In which Amazon.com is an idiot

Waiting in my inbox today is an accusatory note from Amazon.com, stating that “content” in one of Pinbeam Books eChapbooks, to wit: SKYBLAZE has been found in another publication not published by Pinbeam Books.  Amazon.com leaps immediately to the conclusion that we have stolen this “content,” and has taken the book off-sale until we prove that we have the right to publish our own damn’ story.

So, yo!  Amazon.com!  Listening?

Good.

* * *

Dear Amazon.com.

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (that’s me and my husband co-author) wrote a novella called SKYBLAZE and self-published it, first as a paper chapbook: Adventures in the Liaden Universe(R) Number 17, and then as an electronic chapbook. We are the authors; we own the rights.

Because we are the authors and own the rights, we are able to resell the right to publish to other publishers. This is called “reprint rights.” So it is with SKYBLAZE; Mr. Lapine asked us if he could buy the right to reprint the novella SKYBLAZE in his anthology, FANTASTIC STORIES OF THE IMAGINATION and we obliged him.

So! This is why the “content” is in two separate publications. If we’re lucky, we may resell the rights to that story — or any other of our stories — and you’ll find the “content” in other publications.

Honestly, guys, if you’re going to run a publishing business, you ought to know this stuff. And thanks for taking one of our most popular books off-sale at Christmas-time.

Sharon Lee

* * *

Now, of course, the real challenge is going to come in July, when a Whole Lot of that “content” will appear in A Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume One.  I can hear the little Amazonian robot brains grinding their gearing now.

Well.  I’m off to resubmit our eChapbook to the Kindle store.  In the meantime, if you were wishing to purchase SKYBLAZE in Kindle format, please consider purchasing it from Smashwords, as it is not currently available for sale from Amazon.