December 29, 2005

Amazon Hosting Author Blogs?

Amazon Hosting Author Blogs

The Amazon Connect program, in beta for the past month, aims to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and between readers and Amazon.com. It provides authors with a channel to market new products to consumers who bought their books in the past, and gives them a reason to visit Amazon.com.

This is FANTASTIC!!! I do find the name "Connect" somewhat of an interesting choice (although not completely off the mark either) given the fact that as the above linked and quoted article later points out, Amazon doesn't allow reader comments nor access to any sort of data feed for the individual or collective authors at present time. But unlike some of the comments quoted by others, I can definitely understand why.

How so?

Well, let me rephrase. I can understand why they wouldn't want to provide an interactive interface for readers to post comments to and it goes far beyond the fear of comment spam. More on this below.

The data feeds?

Ummm, well... thats a tough one as well. On one hand you would want to use the data feeds to draw interested readers to the authors blog in the first place. Then again, I can tell right now that while it may not be immediattely obvious as to why, theres going to be author opposition to anything that might have potential of causing an author to look bad if they don't spend 40 hours a week blogging on Amazon.

Personal blogs are one thing. Generally speaking, while you may get the core group of readers who enjoy your work and look to your personal blog for more information, those numbers are going to be significantly less than they would be on Amazon.

How's that a bad thing?

Well, take the example of Paul Graham. He interacts with his core readers all the time through a service that he links to at the end of each post. Well, article really... While its basically the same kind of thing, you don't find drive-by postings with a link and a few sentences on his site, obviously something you do find on any given blog at any given time. But thats beside the point. While I'm guessing, if you asked Mr. Graham to turn his attention to an interactive Amazon-based blog my best bet would suggest his response wouldn't be one of optimism and excitement.

Huh?

Well, think about it.... The fact that a reader might seek out your blog on his/her own via an online search engine, or through a link put into one of your titles, that number won't be anywhere near the amount of traffic ANY author would receive through an Amazon-based interface. Search engines and links contained in titles will definitely bring plenty of numbers his direction. But on Amazon you're going to get a steady supply of residual visitors who will interact with a blog just because of its ease of accessibility via a site they're already visiting. Its doubtful these same folks are going to be the same ones seeking out their favorite authors via search engines or be all that enticed to visit a link found in one of your titles if it wasn't located on a site they already frequent.

With this in mind, one can expect that your average author can quite happily maintain the traffic coming towards their personal blog. But add residual traffic coming at you in Amazon-sized numbers (speaking literally and figuratively) and you may just as well forget about ever writing another book in your life. While thats definitely going to thwart authors from getting involved, its not exactly the kind of thing Amazon would be wanting to do nor would the publishing companies be on their side if they did. Instead of selling books, they'll end up acting as a free content hosting provider for a whole bunch of pissy authors who now hate them because of their so called "favor" to help them sell more books.

Coming at this from an authors perspective I can tell you right now I plan to get involved with this program as soon as they'll let me through the "door." But thinking this one through, I have serious doubts you're going to be seeing data feeds and comment forms as part of the Amazon offerings, at least any time soon anyway, and more than likely ever. My guess is that Kurt probably feels the same way, although I'll stop short of acting as his voice proxy and let him take the mic on this one as undoubtedly he will have some good things to say about this as well... although it may be a few days as he's currently in "travel mode" dotting the Puget Sound with drive-by visits to the inlaws for the Holidays.

As a side note: Have I ever mentioned just how much I truly love being single? ;) :D (Merry Christmas Kurt :D Enjoying the drive? ;-)

Anyway, I should probably let Kurt concentrate more on the road and less on trying to swerve so he can hit me "on accident" :) and at the same time come back to my own voice on the matter at hand...

I think that this is definitely a cool idea in regards to just the blogs.

But Amazon...

Just in case I'm totally off as to why you haven't implemented them already and you are still "thinking" on this one... in regards to the comments section specifically, and data feeds in general (although I'm no where near the same "Oh Dear God, NO!" level I'm at with the comments section):

Please don't. In fact, if necessary, point me at your Wish List and I'll pick the most expensive item you have on it if you promise me you won't do this. Not so much for my own sake, but having several author friends such as Kurt, Russ, Micah, and others who already have several titles (or as in Kurts case, DOZENS!!! ;) behind them...

Um, lets just say I kind of like them as my friends the way they are and not as bitchy PMS Queens from Hell. I spent the first 18 years of my life in just such a He... errr... I mean... umm...

I've already been blessed with 18 magnificent years such as these. To give me more now would simply be too much. Someone else needs/deserves them WAY MORE than I do, I promise. I do appreciate the sentiment and all, but again...

ANYTHING on your list... It's yours! :)

Wait, scratch that...

I'LL BUY THE WHOLE DAMN LIST! JUST PLEASE PROMISE ME YOU WON'T DO THAT TOO ME!!! I BEG OF YOU!!! WHATEVER YOU WANT, ITS YOURS!!!! KEEP ALL THE BOOK PROFIT IF NECESSARY!

ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your understanding. :)