The Documentary Podcast - Goodreads’ ‘unfair’ rating problem

Download Goodreads’ ‘unfair’ rating problem

BBC Trending investigates how negative ‘pre-read’ and pre-publication Goodreads ratings are leaving writers - and readers - mystified. Goodreads is a popular website that invites users to track and share their reading habits – through ratings and reviews. But before they even hit the market, some books have attracted negative ratings, leaving authors mystified about who is behind them. So where are these ‘unfair’ ratings coming from - is this the work of individuals with vendettas or bots? And what can be done to stop them? This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from BBC Trending in-depth reporting on the world of social media.

Published on Wednesday, 24th September 2025.

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