{"id":1281,"date":"2025-12-04T13:57:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T19:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/?p=1281"},"modified":"2025-10-31T23:19:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T05:19:26","slug":"im-in-a-toxic-relationship-with-amazons-algorithm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2025\/12\/04\/im-in-a-toxic-relationship-with-amazons-algorithm\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m in a toxic relationship with Amazon’s algorithm"},"content":{"rendered":"
2\u20133 minutes<\/div>\n\n\n

I have not, and will not, use my knowledge of psychological manipulation for anything truly sinister. But if you see me muttering \u201chigh conversion rate\u201d in my sleep, mind your business. My browser history is a chaotic tapestry of long-tail keywords and obsessive KDP reports, yet in the real world, I still use a coaster. The darkness is confined to the digital page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I smile at postal workers. I remember my friends\u2019 kids’ names. I separate my recycling. I am, fundamentally, nice. Even when the It<\/em> is being\u2026 well, the devil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It knows what I want before I do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The algorithm is that terrifyingly perceptive partner who notices you glanced at a book about poisonous plants and suddenly your entire homepage is a curated collection of \u201cHow to Dispose of a Body\u201d guides and industrial-grade cleaning supplies. It\u2019s not wrong, it\u2019s just\u2026 aggressively helpful. It sees the monster in my draft folder and hands it a megaphone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

The delicate art of keyword seduction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t just write blurbs anymore. We engage in a form of literary seduction, whispering sweet nothings filled with high-volume search terms into its ever-listening ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA twisty small-town psychological thriller with a shocking ending and a strong female protagonist\u201d isn\u2019t just a description; it\u2019s a series of secret handshakes. It\u2019s saying, \u201cI understand you, baby. I know what you like.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when it rewards you with a spike in visibility, it feels like love. A cold, transactional, data-driven love, but love nonetheless.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

The constant fear of being ghosted<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One day, you\u2019re its favorite. Your \u201calso-boughts\u201d are pristine, your rank is climbing, the KU pages are flowing. The next? Radio silence. A cliff-like drop in sales. The algorithm has found a shinier, newer book to adore. You\u2019re left refreshing your reports every ten minutes, wondering, \u201cWhat did I do? Was my blurb not compelling enough? Were my keywords not specific enough?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the digital silent treatment, and it\u2019s designed to make you try harder. To write faster. To be\u00a0better<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

So, are we selling our souls?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maybe. But just a sliver. A tiny, data-shaped fragment. We play the game because the bookstore is the biggest in the world, and we want our stories on its shelves. The trick is to feed the beast without letting it consume your creative spirit. To write the book of your heart, and then<\/em> craft the keywords that will help the right reader find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it less as selling out, and more as learning a new language \u2014 the native tongue of the digital marketplace where your books live. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check my rankings. It\u2019s been a whole five minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2014 Montse<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The author explores the balance between creative writing and algorithmic manipulation, emphasizing a transactional relationship with digital visibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134972872,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[782781758,63377],"tags":[7223,7758714,178,1747,8053601,3330,349],"class_list":["post-1281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indie-author-confidential","category-the-writing-life","tag-author","tag-bookish-thoughts","tag-books","tag-fiction","tag-indie-author","tag-publishing","tag-writing"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfZGWd-kF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2072,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/04\/16\/capitalism-told-me-to-monetize-my-art-then-sent-an-invoice\/","url_meta":{"origin":1281,"position":0},"title":"Capitalism told me to monetize my art, then sent an invoice","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"April 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Indie publishing combines creativity with emotional challenges, revealing capitalism's demands while fostering ownership and personal growth in creators.","rel":"","context":"In "Indie Author Confidential"","block_context":{"text":"Indie Author Confidential","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-writing-life\/indie-author-confidential\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2370,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2026\/06\/04\/some-of-us-were-writers-before-we-were-brands\/","url_meta":{"origin":1281,"position":1},"title":"Some of us were writers before we were brands","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"June 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Indie authors often face assumptions that their primary goal is attention, yet true fulfillment stems from writing for passion, not recognition.","rel":"","context":"In "Indie Author Confidential"","block_context":{"text":"Indie Author Confidential","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-writing-life\/indie-author-confidential\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":790,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2025\/07\/31\/running-a-business-as-an-indie-author-who-just-wants-to-write-in-bed\/","url_meta":{"origin":1281,"position":2},"title":"Running a business as an indie author who just wants to write in bed","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"July 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Montse navigates the tension between artistic expression and business demands, struggling to balance creativity with marketing strategies while yearning for peaceful writing.","rel":"","context":"In "Pen & Punch"","block_context":{"text":"Pen & Punch","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/pen-punch\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1076,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2025\/11\/27\/no-your-book-doesnt-have-to-be-marketable\/","url_meta":{"origin":1281,"position":3},"title":"No, your book doesn’t have to be “marketable”","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"November 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Writing should prioritize personal artistic expression over marketability, emphasizing that true passion resonates with readers and defies commercial trends.","rel":"","context":"In "Indie Author Confidential"","block_context":{"text":"Indie Author Confidential","link":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/category\/the-writing-life\/indie-author-confidential\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":635,"url":"https:\/\/mbnovels.com\/en\/2025\/01\/29\/so-you-want-to-be-an-independent-author\/","url_meta":{"origin":1281,"position":4},"title":"So you want to be an independent author?","author":"Montse \"M.B\" Benavides","date":"January 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Being an independent author involves chaos, numerous responsibilities, and marketing challenges, but it provides incredible creative freedom and personal fulfillment. 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