Amazon automatically removes my ebooks

[Ted]

Has Amazon instantly removed any of your ebooks? They did that to me, the dorks.

Amazon and I don't agree on a few things regarding how to run a business. Yesterday Amazon again proved they have little regard for ebook authors when they instantly removed 5 of my ebooks and then sent me an email advising me they had removed my works.

They could have sent me a notice they were going to remove the 5 ebooks and give me some time to correct the problem or remove them. They could have behaved like they cared about ebook authors.

What was the problem with my ebooks? They were printable, or screen copyable, or could be viewed in a browser.

Heaven help the poor reader who might want to actually print something out from an ebook, or screen capture something to print out, or buy an ebook that could be opened in a browser.

Here is a copy of the email from Amazon:

Hello,

During a quality assurance review of your KDP catalog we found that the following book(s) you have published are intended to be interactive but require additional resources aside from a Kindle device or Kindle application (phone/Mac/PC). The game or app experience must work entirely inside the Kindle reader, without the use of the browser or manual work such as a copy machine or screen capture program. (Bold type added by Ted) As a result, the following books have been removed from sale in the Kindle store.

Star Sudoku Puzzles. Volume 1. (ASIN: B008D5AV9O)
Alphabet Sudoku Puzzles Multi-lingual Edition (ASIN: B009AHSZGA)
Star Sudoku Puzzles. Volume 2. (ASIN: B009FHSZ88)
Spanish Word Search Puzzles (Spanish Edition) (ASIN: B0099A2RY4)
German Word Search Puzzles (German Edition) (ASIN: B009AFYJWQ)

If you are interested in providing games or other interactive content, please consider applying for our Kindle Active Content program: kdk.amazon.com/gp/vendor/kindlepubs/kdk/gateway

If you have any questions regarding our quality assurance review process, please write to [e-mail].

Best regards,

Kindle Direct Publishing

****

Well, the problem is the books weren't meant to be interactive as stated quite clearly in their descriptions. The ebooks were meant to be printed out, pages screen captured, or viewed in a browser so a reader could print them out.

Oh, and they cost 1/3 to 1/4 the price of interactive apps.

Amazon never was a high seller for any of my puzzle ebooks, but my puzzle ebooks were starting to move up the game popularity rankings on Amazon.

Thanks, Amazon, for once again helping authors help you make money.

[chelsfield]

Hi Ted

I am afraid this is an indication of Digital Rights Management (DRM) gone mad. Amazon may not like to equate itself with traditional publishing but in this case, copying of ebooks, they are lock step with traditional publishers trying to restrict rights and activities readers took for granted with print. With traditional publishing there is no copying of ebooks, period. It doesn't matter if the author says it's ok.

Nothing personal with you, Ted; it's a much larger issue involving what we read, how we share it, and who gets away with redefining that process.

I suppose you are in interesting company, at least. Was it Abbie Hoffman a great number of years ago who wrote a book entitled Steal This Book. I guess in Amazon's eyes, you've written the equivalent!

Good luck!
Linda

[Ted]

Linda, I suppose someone could copy any of my ebooks as none of them have DRM when uploaded to Amazon or Smashwords.

The ebooks were all puzzle ebooks, and can be solved on some digital devices allowing drawing or writing over images - which most Kindle devices can't do - or can be printed out.

Amazon would rather I build a 4/5/6 dollar puzzle app for the Kindle instead of offering a $1.99 ebook.

The Kindle forums and MobileRead have had posts on how to print out something from a Kindle, but maybe Amazon has recently updated their software to prevent printing.

Here's one way to print from a Kindle: Kindle does not support direct printing. However, you can print e-books from your Kindle by connecting it to your computer. But before you can do that, first, open the file from your Kindle that you would want to print. Highlight the text you would want to get printed. As you highlight your preferred texts, they are copied into a file, and saved into “My Clippings” in your Kindle. By this time, you can connect your Kindle to your computer through a USB cable. As soon as the device pops out of your computer’s desktop, open that folder and look for “My Clippings.” Open the file, and then, you can easily print it.

Abbie made some money from his "Steal This Book", for I bought one as a gift for a woman I knew.

[Julie Harris]

Are you going to apply for the Kindle Active Content program? Perhaps when the anger fades, you should look into it, especially since your sales were taking off. There just might be a huge market for interactive puzzle books given the advances in technology. My husband just got himself a new Microsoft Surface and he's amazed by it. I think, hmm, nice toy, but can I write on it???
What an awful thing to happen, Ted. These unexpected punches really hurt. I'm guessing Amazon was your best sales channel, too.
But chin up, mate. One door closes, another opens as they say.
Julie.

[Ted]

Thanks, Julie. Amazon was my 4th highest volume retailer so I'm not terribly worried about it at the moment. I'm going to wait and see if Amazon removes all the other puzzle ebooks before I look at coding puzzle apps. I'm not sure I want to return to coding stuff, but I will take a peak next year and if the language is something I can pick up quickly then I might consider doing something for Apple or Android systems.

[Ted]

Here is a copy of the reply I got from Amazon on October 11th. In the original reply email I sent them I had requested Amazon either remove similar non-interactive ebooks or return my ebooks to sales status so that Amazon offer a level playing field for all authors. I'm not sure what they mean by their reply:

Hello Ted,

Thank you for your response. Please note that these guidelines are applicable to both new and existing titles in the Kindle Store, which will continue to be enhanced to provide an optimal experience for buying customers.

Best Regards,

XXXX
Amazon.com

Their reply was a lot of words signifying nothing.

If Amazon truly wants to provide “an optimal experience for buying customers” shouldn’t Amazon let buying customers choose whether or not they want to purchase a non-interactive ebook or purchase an interactive app? Restricting buying customers to one choice, interactive ebooks, doesn’t seem to be very optimal for Kindle users.

I again checked Amazon for similar non-interactive ebooks still being offered for sale and found many puzzle ebooks like mine, which Amazon had removed, but the other authors works were still being offered for sale on Amazon for Kindle ebooks.

I replied to Amazon and again requested Amazon either remove similar non-interactive ebooks or return my ebooks to sales status so that Amazon offers a level playing field for all authors. I'm awaiting their reply.

[Julie Harris]

I read this article on Facebook this morning, Ted. Apparently the new Kindles aren't backwards compatible and now customers are being offered a checklist of things to report about a book. Oh joy.
www.rachelleayala.com/2012/11/selfpublishing-ebook-format-changes.html

[Ted]

Interesting link, jules57. Thanks.