There are three reasons I'm mad at you.
First, it's almost 4:00 in the morning, and instead of sleeping, I'm thinking about you.
Second, you forced me to start another personal blog. You see I cancelled my first personal blog because it had turned into nothing more than a way to vent about Palin and McCain. Then, once they were out of the picture, I didn't need to vent anymore. Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly aren't running for president and vice president yet.
However, here I am again, venting. Which brings me to the third reason I'm mad at you, and that's because of your latest stunt to remove the rankings of books you believed to have adult content. This spilled over to removing the rankings of GLBT books, too.
I was warned by the head of a book club that you're run by conservatives. But then I also read that a conservative said that you're "run by a bunch of effete latte-sucking liberals in Seattle."
Was it a conspiracy? Did some conservatives sneak into the system to fuck everything up and then see if it would stick? If it wasn't a conspiracy, were you really stupid enough to put the kabosh on an Annie Proulx book? You make good money from her - don't you?
It's not like you've been nice in the past. I remember that POD thing - you're telling POD publishers that you would turn their buttons off if you were not the ones printing their books. Furthermore, what about those Amazon shorts? Forty-nine cents for 2,000 to 10,000 words? Please.
Censorship is bad, and I was supposed to jump on the bandwagon with all the other authors, scream about how you're such a bad, horrible company, holler about what you're doing to the gay and lesbian community.
And the whole time I'm thinking about the small bookstores, fighting to stay alive, begging people to buy from them, while we authors check our stats over at Amazon on a daily basis and beg other authors to write Amazon reviews. You have become the place to be seen, not some little, independent bookstore.
Therefore, when our rankings are messed with - we get mad. Do we care about this terrible injustice to the gay and lesbian community, or do we care more that there was the danger of people not being able to find our books? Now that the "glitch" is getting fixed - is it back to business as usual? Some of the authors have said they'll never have anything to do with you again.
Oh, really?
So anyway, Amazon, this latest stunt of yours has cost you a bunch of money. I doubt that this type of "glitch" is going to happen again.
As for me? Don't worry. I'll continue to have a dysfunctional relationship with you - buy from independent bookstores, but at the same time check my ratings on Amazon and post author reviews.
You've brought me money. You've brought me exposure. You're my sugar daddy and I'm one of your many whores.
And when it's all said and done, small presses, I'm afraid, one day, you will indeed lose the fight for good. Because, after all, video killed the radio star.
~
Jolie
9 comments:
What a poignant post, Jolie, and sadly the ring of truth stabs deep into my publisher's heart. Amazon are now so big we can't not be seen to have our products there, and yet Amazon is this fragmented outsourced global "bookstore" that is impossible to communicate with, hiding under a banner of "Customer driven business". Already in other areas Amazon stirs trouble. Low-paid, overworked employees with almost impossible packing targets. All "Customer driven" to keep prices down. This model may one day destroy itself, and destroy us all...
Jim Brown
Publisher
http://www.logical-lust.com
http://www.ll-publications.com
Ouch. I feel very guilty.
But you're telling the truth.
Warmly,
Lisabet
Well said, Jolie, and it sure isn't over. Check out DearAuthor this morning, too. Small presses and Indie bookstores may be fighting a losing battle but the public has a larger war for the right to access what it wants to read.
I wasn't as concerned with sales as I was with the idea of Amazon being my friendly 'big brother' censor. I'll choose what I want to read and what I want to buy, thank you very much Amazon. I did neglect to think of Amazon's role in the downfall of the small independent bookstore. It's like a virtual box store wiping out small businesses in your community. It's more insidious though because it doesn't come in the shape of a brick and mortar building, but the damage is being done none the less.I never buy from Amazon. I either buy from writers' sites or from publishers' sites and now I'm very glad that's my routine. Thanks, Jolie, for opening my eyes to other aspects of this debacle.
Kaenar
www.kaenar.com
Like Kaenar, I was more upset with Amazon playing big brother once again than the loss of sales per se. Yes, I want more sales, but to eliminate sales ranking for spicier books and to remove the GLBT rankings completely because people might be offended? Oh, please. The people who might get offended should stay in their houses with the blinds closed, TV off, and hunker down because there's a lot to be offended about out in the world.
BTW, getting our books as independent presses into independent bookstores is nearly impossible. It's as difficult as getting into Barnes & Noble. While I'd rather see the independent book stores stay in business, I'd like them to be a bit friendlier to us.
Marci
Publisher
Wild Child PublishingFreya's Bower
Thanks for visiting my blog, everyone, and thanks for leaving yur comments!
I'm going to chime in with Marci on what I consider the dysfunctional relationship between independent bookstores and small press. They should be allies...but the bookstores are hanging on by their fingernails and reluctant to take a risk however small. *sigh*
Amazon got spanked. I, for one, find their explanation too convenient. I don't know what really happened...but if they were testing limits like a child does, they got punished.
The shrinking of sources is always dangerous. Whether it be retail or the current reduction in news reporting outlets.
I don't hate Amazon. I dislike the environment they are taking advantage of to succeed. But I don't hate them for the "sin" of accomplishing their goals...and I buy mp3's from them. But whenever possible, I buy from independent bookstores like San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy.
Hey there guys and gals,
What I'm annoyed with now is their standard letter of apology that everyone is receiving. Why not make it public? Anyway, whenever I can buy from independent sources, I will. Folks can buy Swing! directly from the Logical-Lust site. We can do what we can, but I'm realistic too. Amazon is a part of my life, whether I like it or not. I've had many people ask me if Swing! is going to be available on Kindle. So......
As both a writer and reader, I have serious issues with anyone dictating what I/we can--or can't--write, read, or buy. As a small business owner, I clearly prefer doing business with other small business owners, but recognize that everyone has the opportunity to run their business--regardless of its size.
It's a shame when one person/one business believes she/he/it has the right to make decisions for others. Although the Internet, ePresses, and small presses have allowed us greater freedom and options, they have also created "issues."
It's always something, isn't it?
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