Amazon's Database Hosed

James D. Macdonald · Mar 27, 2012

Sometime around noon (Eastern time) today, Amazon removed the Buy buttons from all Kindle ebooks in the United States. This is everything, from James Patterson to Joe Konrath.

Seems to be a database problem, and I bet they're working on it, but it's another example of the ... vulnerabilty ... of the ebook model, and why not putting all your eggs in one basket is an old saw.

Anne Lyle · Mar 27, 2012

And it would happen on my publication day

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 27, 2012

Y'know, just two months ago we learned that GoodReads could no longer get any information from Amazon -- cover images or anything -- because Amazon had demanded that they be the only bookseller mentioned or linked to on any book that used any information from them. The GoodReads people said that's going too far and Amazon said fine, we're cutting off all our data.

(BTW, this is the members' gossip version. The officials at GoodReads clammed up utterly about what was going on.)

There was a big scramble to re-enter thousands and thousands of books into the database using nothing from Amazon or any of its affiliates.

Amazon is trying to monopolize a lot of markets, and it's definitely an eggs-in-one-basket problem.

Nick Russell · Mar 27, 2012

All but one of my books are back up now. Just a temporary glitch.

Anne Lyle · Mar 27, 2012

That's good to know, Nick! Here in the UK we can't see prices or "buy" buttons on Amazon.com Kindle books at all - we can only buy Kindle books through Amazon.co.uk - so I have no idea what's happening with my novel.

Nick Russell · Mar 27, 2012

Mine are all back now.

Anne, I just checked and yours is up too. I think all is well.

Captcha · Mar 27, 2012

Anne Lyle said:
And it would happen on my publication day

Mine too! Very frustrating!

ULTRAGOTHA · Mar 27, 2012

Anne Lyle said:
And it would happen on my publication day

I read your Big Idea piece. Nice!

Congratulations!

James D. Macdonald · Mar 27, 2012

It's been suggested that the release of the Harry Potter novels crashed their servers.

Deleted member 42 · Mar 27, 2012

Yeah, it was Pottermore and, to varying degrees, all the large ebook vendors had some sort of hiccough.

EngineerTiger · Mar 28, 2012

That explains why my sales stalled midday. Didn't even think of Harry Potter sales but yes, I'm sure the ripple effect from Pottermore was significant for the other eBook retailers. Thanks for the clarification, Medievalist.

Amazon's Database Hosed

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

Nick Russell

practical experience, FTW

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Nick Russell

practical experience, FTW

Captcha

ULTRAGOTHA

Merovingian Superhero

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Deleted member 42

EngineerTiger

Writing HF Again, Thank God