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A first-time author busted for writing bad reviews of books by authors of color on an Amazon-owned site has been dropped by her publisher.
According to reports, sci-fi fantasy author Cait Corrain was found to have left numerous one-star reviews for books by Black authors and other authors of color on Goodreads while giving her upcoming book, Crown of Starlight, excellent ratings.
The “review-bombing” controversy forced her publisher, Del Rey Books, to announce that Corrain’s book won’t be published in 2024.
“We are aware of the ongoing discussion around author Cait Corrain,” Del Rey Books’ post on X, formerly Twitter said last Monday (December 11). “CROWN OF STARLIGHT is no longer on our 2024 publishing schedule.” In a follow-up tweet, the imprint owned by Penguin Random House also stated that they would not publish other books on Corrain’s contract. Corrain’s first-ever novel was slated to be published on May 14, 2024, and had earned positive reviews in advance. Corrain was also dropped by her literary agent, Rebecca Podos, and her press affiliate.
Corrain’s behavior was chronicled by Canadian sci-fi fantasy author Xirin Jay Zhao in a TikTok video, which covered Corrain’s bad reviews targeting Black authors like Bethany Baptiste and other POC authors. They all had books set to be released next year between January and August. Goodreads issued a statement, saying: “Goodreads takes the responsibility of maintaining the authenticity and integrity of ratings and protecting our community of readers and authors very seriously. We have clear reviews and community guidelines, and we remove reviews and/or accounts that violate these guidelines.”
Corrain acknowledged her behavior in a letter posted on X, writing that her actions were due to depression and substance abuse. “Let me be extremely clear: while I might not have been sober or of sound mind during this time, I accept responsibility for the pain and suffering I caused,” she wrote, stating that before posting the letter she was “going through withdrawal as I sobered up enough to be brutally honest with you and myself.”
Authors impacted by Corrain’s bad reviews on the Amazon-owned site weren’t too pleased with her non-apology. Baptiste, who had called attention to Corrain’s actions before the controversy broke open, wrote in a post on X afterward: “So, many layers to Cait Corrain’s lies. And yet when I told my truth in a 62-tweet thread, I was called a liar and accused of doubling down.”
