Miscategorized   

Have you noticed that some authors are putting their books under the wrong categories on Amazon? I recently saw a Christian novel set in the Old West that was under the categories of "Christian Church" and "Bible History." It didn't even come close to being either of these. I see this as being dishonest since they are basically lying about the category. This isn't a good practice for anyone, much less, a Christian.

What they're doing is trying to list it in a little-used category, so their Amazon ratings will go higher, and the book will get more exposure. However, I think this is counterproductive. Readers who want to read a book from one of the listed categories will be disappointed when they see it's not what they expected, and those who happen to buy, not noticing the misnomer, will be upset. Or some, like me, notice but would never buy the book now, even though they like novels set in the Old West. This practice just is not good P. R. 

I can see doing something like putting a novella under "Short Stories" since that's only a small stretch. However, I don't think anyone should list a book in a category that is in no way related to what the book is about. Dishonesty never helps in the long run. As Edwin Sandys said in the early 1600s, "Honesty is the best policy."

Edwin Sandys

____________________________