Posts
BUT FIRST ...
DON'T FORGET TO PRE-ORDER
RETURN OF THE LAST SHAMAN
The End of the World was Just the Beginning!
AMAZON ADULT FILTER
Denise Covey:
commented on my prior post that Sex Does Sell. Ah, not with Amazon it doesn't so much anymore.
WHAT IS THE AMAZON ADULT FILTER?
For certain kinds of adult content, Amazon applies what’s often called
an “adult filter”.
Once a publication is filtered, it stops showing up
in some search results:
for some authors, this has led some best-selling
works to drop out of the charts and become poor or middling performers.
This dramatic effect on sales makes the filter a big concern for anyone
publishing erotica or erotic romance.
WHAT HAPPENS TO SOMETHING THAT GETS FILTERED?
It no longer shows up in the results for searches that are performed from the main search on the Amazon site.
It seems that a lot of users search from the main search bar on Amazon’s site.
Another, less obvious effect, is that even when they’re included in
search results, filtered works seem to come in below unfiltered books.
That means
that if there are unfiltered books with the same keywords as
your filtered piece, you won’t ever be at the top of the search results —
and might even show up two or three pages later,
meaning that very few
users might actually see your lovely cover and compelling title.
This effect also extends to Also-Boughts, the list of books that “other Amazon customers also bought” on each book’s page.
WHAT GETS FILTERED?
Most of the filtering seems to concentrate on content that is close to banned content, without actually crossing the line.
Covers can be a problem, too.
“Hand bra” covers,
where the model covers
her otherwise naked breasts with her hands, are usually filtered;
if
something else keeps those boobs in check, that’s (usually) fine,
but if
it’s just the hands, it’ll (usually) be filtered.
YIKES! HOW DO I KNOW IF MY TITLE HAS BEEN FILTERED?
You can start by searching for the author or title of the book on the main search bar on the Amazon.com site.
But the best way to find out is to use the tracking tool available on SalesRankExpress.
When you track a book on this site, not only do you get a wealth of
information about the book,
it also tells you if a book is filtered: the
word ADULT appears in red after the title.
I JUST WRITE THIS
TO KEEP MY FRIENDS
FROM LOOKING FOR HOPE IN STILETTO HEELS
AND BREAKING THEIR OWN HEARTS
AND THEIR DREAMS.
I never knew this. If I see Adult I automatically think ecchi or novela. You mentioned the cover art also labeling it, does the use of horror or blood accomplish the same thing?
ReplyDeleteDavid:
ReplyDeleteIf the cover depicts rape, handcuffs, a woman kneeling in front of a man, or excessive violence it can well kick a book into being filtered.
Amazon also measures amount of bare flesh on the cover. Once a book was banned as erotica due to the naked infant on the cover!
And we don't even want to think how Amazon has suspended many erotica authors' accounts. Once your account is suspended, your books disappear, and it is rather difficult to be re-instated! Ouch!
Good to see you here!! Please come back and spread the word for RETURN OF THE LAST SHAMAN, will you? :-)
Naked babies are of the devil. We all know they come out fully clothed and with diapers on!
DeleteI plan on doing a review of RETURN OF THE LAST SHAMAN when I finish reading it. I have been bogged down in my reading time lately.
David:
DeleteEspecially when the baby constantly gets you up at 3 A.M.!! Thanks for doing the review -- maybe mention it to a friend or two that reads if you liked it? :-)
I think I'm safe!
ReplyDeleteAlex:
ReplyDeleteFew naked babes in Space -- unless you count Barbarella! :-)
I was concerned about the authors Denise was writing about whose erotica, the hotter the better, that was selling like hotcakes -- until Amazon suspends their accounts! Ouch!