[MikeCraig]

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Hi Tom:


Publishers like us use their ranks as one of our guides in our decision making. That's why I reacted like I did to Craig's post. At the very least, he as an author is not in the same publishing world as Two Plus Two. Also, it's my experience that when you talk to a book buyer from another company and you can say to them that one of your books has a pretty good Amazon Sales Rank, they will immediately notice the book in case they haven't already, or instantly increase the number of copies they plan to purchase.

So as you can see, a good Amazon Sales Rank is a very important part of our industry.

Best wishes,
Mason

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Mason:

You're right and I thought I made the point originally that this Amazon stuff, as it was represented to me, was the view from a company like Time Warner, not 2+2 or another specialty publisher. I don't even know who published Duke's book but it was probably a house that puts more weight on rankings of Bookscan and the like than on Amazon (and therefore be less likely to hatch a scheme to skew Amazon rankings with phony reviews).

Incidentally, I'm pleased to hear this from you. Everybody but my publisher tells me that my own Amazon ranking (mostly the mid to high three figures since its June release) is very positive. I'm always looking at the glass as half empty.

As the owner of a specialty publishing co., Mason, maybe I should check out the names on those several hundred (or is it thousand?) positive Amazon reviews by readers of your work to see if it's all part of the Master Plan to manipulate Amazon. In fact, as an admirer of your work (I own 18 copies of 2+2 titles, including 8 of which you are an/the author), maybe I'M in on the conspiracy! Do your tentacles know no limits?

Michael