10 votes

Bad romance - To cash in on Kindle Unlimited, a cabal of authors gamed Amazon's algorithm

5 comments

  1. [3]
    lars
    Link
    I read the article, and I really tried to keep up. But I just didn't follow all of it. Apparently they are exploiting a system to make their books seem more in line with what's trending?( they are...

    I read the article, and I really tried to keep up. But I just didn't follow all of it. Apparently they are exploiting a system to make their books seem more in line with what's trending?( they are manipulating the algorithm of what's trending?) And some of them are using bribery?

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      It's pretty complicated overall, there seem to be a lot of different things going on. They're manipulating the system in a few different ways, both to get more exposure for their books as well as...

      It's pretty complicated overall, there seem to be a lot of different things going on. They're manipulating the system in a few different ways, both to get more exposure for their books as well as get paid more for them (since it sounds like Kindle Unlimited pays based on "number of pages read").

      Honestly, I think the article was too long and tried to cover too many things. It jumps around between topics quite suddenly, and it's pretty hard to follow (especially since it also introduces a lot of new terminology). I still found it interesting, but I think it probably would have been better if it was a little more focused.

      3 votes
      1. lars
        Link Parent
        Thanks for the explanation. It was an interesting read.

        Thanks for the explanation. It was an interesting read.

        1 vote
  2. phedre
    Link
    This is actually REALLY interesting. It's amazing how quickly people will figure out how to exploit any monetary reward system. I subscribed to KU for about six months, and ended up dropping it...

    This is actually REALLY interesting. It's amazing how quickly people will figure out how to exploit any monetary reward system.

    I subscribed to KU for about six months, and ended up dropping it because I couldn't find much quality content to read. This article may have just explained why it was so bad. It might be time to look at it again.

    1 vote
  3. PapaNachos
    Link
    I actually just got a new kindle on prime day and had been excited to try kindle unlimited. I'm not anymore. I don't read romance, but I don't see how a system with those kinds of perverse...

    I actually just got a new kindle on prime day and had been excited to try kindle unlimited. I'm not anymore. I don't read romance, but I don't see how a system with those kinds of perverse incentives can keep the abuse contained to a single genre. Sooner or later either Amazon will need to fix it, or the problem will spread.

    1 vote