Sorry to be so bothering tonight...

[reviews_and_ramblings]

... but Amazon is making me mad! I posted two days ago the same review for Dumb Jock I posted on my LJ. It didn't appear online. I waited the 48 hours they required to make an inquiry, and then asked why my review was not online. This was Amazon's reply:

I read your recent review of "Dumb Jock" and found it violated our guidelines. We don't allow profanity in Customer Reviews.

I edited your review, and changes are marked with brackets. If you'd prefer to remove your review, you can do so online. Please take a look at our Review Guidelines for information about acceptable review content:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=14279631

OMG what I wrote that was defined profanity? Usually I avoid all "bad" words, and I'm not the type to deepen in erotic details...

Here is the part of my review that was condemned as profanity (in bold):

It's not a "behind closed door" type of sex, we are there in the room with the characters, but we have to cover with our imagination where the author doesn't describe something. For example there are blow-jobs, and even an anal sex scene, but actually I believe to have never found the word penis or some equivalent word. I have a clear physical impression of Jeff, small and lithe, a bit on the skinny side, and Brett, tall and muscular, and how Jeff feels protected when he is in Brett's arms, but actually that physical impression never deepens to intimate details (no description under the belt).

And here is Amazon's edited version:

It's not a "behind closed door" type of sex, we are there in the room with the characters, but we have to cover with our imagination where the author doesn't describe something. [...] I have a clear physical impression of Jeff, small and lithe, a bit on the skinny side, and Brett, tall and muscular, and how Jeff feels protected when he is in Brett's arms, but actually that physical impression never deepens to intimate details (no description under the belt).

OMG again!!! I used the word "penis", not c*ck, or s*aft or some other "dirty" word... I used PENIS! Penis is profanity?

On second thought, probably it was the blow-job or the anal sex that created trouble, but still I don't believe they are profanities, questionable maybe, but profanity?

And BTW, have you ever wonder why books like Smart Ass (MLR Press) or Times Queer (Synergy Press) have few reviews on Amazon? When I posted my reviews of them, I used the title of the book, and the reviews were blocked. I sent an inquiry to Amazon saying, what guilt I have if the "bad" word is in the title? And they uploaded the review without modifying it. But how many people send the inquiry to Amazon? How many reviews on books with "banned" titles were lost on the net of Amazon's censorship?

Comments

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Actually, it might be the reference to a blow job that they had issue with. Penis maybe, but that's a part of your anatomy, so it's iffy, but specifically referencing a blow job is probably it. A lot of people do consider that graphic. :/

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Graphic? well yes, but what is the "scientific" definition? sex on your knees? oh yes, oral sex... Pleeeease! Elisa

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Preaching to the choir hon, but yeah. Over here, people are very conservative about things like that and oral sex may have been blocked even. It's so ridiculous.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I have to be inventive, sex on knees, knock on the backdoor... maybe in that way I escape the censorship! Elisa

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

hee! Could be!

[bean-montag.livejournal.com]

It is *almost* amusing that a website known for selling books is so determined to keep "clean." Books are supposed to be dirty. They're supposed to push boundaries and make people think. I'm not sure who would be offended by the terms "blow job" or "anal sex" but whoever it is should never use internet, TV, or leave their home. Sex is a part of life!

Crazy.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I believe they have a glossary of banned words, and a filter for all of them... but sometime I wonder how correct is a system like that. I would prefer for them to always read the review they censor, and not only when someone send an inquiry. Elisa

[bean-montag.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think they should take into account the books being reviewed as well. These are erotic novels, aren't they? If someone found reason to include those terms in a review for, say, Knuffle Bunny Too, that would be inappropriate, but for something by B. A. Tortuga for example, the sex is a huge part of the story. Actually, with that author I believe it is most of the story.^^

[elleparker.livejournal.com]

Amazon is having issues all over the place today. Earlier they weren't letting author bios with the word "gay" go through.

They really need to loosen up - Although I'd hate to have them restrict access by age, it would be nice if they'd let the reviews and comments be on the same level as the book.

If you're going to sell adult material, you ought to let your customers discuss it like adults.

[elleparker.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand...I knew you'd be on top of the gay thing. I'm just reading my flist backwards. *sigh* Carry on. *g*

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Maybe this time I cried wolf too soon, but better being bothering than stay put and suffer! Elisa

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

The problem is the context of the use of that words. I was saying that the book had sex scenes, but they were not detailed, and so the book was right also for a YA target. On the other hand, maybe a parent could object to buy a book where, even if not detailed, there is sex between a 14 years old and a 16 years old. Now, if they read my review, they don't know exactly what sex they find in the book. Mmm I don't know if the censorship of Amazon has done good to the preservation of innocence. Elisa

[elleparker.livejournal.com]

You know, that just goes to show how screwed up the whole situation is...

I will never fail to understand why so many people have such a hard time talking about a perfectly natural thing that everyone does.

*puts on her ideal world goggles and goes back to writing smut*

[scarlethyacinth.livejournal.com]

Oh geez... I don't understand anything anymore. After the whole Amazonfail thing died down a bit, I got thinking and thought, hey, maybe it really was a mistake. They handled it like retarded idiots, but seriously, what could they have gained from such a policy?
But as more and more and things appear, first Rick's post, now your reviews, I am beginning to wonder again. Actually, that's the understatement of the century. I feel more and more outraged. What the hell is going on at Amazon? Have they well and truly lost their minds?

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Actually the thing with my review always happened, only that I didn't realize, and this is the first time that someone accuse me of profanity. The standard reply was "sorry for the delay, your review is up", another time "your review contains spoiler" and it was not, I waited a bit, reposted, and it went up. This is the first time that told me I use "profanity"! Elisa

[scarlethyacinth.livejournal.com]

Sigh... Don't let it get to you, Elisa. I know for a fact that your reviews are very much appreciated and you are a god for the authors in my yahoo group. Keep up the good work! Hoping the problems at Amazon will be soon solved, Scarlet

[beki-manga.livejournal.com]

It's like they're determined to cross the threshold to the place where I just can't put up with them anymore. Which, because of their convenience, is a big problem. For your purposes, Elisa, I think it makes sense to continuing posting there for visibility's sake, but we also need to find a parallel forum/bookseller that is not so hypocritical. It may be a moment when people migrate to an upcoming, specialized business that better serves their needs.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I look into B&N and Powell's, but I'm hard to change, same thing happens when LJ seems to have techinical trouble. Shame on me and good for them, I'm very faithful as user. Elisa

[beki-manga.livejournal.com]

Actually, I find allromanceebooks.com a good place to shop—maybe if they added more user/community functionality it could work. (You can rate books but not comment).

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

That's the problem, and then they haven't all the books I read. I can't manage more than one site, and Amazon for now is the place where 90% of the books I read are available. Elisa

[ebony-silvers.livejournal.com]

Amazon just makes me roll my eyes lately! They want to sell it but they want to pretend every book they sell is G-Rated.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

And it's not worst? Think to a parent who buys this book believing it's all "innocent" and then his son discovers blowjobs and anal sex scenes in it? All right, now kids find this things also in television, and maybe the parent does it with awareness, but it wouldn't be better if he was really aware? Elisa

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

That's insane. [sigh] If they can sell a book with a word in the title, anyone should be able to use that word in a review.

Angie

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

From a technical point of view, it's an if in the filter, but probably they are too strict to realize it. Elisa

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know, but my point is that any word which is in the title of a book Amazon sells shouldn't be on the filter's list in the first place. :/

Angie

[jbarrack2.livejournal.com]

I actually felt threatened by the earlier incident with author profiles, but this type of automatic censorship of Elisa's reviews is really frightening. It's like a cyber version of bookburning.
I doubt many people are aware of this.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

No, it's more a question of people who hide their head in the sand... they know what the book is about, but you can't say it in the review. Elisa

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

Amazon are working my last nerve, I swear :;rolls eyes:: Idiots.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was like that before or if they are bringing on a campaign in the last few months... Elisa

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

I hope some company comes along soon to challenge Amazon. It's grown too big and too powerful - and it's censoring again. My latest book, Eye of the Storm, is only tagged in "books" -- not gay romance, not gay anything.

There's too much of this going on to be a glitch. They want to make money off us and censor us at the same time. Bloody hypocrites!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes exactly. They know that this is a growing market, and they don't want to loose their share of the pie, but they are really on the edge. Elisa

[andi99.livejournal.com]

I'm just shaking my head at this. After that "de-ranking" crap, they STILL haven't gotten a clue! Thanks for posting your experiences and good luck with Amazon.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm too much of a noising to let it go. I will continue to post my reviews and send inquiry to Amazon if they don't come up. Sooner or later they will realize that something is happening and not a thing good for them. Elisa

[mightymaeve.livejournal.com]

Censorship! *sigh*

Why o' why is such a simple thing like teaching individual discerning thoughts, opinion forming and self-respect so very, very difficult of a concept? Why is it so much more common to see blatant 'banning' or 'hide it so no one knows it exists' because it is 'wrong' types of mentalities?

Perhaps it is power corrupts? Big brother! Meep!

I'm glad you shared this experience. It gives me a little perspective on reviews and thoughts that others have that are 'there', but not 'there'...(due to some control-freak enforcing silly rules.)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It's like trying to hide the Pink Elephant in the Glass Shop. Elisa

Times Queer

[(Anonymous)]

I'm the author of 'Times Queer' and if I knew such chaos would ensue from my work I can assure you the novel would be flithier and more obscene, giving Amazon a valid reason why they're blacklisting my work, as it is they have no reason or excuse at all. They're just petty slime...

Mykola Dementiuk

http://www.mykoladementiuk.com

Re: Times Queer

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I noticed that sometime my reviews don't show immediately and usually they are reviews of book with particular titles. In your case, Amazon upload the review without change it, and living the title in the review. But I was wondering if other reviews went lost since the reviewer didn't ask. Elisa

[anahcrow.livejournal.com]

This is my response, yes. I feel as though I have little reason to try and be 'polite' in my work anymore. It's just as well, I think, because to try and be polite or decent is to kill one's work a little.

Censorship

[(Anonymous)]

I noticed that the review you ran in your journal about Times Queer is slightly different than the one on Amazon. Missing from the Amazon review are the words: "Blowjobs, handjobs, one time even anal sex," that appeared in your original journal post. Since this is the second time they are censoring similar words,I think they need to be called on it. Remember Fahrenheit 451!
Sally Miller

Re: Censorship

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I didn't notice it! With Times Queer they only replied to me that they uploaded the review, no words about changing it, and I didn't re-read it... mmm, in a way I prefer that they tell me, than uploading it without saying anything. Elisa