How the FTC Rules on Reviews Impact Book Reviews

In light of recent developments concerning the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s regulatory recommendations, it is vital for the publishing community, particularly authors and consumers of online book review platforms, to understand the changing landscape of consumer testimonies. The proposed regulations aim to prevent and eliminate deceptive practices, which can distort the consumers' judgment and create an unfair business environment.

The FTC's proposed rules, aimed at safeguarding consumer interests, can be broken down into six distinct areas:

• Fake Consumer Reviews and Testimonials: This regulation prohibits businesses from creating or selling fictitious consumer reviews or testimonials. It additionally bars businesses from utilizing such testimonials if they knew or should have known of their falsity.
• Review Hijacking: The FTC aims to prevent the manipulation of consumer reviews, prohibiting the repurposing of a review for one product to appear as if it was intended for a different product.
• Purchasing Positive or Negative Reviews: This rule bans businesses from providing incentives to consumers for writing reviews expressing a specific sentiment, whether positive or negative.
• Insider Reviews and Consumer Testimonials: This rule bans officers and managers from reviewing their company's products or services without clear disclosures of their relationship with the company.
• Company-Controlled Review Websites: Companies will be prohibited from creating or controlling websites that claim to offer independent reviews of a category of products or services that includes their own.
• Illegal Review Suppression and Selling Fake Social Media Indicators: This rule prevents businesses from intimidating consumers to prevent or remove negative reviews and bars businesses from selling or buying fake indicators of social media influence.

Now, let's consider how these rules would apply to book publishing, particularly on platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and other similar sites.

The FTC rules provide a robust framework that curbs unscrupulous practices in the book publishing industry. By prohibiting the creation, sale, or procurement of fictitious reviews, the FTC discourages the manipulation of the book review ecosystem.

For instance, these rules would prevent a publisher or author from creating fake positive reviews to boost a book's popularity. Also, repurposing reviews for different books (review hijacking) would be outlawed. These proposed regulations will make it more difficult for any party to artificially inflate a book's reputation or undermine competitors.

Further, the prohibition of company-controlled review websites ensures that book review sites are independent, creating a more reliable environment for consumers. It also eliminates the practice of using social media indicators to falsely portray a book's popularity.

One of the most common practices book promotion services use to attract authors is to guarantee reviews on Amazon by paying for reviewers. An author can pay for 1, 10, 100, 200 or more reviews on Amazon or similar sites. This is directly in the crosshairs of what the FTC is trying to stop. If a user gets paid to write a review it is assumed to be biased and deceptive. This even includes a free copy of the book. This has the potential of radically changing Amazon rankings and other factors that made this practice of buying book reviews so popular.

This could end up being a great change for consumers but it may also heavily skew the books they see toward big publishing houses and well known existing authors. This could also end up making book promotion even harder for first-time authors, especially independent/self-published ones. Only time will tell but it’s important for authors to be aware that they are going to need to remove this strategy from their book marketing plans if they use services to buy reviews right now. That is going to be dangerous at best and possibly very expensive depending on who has to pay the FTC fines.

While these rules bring substantial changes to the book review landscape, they do not affect certain practices that are designed to improve the quality of publications. This is how what we offer at eBookFairs is different and safe for the publishing community. The book reviews on our platform are editorial.

The Case for Editorial Book Reviews

An editorial book review is a form of critique designed to give authors insightful and constructive feedback to help them refine their works. Editorial book reviews, offered by services such as eBookFairs.com, are exempt from the FTC's recent rules as they are not customer testimonials but rather professional or amateur critiques meant for the author's benefit.

eBookFairs.com, in its commitment to support authors, offers unbiased editorial reviews. This service is delivered by paid or free readers who do not post reviews on public platforms, eliminating any potential conflict with the FTC's new rules. Instead, these readers provide private feedback directly to the authors, a practice that helps authors to write better books.

As part of eBookFairs' program, readers agree to be added to the authors' email lists. This creates an open communication channel between the author and the reader, further fostering a healthy exchange of ideas and critiques.

Final Thoughts

The FTC's new rules are a significant stride toward a more honest and transparent review environment. They serve as a potent deterrent against unethical practices and help to cultivate a fairer marketplace. While these regulations will indeed reshape the book publishing landscape, they do not hinder services that aim to improve the quality of books. Services like eBookFairs' editorial book reviews play an essential role in this new landscape, offering valuable feedback to authors and supporting the creation of high-quality literature.

Therefore, as an author or a passionate reader, consider becoming a part of eBookFairs' community. It offers an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogues, shape the future of literature, and contribute to an environment built on trust and authenticity. We believe that this is consistent with what the FTC is trying to ensure with their proposed rules on reviews.