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

extraordinary claims

[YesIAmAScript]

Require extraordinary proof.

There are plenty of iBooks already that mention Amazon.

We have one person making a blind accusation here.

Re:extraordinary claims

[Qwavel]

The article is by Cory Doctorow, who is very well known and respected.

I would assume he did some basic vetting of the claim - he is no fool and has a reputation to protect.

Re:extraordinary claims

[Frosty Piss]

The article is by Cory Doctorow, who is very well known and respected.

First, it's hardly an "article", it's a single paragraph followed by a direct excerpt of the blog post by the offended author.

Secondly, neither Doctorow nor the offended author provide any proof whatsoever. None.

Now, this is only speculation, but perhaps Apple had an issue with the cover art, which is a rip-off of the For Dummies series of books? Publishers that copyright issues seriously.

But, since the author has provided no evidence to support her screed, it's really a non-story.

Re:extraordinary claims

[Reschekle]

You seem to be confused. YesIAmAScript claims that there are many books in the Apple book store that mention Amazon. If YesIAmAScript claims this then he must have knowledge and thus can tell us which books make mention of Amazon.

Re:extraordinary claims

[whisper_jeff]

If Cory did any basic vetting, then he failed.

Here, try this:

Step 1: Go to the iTunes store.
Step 2: Search for "Amazon"
Step 3: Ignore all titles obviously about the geographic location and take note of how many books obviously include mention of "Amazon" the company.

Protip: One of the books available for sale via iTunes is called "Amazon.com". I could be mistaken, but I think it mentions and discusses Amazon, the company.

Her claim is marketing BS.

BS

[edelbrp]

I call BS. I did a quick search here for "Amazon" on the iTunes Store and it comes up with a number of books related to publishing and marketing with Amazon including publishing eBooks for the Kindle.

Re:Doesn't seem right

[gl4ss]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time when a large online store applies different rules to different submissions.

Happens all the time.

Zero proof == Zero credibility.

[divisionbyzero]

There is zero proof in her claim. Why was this posted?

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

[PopeRatzo]

So does that mean that the Disney Store should be forced to sell Debbie Does Dallas if they sell books by other authors?

You mean if I own a religious bookstore, I have to sell the Kama Sutra sex manual, "On the Road" which encourages drug use, and other vile filth? No sir. This is a free country and I should be able to decide what I wish to sell in my private business. It is not right that I should have to be forced out-of-a-job because of some stupid law that obliges me to sell items that are sinful.

See, the problem here is you're setting up a straw man. Nobody is "forcing" Apple to sell anything. Nobody is forcing Apple out of business. Nobody is even pushing this private business to do anything it does not want.

Instead, this woman, this author, is simply pointing out the kind of douchebag behavior that Apple has increasingly made its business model. Success through suppression of competition. Success through censorship, through lawsuits, through crushing competition. Success through stepping on small business people.

This author is not talking about lawsuits or "there oughta be a law". She's just putting the information out there and letting people see for themselves why so many people are saying it's just not cool to own Apple products any more.

I really don't think you're dramatic introduction of religious freedom and "sinfulness" is applicable or adds anything of value to this discussion.

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

[Opportunist]

Popular for some, the devil for others... Rest assured some will cry bloody murder, others will call it a slander campaign... be it as it may, everyone's talking about a book nobody would have bothered to even think of taking a look at.

Mission accomplished.

Debbie does her stretch... maybe?

[Taco Cowboy]

So does that mean that the Disney Store should be forced to sell Debbie Does Dallas if they sell books by other authors?

 
Hmm... TFA was talking about being blocked by Apple because of a mention about Amazon and you jumped in with Disney being forced to carry "Debbie Does Dallas"?
 
Isn't _ that _ quite a stretch?
 

I got similar treatment from Amazon

[PseudonymousCoward]

In my book "The Making of 'I Saw Them Ride Away'" I mentioned the great help that Amazon, and their subsidiary CreateSpace, had been in enabling the publication of my Great-Grandfather's memoir. When I submitted the manuscript for format checking, it was rejected because it mentioned "amazon.com". I had to eliminate a very complimentary sentence, at their own insistence.

I'm sure the policy makes sense to someone.

Re:Debbie does her stretch... maybe?

[TapeCutter]

GGP was asking for public companies to be forced to carry everything

No they asked for "a law against censoring content in a public marketplace by a public company". You and Karlt1 interpreted that to mean every company must stock every item. You are therefore (unintentionally) using a strawman argument.