Amazon censors me (again)

AmazonFAIL is back. Remember when Amazon thought removing GLBTQ titles from its catalogues was protecting its customers from seeing all the icky aberrant sex that we perverts get up to? Then claimed it was a "glitch" and rowed back, not - to this day - apologizing for its idiocy and attempt to censor what you guys can read.

Yeah, Jeff, up yours, too.

Well, Amazon is at it again.

It now censors incest. Get the full story here.

Now, we're talking about a book seller than carries (and profits from!) a huge amount of bestiality porn on its catalogue and first babbles about first amendment, and then pulls the pedo guide. (I'm not saying "how to be a successful pedophile" guides should be protected!).

Fact is, we're talking erotica. Like it or not, rape, incest, D/s, slavery, even mutilation... are kinks. Not necessarily my kinks. But these are sexual fantasies. Nobody is being degraded, exploited or harmed when we feed erotic fantasies.

Incidentally, "Blood Run Cold" is gone from the Kindle store ever since Jeff decided Selena Kitt's and some other books by eXcessica authors wouldn't be carried.

Now, everybody who's read "Blood Run Cold" knows there's some hinted sex between two very old vampires, who are brother and sister. We didn't dwell on it. It's not central to the story. No orgasms on camera.

There's also some rape (non-sexy) and some pretty harsh dub-con (aka: dubious consent). That's it. As far as vampire BDSM goes, this is pretty tame.

But hey, I'm not surprised by Amazon anymore. There was AmazonFAIL, and one of the premier reviewers of GLBTQ literature, Amos Lassen, has been through the wringer as he's seen his work destroyed by Amazon which believed those who were jealous of his rank as a top reviewer. His FIVE THOUSAND reviews have been deleted without so much as a "by your leave".

Why is this important? Our books struggle to get reviewed at all. Reviews on Amazon mean visibility (and visibility means not only sales, but a bigger chance for us to reach our readers). Amos wrote a very insightful review of "Clean Slate", which is now gone.

I'm spending thousands of euros/dollars/pounds at Amazon. I'll halt my purchases until the situation is remedied. I'll go shopping at the Book Depository, which has free worldwide delivery and a less ham-fisted approach of hitting its customers in the face.

And I'm pleased that this post will appear on my author pages on Amazon.com.