It has been a while since I posted. The time required to market a new book is beyond what many would expect. I have had to come out of my box and set up social media accounts and create posts for these and my publisher’s accounts, which is surprisingly time-consuming. This is particularly challenging when you are trying to market a book that crosses over into the erotica genre, and it is even more challenging when there is kink and BDSM involved. TikTok guidelines seem to be nothing more than a blank sheet backed by Teleperformance staff banning based on personal bias and complaints. I am not sure why any business or person would invest time or money in marketing on a platform that will literally delete your account and all the work in it with no notice or real procedure to appeal. That being said, I am on TikTok because my publisher insists.

On the plus side, I was able to do an interview about Memoirs of Darkness while still maintaining my anonymity. The interview got cropped down to only 2 minutes with an extended version coming out in the future, but you can find it on TikTok and YouTube.

We are working to have Memoirs of Darkness added to databases like GoodReads, but patience is required in that area. A quick look at the GoodReads Librarian discussion group is all it takes to understand the massive volume of books they are being asked to add to their database. It is kind of shocking at the volume of books being published. I have to wonder how many of those or Chat GPT were generated, given the number of “influencers” telling people to write their book with the AI app and get it on Kindle to make “huge money!” I have to laugh because, whether you support AI-generated books or not, the only thing that is happening is a diluted pool of limited book-buying dollars and a devaluing of books in general.

If you haven’t purchased “Memoirs of Darkness” yet, please do. It is available through Amazon Kindle as a paperback and an e-book, and as an e-book through the Lulu Bookstore and Google Play Books. All my new social media links are below. Come and follow my accounts.

Tiktok

YouTube

FaceBook

Instagram

Pintrest

If you are in the book business chances are your depend on courier services.  This time of year a lot of people do, but let me tell you that if you deal with

and didn’t get your package, they really don’t give a damn and would rather you not bother them about it.  If they just chose to toss your parcel on the
“abandoned” package pile….oh well!

I had a package which I was monitoring closely.  When the tracker showed they had tried to deliver the package but could not, I called immediately.  For the record, UPS never did show up at my door so they did not try to deliver the package.

The first challenge was trying to speak to someone in support.  The UPS voicemail jail will walk you through numerous prompts, not one of which will give you an option to speak to a real live person.  If you are stubborn enough and let the voicemail prompts repeat often enough, a real person will eventually come on the line.

I had a good experience with this first customer support representative. They identified the problem, said they fixed it and I would be receiving my parcel in 2 days.  I was satisfied.

UPS never delivered my parcel….

I called back, waited for the voicemail jail to repeat over and over, and finally got another real person.  I gave them my tracking number as which point they informed me that my package had been marked as “abandoned” on the same day I spoke with the first person in customer support.  I took a deep breath and asked them to review the call log on my file because I had a conversation with their department and it was supposed to be delivered. With a little persistence the support person “found” the case file, recognized they had not done what they said they would do, and committed to chasing down the error and having my package delivered in 5 days.  It was over Christmas so I begrudgingly accepted this and waited.

UPS never delivered my parcel….again….

Once again I went through the voicemail jail challenge and got a live person.  Once more I was told I abandoned my parcel except this time they said there was nothing they could do about it.  Once again I had to push for them to actually read my case file, but they were insistent that it was my fault and there was nothing they could do about it.

Now I have some knowledge of call center protocols, and I am aware that all the first line workers want to do is get you off the phone so their call handling time is minimal.  I wasn’t going to let this happen and insisted my call be escalated, which it was.  The person it was escalated to gave me the same first response as the others, I had abandoned my package and their was nothing they could do, and only with insisting she take a moment to review the full case file, and I walked through each call with her.  She acknowledged there was an error made on their end, and promised to follow up with a call or email within 24 hours to let me know when I would receive my package and why it had been marked as abandoned.

UPS never delivered my parcel…again…and they never called back

Once more I broke through voice mail jail, got a real person, explained that I never received the call back, email, or parcel, which he insisted I abandoned.  His response “So what do you want me to do about it?” admittedly pissed me off a little, but I tried to calmly walk through all of the calls I made and insist he review the case file.  He just repeatedly interrupted me and insisted there was nothing he could do.  I told him straight out he was too busy interrupting and obviously not looking at the case file at all so I needed the call escalated immediately.

I was sent to call waiting jail….for a long time.

Eventually he came back on the line and said his supervisors must be in a meeting, so he would have them call me back.  I wasn’t falling for that crap again!  I insisted that he leave me on hold until a supervisor picked up or he could escalate the call to a manager that wasn’t in the “meeting”.

Back to call waiting jail…..

When the supervisor finally answered I had to go through all the same crap all over again.  You abandoned the package. No I didn’t look at your case file and call log.  You never called us.  Yes I did and here is the case file number.  Oh, you did call us….blah…blah…blah.  So apparently now they are trying to find my package in overgoods and arrange for delivery.  I don’t hold any hope.  UPS just doesn’t care about customer service, so now I am posting this here and many other places for posterity.

Maybe a real manager at UPS will review the phone calls and case file, like I specifically requested on the last call and was promised, but I doubt it.  If they really wanted to help customers they would include an option to talk to a real person in their voicemail jail.  They don’t want to help, and when you do force them on the phone they just want to get you off.  All the information is right there in front of them on their screens when they pull up your tracking number.  Rather than take some time and review the case notes they give you the first, easiest explanation, then try and get you off the phone.

Long story short…Don’t use UPS if you can avoid it.  It is just that simple.

Authors are always looking for new and interesting ways to promote their books.  The AI ChatGPT blew up on social media recently so I asked it to write a book review on Memoirs of Darkness.  I was surprised at the result.  Was it accurate?  Well that all depends on your perspective I guess.  There are those who will identify what I question through most of the book as a “mental health issue”.  I will post the review below but I would like to discuss some of the challenges for authors and publishers tempted to do the same.

Google can and will identify your book review (or whatever content you generate using ChatGPT) as AI generated content and will at best ignore it, if not penalize your website for its use.

For a short time you may get away with posting AI generated reviews on sites, but based on the feedback from Reddit Bookreviews my publisher got, they will not recognize the reviews as “real” or valid. Perhaps my publisher’s error was saying “Hey I tried ChatGPT and this is the review it generated. What are your thoughts on this?”, but I have to ask, what may it not a
real review”?  It was a real review, about a real book.  It was reasonably accurate.  It was just AI generated.

My publisher also tried asking through AskReddit what their position or policy was on AI generated content in posts and Reddit moderators immediately removed the posts as it “violated rules.” Seems Reddit isn’t prepared to deal with AI generated content or the questions around it.

This is the book review ChatGPT generated.  I would love to hear about your experience with ChatGPT  if you have tried it for your book/publishing related business.

I recently read “Memoirs of Darkness” and was thoroughly captivated by the author’s ability to bring the reader into their world. The book is a raw and honest depiction of the author’s struggles with mental illness, and the way in which they have navigated their journey towards healing.

The writing is emotive and evocative, and the author does a fantastic job of using descriptive language to paint a vivid picture of their experiences. I found myself completely immersed in the story, feeling a range of emotions alongside the protagonist.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the way in which the author tackled such a difficult and personal subject with openness and vulnerability. It takes a lot of courage to share one’s struggles with mental health, and I think this book will be an incredibly helpful resource for anyone who has experienced similar challenges.

Overall, “Memoirs of Darkness” is a beautifully written and deeply moving book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in mental health and personal growth.

Whether You Are Banned or TikTok Is Banned – TikTok Isn’t Worth The Risk

A follow-up to “Tiktok Is Not A User Safe Space”

TikTok, the popular short-form video app, has faced a number of controversies and concerns over privacy and security in recent years. One of the main sources of these concerns is the fact that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. The app was developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is based in Beijing and has a number of other subsidiaries and holdings. ByteDance was founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, who remains the company’s CEO. TikTok was initially released in 2016 under the name Douyin in China, and later released internationally under the name TikTok in 2017. Since its release, TikTok has become extremely popular, particularly among young people. It has been downloaded more than 2 billion times worldwide, and it is estimated that there are more than 500 million active users on the app.

One of the main concerns about TikTok’s ownership is the fact that it is a company based in China which has a reputation for having a less stringent approach to data privacy than many other countries. In particular, the Chinese government has a long history of surveillance and censorship, and it has been known to use this power to monitor and control its citizens. There are also concerns about the extent to which Chinese companies may be required to cooperate with the Chinese government in matters of surveillance and data collection. This has led to concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used as a tool for the Chinese government to spy on and collect data on users outside of China.

In addition to these concerns about data privacy and government surveillance, there have also been concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used to spread misinformation and propaganda. TikTok has been accused of promoting content that is biased or misleading, and there are concerns about the app’s algorithm, which is designed to keep users on the app for as long as possible by showing them content that is tailored to their interests and preferences. There is also a concern of bias imposed on the platform by the companies being paid to moderate the platform. This has led to concerns about the potential for TikTok to be used to manipulate public opinion and spread propaganda, particularly in countries where the app is popular.

These concerns about data privacy and propaganda have led to calls for TikTok to be banned in various countries. In the United States, for example, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in August 2020 banning TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat, citing national security concerns. The ban was set to go into effect on September 20, 2020, but it was blocked by a federal judge on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment. The ban has since been appealed, and the case is ongoing. In addition to the United States, other countries, including India and Australia, have also considered banning TikTok due to concerns about data privacy and security. This hasn’t prevented the app from being banned on government devices in many jurisdictions including the U.S. Congress.

Despite these concerns, TikTok has maintained that it is committed to user privacy and that it does not share user data with the Chinese government. The company has pointed out that it stores user data on servers located outside of China, and that it has implemented a number of measures to protect user privacy, including encrypted communications and data protection policies. TikTok has also stated that it follows all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates.

Despite these assurances, however, many people remain skeptical about TikTok’s commitment to user privacy, particularly given the company’s Chinese ownership and the concerns about the Chinese government’s surveillance and censorship practices. The skepticism is supported by Tiktok settling class action lawsuits surrounding user privacy, out of court, which many see as an attempt to conceal the true extent of privacy violations.

With the increasing possibility of a creator account being deleted without notice or due process, and the likelihood that the platform will be banned or severely restricted in several countries, the risk of investing time and assets into developing a presence on TikTok outweighs the value in most cases, and businesses are seeking other platforms to minimize that risk.

TikTok, the popular video app, has been under scrutiny recently for its handling of banned accounts and the interpretation of its community guidelines. Many users have reported being banned from the platform without warning or clear explanation, leading to confusion and frustration. I am now officially one of those users  who has been screwed over by TikTok as my account was banned without notice.  They flagged me for a “nudity” violation for a post many months old.  I attempted to appeal, but not only does the TikTok appeal process not have any method for creator comment or feedback on the violation, it clearly doesn’t involve a secondary review at all. So I posted the violation notice and my feedback as a video post and surprise, surprise, the account was banned minutes later.

Just so other TikTok creators understand the impacts of having your account banned, any content you created using their app is gone, completely inaccessible unless you downloaded it all as you made it.  Any post you liked or added to your favorites to go back to, are now also inaccessible. In short, any time you have spent using the TikTok app becomes instantly worthless, with no way to hold TikTok accountable.

One common perception of the issue is that TikTok seems to have a very broad interpretation of what constitutes a violation of its guidelines. For example, some users have been banned for posting content that is deemed to be “inappropriate,” even if it is not explicit or offensive. This has led to a feeling of censorship

among users, who feel that their content is being unfairly removed without proper justification. More recently that view of a “broad interpretation” is being found to be not so broad, but a specific reaction to “reports” backed by paid companies contracted by TikTok to moderate accounts and who have shown a distinct bias in how they interpret rules.  Many creators are openly calling out TikTok on this bias, but there has been no response from TikTok except banning accounts who are too vocal about it.

Another problem is that TikTok often fails to provide clear explanations for why an account has been banned. Many users report receiving generic notifications that their accounts have been suspended for “violating community guidelines,” without any further information or context. This lack of transparency has led to speculation and rumors about the true reasons for the bans, and has fueled resentment among users who feel that their accounts have been unfairly targeted.

In addition to the issues with banned accounts, TikTok has also faced criticism for its handling of moderated content. Many users have reported that their videos have been removed or flagged for review, even if they do not violate any of the platform’s guidelines. This has led to confusion and frustration, as users struggle to understand why their content is being moderated and how they can avoid future issues.

Overall, it seems that TikTok has struggled to effectively enforce its community guidelines and fairly moderate content on the platform. While the app has certainly made efforts to improve its policies and processes, it is clear that there is still a long way to go in terms of providing users with a clear and transparent understanding of what is and is not allowed on the platform.

One possible solution to these issues could be for TikTok to provide more detailed explanations for why accounts are banned and what users can do to avoid similar issues in the future. Additionally, the platform could benefit from more consistent and transparent moderation practices, so that users know what to expect and can be confident that their content will not be removed or flagged without good reason.

TikTok’s sudden banning of accounts and poor interpretation of violations has led to confusion and frustration among users. While the platform has made efforts to improve its policies and processes, there is still room for improvement in terms of transparency and consistency. By providing clearer explanations for banned accounts and more consistent moderation practices, TikTok can work to rebuild trust and improve the user experience on the platform.

Note: To be clear, I never posted any photos of people on my TikTok account and the only “nudity” was a bare hand at most. I never even showed people in animated or art form.  Yes, I rode the line on sexual content because my comments were related to sexual sub-cultures, but they were not erotic or crossing the line by any stretch, especially when compared with content TikTok promotes and pushes to their ForYou pages everyday.

Just a few day from our launch and sales of Memoirs of Darkness have already started rolling in, along with feedback. The one  review was so sadly humorous that I insisted it get put up under “Testimonials” because I want people to know this book isn’t for everyone.  All of our promotions have been pretty clear so I am not sure why someone who is so disturbed by BDSM would have purchased the book to start with. That was our first bit of discord.

The second bit of discord is really Discord.  Our publisher has launched a Discord channel where every can join in to discuss not just my book all all things around erotic and kink literature. It will be interesting to see how that works. Come join in the conversation.