[Web4lib] Librarians Create Bestseller

[Jonathan Gorman]

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 04:30:31 -0400
>From: "wroldfie" <wroldfie at library.uwaterloo.ca>  
>Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Librarians Create Bestseller  
>To: <web4lib at webjunction.org>
>
>All week I have been digesting the response I received on Monday for a post
>with the same title. I spent years researching and writing a book only to be
>told that the book doesn't matter, promotion is all that is important. So I
>research the marketplace and find this behemoth, Amazon.com, which is
>revolutionizing the way books are marketed in the world. I discover a way to
>use this reality but it will take the help of my friends and I do have a lot
>of friends in the library world. If the experiment on Friday is successful,
>I plan on using the title, 'Librarian Create Bestseller' in the press
>release because I believe the publicity would be good for librarians and
>because if it happens at all it will be because of librarians.
>
>If you have comments, PLEASE DO NOT respond to the list.
>


I have to say, I was ignoring this general thread until this email.  I think your request (or shout, I suppose) for no responses is in poor taste.  This is a public mailing list for discussion and announcements about web technologies and libraries. If you don't want to start conversations, don't promote your book on this or other mailing lists.  

Amazingly enough, even though there's a thin connection here between web technologies, as represented by Amazon and how it rates bestsellers, recommend books etc.  Certainly criticism for on your experiment is valid and also allowing people to add any additional information that might indicate that the experiment is less than legitimate should be kosher.  If you have the right to announce, certainly people have the right to warn.

I'm willing to give everyone the benefit of a doubt, but I do have to say the motive for the experiment seem suspect and the actual method of the experiment seems weak.  First, you stand to make a personal gain from this experiment.  Second, how do you think this appears to those outside the library world?  Do you really want patrons who pick up the book to think "They only bought this because they're connected to the author"?  Do they start wondering, "Are they all crooks who just buy each other's book?"?  I think there might be more negative reaction then you expect.


I have a hard time seeing how this would be different from using public funds to support a friends business based only on the friend saying "I've been trying to get a city contract for 28 years.  We'll get you a good story in the paper of you get us the contract." Or a better analogy.  A research is investing pump & dump stock scams.  So he invests personal money before the experiment in certain stocks.  He then engages in the pump & dump scam, writes a paper and articles for the popular press, but ultimately keeps the money earned from the stock.


As others have said there's better ways of doing this experiment.   First, get some grant money.  Then select (randomly according to criteria) several items that's on Amazon.  Have people in various locations over various times buy the item and see how the ranking changes.  Use the grant money to cover these expenses.


It's too bad that the personal connection makes the experiment suspect, I would like to see something similar done.  As I said, I extend the benefit of a doubt and assume that you are excited about the publication of your book and got a little carried away.  I congratulate you on it and wish you better luck in publishing your next work.
 


Jon Gorman
Research Information Specialist
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign