BBC World had a feature today about fake reviews.

It's everywhere and for everything. From Hollywood film companies paying for fake endorsements to counteract a deluge of negative reviews of their latest multi-million-dollar mega-flop, to rival guest houses posting fake 'customer experiences' designed to drag a reputation that has been established through years of consistently excellent service into the gutter.

International corporations are not above it and neither are independent authors.

Let us call it what it is. It's fraud.

I ask only that anyone who posts a review of one of my books has first, actually read it and, second, expresses their genuine opinion. I don't want my friends to review my stuff in glowing terms if they didn't enjoy it and I don't want anyone to slag off my work without reading it. I will send free books to reviewers and hope that it produces a favourable result and I will encourage readers to post reviews, but I will never, ever, pay for a review.

As Martin Amis said; 'reviews are all you have'.

If they are not genuine, what have you got?