Description : Smith Publicity Inc. is among the publishing industry’s most well-known and successful book marketing, book publicity, and book promotion agencies. We have promoted more than 3,500 books and authors – the most ever by any book publicity agency in the history of publishing. Started in 1997 by Dan Smith, what began as a one-person operation has evolved into an industry leader.
Smith Publicity is ahead of the curve with innovative author promotion services and strategies. We also take pride in being an equal-opportunity book promotion company. We publicize quality books in all genres, both self-published or traditionally published. Our marketing services campaigns cultivate significant media interest and coverage of an author and book. The end goals are to spark book sales, build author brands, and create opportunities beyond the book itself.
The internet is a volatile place. One day an author is celebrated; the next, they are the target of a “review bombing” campaign. This occurs when a large group of people—often who haven’t read the book—flood a platform like Goodreads or Amazon with one-star reviews to lower the book’s rating. The triggers can be political, personal, or simply a misunderstanding that went viral. For an author, watching their average rating plummet in real-time is terrifying. While most book marketing companies focus on getting good reviews, it is equally vital to have a strategy for managing bad ones, especially when they are malicious.
Review bombing is distinct from genuine criticism. It is a coordinated attack on the book’s metadata. It damages discoverability and author morale. However, it is survivable. The key is to react professionally, not emotionally, and to understand the technical levers available to mitigate the damage.
Step 1: Do Not Engage Publicly
The author’s first instinct is to defend themselves. They want to reply to the reviews, tweet about the injustice, or argue with the trolls. This is fatal. Engaging feeds the algorithm and the drama. It brings more attention to the attack.
The “Streisand Effect” applies here: trying to suppress or argue with the mob only makes the mob louder. The advice is strict: Silence. Do not tweet. Do not reply to the reviews. Lock your social media accounts if necessary. Deprive the attackers of the reaction they crave. The storm often passes faster if it meets no resistance.
Step 2: Document and Report to Platforms
While the author stays silent publicly, the team works privately. Review bombing violates the Terms of Service (ToS) of most platforms. Amazon and Goodreads have policies against reviews that are not based on the product experience (e.g., reviews based on the author’s political views or off-platform behaviour).
The publisher or publicist should compile a dossier of evidence. Screenshots of tweets organising the raid, timestamps of the influx, and the content of the reviews (often generic or identical) should be sent to the platform’s support team. Goodreads has become more responsive to this issue, often freezing reviews or removing the “off-topic” ones. It is a slow process, but an official appeal is the only way to remove the stars.
Step 3: Mobilise the “White Knights” (Carefully)
If you have a loyal newsletter list or a “Street Team,” you can alert them—carefully. Do not ask them to go fight the trolls. That leads to a flame war that platforms might interpret as “manipulation” on your part.
Instead, ask them to mark the positive reviews as “Helpful.” Amazon and Goodreads sort reviews by “Most Helpful.” If the top reviews are 1-star trolls, it looks bad. If the top reviews are detailed, 5-star analyses from Verified Purchasers, the trolls are pushed down the page. You are not deleting the hate; you are burying it under quality.
Step 4: The Pivot to “Controversial” Marketing
Sometimes, you can turn the attack into an asset. If the review bombing is due to the book’s subject matter (e.g., a book about climate change being bombed by deniers), you can lean into it. “The book they don’t want you to read.”
This is risky but effective. It rallies the opposing side. Media outlets often cover stories of review bombing. A well-placed op-ed about “Censorship by the Mob” can generate massive sympathy sales. It reframes the low rating not as a sign of poor quality, but as a badge of honour. It signals to the right readers that this book is making waves.
Conclusion
Review bombing is a modern hazard of public life. It feels personal, but it is usually performative. By maintaining professional silence, leveraging platform moderation tools, and focusing on your actual readers, you can weather the storm. The algorithm eventually corrects itself, and quality tends to win in the long run.
Call to Action
To protect your reputation with professional crisis management strategies, contact our team.
Visit: https://www.smithpublicity.com/
