Goodreads Tackles Review Bombing: User-Powered Solutions Unveiled

Cait Corrain’s debut novel, “Crown of Starlight,” was on the brink of publication, marking a milestone in her writing journey. However, a Goodreads controversy has derailed her aspirations. Del Rey Books, a Penguin Random House imprint, announced the cancellation of Corrain’s book after she confessed to fabricating positive reviews for her work and disparaging reviews for other authors. Corrain’s literary agent has severed ties with her in the aftermath.

Goodreads, with its 90 million users rating books on a scale of one to five stars, has faced previous review-related controversies. Earlier this year, bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert withdrew her upcoming novel due to misinterpretations that led to a flood of one-star reviews on the platform, wrongly assuming the book’s stance on a Soviet-era family.

Goodreads, owned by Amazon,

Faces criticism for lax user verification, allowing review-bombing—an act where fake accounts flood a book with negative reviews, impacting its rating. This practice can be especially damaging to lesser-known authors or debut works.

The repercussions of review-bombing can be severe, deterring potential readers when a book is unjustly labeled controversial. Lindsay Ellis, a writer and editor, shares her experience of being targeted after criticizing J.K. Rowling’s comments on the transgender community.

One notable case involves Corrain, whose book “Crown of Starlight” received praise from suspicious Goodreads accounts while other works, particularly those by authors of color, received low ratings. Initially attributing the activity to a zealous friend, Corrain later admitted responsibility, citing a “complete psychological breakdown” in a detailed apology.

The author has closed her social media accounts and is unavailable for comment.

Goodreads removed the fake reviews by Corrain, urging users to report suspicious accounts. They commit to improving the detection and moderation of content violating guidelines during review-bombing episodes.

Publishing veteran Jane Friedman welcomes the move but doubts its effectiveness against low-level review bombings. She emphasizes the challenge due to Goodreads’ reliance on volunteer “librarians” to manage a vast number of reviews, exceeding 300 million in the past year alone.

Friedman highlights Goodreads’ unique feature allowing pre-publication reviews, fostering early buzz. While beneficial, this approach also leads to reviews for unfinished books, exemplified by George R. R. Martin’s unreleased seventh book generating thousands of reviews while the sixth remains unfinished.

Publishing industry expert Jane Friedman suggests that preventing review bombing on popular writers, like Gilbert, is a positive move. However, she believes it might not effectively shield most other writers from such attacks.

While she appreciates the effort, Friedman points out that combating low-level review bombing, a smaller-scale issue, may be challenging to address effectively.

Goodreads depends on a team of volunteer “librarians” to maintain information accuracy about books and authors. Yet, the sheer volume of reviews, exceeding 300 million ratings in the past year alone, makes the platform vulnerable to abuses.

Friedman notes that Goodreads facilitates negative behavior due to its user-friendly interface.

An interesting aspect of Goodreads is its allowance for reviews to be posted before a book’s official release, contributing to early buzz. Publishers often send pre-release copies to influential Goodreads users in the hope of generating positive discussions.

Notably, Goodreads permits reviews even before a book is completed. For instance, George R. R. Martin’s seventh book in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series has garnered thousands of reviews, even though the sixth book is yet to be finished.