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Addendum: Now I'm really laughing (in a very disappointed sort of way.) As of my correspondence with Amazon about how a review can stay posted for a book that doesn't exist anymore, this now follows the one review given from my Kindle book.
Never Ceese (Thirsting for Blood Series) (Kindle Edition)
Wow! Really? What Kindle edition. There is no Kindle edition and if I'd known how capable Amazon was of screwing things up, there never would've been a Kindle edition to begin with. Get rid of the review that came from a book that no longer exist and came as a result of Amazon's sloppy marketing.
Yeah, we'll see how far that goes.
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A couple of months back I decided to bite the bullet and put Never Ceese up as a Kindle. I wasn't hesitant at all. After all so many rave about all the books they sell like this. I even made a few proofreading changes and gave the kindle book its own ISBN.
Going through the setup process I was asked for categories where I wanted my book to show up. You know, so readers who weren't interested in the type of story wouldn't see it unless they were interested. So far my reviews have been stellar to moderate but all in all, I couldn't complain. So many unsolicited good reviews that I no longer feared that dreaded first one-star. I certainly expected one and was surprised I hadn't gotten one yet simply because my audience is soooo varied.
However what I didn't expect was for my FIRST review coming from my KINDLE book to be a one-star as well as a review that stated that the reader couldn't believe the category it was listed in which wasn't a category where I put it.
Well I work pretty hard to make sure anyone reading knows my book isn't this and it isn't that etc . . . and I'll tell you it's not an easy task but I will NOT sit back and let Amazon ask me for market information and then turn around and flood my KINDLE ebook wherever they choose!!!!! ARRRRGGHHHH!
So I pulled my Kindle book. Let me restate that. I PULLED MY KINDLE BOOK! Well I thought the nightmare would be over but not so. Earlier after my first publisher went under, I asked to have the reviews associated with the hardback to be moved to the paperback. I was told that I could only link the books and SHARE the reviews. In other words when the hardback stops showing up in and around December at which time the rights to the hardback revert back to me and I delete it, so go the reviews.
Apparently this isn't so with a Kindle book. If the book is removed, no longer exist, the reviews with it stay? I've tried to explain to Amazon that the Kindle version no longer exist and therefore all reviews associated should go as well. This isn't about sharing data. How can there be a review for a book you can't even get and doesn't exist anymore--good or bad? No. I don't like the one-star review but it isn't about that. The book the one-star review belongs to ISN'T the book the review is showing up on. What the heck would they link it too if I didn't have OTHER books out there?
So yes, when you see the one-star review from a reader who most likely never would have seen the book had it not been for Amazon's lame marketing, just know it's for a book that doesn't exist. This isn't even about sharing data between books. The book is GONE! Just keep that in mind when Amazon Kindle messes with your marketing and draws reviews from readers you never expected would like your book to begin with.
Give me a break Amazon!
Y'all make Amazon do there job, please! Whoever heard of a supplier (publisher's and self-pubbed authors) not even having a phone number to talk to someone about a problem. I have to email three different departments and can't talk to anyone. They say you can choose for them to call you back but that number is customer service and NOT anyone who can help.
Why thank you Ellen. ;) But as I told Amazon, I could care less about one-star reviews. If you get one you get one.
ReplyDeleteBUT when I get one in regards to my book being pushed into the face of someone who would've never seen it because it wasn't the usual stuff they read AND that someone who pushed the book into that readers face was a vendor who blatantly disregarded what I chose for my market categories--well yeah, I'm just a little PISSED!
I don't mispreresent my book. In fact, I work hard, VERY hard to keep it only in the eyes of those who'd be interested. My other reviews speak for themeselves.
My main gripe with Amazon at the moment is that the book the one-star review belongs to is no longer available for sell yet the review is still there?
How is that possible?
The Kindle version had it's own ISBN and even had some changes made. It wasn't and isn't the same title of the book the review is being "shared" with.
Absolutely no one has "hated" my book (yeah for that.) Even the one-star is worthy of keeping as it points to Amazon's inability to do business. The reviewer simply stated the book wasn't for them to which I apologized to them for Amazon's mistake. They shouldn't have seen the book where they saw it. They wouldn't have if Amazon had used the ONLY the categories I chose OR if they say they did do this then they need to better explain their categories because that reader should've never seen my book.