My Two Cents About Amazon.Com’s De-Ranking Policy

So much bandwidth is being used to complain about Amazon.com’s apparent policy of de-ranking so-called “adult” books.  Essentially Amazon has enacted a corporate policy that they feel is in the best interest of their business and are excluding potentially offensive content by de-ranking “adult” content books from bestseller lists and in some cases removing titles from search results altogether. 

Most of the complaints I have read today in my decidedly unscientific content analysis of google returns using the search terms “derank amazon” seem to be the fact that this policy 1. unfairly excludes legitimate books that include GLBTQ or feminist topics and  2. that the policy is not being applied consistently even between publishers of different editions of the same books.  See Carolyn Kellogg’s blog published on the LA Times website yesterday for a quick and dirty synopsis of the flap.

But wait, is that the point or is it much more fundamental than that.  Fundamentally this policy is rude–depending on your point of view.  It’s rude because I don’t think adult content is necessarily offensive and certainly nothing to be saved from by a paternalistic corporation claiming to have my or your best interests at heart.  Having said that, Amazon.com is a business, not a library or other public institution that is supported by taxpayer money and that means they can do whatever the fuck they want- pretty much.  They have the right to censor their inventory in any way they want.  So if you don’t like it, don’t buy from them!  Sign the petition and forward the news and do all of that, but don’t forget to actually buy the book from a reputable bookseller who actually does have your best interest in mind.

How about this, buy your books from Amazon Bookstore the oldest feminist bookstore in the country who sued Amazon.com for trademark infringement.  Yes the oldest continuously operating feminist bookstore in the country sued Amazon.Com and settled for an unspecified amount of money.  Don’t get too excited it wasn’t enough money to keep them solvent for more than a few years but they now have a new smart-as-hell owner with the passion and heart to make it thrive.  When Amazon Bookstore changed ownership they had to let go of the trade name they had been using since 1977 as per their agreement with Amazon.com and now “Amazon Bookstore” has been re-named “True Colors”!  Go to their website: http://www.amazonbookstorecoop.com/

Don’t forget that it does matter who you do business with.  Your money is important. Hopefully enough customer backlash will occur over this policy decision to make Amazon.com rethink their cost/benefit analysis, but in the meantime give your cash to the myriad retailers who will appreciate it.  The authors and small publishers whose livelihood depends on sales volume will appreciate it too.

Here’s the real rub.  The folks who might inadvertently stumble over titles on Amazon.com via a best seller list or search return, that they might not otherwise find are the ones who are suffering.  While Amazon.com has every right to deny potential customers the pleasure of understanding anal sex, you’d be a better friend if you just told them about it yourself, shared your books freely and then bought them their own copy so you can have your copy back.  By it from us, True Colors http://www.amazonbookstorecoop.com/ or your own local radical bookstore. While you’re at it, request it from your library too!