"how low can an author go to sell a book" Topic

Caesar

Perhaps if Mr. Hollins acted like an adult and accepted negative reviews in the same way as good and decent authors do, and let the book sell itself, perhaps there wouldn't be a need for any postings?

whill4

I'm curious as to why you want to know if I have had anything published?

Are you saying that you have to have a book published before you can write a review or make any comments?

I am well aware of the efforts required in writing books, the amount of research and time etc. I am well aware of the problems of publishing and the Napoleonic market. That is why I wrote the review in the first place. I want the market improved and more titles available, but not more introduction titles like the Armies books which might well damage the market if they don't sell as well as expected.

In terms of publishing, I have had several Napoleonic articles published, plus some Ancient period articles and works in other areas. In terms of a book, no. I have not thought about writing one either. I hope this helps.

Yes it does help. I want to get a broader perspective on the thread at hand. Thank you.

Wow this is dumb.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Yes, two long abuse-a-thons and one trashing review. I did hope for a sensible discussion about the book and what you guys thought of it when I started the other thread.

So, it would have made you happy if Mr. Hollins had written a review of his work that said it was awful?

This is, by far, the silliest thread I have seen here in quite some time. Congratulations on your achievement.

nevinsrip

No. Mr.Hollins basically wrote a comment but turned it into a Vanity Review, which went against all the protocols of writing reviews and publishing itself. Reviews are written by customers who bought the title, academics or other authors who were not associated with the book. Mr. Hollins is one of the authors. Good authors do not write 5 star reviews about their own work. Mr. Hollins knows that but still did it. Had he written a comment, no problem. But he would not have been able to give a comment 5 stars, would he?

whill4

I'm glad it might have helped. I have also done extensive research and also quite a lot of review writing for my two BA degrees and MA, if that also helps. I completed my last qualification in 2007.

Dave Hollins

The two reviews are honest opinions of the book. Good authors can accept criticism and let the book do the talking and selling. You seem unable to do so, and come up with all sorts of conspiracy theories, which is rather sad, if not pathetic.

I'd still buy you a pint though if I met you in a pub, and I do hope Osprey give you the go ahead for Rivoli.

I admit to looking at the 'star' ratings on Amazon, but I also read what the people writing the bad reviews actually say about why they did not like it. (Do the same with the high ratings.) I generally disregard reviews that are a sentence or two. They give me no sense on what the book is about.

It is unfortunate that people cannot simply comment on Amazon reviews without being forced to rate the book. If the author wants to address a point a reviewer is making, they cannot do so without coming off as "low" by giving what they think is a fair rating. The reality is, Amazon reviews are not a discussion forum, so trying to use it as one is problematic.

But, this is a discussion forum, and thanks for bringing this book to my attention. I would never have noticed it otherwise. Not saying I will buy it, but the OP has done more for driving traffic to that book's entry than probably would have happened otherwise. :^)

Dale

Beware the missiles from the ivory towers!

"If the author wants to address a point a reviewer is making, they cannot do so without coming off as "low" by giving what they think is a fair rating. The reality is, Amazon reviews are not a discussion forum, so trying to use it as one is problematic."

Actually, the author CAN reply to a reviewer by commenting on the review (as can anyone). Plenty of reviews with comments… Additionally, I've seen books on Amazon where above the 'reviews' is a section, where I assume the author(s) can address what they want on the More About the Author page. And, Amazon does indeed have discussion boards, and you can start a discussion on any of their books (or other products) and I think link the discussion to other products as well.

link I posted a comment to that review without rating the book.

In short, an author has plenty of ways to communicate with potential customers on amazon besides reviewing his/her own book.

It occurs to me that while the debate has grown somewhat heated, the original question – 'How low can an author go to sell a book?' – has not been answered.

Let me address that now.

If I had got my act together and written a book… and I thought it would make said book a bestseller… I, personally, would be prepared to do a sponsored swim in Barrymore's pool.

Over to you, Gents…

Ah, c'mon guys…

the is getting cold.

What in Zardoz's name can I do to get the "flame" going again?

Norman D Landings

Doing a sponsered swim, to advertise your book, would, in my opinion, be considered as acceptable publicty. Writing a Vanity Review is not acceptable and never will be. And I know of no other author who has stooped as low as to do one. Now if Mr. Hollins offered to do a sponsered swim, I would certainly support him.

Dale Hurtt

That is a very good point about the star rating. Yes, it would be good if reviewers could write their reviews without having to star rate it. However, I doubt Mr. Hollins would have posted his Vanity Review in the first place without the opportunity to award himself 5 stars.

I'd fight a monkey.

Not, like a mandrill or something, they'd kill you. Horrific, red-bummed feckers. But, y'know, a macaque. I'd pummel its squealing little face in live on camera shouting: "OPRAH! I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU, OPRAH! CAN I BE ON YOUR BOOK CLUB NOW?'

Thinking about it… that… might not work.

AAAGH! Gaz, NO!

Barrymore's pool:
link

(A perfectly respectable sponsored swim could hardly be described as 'low'!)

So what would have been an acceptable 'star' rating then? Honestly what a lot of nonsense!

OK Norm – $25 USD if you survive 10 laps in Mr B's pool. No you can't wear your wetsuit…

It is apparently hard for some to push away from the keyboard. I love the Napoleonic era and have come to regret some of the people who share the interest.

"How low can a TMPer go to prolong a mindless animosity?"

I normally do not follow anything on the Napoleonic Boards, except for comic relief. Quyite frankly, it makles my teeth ache.
I have no idea what DH or his various friends and foes have to say. All I know is that it is hilarious, until it gets just plain pathetic.
This attack falls in the "pathetic" category.
Not that I am defending Dave Hollins, because I don't really know his printed works from Adam. I just know "lame" when I see it.

Comic relief on the Napoleonic Boards ?? Well maybe in a infantile sort of way . At least it makes the discussions on the other Boards look rational in comparison.

Norman D, I will see your macaque and raise you a smallish baboon.

I reckon I could handle a smallish, non-dominant male type baboon, and would then happily sign copies of my Opus in its cooling blood. In fact, I reckon I could use one baboon to bludgeon the other.

But I will see you – I would date Katie Price to sell my book.

Paddy

But I will see you – I would date Katie Price to sell my book.

That's just sad and pathetic, but I'd buy you a drink if I saw you down the pub.

Abdelude, you murdered my mum, killed my cat, drank my liquor from an old fruit Jar, left my heart in San Francisco and prefer Stork to Butter. But I have nothing against you and would never say anything bad about you, or the Moral Cowards and Clowns that are your friends.

Paddy

I am shocked, horrified, amazed, dumfounded and totally flabbergasted at how hilarious this thread is. The funniest bit is it's meant to be serious!

Ok, Gazzola (nice funky name by the way, makes you sound really interesting and hip) has made his complaint in the first post. He seemed to miss out the point that David Hasselhof or whoever the (part) author was has clearly stated in his review his involvement in the book and that it was indeed just a review on a shopping site for books. Obviously he felt these points were irrelevant due to the shocking breach of the unwritten pirates code…err I mean Napoleonic book nerds code…err I mean serious scholars code.
This was later replied to by mr Hasselhof. So why 75 posts? I guess it's be cause Gazza feels the need to continually defend the point of the post and show that he does not hate mr H at all…in fact he would buy him a pint of shandy if he saw him down the pub….if he could tear himself away from polishing his 4,678 Napoleonic book collection.
I salute you Gazza for bringing this to our attention. I salut you Mr Hasselhof for being honest and putting your name on your review, and I understand why you did it from your calm posts.

It may be against the nerds code to write a positive review if your an author, but I would have thought it would have been against it to write a bad one just because of some ongoing feud.

Oh, and lastly I have a radical idea when I buy a book. Anyone with common sense will take a book review with a pinch of salt and make their own mind up.

Mine's a pint of Ruddles, and a bag of scratchings

I am sure they will, but there is a particular marketing problem here as the title is very close to the Osprey cut-and-shut. I have never mined constructive criticism, but the "I quite liked it bar a few failings, so 2 stars" hardly rings true!

If the Osprey books is 4.5 and this one is 2, then the damage could be greater. As I said, it is hard enough to get anything published beyond the obvious titles, so trashing campaigns really do not help the subject. My intention in my comments was to make some general points about the book and define what its purposes were – yes, you do have to make a choice on stars, so taking it to 3.5 should really make it a non-issue.

The problems with the comments is that those so keen to dish it out in reviews are the first to go whinging to Amazon about the comments and I suspect long threads just put potential readers off. The aim of the tendency is simply to burn books by putting off potential buyers, so that the mythology remains in print.

anyway, here we are at 75 posts and 125 on the other,so maybe we might get some rational thoughts on the book sonmetime.

maybe we might get some rational thoughts on the book sometime

There's a a book? cool! What's it like?

Pat

hahahahahhhaha…..just started reading the other post on this book!……even funnier……and puts this post in context.

Gazzola. You clearly don't like Mr H. You clearly intended to rubbish his book before you even saw it. On the other post if no-one commented for a day or two you put another post just to keep it going with yet another criticism. Funniest and saddest thing I have ever seen. You really should get out more.

It is difficult to comment on what Mr Hollins wrote about this book because Amazon seem to have deleted it which makes this thread is even more futile than it already was though I understand he made it clear enough that he was one of the authors so no deceit was involved and I suppose he is entitled to comment on the work of the others that contributed to the book. All that are left on Amazon are the two reviews from Messrs Walsh (Gazolla) and Kiley, the latter parading his qualifications again in the Comments, a trait that seems to be ever more popular.

Mr J Walsh BA2 MA (2007), for whom ‘extensive research' seems to mean reading other peoples' books but whose qualifications to comment on them is unclear, clearly has time on his hands. Does anybody know what the "protocols of writing reviews and publishing itself" he refers to actually are?

What we still do not have is a subjective review that places the wretched book in context but let's hope that Mr J Walsh BA2 MA (2007) gets the message now that nobody is very interested in his childish vendetta against Mr Hollins.

Bill

"banging frenziedly away at your pet hatreds like a teen on his first willing girlfriend?"

Pat, A lovely metaphor.

My own three volume autobiography is eargerly awaited by libel lawyers.

Who's writing it for you OB?

But thank you for the 5-star review of my Similes – just a shame you are in fact ME, posing as someone else to boost my sales.

Paddy

How low ?

I'd sell the film rights to Michael Winner.

A simile is not the same as a metaphor. You're pathetic and sad, probably a plagiarist, and your mum smells of wee. I know what I'm talking about too, I got a 2:1 English degree.

And where's that beer?

Abeldude,

Thanks for not lowering the tone of this thread by petty name calling. I also think Paddy is pathetic and sad, although like you I am too gentlemanly to say so.

'abdelude', 'twiningham' and regretfully 'Oh ' – I did not want to pick on the original mistake, but my lovely little turn of phrase was, as any schoolboy could tell you, not a Metaphor.

You followed 'Oh ''s original mistake like a pair of sheep, and now are in my web like Rats.

That's the rarest of Birds – a Mixed Simile.

Paddy

But my mum does smell of wee – serves her right for snogging your dad. Though I would buy you a drink if I ever met you.

a 2:1 English degree

I have a roll of them in my Lav. Help yourself!

Paddy

I am right and you are all wrong.
I am more intelligent than all of you.
My book collection is far superior to yours.
I wish you would all behave like adults as I have. All my helpful and numerous posts are only intended to point out the many failings of that completely and utter fatherless author who I have no hatred of at all and would gladly buy a pint if I saw him down the pub. However I don't go to the pub as they have stopped using half pint tankards and even though I have written several letters of complaint to the local newspaper, council. licencing authority, my MP, the queen and put several posts on the 'brewers friend' bulletin board pointing out this outrageous issue.

Please feel free to respond in an adult way, however, if you do not agree with me you are a yes man. I cannot believe that some people cannot take criticism. I personally love it and often change my view when it is pointed out that I am wrong.

" as any schoolboy could tell you,"

Not around here they couldn't.

"Who's writing it for you OB?"

Me, I have new Crayons.

Any more of this and I'll wipe the simile off your face.

I wrote a couple of articles once. They were dead good.

If you poopyheads can't have a civilised, sensible discussion I'm taking my ball home.

And my dad's bigger than your dad.

yeah, but I got a force field….

And my dad's bigger than your dad

That's not what your sister told me.

and haven't we all missed the point of this thread? Dave Hollins has come on and defended his actions. Where are the 9 usual suspects to pick holes in his use of the letter j in his despicable attempt to cover up his evil actions?

Paddy

I checked the amazon site and saw two negative reviews by people and a bunch of negative comments to boot.

Seems likely that these are DH long time enemies with nothing better to do.

I dont know the background here I just thing its petty to write negative reviews like this when you have a history of conflict with the author. sad …

PS some people certainly do take amazon reviews serviously …

Blucher….think you summed it up in one post!

Hmmm…think I'm turning into a serial poster on this one…..must stop.

Ok…one more….first line of the opening post of this thread was …..

"I was stunned to see David Hollins, respected by some in the Napoleonic field…"
Notice the word 'some' in that opening line…..shows the motives of the poster bueautifully I feel. Enough said….bored now…..have fun love you all xx

I want to see titles that progress the Napoleonic period, not more introduction titles, of which were already available.

I was disappointed with the Armies title which should have contained no more than 5 or 6 armies or the authors given the same playing fields.

Mr. Hollins and his followers prefer to believe that that people do not like him, rather than accept the opinion of the reviewers. I have never met him. Other than his sad 5 start Vainity review I have nothing against him. If people do not want to believe that, that's up to them.

I think enough has been said about the book now. It will sell or not sell itself.

bad wargamer

Glad you like the nickname. I would consider changing yours though, unless you really are a bad wargamer.

I didn't rubbish the book before I saw it. I expressed my opinion on the idea of a small book in size and number of pages that was going to attempt to cover 10 armies, with one of the armies made up of several states. And sadly, that opinion was confirmed when I bought the book. I'd still recommend anyone to buy it though. readers will always find something of interest in any book.

I do not hate Mr. Hollins. I do dislike his attitude to those who disagree with him and his reluctance to reply to people, which is why he has been called a literary coward by others.

Good authors accept criticism and negative reviews, no matter who it is from. Good authors let the book do the selling. They don't resort to desperate attempts to bump up the start rating. And good authors do not write 5 start Vanity Reviews. Mr, Hollins should be ashamed of himself and apologise for doing so. He knows there is no excuse for doing it. Other than that, I'd still buy him a pint in the pub.

There's a a book? cool! What's it like?

It's a rectangular thing with pages and writing, but that's not important.
What is important is that the plane will crash unless you snap out of it.