Rant about new Amazon reviewer ranking system

Catherine Delors · Post by **Catherine Delors** » Sat October 25th, 2008, 2:36 pm

Wow! Amazon is a great place, esp. for self-published authors. However, there was a lot going on there under the radar.

For instance, they listed my first novel, Mistress of the Revolution, as YA, which it is not by any standards. I complained about that, but was told there was nothing to do about it, that "Amazon does whatever it wants to do."

About the "Amazon best-sellers," I have seen full-length novels arbitrarily listed as "short stories/Patagonia," or such exotic pigeon hole, and achieve a best-seller status in that category, even though their overall ranking was quite low.

In this manner a book with a sales rank of 400,000 made it to the monthly list of best-sellers. I want out of YA, please put me in Patagonian short stories!

As for Harriett K. the super speed-reader, I am glad to see that things are moving in the right direction. That stuff wasn't fair to real reviewers. Congrats to Misfit and 1lilia1 for your new - deserved - rankings!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 25th, 2008, 4:05 pm

Why? Forgive my nievity, but what is it about being on top of reviewing for Amazon that is so important? Do you get extra pay?

Nah, it's a status symbol. Plus publishers give them lots of free stuff. Some of the higher ranked are big into CD's and video games and such. Quite a free for all. It was kind of cool to pick up a top badge, but that's all. When making a book decision that badge means squat to me.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 3:14 am

I have no idea how they could even mess up and think your book is YA! And I do agree that does hurt you in the long run. It is an adult novel and it should be advertised as such.

Catherine Delors · Post by **Catherine Delors** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 11:23 am

Absolutely, Divia! I hate to think of someone presenting it to little Sally for her 12th birthday. Hopefully the title served as a warning that it is not YA.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 3:30 pm

Im reading Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book, which is being marketed as YA - I could see it, but at the same time as an adult I am enjoying it quite a bit. They also marketed Book Theif as YA for some reason; again, I could see HS kids reading it, but its an excellent book for adults.

Then they marketed Book of Lost Things and I was totally baffled. This is a twisted fairy tale book which I think most adults would enjoy - but so not for kids (tho I could see some older teens reading it and getting it)

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 3:34 pm

If I'm not mistaken I saw a YA designation on Devil's Brood.

Ariadne · Post by **Ariadne** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 3:52 pm

Yep, Amazon has a YA reading level assigned to Devil's Brood. Sheesh. It appears to have been removed from Mistress of the Revolution though.

With the Gaiman and Zusak (Book Thief), the choice of category was the publisher's and not Amazon's. In the UK, Book Thief is being sold as an adult novel.

As for Mme Klausner, I know someone who knows her, and she's a real person, a librarian (she may be retired) who lives in Atlanta now. I'm sure she has help uploading her reviews... whether she has help in writing them, I don't know! I'm guessing she has licensing arrangements in place with Amazon and the many other places they appear.

Catherine Delors · Post by **Catherine Delors** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 4:23 pm

Thanks, Ariadne, for the info! Months of bitching about the YA rating (must have been done by my publisher, because I had given up) paid off.

I don't know whether this thread is the proper starting point for this, but I would like to see ratings for books, on a voluntary basis of course, along the same lines as movies. So the reader knows what to expect in terms of sex and violence.

And finally it is fascinating to hear of someone who knows the mysterious Madame K!

I'd love to know more about her, and I'm sure I am not alone...

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 5:26 pm

[quote=""Catherine Delors""]Thanks, Ariadne, for the info! Months of bitching about the YA rating (must have been done by my publisher, because I had given up) paid off.

I don't know whether this thread is the proper starting point for this, but I would like to see ratings for books, on a voluntary basis of course, along the same lines as movies. So the reader knows what to expect in terms of sex and violence.

And finally it is fascinating to hear of someone who knows the mysterious Madame K!

I'd love to know more about her, and I'm sure I am not alone...[/quote]

There was an interview with Harriet K in the Wall Street Journal a couple of years ago. It's probably still out there via Google.

See under "Chat" for a ratings thread.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun October 26th, 2008, 5:54 pm

A lot of people are having trouble figuring out the difference between YA books and adult ones. YA books have VERY ADULT themes now. I just read Identical by Ellen Hopkins which is about incest, drugs, drinking and a daughter who is upset that her sister has daddy's um eye.

So I can see how it could be difficult for some to figure out the difference between the two. However, when the author says..hello my book is not YA then you think they would say "oh ok we'll change it."