tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post7605571297740693310..comments2024-03-28T11:30:46.101-04:00Comments on Murder is Everywhere: Ain't That a Kick in the HeadOvidia Yuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05749549092493567689noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-21916603881220966952015-12-29T10:46:19.926-05:002015-12-29T10:46:19.926-05:00Jono, I think the answer to your question is a res...Jono, I think the answer to your question is a resounding YES. I do believe that Amazon already does, if not control, dominate the publishing industry. Many of the pundits I have read, and organizations such as The Authors' Guild trace the current tumult in the publishing industry to Amazon's policies and dominant position. Like all corporations, Amazon's default position is to go for what will grow their business and their profits. That is the nature of the corporation. We cannot expect them to act for the common good.Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-89607758840188443062015-12-29T10:40:41.489-05:002015-12-29T10:40:41.489-05:00Thanks for weighing in on this, Susan. I almost n...Thanks for weighing in on this, Susan. I almost never write reviews on Amazon, or anywhere else for that matter. I have always thought that such reviews were questionable for many reason and declined to participate. I tried putting up a review of a friend yesterday to see what would happen. Predictably, it took because both Stan and I write under pseudonyms. Which proves that all anyone has to do to circumvent Amazon's policy is make up a new name, which many people do on Amazon and on social media. Can the management of Amazon be that dumb that they could not have figured this out? Or are they doing this to make show of how objective their site is, even though they know any such claim is a sham? They will never tell, so we will never know.Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-27708301325161736452015-12-29T10:13:31.663-05:002015-12-29T10:13:31.663-05:00Here's an update. A number of friends respond...Here's an update. A number of friends responded on Facebook, where I shared this post, or by email. These are typical. Dick Belsky a New York journalist, author of mystery/thrillers--most recently Shooting for the Stars, reported that he has had reviews that could have been helpful taken down because of this policy. Kathy Boone Reel, an aspiring writer and wonderful fan of our genre, had not understood why Amazon was turning down reviews from her for books, when she didn't really know the authors. Now she does. ARRGGHHH!!Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-87136192221312483372015-12-28T18:06:59.675-05:002015-12-28T18:06:59.675-05:00I've had reviews deleted that I wrote, for thi...I've had reviews deleted that I wrote, for this very reason, as far back as two years ago. It's one reason I almost never write Amazon reviews. I take significant time and effort writing reviews, and only write them for books I truly love. To have a website decide that I'm not qualified (or allege I'm a liar) just because I was actually prompted to tell the world about a book I liked is silly at best and offensive as well.<br /><br />But...it's Amazon, so they can and will get away with it.Susan Spannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770560542416086762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-5849988857972609272015-12-28T16:22:08.038-05:002015-12-28T16:22:08.038-05:00I rarely write reviews, but when I do it is becaus...I rarely write reviews, but when I do it is because I liked the book. If I didn't like it I would not have finished it and, therefore, would not be able to review it. Is Amazon trying to control an entire industry with its business model? Jonohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18170214396483091419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-90063803818313531912015-12-28T14:00:48.996-05:002015-12-28T14:00:48.996-05:00Marina, please report what happens to your review....Marina, please report what happens to your review. It is very useful to know this. Authors like me are advised by all the marketing experts to use social media to promote our work. As I said, I actually enjoy doing that, but it is time consuming. It would be nice to know that the people with whom I interact would be able to use the "word of mouth" technique of recommending books they like on the Amazon site. If Amazon prevents them from doing that, I guess they have the right to do so. It is their website after all. I just don't see how this policy can do them any good and it might do authors like me modicum of harm.Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-13441227532753891372015-12-28T13:55:26.434-05:002015-12-28T13:55:26.434-05:00Stan, I guess it's because you and I see eye t...Stan, I guess it's because you and I see eye to eye so much of the time that it surprises me that you approve of Amazon doing ANYTHING, rather than nothing. To me what they have done is useless in solving the problem you cite as their probable motivation. And it is destructive to midlist writers like us, who are using social media to make themselves known to readers. Amazon's policy will do you as much harm as it will me. I would, by my nature, opt on the side of openness. Perhaps you have been stung by black hats. If so, I can see that you would rather have those book discussions more closed. I would say I am lucky that no one has attacked my work on Amazon. Except that the underlying reason no one has done that is certainly that no one much notices it at all. :(Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-70669451740961389982015-12-28T13:13:12.895-05:002015-12-28T13:13:12.895-05:00Snarky? Certainly wasn't meant to be. My app...Snarky? Certainly wasn't meant to be. My approval of Amazon was that they appear to be doing something about meaningless reviews not that their current solutions were good. I would prefer they do something, albeit imperfect, rather than nothing? And my thanks for the review were sincere. Sigh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-52804207873226073572015-12-28T11:14:32.938-05:002015-12-28T11:14:32.938-05:00I've just gone and written a review of an auth...I've just gone and written a review of an author whose work I enjoy and whom I know only from Twitter. I have been sent 2 ARC of her work previously and I've been very honest in my reviews. So let's see if it works...<br />I think this is a step too far - is it designed to drive a wedge between authors and readers on social media?Marina Sofiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15251903359649828285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-84362966725326655442015-12-28T10:59:57.429-05:002015-12-28T10:59:57.429-05:00EvKa, from what I read in the AG bulletin, this so...EvKa, from what I read in the AG bulletin, this social media connection ban is new as if last summer. It makes perfect sense for them to eliminate publisher staff reviews masquerading as ordinary reader comments. Do they call it "fraud?" Fraud is a crime. Blocking sincere reviews from fans is merely criminal.Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-18244444004473149402015-12-28T10:52:29.362-05:002015-12-28T10:52:29.362-05:00I know that for quite some time they've been r...I know that for quite some time they've been removing reviews by anyone they know is associated with the production of a book (editors, copy-editors, proofreaders, etc), as they're trying to avoid PR fraud in their review system. My review of one of Tim Hallinan's books was removed because I had honestly mentioned that I'd proofread it.<br /><br />Last night (after reading your post) I posted a quick review of Tim's THE HOT COUNTRIES. I'm a "Facebook friend", had posted MANY times on his Blog Cabin 2-5 years ago, as well as mentioned him (like this) on blogs here, as well as commented on some of his "roaming blog posts" on other people's blogs. This morning, I was notified by email that my review had been reviewed and gratefully accepted by Amazon.<br /><br />So, apparently I haven't crossed whatever threshold their algorithm sets.<br />Everett Kaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12371555243187874414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-23809501913912812572015-12-28T09:25:44.157-05:002015-12-28T09:25:44.157-05:00Zoe, twisted doesn't begin to describe Amazon&...Zoe, twisted doesn't begin to describe Amazon's logic, IF they are really trying to block sock puppets and black hats. But I think Stan is wrong in his assumption. I think all they are doing it to keep friends and relatives from trying to boost the ratings for people they know and want to help. I think their real goal is thereby to raise the credibility of Amazon's rating system. A self-serving goal, NOT a noble one as Stan surmises. If Stan is right, your final point makes Amazon's attempt look foolish. But given their legendary secretiveness (paranoia?), we will never know.Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-12805745243546959642015-12-28T09:18:01.038-05:002015-12-28T09:18:01.038-05:00Stan, I don't agree with your "of course....Stan, I don't agree with your "of course." If Amazon's engineers are trying to block sock puppets and black hats, they know less about them than I learned from a casual reading of this blog years ago. Are they really that ignorant AND stupid?<br />To prove that your approval of their methods is misplaced, I give you this news: they took the following review by me of your latest book, A Death in the Family: FIVE STARS: "Wrapped in this page-turner of a mystery is a gripping depiction of father-son relationships, the clash of generations, and the breakdown of a culture when modernity confronts tradition. This book can be read as a fast-paced contemporary police procedural. Or readers can go deeper and find political and cultural commentary on what endangers Africa today. Highly recommended."<br />Since you are being so snarky with me on this subject, if I had written it just to be nice to you, I might remove it myself. But I won't because I told the truth about the book. If I had less of a compliment to say about a friend's book, I would have said nothing. SO THERE. <br />Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-67929061629382961642015-12-28T09:09:07.761-05:002015-12-28T09:09:07.761-05:00Thank you for your support, Kathy. My feeling abo...Thank you for your support, Kathy. My feeling about Amazon's policy are identical to yours. Amazon took my review of "A Death in the Family," but I think that is because my close friendship with Stan and Michael is masked by our using pseudonyms as authors. Whatever they are trying to achieve, it isn't working. and for authors, it is a crying (literally and LITERALLY) shame. Annamaria Alfierihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311596277267789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-70804911602161769982015-12-28T04:41:01.018-05:002015-12-28T04:41:01.018-05:00It is a bit twisted, isn't it, Annamaria? Most...It is a bit twisted, isn't it, Annamaria? Most of the kind of fans I have also make a point of seeking me out on Facebook and Twitter, whereas I would have thought paid reviewers, which Stan points to as the ones Amazon are trying to block, would not bother going to such lengths.Zoë Sharphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14065427744062846167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-64568773934908826582015-12-28T02:46:10.826-05:002015-12-28T02:46:10.826-05:00The reason for this Amazon position is, of course,...The reason for this Amazon position is, of course, the curse of paid reviews, both complimentary and disparaging. Buying 5-star reviews for yourself or 1-star or 2-star reviews of competitors' books is a disgusting practice that distorts the whole process. I don't know to what extent Amazon is adhering to the process you described, but I do give them kudos for trying to deal with the issue. Their solution may be clumsy and unfair, but at least they are doing something. I suspect they'll keep tweaking their policy.<br />And thank you, mia cara, for the as-yet unread, unpaid review.<br /><br />Your Twitter and Facebook friend, Stan<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-46356670331356170502015-12-28T00:12:24.242-05:002015-12-28T00:12:24.242-05:00That is outrageous, just one more demerit for Amaz...That is outrageous, just one more demerit for Amazon. Everything they have done recently just seems wrong.<br />Could I be barred from writing a review of a book by any blogger on MIE because I read and sometimes comment on the blog even though I do not know any author personally nor do I have any economic gain from a favorable review.<br /><br />By the way, my late friend, Sebastian Prince, who came here from Italy as a young age, loved City of Silver. He loved mysteries and it was his favorite. He raved about it way before I knew about MIE. He gave me his copy, which I loaned out and never got back.<br />But for Sebastian, I give the book 5 stars.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com