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. :/

[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.

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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).

[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.

[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

[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.

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.)

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

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