No Book Reviews For Amazon Writers

It is always that one that screws it up for everyone.

Recently Amazon has been deleting book reviews off of author’s page. Some disgruntled, jealous and bitter wanna be writers (as well as their stans) have written some bad reviews on author’s sites in the hopes of decreasing their sales. Really? How lame are you seriously? If you spent the time writing novels as much as you do coming up with these vindictive reviews you probably would have a bomb as novel to sell….just sayin. Key word being probably.

To put a hold onto the problem Amazon has got a new program that pings them when a review is sounding strange. I unfortunately don’t know the magic words but I have read a few people complain about their reviews being deleted. It’s sad that a small group is making this happen but it is what it is Amazon has a business and reputation to keep up.

Have you noticed reviews being deleted? Do you think Amazon is right for deleting revuews they feel fake?

Peace and luv!

Walmart’s Future Competitor?

I’m starting to think I should get some kind of residual pay from Amazon as much as I talk about them on this blog. Who do I need to talk to in order to make that happen?

Anywho Amazon is always looking for ways to add on to their brand. They recently have gotten flack for ‘stealing’ bestselling authors away from the ‘Big Six’ by manipulating them into thinking their offer is better. So many have been upset about it especially Barnes & Noble who has gone so far as to discontinue selling physical books that were published by the Amazon imprint in their physical stores.

Hmmmmm, jealous much B&N?

Last time I checked it is a free country and isn’t that the purpose of having a business to branch out in other avenues eventually? What beef does B&N have with the publishing industry? Their purpose is to sell products both theirs and other manufacturers, do they have a publishing imprint that I don’t know about? As far as the bestselling authors that were supposedly ‘stolen’ they are grown! It’s their career and obviously something had to be bad enough where the bestselling authors packed up and disconnected their ties with the ‘Big Six’. So why you so mad B&N?

Amazon is giving their competition something else to make them have screwfaces. They are considering (‘considering’ being the key word) having a bricks-and-mortar store. Amazon sells everything from pieces of the sun to apartment complexes in hell, how will they have a regular store like Walmart without losing that signature 24-48 hour delivery promise tacked onto their website? I don’t know. Maybe the guarantee will just be for the online division. One article I read asked why have a physical store to sell digital items? Decent question however obviously they can’t sell everything from their site in the store but they can….

1. zero in on the most popular bestselling items off of the site and keep them stocked in the physical store. I’m for sure their quarterly numbers will tell them this info and
2. allow employees who will take customer service to another level to work in the store. That means they will be thorough in their knowledge of the products in the store AND on the website. That senior citizen who is not so savvy at manuevering thru the internet but wants to stay in touch with her family all over the world this would be good for them. Or maybe the senior citizen who is uncomfortable with giving their financial info online can visit this store. How about people like me who have to physically work an item, touch it before buying it; having a physical store makes that possible for me.

The same article I read on Media Bistro’s site said maybe it will be just a showroom where customers can come in, talk to an expert then order the product thru a computer in the store and would be delivered within the 24-48 promise that help make Amazon famous.

Americans has this mentality where they want things given fast with not much leg work to get it. Having a physical store with no product in it only waste the customer’s gas. It makes no sense to go to a store to purchase something on a computer when they

2010_01_08_amazon_1 (Photo credit: dsearls)

can do it at home. I guarantee Amazon will not keep the store open long if they incorporate that system.

Since it’s not up to me I would love to hear your view. What do you think? Should they at least test it? And do you think B&N is acting like spoiled brats? I mean since they are accusing Amazon of ‘stealing’ authors couldn’t Amazon say they learned their bad behavior from them? Remember when B&N took over Borders’ website and customers without telling them ahead of time……just sayin, truth sometimes hurt.

Peace and luv!

Building Your Own Brand for 2012

I’ve slacked this year! Compared to what I wanted to achieve for 2011 I haven’t did a damn thang. I was all over the place writing everyday but not producing anything out of those intense writing sessions so for 2012 I’ve decided to go back to my basics and stick to one project at a time and don’t start another one until I’ve seen the current project done ya feel me? I have been really thinking about what I am trying to accomplish with the brand I am attempting to create and what I need to do to get from point A to point B.

How the hell do you make a successful brand anyway?

Shit I don’t know but I will find out if it kills me. Ain’t that what 50 Cent said? Oh…that was ‘get rich or die trying’ tomato, toe-mah-to! I am more in-tuned to what I

Image via Wikipedia

put on my social networks. I changed my cover pic on FB which I am glad FB redid the format so it looks more like a personal website. My cover to me is bananas! It reflects what I love, what I am about. People’s attention span is short as hell so first impressions are important. I need people to know what I’m about right off the jump. I may not have the blueprint to creating that monster brand yet but I do know that you need to be more aware of what you put out there. When someone sees your name what will they think? Will you put your stamp on your shit if you were a person looking in? If you pause to think of your answer well that is your answer.

Writer’s envy

Lately I’ve been kind of jealous of other writers I’ve been seeing. I see them networking and getting a better response than what I am getting and I’m wondering what the hell am I doing wrong? I’m not jealous to the point where I am hateful but it do get under my skin a tad bit – enough to notice. Instead of sitting in a corner with my screwface on I’m using my little jealous spat as motivation. They had to start somewhere too, right?

I do know that you get what you put out and I realize that I am my worst critic. I need to blaze that fire under my ass and get this shit crackin’. You will see Talia aka Mz. Diamondz in 2012 (God willing of course! You hear that Big Guy, lol)

Peace and luv!

Writers Envy

Do you have writers envy? When you hear someone succeed in something in their writing career do something inside make you cringe; even a little? Come on, keep it real. Nobody? Umphf, well I have so you stay in your little denial cloud while I explain why I jealous.

Let me just say off top, I wasn’t jealous to the point where I hated on the person or said mean ish about them (which is still a form of hatin’). I didn’t go on their Facebook page and said something slick; it wasn’t like that. I’m not that grimy (maybe a little). No I congratulated that person because 98% of me genuinely was happy and I know how being an underground writer on the come up is hard at times and having an ounce of support boosts your morale. I just wished for the same blessing that’s all.

However there are some serious people who would turn into the green eyed bandit when they hear about others succeeding. Their heads start to turn around like the possessed child from the Exorcist, mouths turn up in that ‘bitch I hate you’ scowl, y’all know what I’m talking about. They are the ones that take it to the next level of hatin’ and get gutta with it!

To you who do that, allow me to give you a bit of advice. Why don’t you instead of spending all of that time on hatin’ use it to uplift someone who is on they grind. Use it to fuel your own damn self and get off your lazy ass to get that book you have been writing or thinking about writing. I mean you never know, that person who you are hatin on may be that key to getting you on.

Everybody has insecurities, doubts, flaws, jealousies in their DNA. It is what you do with it that is the key. Grind, hustle, use that hunger to get to the next level. Cause baby, hatin’ after it’s all said and done really does not look good on you!

Peace and luv!