Thanks, Amazon!

This morning I woke up to the most thrilling e-mail. Most of what Amazon sends me is junk. However, This one didn’t upset me. I remember when my first book came out a couple years ago. The arrival of the e-mail suggesting my own book to me was a rite of passage, a coming of authorial age. This one felt even better. All my books on the top, and most of my anthologies below, it was like a strange kind of stalker-ish love letter.

I’m not sure why they don’t filter out the ones I’ve already bought through them. It’s like the kindle app on my tablet, recommending books I currently have in on the device. But I forgive them because it’s so pretty.

They even gave me a cool author page.

I know they generated this e-mail based on the books I’ve looked up on their site. I wish they’d send it to somebody besides me. 😉 For normal readers it’s an attempt to put the same image and words in front of them multiple times so they are more likely to buy. Yet in this instance it’s more of a snapshot of so much blood and tears. (I don’t really sweat when I’m writing.)

I know there are a lot of people who hate Amazon because it’s the horseman of the book apocalypse come to reign doom down on all the order and control of the big-6 publishing monopoly. I think I will cast my vote on the other side of the fight. Amazon just made it possible for every voice to get into the arena. The best will still win the gladiation. So today, I’m just saying thanks.

I doubt their multi-billion dollar corporation will notice, but in this one author’s life, the changes they enacted have made all the difference.