Review of "Bat Shit Crazy Review Requests," by Gisela Hausmann

Review of

Bat Shit Crazy Review Requests, by Gisela Hausmann ISBN 9781983551833


Four out of five stars

The lengths to which people will go to be wrong

 As someone that has done a great deal of reviewing and received many requests for the “assistance” of my writing a review, I have a great deal of experience in this subject matter. Therefore, while Hausmann states that all emails in the book are fictitious, it is most unlikely that is completely true. The names and other information that could be used to identify the sender has been deleted or modified, but the messages in the book all ring true to what I have experienced.

 Some requests will offer money for a review when it is known by all that Amazon and many other review sites expressly forbid it. Other messages offer a “you do one for me and I will do one for you,” arrangement, some will explicitly include the phrase “five star review” in both locations of the word “one.” This is also a forbidden transaction. What is just as galling is when a person you do not know considers it offering you a privilege to read and review their book and even expect your help in writing it.

 As Hausmann demonstrates, there are many ways to offend a potential reviewer and fewer ways to do it right. Politeness and humility are what will get a quality reviewer’s attention along with the explicit understanding that the reviewer is free to bluntly state their opinion of the work and will not edit/write it for them.

 Disclaimer: I have known and corresponded with Gisela Hausmann for over five years and consider her a friend and esteemed colleague. We have advised each other in our writing endeavors.