Comments on: Amazon Censors Its Rankings & Search Results to Protect Us Against GLBT Books http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/ Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult, Book reviews, industry news, and commentary from a reader's point of view Mon, 28 May 2012 05:43:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Don http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-315535 Don Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:51:15 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-315535 OMG - 27 pages of bantor when the obvious solution is to go to a different store. By the way, how is it justified for Netflix to have a Gay section that cannot be blocked by the parents? Like I want my 8 year old watching that content. And why do gays go to Disney to be near kids? How about staying at Cape Cod or Key West. Leave the kids alone. OMG – 27 pages of bantor when the obvious solution is to go to a different store.

By the way, how is it justified for Netflix to have a Gay section that cannot be blocked by the parents? Like I want my 8 year old watching that content.

And why do gays go to Disney to be near kids? How about staying at Cape Cod or Key West. Leave the kids alone.

]]> By: Art Gilmore http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-304683 Art Gilmore Thu, 04 Aug 2011 02:08:55 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-304683 @<a href="#comment-197820" rel="nofollow">Lori</a>: I have been an author on the Amazon catalog for years, and suddenly they started acting stupid about their mistakes. I have a new paperback out and they did not listit, but sold it as Used thru third party seller. I asked them to please revisit my distributor's datafeed for the proper cover and proper placement as paperback, and they ignored me and ignored me. Now, a new title which is doing fairly well as an e-book on Amazon is now hovering near 1,500,000 in ranking in paperback in its first week. This stinks. Have heard of retaliation against authors of all sorts of content who try and hold Amazon to their usual standard. All they do is ignore you and let your ranking plummet, then get smart overnight. By then, the title can be finally found by readers but it's stuck with a rotten ranking. Thanks a lot, Amazon! Have heard even worse. @Lori: I have been an author on the Amazon catalog for years, and suddenly they started acting stupid about their mistakes. I have a new paperback out and they did not listit, but sold it as Used thru third party seller.

I asked them to please revisit my distributor’s datafeed for the proper cover and proper placement as paperback, and they ignored me and ignored me. Now, a new title which is doing fairly well as an e-book on Amazon is now hovering near 1,500,000 in ranking in paperback in its first week.

This stinks. Have heard of retaliation against authors of all sorts of content who try and hold Amazon to their usual standard. All they do is ignore you and let your ranking plummet, then get smart overnight. By then, the title can be finally found by readers but it’s stuck with a rotten ranking. Thanks a lot, Amazon!

Have heard even worse.

]]> By: Dear Amazon | Jaci Burton's Muse http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-277670 Dear Amazon | Jaci Burton's Muse Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:20:47 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-277670 [...] Dear Author’s post about it here [...] [...] Dear Author’s post about it here [...]

]]> By: Yet Another Reason Not to Buy an Amazon Kindle | The Adventures of Jessica Sideways http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-208904 Yet Another Reason Not to Buy an Amazon Kindle | The Adventures of Jessica Sideways Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:05:16 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-208904 [...] is no stranger to censorship, as we have all seen during the Amazon Rank debacle that happened not too [...] [...] is no stranger to censorship, as we have all seen during the Amazon Rank debacle that happened not too [...]

]]> By: marley http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-208605 marley Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:20:26 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-208605 ohh i just read the last of the posts and see they fixed it. hmm ohh i just read the last of the posts and see they fixed it. hmm

]]> By: marley http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-208604 marley Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:18:51 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-208604 if amazon's not going to let people find glbt/erotica/sex whatnot then shouldn't they friggin ban Twilight? i mean my 11 year old sister read Breaking Dawn and nobody will put anything like that down. it's not only about sex, it's about like a sex addiction. and sookie stackhouse? some of that's pretty fugging kinky. and the halfway to the grave and all else. but nope; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=charlaine+harris&x=0&y=0" rel="nofollow"> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stephenie+meyer&x=0&y=0&sprefix=stephenie+" rel="nofollow"> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jeaniene+frost&x=0&y=0" rel="nofollow"> if amazon’s not going to let people find glbt/erotica/sex whatnot then shouldn’t they friggin ban Twilight? i mean my 11 year old sister read Breaking Dawn and nobody will put anything like that down. it’s not only about sex, it’s about like a sex addiction. and sookie stackhouse? some of that’s pretty fugging kinky. and the halfway to the grave and all else. but nope;
and
and

]]> By: State of the Writer (and the writing, too) « Twenty Palaces http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-204851 State of the Writer (and the writing, too) « Twenty Palaces Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:13:41 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-204851 [...] no clue. See this post by an author affected by the change to read Amazon.com’s response, and Dear Author weighs in on the romance writers who’ve been affected, and finally here’s the start of a link farm to check out. [...] [...] no clue. See this post by an author affected by the change to read Amazon.com’s response, and Dear Author weighs in on the romance writers who’ve been affected, and finally here’s the start of a link farm to check out. [...]

]]> By: Anatomy of the #AmazonFAIL protest - Marci Ikeler http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-201941 Anatomy of the #AmazonFAIL protest - Marci Ikeler Thu, 21 May 2009 14:37:35 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-201941 [...] Complaint templates. Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...] [...] Complaint templates. Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...]

]]> By: Jules Jones http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-201128 Jules Jones Sun, 10 May 2009 07:29:47 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-201128 Marlana @159: Original post was April 12, four weeks ago -- if Amazon *hadn't* fixed it by now you'd be seeing a lot more steam coming out of people's ears. Marlana @159: Original post was April 12, four weeks ago — if Amazon *hadn’t* fixed it by now you’d be seeing a lot more steam coming out of people’s ears.

]]> By: Marlana Campbell http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-201117 Marlana Campbell Sun, 10 May 2009 01:16:23 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-201117 I suppose I should read all the posts first, but I do have a question to what is most likely a discussion gone cold: Am I looking at the Amazon listings incorrectly? I'm finding books about gays and lesbians listed. Or am I just way late in this discussion and Amazon "fixed" it? I suppose I should read all the posts first, but I do have a question to what is most likely a discussion gone cold: Am I looking at the Amazon listings incorrectly? I’m finding books about gays and lesbians listed. Or am I just way late in this discussion and Amazon “fixed” it?

]]> By: Rich’s ComixBlog » Archive » Amazon Fail http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198935 Rich’s ComixBlog » Archive » Amazon Fail Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:44:01 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198935 [...] to Amazon’s apparent new censorship policy, which includes de-listing books with LBGT content as “adult” and inappropriate, we [...] [...] to Amazon’s apparent new censorship policy, which includes de-listing books with LBGT content as “adult” and inappropriate, we [...]

]]> By: This won’t end well… Amazon unranks LGBT, “adult” books | Tokyovation http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198628 This won’t end well… Amazon unranks LGBT, “adult” books | Tokyovation Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:43:16 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198628 [...] can read more reactions at Erastes, Dear Author, Meta Writer, Booksquare, GGY Meta, Comics212, Okazu, Queers United, Tectonic Uplift, and Naughty [...] [...] can read more reactions at Erastes, Dear Author, Meta Writer, Booksquare, GGY Meta, Comics212, Okazu, Queers United, Tectonic Uplift, and Naughty [...]

]]> By: AmazonFAIL: Twitter's power to destroy | Rocketseed http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198584 AmazonFAIL: Twitter's power to destroy | Rocketseed Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:08:35 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198584 [...] Complaint templates: Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...] [...] Complaint templates: Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...]

]]> By: Same window… different view | Fiction With Friction http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198464 Same window… different view | Fiction With Friction Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:59:13 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198464 [...] during the whole AmazonFail debacle, I was checking for about the fortieth time to see if any of my books had gotten their rankings [...] [...] during the whole AmazonFail debacle, I was checking for about the fortieth time to see if any of my books had gotten their rankings [...]

]]> By: The Not-so-deep Thoughts » The Upside of The Weekend Internet Ban http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198453 The Not-so-deep Thoughts » The Upside of The Weekend Internet Ban Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:45:00 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198453 [...] missed the entire Amazon Rank kerfuffle and got some re-plotting done. Personally, though, I doubt Amazon had underhanded motives [...] [...] missed the entire Amazon Rank kerfuffle and got some re-plotting done. Personally, though, I doubt Amazon had underhanded motives [...]

]]> By: Miki S http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198314 Miki S Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:14:33 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198314 @<a href="#comment-198201" rel="nofollow">Ruth</a>: I haven't looked today, but what I noticed that there are two formats for <em>And Tango Makes Three</em>. The hardcover version and the paperback version. The hardcover was still listed, the paperback was unranked and no longer listed. <em>Note: I just checked, both are showing rankings today.</em> @Ruth: I haven’t looked today, but what I noticed that there are two formats for And Tango Makes Three. The hardcover version and the paperback version.

The hardcover was still listed, the paperback was unranked and no longer listed.

Note: I just checked, both are showing rankings today.

]]> By: Business & Finance Blogs » Blog Archive » Anatomy of the #AmazonFAIL protest http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198313 Business & Finance Blogs » Blog Archive » Anatomy of the #AmazonFAIL protest Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:49:12 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198313 [...] Complaint templates. Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...] [...] Complaint templates. Customers wanting to complain and who need writing help can use this pre-crafted complaint letter. [...]

]]> By: Social Monday: “Buzz” with a side order of salt « NewsMuse http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198245 Social Monday: “Buzz” with a side order of salt « NewsMuse Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:06:26 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198245 [...] that's neat, plausible, and wrong. And in this case, I can’t believe the solution is to blame and flame Amazon. Let’s resist the buzz and put the outrage on ice, at least for a few days. The truth will [...] [...] that's neat, plausible, and wrong. And in this case, I can’t believe the solution is to blame and flame Amazon. Let’s resist the buzz and put the outrage on ice, at least for a few days. The truth will [...]

]]> By: Heather Holland http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198236 Heather Holland Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:28:19 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198236 The Drigon's Fall has been removed from the "All Departments" search, but comes up under the "Books" search. Same with my author name. The logic behind this leaves much to be desired, that's for sure. The Drigon’s Fall has been removed from the “All Departments” search, but comes up under the “Books” search. Same with my author name. The logic behind this leaves much to be desired, that’s for sure.

]]> By: Mareike http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/amazon-censors-its-rankings-search-results-to-protect-us-against-glbt-books/#comment-198235 Mareike Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:25:49 +0000 http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/?p=11455#comment-198235 Dear all, I haven't read the whole of this discussion, and I don't know if anyone has mentioned this earlier. But if you search Amazon.com from here (Germany) those things you guys over there can't find show up. I haven't checked all examples given here, but quite a few, and they are all there (All Departments search from the amazon.com page). Including sales rank and all. I totally agree with you, this is dangerous and... sad. Really sad. And I am pretty happy that (up to know at least) we don't have this censorchip over here. Very Bizarre indeed, hope enough protest might finally change this again! Greetings from Germany! PS: @Leah: I'm impressed by your statement. Dear all,

I haven’t read the whole of this discussion, and I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this earlier. But if you search Amazon.com from here (Germany) those things you guys over there can’t find show up. I haven’t checked all examples given here, but quite a few, and they are all there (All Departments search from the amazon.com page). Including sales rank and all.

I totally agree with you, this is dangerous and… sad. Really sad. And I am pretty happy that (up to know at least) we don’t have this censorchip over here.

Very Bizarre indeed, hope enough protest might finally change this again!

Greetings from Germany!

PS: @Leah: I’m impressed by your statement.

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