Comments on: Amazon Tomfoolery

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:51:30 +0000

Well I found the petition was started and added my own two cents. Hopefully everyone who hasn’t will join the bandwagon.

By: Amazon Fail (Plus General Book Talk) : The Good, The Bad and The Unread

Amazon Fail (Plus General Book Talk) : The Good, The Bad and The Unread — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:09:24 +0000

[...] to discuss one thing. Last week, strange things started happening to the Amazon rankings of books. Lauren Dane, I know, mentioned it a few times. Then, today (Sunday), word spread that Amazon did an EPIC FAIL. [...]

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:03:52 +0000

Unfortunately complaints on their own probably will go no where as a company like Amazon only understands the value of a dollar. So if everyone starts withholding their purchases that will understand. A complaint followed up a cancellation of your credit card and your prime account and future purchases hits their bottom line. They don’t have a social conscience. We have to stick together as a group and agree to boycott Amazon until they change their policies. They only understand lost profits. And as stated on the Today Show if you saw the piece Romance Books are one of the only things around in the Recession still making a Profit.

By: Kate Davies

Kate Davies — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:40:06 +0000

Word.

I was all up in arms, in solidarity with my fellow authors over this issue.

Then I find out a few minutes ago, one of my books is affected as well.

Which I don’t understand, because it didn’t even rate as “red hot” at Samhain…

I seriously don’t get Amazon. I just hope they get their act together, soon. Until then, purchases are being diverted to B & N or Powells.

By: Juliana Stone

Juliana Stone — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:17:38 +0000

Interestingly enough, on the canadian amazon.ca website all of the titles are there….should be interesting to see if it affects the canadian website soon…..

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:09:52 +0000

Ditto what everyone is saying. I’m a prime member, review for Vine, and do reviews for the heck of it sometimes…….but won’t anymore. That they dare to censor books just pisses me off….and to deliberately exclude these authors and books from searches is censorship………and until they rethink the policy, Borders or B&N will get my book orders!! I’ve emailed them my thoughts on the subject.

By: Bombing Amazon Rank! | Literary Escapism

Bombing Amazon Rank! | Literary Escapism — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:35:54 +0000

[...] Author Linkage: Lauren Dane, who does write some fabulous erotic romance novels, adds her two cents to the Amazon Rank [...]

By: Beth Kery

Beth Kery — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:59:47 +0000

This is really disturbing. Thanks for the concise overview. Since you gave all the cogent info, Lauren, I passed your blog addy onto my reader group, so that people can protest who want to do so.

I already sent my protest to them. *shaking head in disgust.*

It’s bad enough that they’re are doing it, but what I keep thinking is…who is going to decide what’s appropriate and what’s not? Obviously (as you mentioned, Lauren) they have no idea of the content of books. Is it the computer doing some kind of sorting? If so, that’s just freakin’ scary.

By: Mel

Mel — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:57:08 +0000

Will this mess with USA TODAY rankings? Doesn’t part of the sales numbers come from that?

By: Eden Bradley

Eden Bradley — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:55:32 +0000

Apparently this is hitting romance authors, too, whose books are not even classified as erotica or erotic romance! And GLBT books that are YA stories with no sex in them, and also self-help books for GLBT youth dealing with issues such as coming out. But you can still find sex toys, Playboy magazine and books on making bombs.
As far as my own books, I could still search for and find a few this morning, but they’ve been sucked into the void as of this afternoon.
I’ve already written letters and signed petitions. I wonder if/when Amazon will realize how utterly stupid this is?