The number one word being used over and over on Twitter at this moment is "AmazonFail."
Why?
Users are angry about a perceived anti-gay policy that removes lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender books from appearing in sales rankings.
Author Mark Probst writes on his blog that two days ago, "mysteriously, the sales rankings disappeared from two newly-released high profile gay romance books: 'Transgressions' by Erastes and 'False Colors' by Alex Beecroft. Everybody was perplexed. Was it a glitch of some sort? The very next day HUNDREDS of gay and lesbian books simultaneously lost their sales rankings, including my book 'The Filly.'"
Probst eventually got a response from Amazon.com Advantage member services, he says.
In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature.
Hence, if you have further questions, kindly write back to us.
Best regards,
Ashlyn D
Member Services
Amazon.com Advantage
Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
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dbackjon
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Re: Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
This prudery seems to apply only to gay and lesbian titles...
FUCK AMAZON. Done shopping through there.
FUCK AMAZON. Done shopping through there.
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Cap'n Cat
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Re: Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
I agree and I'm very surprised by Amazon. Shit, they sell some good porn there, why this?
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Grizalltheway
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Re: Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
Now if they'd only remove the gay books from my sales history... 
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AZGrizFan
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Re: Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
WTAG wrote:Now if they'd only remove the gay books from my sales history...
Transparency, TAG. Transparency.
"Ah fuck. You are right." KYJelly, 11/6/12
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"The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam." Barack Obama, 9/25/12
Re: Amazon under fire for perceived anti-gay policy
WTAG wrote:Now if they'd only remove the gay books from my sales history...
Nice Zinger!!
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dbackjon
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Amazon Says Error Removed Listings
In response to nearly two days of angry online commentary, particularly on Twitter, Amazon.com said on Monday that “an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error” had caused thousands of books on its site to lose their sales rankings and become harder to find in searches.
Most of the company’s online critics complained that the problem appeared to have a disproportionate effect on gay and lesbian themed books, leading to cries of censorship.
The titles that lost their sales rankings during the weekend included James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room,” the gay romance novel “Transgressions” and “Unfriendly Fire,” a recently published book about the government’s policies on gays in the military.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/techn ... ml?_r=1&hp
Most of the company’s online critics complained that the problem appeared to have a disproportionate effect on gay and lesbian themed books, leading to cries of censorship.
The titles that lost their sales rankings during the weekend included James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room,” the gay romance novel “Transgressions” and “Unfriendly Fire,” a recently published book about the government’s policies on gays in the military.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/techn ... ml?_r=1&hp