I was checking the back end of my Create Space POD site and discovered a few interesting things.
The Logic of Steel and The Fighting Edge listings, which had been suppressed, were removed altogether, erased, whereas Autumn in a Dying City is still listed as suppressed.
These actions were all secretive and my queries have not been answered on the last two titles and I was lied to about the first.
Now, a reading of the suppression terms has a clause in it which gives total latitude to suppress any book that anyone might find offensive anywhere, at anytime for any reason.
There is no defense.
The 4th Turning of the Screw
Barbarism versus Civilization, an uploaded test manuscript that has not even been edited or proofed has been suppressed as well!
I suppose if these people were snipers I could get away by leaving my hat on a stick.
Based on this action and other tests I have run on the back end, I have determined that the decision to ban these books—in all four cases done outside the AI filters and obviously a calculated human act—has been made by persons not employed in customer service at Create Space, but by an outside or higher authority who has forwarded book suppression demands by title, in this last case, in advance of publication—far in advance.
Barbarism and Civilization is a book project that most of my readers objected to, so I am thrilled that The God of Things has determined it would be a good seller if I were able to publish it. Perhaps this is the book that should be offered to Vox Day—although I doubt he would want it, him being civilized and all.
In any case, I have narrowed down the search for the culprit:
The person or persons reads this site regularly.
Thank you, all 8,000 of you.
This person or persons is also civilized, and therefor lingers in this pallid purgatory as a suppressed soul.
My condolences to all 8 billion of you suffering ciphers.
James LaFond, 7/2/18
Idea: before you suppress the next book, let it go up for sale, buy a copy, suppress it, then sell it for $500.
Also, if anyone would like to own the PDF of the unedited and un-proofed original book banned in the cradle by Amazon, Barbarism versus Civilization, send me what you think it is worth and I'll email it to you from jameslafond dot-com at gmail dot-com
This ad below is for a book that was edited and published by a woman who subsequently dumped me. So, if you ban it, it won't hurt me at all and if you buy it, it will help someone who hates me even more than you do!
Writing Unchained
Prolific Writing by Design
Send one my way if you could.
We'll send you one when it gets edited and proofed.
Keep in mind that Amazon is just a company that we can voluntarily use and give money to, or not, so if they won't distribute your book, other people will.
I've used Amazon a lot over the years, "one-click" ordering is pretty tempting for us lazy gotta-have-it-now types, but to be honest I'm getting sick of having to evade their "Amazon Prime" hooks every time I order.
Many items now you can ONLY order if you agree to pay them $130 a year for the privilege of shopping in their store, so I'm gradually going off them because I see where it's all going.
Sorry they're hitting you where it hurts but that's dog-eat-dog capitalism at work .... I'm not the only one feeling this way, so competition will drive it where it belongs.
Ebay? barnesandnoble.com?
Lynn and I have figured out a way to do this, but it will take some time. The other platforms all require money up front, which I don't have and most of my books make less over their life than an ISBN costs to purchase.
We do have a strategy worked out.
Per LaMano, Im not into paying for access and I already cancelled Prime for sending me the gay on iys various platforms and increasing prices too much. It sounds like theyre in the phase of helping their competitors by pissing off their customers. Their site is infested with low quality chinese knockoff junk that the chinese pay to promote anove quality merchandise. They cant be an online walmart and charge people $130 a year for it whicu is 3x what Costco charges.
"...We do have a strategy worked out..."
:) :) :)
Thanks Lynn!