Amazon Cracks Down on All Fake Reviews

flash fiction contest gavelI get it. It does feel like Amazon’s review policy makes our indie-author lives harder. This review is okay, but this one is not, so poof! Out it goes, with very little recourse. We work really hard for each and every one of our reviews. We need them all. Why is the Zon picking on us?

They’re not, of course. Fake reviews are a problem for any retailer that allows reviews of the products it sells – which is pretty much every e-retailer out there – and for every product imaginable, not just for books. Everybody who has a product for sale at Amazon is trying to get eyeballs on their product, and favorable reviews will push the product higher in the rankings. Continue reading “Amazon Cracks Down on All Fake Reviews”

Indie Author Amazon Policy Survey

Indies Unlimited is conducting a survey of the indie author community regarding some policy changes recently implemented by Amazon.

We are interested in the views of indie authors* regarding three particular areas of Amazon policy change. Please respond to all three questions below: Continue reading “Indie Author Amazon Policy Survey”

Gilligan’s Island -the Missing Episodes

In 1965, halfway through the second season of prime time television favourite, Gilligan’s Island, there was a two week break. Do you remember that happening? I was two, so I’ve only seen the show in reruns, but I’ve heard about the famous gap.

This is how it played out. In between the first and second part of season two, something happened. When the stranded islanders came back there was a difference. The captain and Mr Howell weren’t getting along, and Mrs Howell kept sending sideways glances at the captain while waving her little white-gloved hand at him. The professor seemed like he was hammered all the time and Gilligan had become sullen, and was always off by himself. Something happened in those two missing weeks. There were episodes; real things that happened that were never explained to us. Continue reading “Gilligan’s Island -the Missing Episodes”