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Executive Ability Series
The Executive Ability Series might sound like the kind of business wisdom you’d expect from a top Ivy League professor. In reality, these five books, widely sold in China, were credited to a made-up Harvard expert named Paul Thomas. Even the glowing Wall Street Journal review on the cover was a complete fabrication. Despite these outright fabrications, the series became a massive hit, racking up more than 2 million sales and getting shelved in universities and libraries all over China. Many readers and educators didn’t realize the deception, which only came to light later through investigative reporting. This saga exposed how easy it can be to sway buyers and even academic institutions with a few well-placed fake credentials and reviews. The scale of the hoax forced many to reevaluate the trustworthiness of promotional blurbs and the ethics behind marketing in the publishing world.
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks)
Go Ask Alice arrived on shelves as a raw, intimate diary of a troubled teenage girl. It was marketed as a true story, and this authenticity tugged at the hearts of millions. Eventually, it was revealed to be the work of Beatrice Sparks, who had constructed the narrative from fiction. Nevertheless, the book had already sold almost six million copies and become a staple in classrooms and libraries. The emotional impact and supposed honesty of the book drove its popularity, even as the truth about its origins unraveled. Parents, teachers, and young readers felt both betrayed and compelled, leading to ongoing debates over authenticity in literature. The book’s success showed just how much the illusion of reality can influence both critical and commercial achievement.
Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem
Handbook for Mortals briefly made headlines for a very different reason: it shot to the top of The New York Times bestseller list, only to be yanked off when it was exposed that bulk purchases had been made to artificially inflate its ranking. This incident cast a harsh spotlight on how easily bestseller lists can be manipulated by behind-the-scenes maneuvering. The book’s sudden rise and fall became a talking point in the publishing industry, with many asking how such tactics could go undetected for so long. For readers and writers alike, it was a wake-up call about how “bestselling” doesn’t always mean “beloved by the public.” The controversy also embarrassed the publishing world, which was forced to acknowledge the flaws in its own systems.
The Diamond Club by Patricia Harkins-Bradley (Pseudonym)
The Diamond Club was born out of a podcast joke and quickly became an unexpected hit. Created by podcasters under a fake name, the book was a crowdsourced erotica project packed with listener-submitted content. Its rise up the iTunes bestseller list—reaching number four—was fueled by a flurry of fake and funny reviews that fans left en masse. The project poked fun at the publishing industry while also gaming the system in a way that was both clever and questionable. Many readers were in on the joke, but the stunt highlighted how easily online reviews can be manipulated for publicity. The Diamond Club’s success forced platforms to rethink how they verify both books and reviews.
Storm and Silence by Robert Thier
Storm and Silence started off as a sensation on Wattpad, known for its loyal online following. However, when the book entered the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards, it attracted suspicion due to a sudden flood of five-star reviews and votes. Many believed these glowing endorsements were the work of bots, not real readers. Goodreads investigated and removed a number of suspicious reviews, but the incident threw a spotlight on the vulnerability of literary awards and online voting to manipulation. The episode left fans and critics alike questioning how much influence anonymous, possibly automated, reviews should really have.
Call of the Crocodile by F. Gardner
Call of the Crocodile, a horror series, suddenly surged in popularity with an avalanche of five-star ratings on Goodreads. This caused many to suspect something fishy was going on, and the platform eventually removed a chunk of these suspicious reviews. As a result, the book’s rating took a sharp dive. This case underscored the ongoing struggle platforms face in policing fake reviews, and how easily a book’s reputation can be artificially inflated—or deflated—overnight. For authors, it’s a reminder of both the power and the peril of relying on crowd-sourced praise. Readers, meanwhile, are left to wonder just how much they can trust the numbers.
AI-Generated Nonsense Books on Amazon
In 2022, Amazon’s Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance category was unexpectedly flooded with AI-generated books. These titles, written by algorithms, often contained jumbled, nonsensical stories but somehow climbed the bestseller lists, thanks in part to hundreds of fake reviews. The platform’s review system was clearly not equipped to handle this new wave of synthetic content, raising alarms about quality control and authenticity in digital publishing. As more AI-generated titles popped up, readers found themselves sifting through a sea of questionable books, unsure how to separate the real from the artificial. Amazon faced growing pressure to tighten its moderation and review verification processes in response.
Fake Workbook for “Waving Goodbye”
Warren Kozak, the author of Waving Goodbye, made a bewildering discovery: a fake workbook companion to his book, complete with fabricated reviews, was being sold on Amazon. The counterfeit was so convincing that some readers bought it thinking it was legitimate, until media attention forced Amazon to pull the listing. This incident showed just how vulnerable authors are to copycats and how easily fakes can slip through even with modern technology. It also highlighted a growing problem for online marketplaces, where the sheer volume of listings makes it difficult to police fraud. For buyers, it was a sobering lesson in the importance of double-checking what you’re purchasing.
Cait Corrain’s Review Bombing Scandal
Aspiring author Cait Corrain took review manipulation to a new level, but in a negative direction. She created multiple fake Goodreads accounts, not to boost her own book, but to leave harsh, negative reviews on her rivals’ novels. When her actions came to light, her publisher swiftly canceled her contract and shelved her debut novel. The scandal rocked the writing community, illustrating just how serious the consequences of dishonest tactics can be. This event became a cautionary tale, reminding authors and publishers alike that integrity in promotion is more important than ever in the age of social media and instant feedback.
AI-Generated Books Flooding Amazon’s Bestseller Lists
2022 saw a second, even larger wave of AI-generated books surging onto Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited bestseller lists. These books were notorious for their nonsensical plots and near-meaningless content, yet were often boosted by suspiciously glowing reviews. The flood of algorithmically written titles brought renewed scrutiny to Amazon’s moderation systems, which struggled to keep up with the deluge. As more authors and readers raised concerns, Amazon faced mounting pressure to improve its review-checking tools and crack down on both fake books and fake praise. This ongoing struggle reflects a broader challenge for the entire publishing industry, as technology continues to outpace regulation and oversight.
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
