A couple of weeks ago I read a book on prepping for voluntary self-isolation called “The Wuhan Coronavirus Survival Manual” by Cat Ellis. I was a bit skeptical but the price was decent for a Print On Demand (POD) book so I bought it. Much to my surprise I found it to be very level headed and helpful. I liked it so much I wrote a review post about it.
Yesterday, as the news worsened, I thought I would send some friends copies as gifts and that is when I started getting 404’s on Amazon as if the book didn’t exist!
So I investigated and found this on the author’s blog: My COVID-19 Book Has Been Banned!
We received vague emails informing us that the book was pulled. We have been in contact with Amazon. Even after speaking to supervisors, we still are not positive why it was pulled.
It’s a shame. I thought the book was particularly good for those who, unlike me, had never given preparing for an emergency a single thought. I think such a level headed book is needed now more than ever. But Amazon erased that.
I hope Amazon will reconsider this in a timely manner or the author will republish on another POD platform - maybe Lulu.com?
Author’s are at the Mercy of Amazon
This underscores a problem with publishing with only one POD provider - it’s their platform and you are at their mercy. Moreover, they are also the bookseller so they have you coming and going.
I’ve been an Amazon customer for a long time. I spend a lot of money with Amazon and for the most part I’ve been happy with them. But I’ve actually read this book, I found it to be good. I still want to send it as a gift and now I can’t. I’m willing to bet Amazon never read the book. Some algorithm flagged it and so it mindlessly got pulled, while a lot of newcomer books on the same topic stayed in the catalog.
Let the author beware.
