# Unknowingly buying popularity, and do you tell your friend about it?



## InstituteMan (Sep 25, 2014)

So, a certain buddy of mine with barely the technical knowledge to occasionally send an email and run a word processor, but not much else, has signed up with a certain online publishing house thingy that required him to pay them a smallish (to him) sum to join up. I have tried to be helpful and give good guidance to him, but it also isn't my call. My buddy certainly is getting something for his money, but he doesn't have any clue what it is he is getting.

He complained to me just yesterday about how his 'publisher' required him to get a twitter account and how he had no idea how to use it, that they mandated a certain number of tweets per day and he didn't know how to do that or what to say, etc. I immediately followed him, becoming his 5th follower. He had tweeted twice immediately after getting the account, but then nothing else. Three hours later he hadn't done any more tweeting and hadn't been mentioned, but miraculously he had 490 additional followers. Overnight he added a thousand more, all without a tweet or a mention or being someone in the public eye at all.

Clearly part of that fee he paid his 'publisher' covered purchasing twitter followers. I know this, but I am pretty confident that my friend has no idea that he has any new followers at all, much less that they are bits of code running on servers.

On the one hand, it isn't any of my business. I beta read his book, and it's really and truly good. Gaming popularity on social media and ultimately Amazon sales rankings is something that happens, and maybe the system has been so thoroughly gamed that refusing to play such tricks renders selling your book impossible. Plus, if that approach pushes my pal to success, well, it isn't like he hasn't worked hard to create a product deserving of that success. 

It still feels slimy, though. I don't know if I should affirmatively blow the whistle to my friend or stay quiet (I won't lie if he asks me how he got so many followers so fast).

Any and all guidance from the wisdom of our hive-mind would be appreciated.


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## shadowwalker (Sep 25, 2014)

He's already made the mistake of signing with a vanity publisher. My advice would be not to rub salt in the wound, and hope you can guide him away from future scams - especially agreeing to signing anything else with this company.


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## Santa (Sep 25, 2014)

Publishing is changing so rapidly, it seems like there is an 'anything goes' attitude coming up through the ranks. It was not so long ago that anything outside a traditionally published house was looked at as vanity press. Now with the likes of Lightning Source and other high quality POD printers, self publishing is gaining new (and certainly hard fought) respect. 

A scant few of the VP's are a little less slimy, but only mildly so. They are a lot like a Mississippi Catfish, slippery but they have their good parts. It is difficult for many indies to figure out the formatting and marketing side of the equation, so they seek help wherever it may be found. (Too bad more do not watch great forums like this one.)

As far as the Twitter thing goes, your friend will learn that most of the bought followers are not even in the U.S., and that also goes for bought FB friends as well. They also will have little interest in buying books - his or otherwise. SO while it may look impressive, it's all show and no 'go'.

Unless you are able to really sit down and help him (or her) take control, I'd let them stumble along and learn what they can on the VP's experience. Many of us have to learn from our mistakes, and if your friend didn't ask your advice in the first place, it may be best to keep the friendship and let them continue on.


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## MzSnowleopard (Sep 25, 2014)

IMO The best advice you can give your friend is 'do not renew the agreement'. Let it expire and move on.


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## InstituteMan (Sep 25, 2014)

Thanks, everyone. Sitting tight makes sense, since I can't really do anything now other than say "I told you so." There isn't even really anything to say that about, actually, since the entire thing might work out great for him . . . although I fear that will be unlikely. We will see. I would rather not alienate my friend and be able to offer help later than alienate him now and be left with nothing but a feeling of self righteousness later.


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## escorial (Sep 25, 2014)

let him do what he thinks best..just be there come what may....


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## krishan (Sep 26, 2014)

I think that it would be worth telling him all of the things that you have written in your original post. You don't need to tell him what to _do_ about these facts (as you say, he might be successful despite having set up with a vanity press), but as he is investing time, money and energy into this venture it seems only fair to inform him of potential pitfalls that he might not be able to notice on his own.


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