Hypocrony
Hypocrisy+irony=hypocrony: Where hypocrisy is revealed in an ironic manner.
'Too big not to screw up': Applies to any organization, public or private, that grows too large and too complicated for anyone to exercise proper supervision of it.
We are all acquainted with Amazon.
Some time ago, Amazon began deleting certain titles from their on-line book sales. The stated reason was that those certain titles were offensive. In some cases it was the content that was deemed offensive. However, some cover images were also deemed offensive, regardless of the content.
I was personally affected by this policy decision, though I remain convinced that Amazon made it in order to keep lawyers from happening, not out of any sudden sense of civic responsibility. Any organization that becomes large enough runs the risk of becoming too big not to be sued by someone looking for either a big payday or a smaller one in exchange for just going away. Given that going into an American court has become much like buying a lottery ticket, I find it difficult to fault Amazon overmuch on the matter. I'm not happy about it, but what can one do?
One of my books that Amazon declined to offer for sale was a non-consensual story. I assume that that was the reason for Amazon's decision, though I was never given a reason by Amazon. I don't think that Amazon ever produced any guidelines warning people what might get their work similarly declined. I believe that they should have. Otherwise it's not so much a policy as a function of subjective impressions, feelings and whims, which many people will find idiosyncratic and annoying.
Anyway, back to my book. It was removed from Amazon, though any number of other on-line book stores continued to offer it. Then one day it was produced as an audiobook, complete and unabridged, so all of the original content was still present. Amazon picked it up, and offers it for sale, using the original book cover and title. And in the meantime, another non-consensual book of mine that was published after Amazon's fit of public morality was also picked up by Amazon and offered for sale on the Amazon website.
Hypocrony, brought about by being too big not to screw up.
'Too big not to screw up': Applies to any organization, public or private, that grows too large and too complicated for anyone to exercise proper supervision of it.
We are all acquainted with Amazon.
Some time ago, Amazon began deleting certain titles from their on-line book sales. The stated reason was that those certain titles were offensive. In some cases it was the content that was deemed offensive. However, some cover images were also deemed offensive, regardless of the content.
I was personally affected by this policy decision, though I remain convinced that Amazon made it in order to keep lawyers from happening, not out of any sudden sense of civic responsibility. Any organization that becomes large enough runs the risk of becoming too big not to be sued by someone looking for either a big payday or a smaller one in exchange for just going away. Given that going into an American court has become much like buying a lottery ticket, I find it difficult to fault Amazon overmuch on the matter. I'm not happy about it, but what can one do?
One of my books that Amazon declined to offer for sale was a non-consensual story. I assume that that was the reason for Amazon's decision, though I was never given a reason by Amazon. I don't think that Amazon ever produced any guidelines warning people what might get their work similarly declined. I believe that they should have. Otherwise it's not so much a policy as a function of subjective impressions, feelings and whims, which many people will find idiosyncratic and annoying.
Anyway, back to my book. It was removed from Amazon, though any number of other on-line book stores continued to offer it. Then one day it was produced as an audiobook, complete and unabridged, so all of the original content was still present. Amazon picked it up, and offers it for sale, using the original book cover and title. And in the meantime, another non-consensual book of mine that was published after Amazon's fit of public morality was also picked up by Amazon and offered for sale on the Amazon website.
Hypocrony, brought about by being too big not to screw up.
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Finding something on Amazon can be difficult simply because of the way Amazon categorizes things, which is quite fuzzily. A fuzzy search may be helpful to someone who isn't exactly sure what they're searching for, but it can be annoying to someone who is sure. Search 'S J Lewis' on Amazon and you'll come up with my books, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, sheet music from The Eagles (since one of their songwriters is Glenn Lewis Frey) some books on the German Army circa World War II and so on. The censorship is another matter...
I concur with everything you said about amazon. I have only recently become an author, and in the web of 'learning the ropes' it has been brought to my attention that my books although posted on amazon are flagged with an adult content sticker. Which, from what I understand, means that people will have to do a more detailed search in order to find them.
Is this good or bad? I mean the content of my stories are in fact very adult in nature. It's been said my words are edgy and very graphical in nature. I think I would have to agree. But for me, writing/storytelling is a passion that comes from within me. The characters I create beckon me to let them be 'who they really are'.
All authors who offer their books for sale want to generate revenue, income and money from putting their stories out into the world for purchase, right? So in retrospect, how does an edgy, dark minded writer get noticed?
I am NOT picking on E.L James here, but I have to share my thoughts on this. Fifty Shades of Grey is just not what I consider to be a BDSM based story, yet the New York Times said it was. I bought and read the series and to me, it was a cute, funny and endearing story with very mild erotic overtones. When I buy or consider reading a BDSM based book...I'm looking for something that will stimulate my mind and feed my fantasies.
So then I asked myself "Is this how I will have to write my stories in order to get them noticed by the overwhelming mass of individuals that sift through what amazon has to offer?"
I think if I need to sugar coat my voice and style as a storyteller then I am giving up the passion within me that drives me to write what I enjoy writing. I don't want to tickle the taste-buds of my possible audience. I want to melt in their mouth and leave them craving more.
So how do you deal with the censorship SJ? I don't want to rant on and on about unfairness because amazon is placing me in the dungeon. I like dungeons as a matter of fact. But will my books get noticed there?