I've seen posts about this book popping up on my feed over the last couple of days and wanted to tell a bit of a story about it.

I've been active on the amazon forums since probably around 2009.  The forums are a microcosm of the internet, with spats, arguments, cliques and occasional craziness. There is a significant BBA presence on the forums as well, with people self-promoting, and then getting mad when the forum regulars show their (not insignificant) irritation about the near-constant spamming.

The author of this book was a person who found his way to the forums as both an author and as a reader. He became internet friends with many of us - the so-called Amazon Review Mafia, the forum trolls, the active posters who for many months made efforts to provide janitorial services to the book and genre forums on amazon rather than just giving them over to the spammers.

He wrote this book under a pseudonym because he was a funny guy, and also, I imagine, because he was concerned about backlash if he published it under his real name. 

The author of the book passed away very unexpectedly last year. Even now, I am uncomfortable posting his name here, although some of you may figure out his identity from my post. He was a young man, not even thirty, and was a lovely, warm, and genuine person.

The thing about this book is that it is funny, but it is also a bit of an inside joke, written about and for those of us who were called the amazon forum trolls.

This was a humorous guide that spoofs the amazon forum arguments.   It's funny, but at no point did I personally laugh out loud.  I have friends who'd read this book and loved it, so I decided to give it a whirl, and I think I just didn't get it as much as they did.   (I'm not saying the author's wrong, because I don't want to get into a fight with her LOGIC, but perhaps I just didn't enjoy this shit.)

It's short, and I kinda felt drifting at the end, asking myself what the point was.   It's quick, it's easy to read, and I suspect the errors - solstice is used for solace at one point - are intentional.  But I wasn't sure, and this left me questioning the point even more. 

I enjoyed it more than I was bothered, though, so three stars. 

I think this is a question we've all asked ourselves at some point. I've never been to the Amazon Forums, but have enough experience on other forums, so I know more than enough of the drama. Unfortunately.

However, you need worry no more. This guide will give you all information on how to easily spot the trolls (They don't agree with you) and what the best strategy is to follow (Argue, argue, argue!). Because YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT and What would any self-respecting orangutan do?

It's a lovely short satire, it made me laugh. I'm just hoping no one is stupid enough to really take it serious. (Well, if they did, it would be funny :) ) If you're looking for a nice, quick, free read, why not read this book.

Okay, this isn’t a perfect book. There are some typos (though I am convinced some of them are intentional), but it’s so funny. It sends up the whole author who doesn’t stop talking train wreck. Some of the stuff is crazy, but if Michelle Foal is a real person, she must be so fun at a bar.

A short satirical piece on what not to do as an author when confronted with Amazon forum trolls. Not sure what an Amazon forum troll is and how to spot one? Not to worry because Ms. Foal gets to the "nuts and balls of their shady and criminal operation" by offering excellent tips on how to identify them, such as:

"The typical Amazon Forum Troll will usually start to tell you that you have posted in the wrong section or wrong category of Amazon's Forums."

and

"Amazon Forum Trolls frequently use a tactic called 'logic' to defend their arguments."

And perhaps most dastardly of all, the seemingly sound advice used to lure unsuspecting innocents into their sinister web:

"Please stop what you are doing, you are making a fool of yourself and it is damaging your reputation as an author."

Ms. Foal also provides expert advice on how to deal with trolls after they have been identified, such as lash out and act out, email Jeff Bezos, call the police, and call a lawyer. In addition, she lists the various stages of surviving an attack, such as argue, argue, argue, do not listen to reason, and give up by claiming "you were doing this for research."

So, if you have a few minutes to kill and are looking for a good laugh advice on how to identify, deal, and survive the Amazon forum trolls, this book is for you. After all, being labeled a Badly Behaved Author is not a bad thing because:

"This label only means that you are winning."

 

 

 

 Final Rating: 4 stars