclosing payments, whether cash or freebies, for reviews.

Call me cynical but history tells me that a tax bill can’t be far behind.

By: Shandy

Shandy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:44:08 +0000

They worked fine for me.
I’ve been following your discussion on twitter and personally I think this is just stupid. I know why they’re doing it but what a pain. My question is how is this going to affect the bigger Review sites like Coffee Time, FAR, etc? Not to mention the ebook authors who look to reviews since they can’t really afford other forms of promotion?

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:20:53 +0000

@Maili The link is broken. They've removed it.

By: Maili

Maili — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:19:17 +0000

A pdf copy of the revised guides here (right-click to save if your browser tends to freeze when you clicked on a pdf link):

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf

edit
Doesn’t work. Arse. Trying again –

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf