Comments on: The Kindle debates: The search algorithm issue, sex and book cover vanity, and the K machine’s threat to book ads http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:23:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Valentine Cawley http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/comment-page-1/#comment-1199641 Valentine Cawley Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:39:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/26/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/#comment-1199641 Hmm...you think you have got problems? NONE of my listings come up under ANY remotely relevant search, on All Departments - and not all of them do, under the author name search, under Kindle store. My listings are almost impossible to find, even if you know they are there. I have no idea how anyone finds my listings. It might just be because I link to one of them from my blog - because Amazon's search engine certainly isn't helping. I have been writing to them for three weeks to correct the problem. They still haven't done it, yet. So, I am in the position of being listed, but unlisted, or at least almost completely hidden. Is this the way independent authors are being treated? Has anyone else got similar problems? Hmm…you think you have got problems? NONE of my listings come up under ANY remotely relevant search, on All Departments – and not all of them do, under the author name search, under Kindle store. My listings are almost impossible to find, even if you know they are there. I have no idea how anyone finds my listings. It might just be because I link to one of them from my blog – because Amazon’s search engine certainly isn’t helping.

I have been writing to them for three weeks to correct the problem. They still haven’t done it, yet.

So, I am in the position of being listed, but unlisted, or at least almost completely hidden. Is this the way independent authors are being treated? Has anyone else got similar problems?

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/comment-page-1/#comment-1044613 David Rothman Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:53:00 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/26/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/#comment-1044613 Thanks, Paula. I emphatically agree that we shouldn't leap to conclusions until we know more---well, except for one: there IS a problem, definitely. Whatever the case, Amazon's incomplete listings are probably costing me sales. No conspiracy needed to cause me harm, lol. Further thoughts welcome. Thanks for caring and speaking up. Almost surely other authors are suffering similar problems at Amazon. David P.S. As noted, there <em>is</em> a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Solomon+Scandals&x=13&y=17" rel="nofollow">way to make the paper edition come up as a separate item</a>. But within All and within Books, it should come up all the time. Thanks, Paula. I emphatically agree that we shouldn’t leap to conclusions until we know more—well, except for one: there IS a problem, definitely. Whatever the case, Amazon’s incomplete listings are probably costing me sales. No conspiracy needed to cause me harm, lol. Further thoughts welcome. Thanks for caring and speaking up. Almost surely other authors are suffering similar problems at Amazon.

David

P.S. As noted, there is a way to make the paper edition come up as a separate item. But within All and within Books, it should come up all the time.

]]> By: Paula B. http://www.teleread.com/drm/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/comment-page-1/#comment-1044571 Paula B. Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:17:30 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/26/the-kindle-debates-the-search-algorithm-issue-sex-and-book-cover-vanity-and-the-k-machines-threat-to-book-ads/#comment-1044571 David, You're correct that only the Kindle version of The Solomon Scandals is coming up in search results. I tried searching several different ways, and that was true each time. However, as little as I trust Bezos, I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. I think what you're seeing could very well be the result of some programming problems. Usually what looks to us like conniving is down to incompetence instead. When I searched on my name in "All Departments," the results showed both my ebooks and pbooks, although there is no overlap in my case--none of my pbooks is available for the Kindle--so I couldn't replicate your test. But keep agitating. Even if it's just a programming or data problem, they'll get the message eventually. As for the other issues, Amazon puts Amazon's short-term interests first. There's no conspiracy: only a failure to consider what will happen if their practices kill the golden goose. David,

You’re correct that only the Kindle version of The Solomon Scandals is coming up in search results. I tried searching several different ways, and that was true each time.

However, as little as I trust Bezos, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. I think what you’re seeing could very well be the result of some programming problems. Usually what looks to us like conniving is down to incompetence instead.

When I searched on my name in “All Departments,” the results showed both my ebooks and pbooks, although there is no overlap in my case–none of my pbooks is available for the Kindle–so I couldn’t replicate your test.

But keep agitating. Even if it’s just a programming or data problem, they’ll get the message eventually.

As for the other issues, Amazon puts Amazon’s short-term interests first. There’s no conspiracy: only a failure to consider what will happen if their practices kill the golden goose.

]]>