Amazon have had something running in the US for a few months now called the Vine Programme. The idea is that they get a list of customers who have written customer reviews and offer them products for free ahead of the official release dates, and in return all those customers have to do is write reviews which will go on the Amazon site, listed above the normal customer reviews.
I don’t know if they charge the publisher/manufacturer for doing this. I suspect they do. At the very least I would expect the publisher/manufacturer to be bearing the cost of the freebies and not Amazon. Either way, it looks like a good thing for the reviewers: they get free stuff and a chance to give their opinion on it with more chance of being read.
The only snag is that you can’t apply to be reviewer: you have to be invited. The invitation is supposed to be on the basis of being a highly-ranked reviewer based on feedback, though the conspiracy theorists may speculate on whether buying a lot of stuff is a factor and whether your reviews are predominantly negative or positive.
The concept has now crossed the Atlantic and I got an e-mail from Amazon the other day inviting me to take part. I almost deleted the e-mail, thinking it was yet another highly-targeted sales pitch, but fortunately I didn’t.
I enjoyed getting a free book off Amazon last year for review, even though it was an extremely thick book with a short time to submit a review and arrived just as I was setting off on holiday. If this results in some free stuff I like then its great, and if it results in free stuff I don’t like there will be some extra raffle prizes at the next community centre fete or Labour party meeting.
Publishers can get pretty free with proof copies. We can have a rep drop off four or five at a time to us and we are only a small store. The fact that they turn up with only a week or so to get the thing read & reviewed makes it more of a chore than a pleasure sometimes so I think Amazon are just getting folk to do their dirty work!
One word of caution though – one or two publishers are starting to get a bit shirty about people selling on pre-publication proofs. Some have even threatened legal action…. (Handbags at dawn I feel)
Well I will keep schtum about the odd proof copy that you directed this way!
There is, I believe, an element of choice so I don’t think I would get lumbered with an obligation to plough through a Jeffrey Archer or anything.
And fortunately there is a little clause that says you can’t sell stuff on and have to be willing to return stuff on request. I doubt they would ask normally, but it means I can keep it all with a clear conscience instead of giving it up for raffles 😉
The whole thing appeals to my love of a bargain though – with the bonus of getting to force my opinions on other people.