Why do you think that Amazon is removing titles from their platform?
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@catstorm There's still booktopia (affiliated with Kobo).
@lilitu93 I too wondered if it's a shipping problem, but when discussed before someone said physical versions of other LNs are still available to buy. I suppose it's hard to conclude without knowing the logistics plan of Amazon and other Australian book sellers.
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I suspect there is more than one 'thing' going on:
- purity police: complaints about something being 'too naughty' and amazon taking down whatever someone complained about (I've commented before, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a concerted effort by a small group of a**holes with an axe to grind, and time on their hands)
- supply chain disruptions: where physicals are translated/printed/exported to and from, if a delay w/o a due date (caused by COVID 19?) occurs, or Amazon decides a supply is 'unreliable' I can wrap my brain around de-listing physical product (Amazon has a operational cost in processing a back-order)
- callous 'surge-pricing' / profit taking (an algorithm)
- nexus/ international laws/compliance: complaints in EU or Australia or USA effecting other markets
in all cases ---an illustration of Amazon being 'too big' and having too much influence in this market (and the market being a oligopoly). Book depository--owned by Amazon, Kobo and Booktopia --owned by Rakuten, some other outlets owned by either/or of the two. And more reason to acquire via JNC when available
I just did a search on Barnes and Noble - pretty much all of the banned by Amazon titles are available there - physical and ebook. I know this doesn't help folks outside of USA but (likely) eliminates that case where his is an issue with USA law and these particular books. Either someone is targeting Amazon/gaming the complaints tool, or the problem is outside the USA and Amazon USA is getting 'splash-over' effects)
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@catstorm said in Why do you think that Amazon is removing titles from their platform?:
What kind of censorship is that
The kind that relies on the censoring party manually reporting things to Amazon, and for Amazon to actually find that it violates laws/policies to then take it down. Like how JNC books were initially taken down piecemeal, not entire series at a time.
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I doubt what's going on with Australia's amazon has anything to do with government censorship otherwise both listings would have been removed, and it's not like their ratings board is giving hundreds of books a day a NC rating, so it's probably purely internal to amazon, probably in the same fashion as whatever's been triggering the kindle removals worldwide on the site.
Besides, the idea that they're trying to push people onto a higher cost item based purely on profit motive sounds off base in the first place here. Books almost certainly have lower markup compared to digital editions simply because it costs more to make a physical product. Amazon might get more money on a per purchase basis for a physical book due to the higher overall retail price, but they probably make a lower percentage of sale compared to the kindle version. Not to mention, if the books are sold and shipped by amazon, that means amazon is having to essentially pay to warehouse the book until someone buys it. Depending on how many copies they keep on hand, that can add up to a substantial amount of warehouse space when you consider the number of series and volumes they'd need to be doing this for.
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An interesting turn of events, several physical releases (In particular J novel clubs) have been reinstated on Amazon Australia.
These titles include Smartphone 11, and Potions 1, even how not to summons physical editions are back up.
However here's the kicker, postage from Amazon international is no longer free under Amazon prime membership.
So if you want to buy the book through Amazon US you must pay postage but if you purchase the Amazon AU or Book depository options delivery is free, meaning you no longer save any money buying through Amazon US distribution channel.
Also this seems to be unique to J Novel Club titles as all releases after August 1st for Seven Seas and Yen ON are still only digital only kindle purchases.
Here is an image of elf bride, that hasn't even been released yet, to show that this is the case even for pre-orders on physical releases for J Novel Club.
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Volume 1, 3 and 6 of Altina the Sword Princess are missing on Amazon.
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@Lotteliese said in Why do you think that Amazon is removing titles from their platform?:
Volume 1, 3 and 6 of Altina the Sword Princess are missing on Amazon.
Hmmm... I see 2, 4, and 5 on Amazon US for Kindle. The first part of 6 only just came out this week in pre-pub form here, so that one wouldn’t get released on Amazon (or anywhere else) for a few months.
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@Ingraman said in Why do you think that Amazon is removing titles from their platform?:
@Lotteliese said in Why do you think that Amazon is removing titles from their platform?:
Volume 1, 3 and 6 of Altina the Sword Princess are missing on Amazon.
Hmmm... I see 2, 4, and 5 on Amazon US for Kindle. The first part of 6 only just came out this week in pre-pub form here, so that one wouldn’t get released on Amazon (or anywhere else) for a few months.
Altina is missing some volumes in Germany. Atleast Volume 2, 4 and 5. Maybe Lotteliese mixed them up and meant whicha re available.
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So what's wrong with Altina? I don't recall any lewd images in this one.
Edit: well there's a black and white pic of shirtless Jerome. Too sexy for Kindle?
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@Village-Idiot Good question. But I stopped reading after Volume 1 (or at the prepub 3 of Volume 2).
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Amazon didn't have any more volumes from the author's other series to ban so decided to continue with Altina?
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Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into the matter.
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