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This is a new rule that I will, when I get a chance, post where more people can see it. I've starting removing hyperlinks to Amazon's website. Posters are encouraged to link to an indie bookseller, their own website, or AALBC when promoting a book -- but not Amazon. Why? Amazon has never allowed their visitors to link to AALBC and while AALBC has sent several million visitors to Amazon's site over the years. When Amazon allow links to AALBC, I'll consider changing the rule. Besides, I'm engaged in a complete (professional and business) boycott of Amazon's services. They have wrecked enough destruction in the Black Book Ecosystem, I can no longer contribute to this on any level.

Besides me, you @Troy, on behalf of AALBC, are the only authorized bookseller of my book (s). As a result of our ongoing friendship, I didn't have to pitch it to you and wait a long time to get a yes or no. I didn't have to contact your corporate headquarters like I did when I asked Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Booksamillion to sell my book. And I certainly didn't have to beg and plead like I did the popular bookstore in my old neighborhood only to get a "no, we'll order it from books in print if we get a request." So, I'm thankful you chose to sell my book. I didn't realize how vital your bookseller position was until after listening to a podcast that outlined the relationship between mainstream traditional publishers and booksellers. Although you don't have to warehouse the books in this digital economy - the transactional nature of bookselling is still relevant. To paraphrase, the podcaster said, the Publishing company buys books from writers that BOOKSELLERS want to buy. Publishing companies buy books from writers that booksellers want to buy. writer-publisher-bookseller Intuitively and from experience, I knew this to be factual- but to hear someone else say it aloud was a definite A-Ha moment for me. Even when the writer is the publisher - we must consider whether the bookseller wants to "buy" or "buy into" our book or not. It is the bookseller that is going to "hand-sell" our book to their audience (the readers). So it's inconsiderate to come here and post links to am*zon. am*zon is not cultivating a community to promote black books. Especially in the way the money remains in the black community. I think you must jump through some serious marketing hoops before am*zon's algorithm will promote any book. And they still take the lion's share of the royalties. For independent authors to come to this site and post am*zon links to sell their book is counterproductive. One brother illustrated it to his city council. He said - hiring police and teachers from outside of our area, paying them a good salary, with benefits and pension with our tax dollars enriches their community. But it decimates our neighborhood, leaving it in shambles. That's what we're doing when we promote am*zon. Can we please stop? Especially if we call ourselves "woke." So again, Troy, thank you for all you do for books by and for African Americans. We ain't mad at you for protecting our intellectual property.

Imagine the first female president can realistically be a sister from Howard University. Shoot, if they win this year then win a second term she will almost certainly take over. Mentally I don't think Biden has 8 solid years in him. Then again they managed to get Regan through as senile as he was...

ROFL! True! You know, I think you're right! LOL! Okay, I dying of laughter here! @Mel Hopkins Yes, me too.

Yes Amazon has demonstrated that they will exploit alliances, like affiliates and 3rd party sellers, until they are no longer needed. Amazon contributes nothing to book culture. They do not write book reviews, they do not cover events, they do not publish articles. Sure they will republish anything that readers, authors, and publishers give them for free, but they do not generate any content of their own. They will not do anything for anyone unless there is profit in it for them. They even exploit their own employees. Amazon represents the worse of capitalism for they are motivated by solely by profit (Star Trek fans will recognize the behavior of that a Ferengi).