Bezos Interview: why Amazon started with books

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Because once you get past a handful, it gets to be a real pain to search for authors one by one to see if they have anything new. I had about 50 on my authoralerts account, that includes active authors who have written a book in the last year (around 22), active authors who write less frequently (around 10) and backlist authors who I'm still waiting for some of their books to come out as ebooks (30 plus). Authoralert didn't do ebook only releases all that well, but they did a good job on the rest.

I'm totally lost. You said:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Trying to find new books by favored authors is really the only reason I use the search function. Yea, it sucks dead bunnies, as the saying goes.

How are you currently (you wrote in the present tense above) using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of 50 favorite authors at once?

I'm assuming that since it's not likely you ARE using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of 50 favorite authors at once, that you're using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of favorite authors one at a time. To which my question is, "why?" Why continue to use a function that "sucks dead bunnies" for searching for new books from your favorite authors, when there search engines out there that return better results?

Unless you've found a way to replace the functionality of Author Alerts, the fact that you have a large list of authors is moot. Wherever you choose to search, you will be doing individual searches. So again, why continue to use the crappy engine (and carp about its crappiness) when you don't have to?

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Why in the world would I want to type in a bunch of names into a search engine once a month when I can put load them into a program and get notified whenever a new book comes out?

Because that functionality is gone and you're ready to accept the reality that it's not coming back? Because that's all you CAN do if you want to keep up with your list? Because you understand the futility of flogging a dead horse? You tell me.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Well, there is that class of author you like, but who hasn't risen to the level of stalking status yet. It's the old, "I wonder if old so and so has published anything lately? I always liked him/her."

I find the Goodreads monthly new releases newsletters very useful for this.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm totally lost. You said:


How are you currently (you wrote in the present tense above) using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of 50 favorite authors at once?

I'm assuming that since it's not likely you ARE using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of 50 favorite authors at once, that you're using Amazon's search function to search for the new works of favorite authors one at a time. To which my question is, "why?" Why continue to use a function that "sucks dead bunnies" for searching for new books from your favorite authors, when there search engines out there that return better results?

Unless you've found a way to replace the functionality of Author Alerts, the fact that you have a large list of authors is moot. Wherever you choose to search, you will be doing individual searches. So again, why continue to use the crappy engine (and carp about its crappiness) when you don't have to?


Because that functionality is gone and you're ready to accept the reality that it's not coming back? Because that's all you CAN do if you want to keep up with your list? Because you understand the futility of flogging a dead horse? You tell me.

I thought it was pretty clear, I use the search by publication date and then scan the results for authors whose name I recognize. I do this because I don't want to type 50 names into the search one at a time. If there are better search engines, then I'm all ears, because google sure ain't it.

As far as why complain, well maybe if enough people complain, then maybe Amazon will notice and do something about it. Probably not, but the odds are a whole lot better than if I pretend that everything is all for the best and couldn't possibly be any better [10 karma points to anyone who recognizes where that came from]. I complain for the same reason that I keep clicking on the "want this as an ebook" on Amazon for books that aren't available as ebooks. While it doesn't seem to do much good, it's better than doing nothing at all.

[DiapDealer]

Have you tried Amazon Follow?
I just quickly followed about 10 authors on my Amazon profile. I already got one email that one of them just released a new book. And looking at my Amazon Follow Updates Timeline shows me the latest releases (most recent first) of all the authors I've followed. May not be perfect, but it certainly seems to fall into the "better than doing nothing at all" category.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Have you tried Amazon Follow?
I just quickly followed about 10 authors on my Amazon profile. I already got one email that one of them just released a new book. And looking at my Amazon Follow Updates Timeline shows me the latest releases (most recent first) of all the authors I've followed. May not be perfect, but it certainly seems to fall into the "better than doing nothing at all" category.

I think he mentioned that previously that the follow feature fails to notify him automatically. But since he is using Apple products, he could just put all 50 searches that give the author releases into his reading list. Instead of typing all of them seperately, a quick scan through the list every month should suffice, not? Chances are it is a quick dismiss on majority if nothing released that month.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I think he mentioned that previously that the follow feature fails to notify him automatically.

They certainly advertise new release alerts. And I did receive an email about one of my followed author's newest release. Seems fairly automatic to me.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I think he mentioned that previously that the follow feature fails to notify him automatically. But since he is using Apple products, he could just put all 50 searches that give the author releases into his reading list. Instead of typing all of them seperately, a quick scan through the list every month should suffice, not? Chances are it is a quick dismiss on majority if nothing released that month.

That is the case. I've gotten a couple of notices, but not very many.

What is this apple reading list you are talking about? I see something with that name in Safari, but it seems to be for reading web pages when you are off line. For the most part, I use Firefox rather than Safari. I use Instapaper for that sort of thing.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

That is the case. I've gotten a couple of notices, but not very many.

What is this apple reading list you are talking about? I see something with that name in Safari, but it seems to be for reading web pages when you are off line. For the most part, I use Firefox rather than Safari. I use Instapaper for that sort of thing.

Yes, the Safari feature. I am aware of nobody that installs Safari on non Apple devices. You don't have to be offline for the offline reading of pages, right? But it will fetch them all at once since it cannot know how soon you will be offline. No more waiting until everything loads, since it already loaded it before. Built in in Safari without plugins or apps to install. Of course there is apps that will do, but requires a bit of research first.

[darryl]

I get regular emails from Amazon about new releases from the Authors I follow. Sometimes they do not follow the release as quickly as I would like but for me the system seems to work reasonably well.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Yes, the Safari feature. I am aware of nobody that installs Safari on non Apple devices. You don't have to be offline for the offline reading of pages, right? But it will fetch them all at once since it cannot know how soon you will be offline. No more waiting until everything loads, since it already loaded it before. Built in in Safari without plugins or apps to install. Of course there is apps that will do, but requires a bit of research first.

Interesting. I'll have to play with that some.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Yes, the Safari feature. I am aware of nobody that installs Safari on non Apple devices.

Hmmm the last release of Safari for Windows was 6 years ago. I dropped it as an alternate browser about 5 years ago when it became obvious that Apple was no longer going to support it.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by darryl

I get regular emails from Amazon about new releases from the Authors I follow. Sometimes they do not follow the release as quickly as I would like but for me the system seems to work reasonably well.

Just got an email about a new book by Garth Nix, who I have been following for a while, that book 2 of a new series is coming out in October. The only problem is that I didn't even know that he had a new series. Book 1 seems to have come out last November. There really seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which ones I get notified on and which ones I don't.

[darryl]

Valid criticism. I found there was a long period where that was happening. Then they seemed to get their act together. Perhaps the wheels have fallen off again?

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by darryl

Valid criticism. I found there was a long period where that was happening. Then they seemed to get their act together. Perhaps the wheels have fallen off again?

No idea. A notification service that isn't reliable pretty much defeats the purpose of such things. It's unfortunate. It really shouldn't be all that hard, but I suspect it really isn't a priority for Amazon, so it only gets worked on sporadically. That's the way things are at major companies. If a project isn't a priority, it rarely gets much attention.