Needless to say, there's been a lot written and said in the last few days about the authors of memoirs abusing readers' trust. But readers can behave badly too, at authors' expense.
As Heloise Wood reported for the Bookseller last month, many writers are discovering that their forthcoming books are getting scathing reviews on Goodreads, presumably posted by mischief makers, keyboard warriors and petty individuals with an axe to grind. Talk about judging a book by its cover - in many cases, the proofs aren't even out yet.
What's all the more frustrating, understandably, in a climate when review ratings unfortunately really do matter (in terms of grabbing publisher interest, retaining publisher support and attracting readers), is that Goodreads don't seem inclined to take swift action. If it's demonstrably impossible that a "reviewer" could have read the book, then surely the review should be taken down immediately?
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