Now a group of writers (along with the Society of Authors) are teaming up to swear off of this bad practice. The group — which includes authors Linwood Barclay, Tom Bale, Mark Billingham, Ramsey Campbell, and David Hewson, among many others.

In a group statement posted online, they called out Stephen Leather, John Locke, and RJ Ellory for messing with the user generated review process and called for Internet users to fight back. Here is an excerpt:

…the only lasting solution is for readers to take possession of the process. The internet belongs to us all. Your honest and heartfelt reviews, good or bad, enthusiastic or disapproving,­ can drown out the phoney voices, and the underhanded tactics will be marginalized to the point of irrelevance. No single author, ­ however devious, ­ can compete with the whole community. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

In 2010, Gaiman wrote: “I propose that, on Hallowe’en or during the week of Hallowe’en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they’ll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they’ll enjoy. I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King and Arthur Machen and Ramsey Campbell and M R James and Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub and Daphne Du Maurier and Clive Barker and a hundred hundred others change hands — new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Hallowe’en. Make their flesh creep … Give a scary book.”

What scary book will you give to a loved one? This GalleyCat editor will share a copy of Demon Theory by Stephen Graham Jones with a friend–it’s a postmodern horror novel that will break your mind into little pieces. Share your recommendations in the comments section and help other readers find scary books to give as gifts.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.