Below is a list of authors about which we have received the largest number of complaints regarding unethical practices or about whom, based on documentation, are the most unethical authors. Every author listed has been identified as using many of the following unethical practices:
1. Sockpuppets – including fake users and identities created by the author, friends of author, or associates of the author for the purpose of promoting the author through reviews, discussions, and other commentary.
2. Paid reviews – including reviews purchased from paid review companies, such as Fiverr.com, GettingBookReviews, Craigslist, and others.
3. Paid endorsements – including endorsements and celebrity endorsements bought from Buysellads.com and others.
4. Traded reviews – including reviews traded between authors whether as favors, kickbacks, referrals, or otherwise.
5. Swapped endorsements – including endorsements swapped between authors whether as favors, kickbacks, referrals, or otherwise.
6. Compensated reviews – including reviews bought with promises of remuneration or gifts, such as gift cards given to readers for reviews or merchandise give to readers for reviews, including free kindles.
7. Fake fans or street teams – including paid promoters, friends, family and acquaintances who act as fans and are used to create fake buzz for the author.
8. Misrepresented associations – including authors who repeatedly and habitually misrepresent their associations with author friends they praise publicly.
As we update this list from time, be sure to check back periodically. The list begins with the most egregious offenders:
Hugh Howey – Hugh Howey is the only author, based on documentation, identified as using every unethical practice listed above. Hugh Howey is quite possibly the most notorious author fraud, having purchased thousands of reviews and having used paid promotion teams extensively to act as fake fans.
Melissa Foster – Melissa Foster has the dubious distinction of being the queen of fake writing awards and the only author for which we considered creating an all new category: fake awards.
David Dalglish – David Dalglish has the dubious distinction of quite possibly being the most hateful author alive as he regularly purchases reviews to trash other authors.
A M Hargrove
A Meredith Walters
Aaron Pogue
Alle Wells
Amanda Hocking
Ann Swann
B V Larson
Bella Forrest
Blake Crouch
C C Cole
Carolyn Arnold
Cassia Leo
Cege Smith
Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Cheryl Kaye Tardiff
Collette Scott
D A Graystone
D Ryan Leask
Daniel Arenson
David A Wells
Debora Geary
Dixie Goode
E L Lindley
Edie Claire
Emma Chase
Erica Stevens
Frederick Lee Brooke
Gail McHugh
H M Ward
Hugh Howey
J S Scott
Jasinda Wilder
Jay Allan
Jennifer Probst
Jessica Sorensen
Jillian Dodd
Joanna Lee Doster
John Locke
K Bromberg
K J Bennett
Karen Vaughan
Kenneth Hoss
Kerry Reis
L J Kentowski
Linda Hawley
Linda S Prather
Lorena Angell
M R Mathias
M Todd Gallowglas
Mallory Monroe
Marni Mann
Mary Campisi
Matthew Mather
Melinda Leigh
Michael G Manning
Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Rachel Dover
Rebecca Forster
Rick Bylina
Rick Soper
Robert Pruneda
Rosie Cochran
Ryk Brown
Sandy Wolters
Stephanie Lisa Tara
T R Harris
Tarryn Fisher
This list may not be reproduced without permission.
Amazon Alert: Your Guide to Unethical Authors 