AmazonFail: The stupid, it burns--and other thoughts (updated)
Here I was all ready to post my Norwescon report when I learned about Amazon.com's bone-headed behavior. In case you're one of the .1 percent who doesn't obsessively read the Web, Amazon has decided that "adult" titles will have their rankings pulled, removing these titles from search results. How it actually works is that books with any gay, lesbian or transgender subject matter can't be found, but Playboy titles, for example, still can. So far, I can still find nancykayshapiro's most excellent novel, What Love Means to You People (link goes to author's site for an excerpt, not to Amazon), but there's plenty of other stuff that can't be found. According to the L.A. Times, National Book Award winners are disappearing, for heaven's sake! Amazon's hometown news Web site, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, now has the story with the enlightening links.
I've already written to Amazon to protest this absurdity. Other fine LJers have discovered other ways to protest.
My way to protest is to post a link to nancykayshapiro's novel on other online stores. Go and buy it, read it, tell others. And then tell others to post a link to their favorite novel in these categories at other sites as well.
Find What Love Means to You People at:
Elliot Bay Book Co.
Third Place Books
What books can you recommend and where can they be found? Tell me here or, more importantly, on your own LJ, and spread the word.
ETA:
e_bourne, a well-informed layperson, wonders if this ranking debacle is even legal. Interesting points.
Apparently meta_writer is tracking disappeared titles.
Other theories are emerging.
I've already written to Amazon to protest this absurdity. Other fine LJers have discovered other ways to protest.
My way to protest is to post a link to nancykayshapiro's novel on other online stores. Go and buy it, read it, tell others. And then tell others to post a link to their favorite novel in these categories at other sites as well.
Find What Love Means to You People at:
Elliot Bay Book Co.
Third Place Books
What books can you recommend and where can they be found? Tell me here or, more importantly, on your own LJ, and spread the word.
ETA:
e_bourne, a well-informed layperson, wonders if this ranking debacle is even legal. Interesting points.
Apparently meta_writer is tracking disappeared titles.
Other theories are emerging.