Today I logged on to Amazon to check on my novels because:
1) I’m perpetually curious about my ranking (it’s like some sort of validation to my worth as an author) and,
2) as much as I advise others to ignore reviews, I still look.

Yesterday, Love Unscripted had 1145 reviews.

Today, Love Unscripted had 1144 reviews.

This is not the first time reviews have disappeared. Several weeks ago, the number of reviews on all my novels were much higher.

And then, overnight, something mysterious happened. Poof, about 75 reviews disappeared into the nether.

So what’s causing some reviews to disappear while others remain untouched?

Before I go on, I want to emphatically state I have NEVER, EVER, EVER paid an outside entity, my best friends, or random strangers on the street to leave me a book review. Let’s just push that thought way off the table because it doesn’t apply here. If you paid some click farm to give you fake reviews, those fake reviews SHOULD be deleted. That’s cheating.

So what did I do? I’ll tell ya. I did what any emotionally connected author does. I created a Tweet and was pleasantly shocked Amazon replied to it within 40 minutes of my pressing that post button:

For months, I’ve seen readers and our awesome blogger community post that their reviews were being rejected, removed, with little to no explanation. Common claims were being made which were freaking alarming:

“Their response. They were too similar to other reviews or I know the author personally.”

So I clicked on the handy link Amazon supplied to me in their Twitter reply and read their policy word for word. Here is their “Customer Review Creation Guidelines”

Oddly, in their Guidelines it does it state you cannot be friends with the author.  “For the same reason, family members or close friends of the person, group, or company selling on Amazon may not write Customer Reviews for those particular items.” 

It seems the friendship thing is a major reason why reviews are being deleted. Don’t believe me that it’s happening? Here’s an outside article on it: Amazon Blocking Reviews from Authors’ Friends & Acquaintances 

WHAT DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT YOU AND I ARE CLOSE FRIENDS?

Facebook was created in 2004
Twitter was created in 2006
The first Kindle was released November, 2007
The Kindle App was released late 2009/early 2010

I self published my first book in early 2009 in print, because real paper books were more in demand.

It was only through networking on Facebook I found readers and a few bloggers. I’d emailed numerous bloggers asking them to take a chance on a self-published book. And I did something ballsy stupid/smart – I emailed Jeff Bezos directly and asked him why CreateSpace novels were not eligible for entry into the Amazon sanctioned “Vine Review” program. Due to their response and some awesome first communications with CreateSpace peeps, Love Unscripted was offered into their program. To this day, I’m fairly certain no self-published titles are offered to their professional review squad.

Back then and pretty much today: Without valid book reviews, you are/were unsubstantiated.

Anyway, over the years, SOCIAL MEDIA RELATIONSHIPS went on to launch countless author careers and we rely HEAVILY on those relationships to continue building our reader audience. We have built COMMUNITIES. We have built NETWORKS for other authors to find their foothold. We have created author/reader face-to-face meetings at book signings all over the globe.

And then…

During the second quarter of 2013, Amazon bought GOODREADS, and in the last three years, has amassed a network of readers, bloggers, and author data into their HAL 9000 computer system.

NOW IT SEEMS THESE INTERCONNECTED RELATIONSHIPS ARE A NO-NO because HAL thinks we’re gaming the system. It’s the only explanation to be gathered from a system reply that reviews were deleted because you personally know the author.

Well, some scoundrels out there are, in fact, gaming the system. For the rest of us honest folks (WHO LOVE AND LIVE BY AMAZON by the way), the relationships we’ve built are harming the ability to give an author an honest review.

It’s also been reported that AUTHORS CANNOT LEAVE REVIEWS FOR OTHER AUTHORS. Funny, every author I know is an avid reader. It’s why we fell in love with the written word in the first place. See the news article on that HERE.

So what can you as an AUTHOR or BLOGGER or READER do to fix this systematic deletion of your reviews? The power of Facebook networking came though today with a list of things to do:

1. Disconnect Facebook from Goodreads.   Go into your Goodreads Account Settings and disconnect everything. Make sure you log into Goodreads via an email and password, not “log on with Facebook.”

2. Have different emails for logging into Facebook and Amazon.

3.  Disconnect your social settings from Amazon.

4. Clear your computer cache and browsing history regularly.

5. I’ve HEARD, and this is just rumor, that there may be issues with authors gifting Amazon GIFT CARDS as prizes. That Amazon may be thinking we are paying readers for reviews with gift cards when in reality we’re just trying to be cool and build our reputation as nice, giving, loving people.

6. This brings up the next thought: What about when we GIFT ebook copies and then get a review? Authors gift copies all the time. I have no substantial proof of a correlation between gifted ebook copies and removed reviews, but  there’s always a possibility these reviews are removed as well. Again, just conjecture – not fact.

HOPE THIS HELPS. Not sure if it will fix the problem, but we’ve got to start somewhere. My biggest fear is that the data from Goodreads, Facebook, social media and Amazon is already captured, and changing settings now won’t make a difference.

If you know of any other tips, tricks, insight, words of wisdom on the subject, please email authortinareber@gmail.com so I can add it to this post.

Hugs and happy reading,

T

3 years ago, on September 30, 2012, one of my biggest dreams came true.

My second novel, Love Unrehearsed, hit the N.Y. Times Bestsellers list.

Holy crap. As an author, that’s like getting an Oscar.

I came in at #9 on the list. The following week, LU2 was still on the list at #18. I also achieved my best rank, #5 on Amazon’s Top 100.

The first in the two book series, Love Unscripted, was also in the top 100 on Amazon.

Never in a million years would I have thought it possible. NEVER.

But what few people know is these two novels would be NOTHING without the help of a few very awesome women I am fortunate to have in my life.

Love Unscripted started as a dream-for real. A famous, young guy ran into my coffee shop. From there, every day, words bombarded my every thought. I started typing them out just to have a place for them to exist beyond my imagination. I’d always been one to write my thoughts and feelings down. I have spiral notebooks and kept diaries and purged heartbreak and confusion and all those angsty emotions we all go through when we grow.

Twilight, both in book and movie form, was all the rage, bringing a newfound love of reading to many. Likeminded ladies started talking about it. We had something else in common at work beyond the daily gossip and job-induced frustration purging. I told a few co-workers about my dream, about my words, and soon after that, a few started reading what I’d typed. Love Unscripted was originally titled My Wednesday, as those were the first two words in the original manuscript. My Wednesday started out….

As luck would have it, TODAY is also Wednesday. Weird….

One amazing gal in particular, my friend Janelle Storch (as she was titled back then) was willing to read my rambling paragraphs which I sent to her in hourly emails. I’d stare at my screen, hoping she would ignore whatever else she had going on to view my mails. Fortunately for me, she’d read them and most of the time she’d edit and send back suggestions or we’d meet in my office and lunch to brainstorm. Since we both no longer work for the same company, I guess it’s okay to admit we racked up quite a bit of time talking and plotting while we put other reasons on our time-sheets.

Without Janelle’s unending support and encouragement, I don’t know what would have come about. LU1 would probably still be a 220,000 word MS Word document sitting on some long-forgotten jump drive or I would have self-published a really crappy novel.

Janelle talked me off the ledge so many times when I just wanted to toss the entire idea in the trash. She gave me the “kick-in-the-ass” I needed to keep going.

I’ve kept her emails, her red-line comments and suggestions, and when I was finally able to, shared earnings as well. I put her in the next book and gave her witty dialogue because she went way above and beyond for me and earned it.

We made a hell of a team and I’m forever grateful.

Finding readers outside my familiar circle was difficult. In 2008-09, book blogging had just started to bloom (I think as another result of Twilight and the crave to find something else to fill the void after we all read them) but very few were reading “indie” self published books. Most aspiring authors were searching for literary agents and submitting their manuscripts with hopes they’d make it out of the slush pile. Instead, I scoured the web, searching for bloggers willing to read my novel.  Somehow I managed to find a few daring souls.

One of the first was this lovely gal, Shannan, over at girlsinthestacks.com. She and her two partners-in-crime were still drunk on Twilight, the “boy with the bread” Peeta from Hunger Games, and stalking author Maggie Stiefvater when I begged them to give my brick a read.

She told me she loved it, blogged about it, and gave me their love and one of my first public ratings.

You may recognize their names as Shannan, Nancy, and Stacy are characters in LU2.

Another daring soul answered my prayers all the way from Turanga, New Zealand. This gal Paula Phillips from The Phantom Paragrapher gave LU a read and then gave me her love and support. We became fast friends. She, along with her wickedly cool blue hair at the time, also became a character in LU2.

I’m pretty sure “Ryan Christensen’s” bodyguard, Mike Murphy, had sex with her, although the exact details are unavailable and the rest is just hearsay. Someone check her phone for pictures.

Rita Knits and her blog gave me love too. She was Robsessed like the rest of us and between her social media shoutouts and unending love, interest in LU1 increased. We became thick as thieves, sharing our Robsession, and a forever friendship was formed. I made her adopt me as some wayward niece and “Aunt Rita” was born.

She then proceeded to give Ryan Christensen shit about not forgetting his roots in LU2 at the family picnic.

So many others followed and, believe me, I feel like shit for not listing every darn person’s name who gave me help and support.

Then it became time to “put up or shut up” and continue “Ryan and Taryn’s” love story so I began writing Love Unrehearsed.

Like every author/writer I know, we all go through crippling periods where we think every word we write is utter crap and we should find another career because our family will STARVE if we have to survive on the bland drivel written in this damn manuscript.

Along came my next angel just when she was meant to appear – a lovely reader turned friend named Janiea Hill. I’ve never had the honor of meeting her in person, but I can guarantee you when I do I’m going to probably squeeze her too hard and hold her for an inappropriately long time because without her help, Unrehearsed would have put me in the padded cell with no windows. I know it. She knows it.

This woman, let me tell ya, spent HOURS on the telephone with me, chatting, plotting, thinking, bouncing ideas, kicking me in the ass, forming the “remember when he asked for her phone number and she wrote ‘no’ on a napkin? I loved that.”

Shortly thereafter, the “vows on napkins” was written.

One day I will get to hug you, woman. I will probably kiss your face too so you might want to just expect that. We need to catch up again because life keeps getting in the way.

Distance and time mean nothing, because you are forever in my heart. 

During the creation of  Jacked, Sherry and Jen have been my lifesavers and support crew, along with so many other amazing women who believe in me.

Writing a novel is a very isolating experience. Thoughts in the author’s head are what forms the story but in many cases, it takes a village to give our words that robust life readers get to experience.

Today, as I reminisce on my journey as an author, I again pay homage to those “pillars” who gave me strength when I couldn’t do it alone.

THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, SUPPORT CREWS, TRIBE, READERS, BLOGGERS, AND FELLOW AUTHORS.

Only together we achieve greatness.

“DREAMS ONLY COME TRUE WHEN YOU POINT YOURSELF IN THEIR DIRECTION.”

Hugs and love,

Tina

I want to give a new Kindle Fire away to someone. I want to do an act of kindness for someone who may not be as fortunate or lucky. So for this last giveaway, please help me make it special. I want to give the gift to someone who NEEDS IT, not someone looking to upgrade or just collect one more thing. I want to give the Kindle to someone who DESERVES an act of kindness to be bestowed to them. And I want YOU to feel the goodness, because the person who receives it will appreciate it.

To enter this giveaway, send me an email to author@tinareber.com and tell me why YOU or SOMEONE YOU KNOW AND LOVE deserves a new Kindle Fire. Serious entries only – please – no trickery or deceptions to try to get something for free.

This is also only for US Residents to keep it simple (sorry my foreign friends).

Winner will also receive all three ebooks of mine.

Winner will be selected and announced here on my website, on Author Tina Reber page on Facebook, and on Twitter APRIL 14TH.

Hugs and Love,

Tina

UPDATE:  One of my readers, Lela Lescallette, has sweetened this giveaway with graciously paying it forward and adding a $25 Amazon Kindle Gift Card to the winner!!

 Thanks to all who entered.

And the winners are:

From Facebook:  Lindsey Armstrong

From Instagram:  Molly Dewey

Congratulations, ladies!  Please forward your mailing address information to:  authortinareber@gmail.com

Every day, I try to start my day (and yours) with a positive message. I constantly remind myself that good energy is so much more healthy than bad and so it’s even more disheartening to me when I find myself drowning in the murkiness of negativity.

I ended my social media whirlwind at 1 in the morning with tapping in these last words into my cell: “I HATE THIS.”

Instead of writing a novel, I was caught up in the crap that comes along with finding yet another person has a pirated copy of my novel (and a shit ton of others from my peers) up for grabs on her blog site.

Instead of having an “atomous bombus” solution to eradicating the thief from social media, everyone scattered and took sides. Don’t post the link. Out the thief. We are all crazy. Now the wench has more likes on her page. Don’t show how to get my book for free. This site needs to be taken down immediately!

So somebody (but not me) do something!!

I chose a path. Out the THIEF. EDUCATE the public that in fact HERE IS ANOTHER SHINING EXAMPLE OF THIEVERY IN THE BOOK COMMUNITY, while some of my author friends said “why did you do that?”

Okay, how else do we get the thief shut down and off of social media?

How do we let our readers and our awesome bloggers know the full affect of how ebook piracy is a real, tangible thing?

Well – maybe those people who pirate my novels would never have purchased them in the first place. I can just lay down now and give up and let the rats pick at my body and pull my last dollar from my pocket. After all, it was only a years-worth of research, of interviews, of tears, of having your husband tell you to your face that you’re neglecting your family because of writing that book to be up for grabs. No biggie.

I searched the thief’s website and found her picture and profile happily shining at the bottom of the page and so I decided to OUT THE THIEF as well. HERE IS THE FACE OF SOMEONE STEALING DIGITAL CONTENT AND SHARING IT WITH THE WORLD.  IT’S REAL, FOLKS. HERE SHE IS!

Within moments, well-meaning friends sought to protect me. “Aren’t you worried you’ll get into trouble posting her picture as she’s a minor?”

Whoa – She stole from me (and you) and yet I have to be worried about getting into trouble?  The girl is in India. I’ve been to India several times. It’s a long-ass flight. Why, as the victim, should I be worried?

You know, back in the day if you committed a crime you were publicly hung in the town square, and your crime and punishment served as an example and a warning to the rest of the villagers. Didn’t thieves have their fingers or hands cut off?

Nope – now we have to worry. We have to scatter instead of banding together with a viable solution to stop the illegal activity. I’m waiting for someone to call me a bully because I posted the thief’s identity.

So what do we do, folks? Nothing? Something? Scatter and worry? Should we all just say screw it and let book piracy continue because, hey, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway, so let’s just ignore it?

Yeah, let’s ignore it.

Yeah, it’s just a few hundred thousand illegal downloads.

Maybe the pirate site will be corrupt and the people who illegally download books will get the Kindle version of herpes?

Yeah, Kindle herpes with a nasty case of itching. Hopefully some computer whiz will create a virus for this kind of bull instead of embedding their worms into shared email jokes.  Would be nice of their screens froze or if an anti-piracy hammer fell from the sky and smashed their device. 

As for me, I want a PUBLIC LYNCHING.

YOU STEAL, YOU DIE A HUMILIATING DEATH IN THIS COMMUNITY.

YOU PLAGIARIZE, YOU DIE A HUMILIATING DEATH IN AUTHORDOM.

YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH IT, YOU’RE WRONG AND HERE ARE THE HISTORICAL FILES TO SHOW ALL OF THE PUBLIC LYNCHINGS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU.

E-Book prices are the topic of many other wars going on right now between publishers, book sellers, authors, readers.  Most self published titles are under 6 dollars. Traditionally published titles have more overhead and therefore ebook prices are a bit higher.  There are a bazillion titles for free already from authors just wanting you to give their work a chance. There are fellow authors dropping down to the .99 pennies price (which is another topic that draws sides like the splitting of the Red Sea). My point is, there are things I want in life that I can’t afford. Just because I can’t afford them doesn’t mean I have the right to STEAL them.

Come on, world. What the hell are we doing?

If you obtain something that has a price associated to it and you didn’t pay for it, you are STEALING. Unfortunately, there is no punishment for the crime. No hauling her ass away to jail for 500 acts of Internet theft. No fines imposed on those who can be traced to downloading the files. No penalties. Just piles of victims who are not allowed to cry or demand retribution. We have no action or recourse and in turn fear calling attention to it. It makes me sick.

Or is all of this just an opinion I’m not supposed to share or take a stand on?

I want to see someone arrested.

I want to know the NAMES of the criminals.

I want to see authors banding together to educate the community that this stuff happens and IT WON’T BE TOLERATED instead of looking around at everyone, just hoping that someone else will do something about it.

I cannot believe 2013 is almost over. This year has been so magical, so wonderful, and as Thanksgiving has just passed and Christmas and New Year are days away, I can’t help but reminisce and reflect on how truly blessed my year has been.

Not only have my wonderful readers helped me achieve the dream of getting on the New York Times Best Sellers List, you have shown me so much love, I can only hope I deserved it.

I have had the privilege of traveling all around the United States in 2013, from Boston to Seattle, from Florida to Texas, and even all the way to the coast of California, to MEET and HUG and LOVE so many wonderful readers from all around the globe.

I never thought that writing the stories in my head would GIFT me with so many amazing friendships, too. That just blows my mind that such a thing would even be possible, let alone my reality.  And the power of electronic tools allows us to talk every day, to share our loves, our woes, our triumphs, our setbacks. I am so grateful for the community that we’ve built together, and being a part of it every day makes me want to be a better person, a better friend, a better author.

All of this warm and cozy wonderfulness was made possible because we all have a common thread that ties us together – an unwavering love of reading.

Throughout the year, I’ve tried my best to give something back to my readers, and this holiday time is the perfect time to end 2013 on a high note by giving the gift of reading to a few lucky folks. The drawing for winners will take place on December 18, 2013.

But before we go on, there are a FEW RULES to this End of 2013 giveaway.

Yeah, I know. Rules schmooles. Sorry… here goes.

RULE #1

I am giving away 3 Kindle Paperwhites BUT the Paperwhites ARE NOT YOURS TO KEEP.

That’s right – we are going to embrace the TRUE MEANING of selflessness this holiday season.  These devices are not for you, but for YOU TO GIVE THE GIFT OF READING TO SOMEONE ELSE.

THREE WINNERS will be selected to receive a brand new Kindle Paperwhite. I will be giving one of them away.  I have given two of my very special blogger friends, Aestas Book Blog and Autumn Review, Paperwhites to give away too, so make sure you see the links below.

To enter to win, you must post a comment nominating someone else (first name only) who you feel deserves to win and a brief reason why. I want to know why this person is so special to you and why they should get a special present from Reber Santa.

Yes, you can enter all three giveaways below.

Yes, you can enter more than once (one per day though) to nominate a different friend.

Yes, you can enter all three giveaways for the Kindles.

RULE #2

If your entry (for your friend) is selected, the Kindle will be shipped directly from Santa Reber to them, not you, so we will be asking you for THEIR mailing address. In case you missed it, you MUST NOMINATE SOMEONE WHO DESERVES IT to win the Kindles.

If you are a liar, liar pants on fire and intend to keep the gift for yourself, please know that Santa sees when you are naughty. And SHAME on YOU for being dishonest.  Give the chance to someone else who may not be able to afford a new ereader to win it.

RULE #3

You do NOT have to nominate someone to receive the signed books or ebooks. Yep, YOU get a chance to win something for yourself, even if you’ve been naughty all darn year.

RULE #4

This is the one you will grumble about, but you must be a US Resident to enter and to receive the Kindle and the signed books.  The ebooks are coming from Amazon.com, so you have to be able to accept a Kindle version from the good ol’ USA. Sorry, but shipping these items overseas is just simply ridiculous. But see Aestas’ giveaway. She’s got one for the international peeps.

And lastly:

Which is really more of a request than a hard and fast rule, but I’d love to see a PICTURE of the final recipient with their new Kindle and/or signed books.  You can send it to me via email to authortinareber@gmail.com or post it on my author page on Facebook (authortinareber) or tag me on Twitter (TinaReber).

Remember to hold the camera up slightly and shoot downwards as it eliminates the double chin (lesson #1 from those who’ve attended my book signing selfie shot hallway workshops).

Thanks for reading!

From my family to yours, have a blessed holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

XO,

Tina

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LINK TO THE GIVEAWAY AT AESTA’S BOOK BLOG – ENTER HERE

LINK TO THE GIVEAWAY AT THE AUTUMN REVIEW – ENTER HERE

Questions?  Send an email to me at authortinareber@gmail.com

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock in your yoga pants while being distracted by shiny things all day like I have been, we need to acknowledge that today – well for the next, um… few measly hours, that it is:

NATIONAL AUTHOR’S DAY!

Yep, I searched it on Google, and Google said that THE OFFICIAL day is November 1 st, so it has to be a fact, right?

So this post is for all of you who get up every day, push the kids out of the house, and attempt to write about the crazy shiz that rolls around in your brain. For those of you who have never attempted to write a novel, most of the time we are like this:

                                                                                 “Why did I think this was a bright idea?” 

At least forty times a week, we want to do this:

“I hate my writing. It all sucks. You must die.”

Sometimes, it leads to this:

Or this:

Our families wonder where the hell we went. The kids resort to texting us while we’re in the same room.

Our husbands eventually get frustrated with a dirty house and sink full of dishes and with any luck they kick in to help.

But while they are doing the dishes, we are imagining this:

And this:

And most definitely this, because that’s in the book too.

While doing this:

Which hopefully leads to this:

And NOT this:

And we thank the heavens for:

Until we get to the ugly parts about being a writer:

On Release Day, we are like this:

Until the reviews that tell us how much we suck start rolling in:

When all we wanted was for you to be this:

And maybe just a bit of this:

So for National Author’s Day, I guess there is only one more thing left to say:

 GO HUG AN AUTHOR TODAY!

Here is a great “cheat sheet” to add to your reference library. Punctuation mistakes are something that blatantly stand out to readers, so here are some great tips to help you punctuate correctly. Click on the 12 Punctuation Tips PDF file link below.

What do grandmas taste like?  Depends.

Now go edit your WIPs!

12 Punctuation Tips PDF File

Please join me as I do a live chat, hosted by the wonderful ladies over at 50 Shades of Gabriel Crossfire Unscripted Destiny Book Club!

Here is their Facebook profile if you want to follow them:  https://www.facebook.com/50GabrielCrossfireUnscriptedDestiny

This will be held Wednesday, October 30th, from 8 to 9 PM Eastern Time Zone (NY Time)

Click on the link here to join the chat!  http://www.chatzy.com/50sogcud

Hope you can join me! Can’t wait to talk with you all!!

xo,

Tina

What an amazing year this has been! I’ve gotten to see so many of my readers on the Love Unscripted/Unrehearsed book tour, hugged a lot of you, praised husbands and boyfriends for carrying your piles of books at the signings, and taught a few out in Seattle the proper way to take “selfies” to make those pesky double-chins go away.  Many of you braved the cold in Boston, endured the heat and  humidity in Orlando, and flew around the globe just to hang out.

Thank you for making the 2013 tour memorable!

I’m so excited to take this opportunity to show you my new website! The amazing team of Rachel and Stephen over at CRE8D-DESIGN.COM hooked me up.  I hope you find it easy to navigate and informative. We are still working on some of the pages and links, but the rest is all live and ready for you to surf.

Oh, and then something else amazing happened last night. As if Christmas came early, I woke to a very sweet present.

This, of course, is totally a good reason for a celebration.  Totally.  13,000 of you like me? I hope you are all huggers, because I feel a massive group hug coming on. Okay, so maybe some of you are not into hugging; that’s cool.  How about a chance to win this instead?

      2 Lucky winners will win one!

If you haven’t seen the new Paperwhite, it’s really cool.  It’s thin and backlit for those late night reading marathons. You know what I’m talking about. Don’t try to tell me you haven’t hid under the covers at least once, trying to get one more chapter in.

Due to overseas shipping costs, this is available to U.S. Residents only.

ONE of you will have a chance to win a set of Love Unscripted/Unrehearsed signed paperbacks.  This is open to INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES, TOO.

TEN of you will have a chance to win one of these – a $10 Gift Card from Amazon!

This is open to INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTS BUT MUST ACCEPT US DOLLAR ONLY. Currency conversions will NOT be made for winners. Please don’t ask.

THIRTEEN of you will have a chance to win a “LOVE IS UNSCRIPTED AND UNREHEARSED” bracelet, along with some signed swag.

THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE!  GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway