Amazon hits ranking violators

Those of you who use Amazon to feed your Kindles, or for other purchases come to that, should be aware that the ranking of a product is not as benign as you might think. While theory tells us that the more a product is sold, the higher it goes up the rankings until it is a best seller. the reality is that you can use friends and web bots to trick the Amazon algorithms into raising your ranking without commensurate sales.

Many indy authors will find an obscure category in order to be able to claim to be a number one Amazon author. And trad publishers are also desperate to capture the limelight that a high position offers eg Amazon will finally start to promote your title without you having to pay for the privilege.

Over the last couple of years authors especially have complained to Amazon about how easy it is to game the system and finally there is an answer: Amazon has picked out some of the worst perpetrators for some belated but negative consequences. And not soon enough, I say.

To be honest, I’m less concerned about having a tax evading company tell me I’m brilliant and more concerned about making sales anywhere. Real sales that is with real money attached. I know this is a terribly old-fashioned approach to publishing, but I’ll forgive myself just this once.

Does anyone think Amazon was wrong in its actions here?