Author Claims Apple Won't Carry Her ebook Because It Mentions Amazon

martiniturbide writes "Author Holly Lisle tried to publish her guide How To Think Sideways Lesson 6: How To Discover (Or Create) Your Story's Market at Apple's iBooks store. She says it was rejected first by Apple because it had 'live links' to Amazon. After she removed the links, it was rejected again because according to her: 'The problem is the CONTENT. You can't mention Amazon in your lesson.'"

Comments

The first rule of controlling a market...

[Anonymous Coward]

shut down discussion.

Re:The first rule of controlling a market...

[bigstrat2003]

People keep throwing around the word "censorship" like they think they know what it means, but it's obvious they don't. Censorship is when the government restricts your speech. Even if every single one of her claims is true, she is not being censored.

Well, Merriam-Webster's site says this.

Censorship:

1. The institution or practice of censoring.

Censor:

To examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable; also: to suppress or delete as objectionable.

Nothing about the term requires that it be applied to the government. So, you're wrong. And while Apple certainly has the legal right to censor content that appears in their marketplace, it's pretty shitty of them to do so, and people are absolutely right to call them out for it (provided that the claims are true).

Re:The first rule of controlling a market...

[drkim]

Can you tell me where in the Bible, Torah or Koran it says that sex is dirty?

Like Song of Solomon:
"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts, But my breasts are like towers."
"He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts."
"Come ... blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."
"My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."
"He thrust his hand into the opening, and my inmost being yearned for him. I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt."

You see..? Done Biblically, sex is very dirty!

Re:The first rule of controlling a market...

[drkim]

I'm sorry A.C., I didn't realize it was ACTUALLY written in English. I thought it was ACTUALLY written in Hebrew.

But perhaps you would rather enjoy Ezekiel 23:20 (New International Version translation)

There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

Re:The first rule of controlling a market...

[whisper_jeff]

Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, maybe she is making a fuss just to get publicity. If so, then by all means, let us know why you think so so that we won't waste our time supporting her.

Her claim is the book was refused because it mentions Amazon. Go to the iTunes store. Do a search for Amazon. Ignore the results about the geographic region and notice how many other books clearly and obviously mention Amazon. Take particular note, for example, of the book titled "Amazon.com" which, one would assume, is about Amazon and makes mention of the company.

After you do this basic level of investigation, one can only be left to assume that there's either some key part of this story missing and/or she is doing this to generate attention for her book as a marketing ploy (driving people to buy her book on Amazon, most likely).

It just seems to me that you're saying that anyone who makes a fuss must just be in it for the publicity, and I strongly disagree.

I agree (with you) - making a fuss does not mean one is just trying to generate publicity but, especially in today's day and age one must be sure to consider the possibility that, yes, it is being done for publicity. It's a marketing tactic that has proven to work, largely because most people aren't willing to do any degree of investigation into whether or not a claim is true. Thus, he (or she) who complains loudest gets eyeballs.

I believe, in this case, the story is either missing a very important key piece of information or, more likely, the author is manipulating the online media into generating hype regarding her book to increase sales.

Re:extraordinary claims

[rjames13]

Require extraordinary proof.

There are plenty of iBooks already that mention Amazon.

We have one person making a blind accusation here.

Maybe you can give us some examples? ...

Selling on Amazon's FBA program by Nathan Holmquist
Make a killing on Kindle by Michael Alvear

If you ask me what is going on here, it is creative marketing. By blaming Apple for her book not being published, she gets free marketing for her book on Amazon. All this marketing fed by the frenzy of the Apple haters.

Amazon has their own annoyances

[HangingChad]

Amazon tells you that if you want to be in their lending library the content has to be exclusive to them for 90 days.

At the end of 90 days you discover that the 90 day clock resets. Instead of just saying as long as you want to be in the lending library, the content has to be exclusive, they play the recurring 90 day game.

I'm guessing if they just came right out and told the truth it might be challenged as anti-competitive.

I'm also guessing some big titles get a better deal.

Re:extraordinary claims

[Frosty Piss]

Mod parent up.

There are dozens and dozens of books that both "mention" Amazon, and have Amazon as their primary subject, many being books on how to publish on Amazon or otherwise make money on Amazon. Many authors publish on both Apple and Amazon.

Folks, use some common sense: Apple simply could not get away with this type of policy. And there is not reasonable reason why they would want to.

Without seeing the actual email traffic, we can't know for sure, but possibly it's a shitty book? Maybe there where technical issues that this woman didn't understand? Maybe there where copyright issues with parts of the content? Who knows?

I'm inclined to believe that this woman is either jumping to conclusions and doesn't feel like she should have to follow some process that Apple has requested, or like others have said, a stupid PR stunt.

Re:Please do not print large Jobs

[PopeRatzo]

The face of Apple [thechive.com] has died,

But they clearly still have a prick.