When I first entered the wonderful world of the internet, I started on a plain
old text based web browser called Lynx. No internet photos, just text, then along
came improvements and the web grew. I could now see pictures, videos and text.
Then along came email.
There were websites that I had to sign up for and give them my email address,
which started the spam revolution. There were now people selling everything from
sex toys to porn to free (NOT) giveaways. There were the Nigerian letters giving
away millions for just providing them with your personal info like social security
number or bank account pin. Or all the how to get rich books, I loved those. They
were and still are relentless.
Last week I read an article on someone's blog that gave me a chill. I am
self-publishing my books on Amazon and it's not easy to get your books out to the
public, but there is now a trend for people to make lots of money preying on
unsuspecting book readers. This blog showed how one person on Amazon has over 3,000
books listed and all are garbage. This person has taken anything found on the
internet, mostly how-to or informational articles, and copying them, formatting
and putting them up as a book. They change their name for each one and just slap
up these books and people are buying them. Okay not in record numbers but someone
is buying.
This brings up my worry, that I have an 18 book series on Amazon, all
mystery/thriller novels and I'm concerned that my books may be buried in the
tons of spam books being put up everyday. I'm wasn't just believing this one
article, until it mentioned a website that sells a video on how to find info,
format and publish to Amazon. It's written like any of the get rich quick sites
and is enticing to the reader. If you'd like to visit that website see the link
at the end of this column. I'm hoping Amazon does something about the crap that
is being put up. Now I do see that these books are all in the how-to or
informational vein, so I hope they don't spill over to fiction, where my books
reside.
Another concern I have from reading another blog, is theft of book content.
There are people who are purchasing a book, copying it and changing the author
and cover then reselling it on Amazon. Smashwords.com has reported that they
found a few books where this has happened. I often think about my books that
could be resold by someone else. I hope Amazon also polices this, but what do
they care, the more books they sell the more money they make. It's up to us to
watch our back for theft.
I really have to stop reading blogs, I'm worrying myself to death.
***
If you'd like to see the video sales website, it's at
http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-special-offers-forum/354604-no-work-just-income-brand-new-hands-free-passive-income-autopilot-kindle-cash-no-dvd.html" (use your back button to return here) and see for yourself.
This blog is for the random ramblings from my mind whether you want it or not.
I will post when I can so just check back every so often. Thanks.
