A couple of weeks ago I read the third installment of a series I really loved. I will refrain from sharing the name of the novel and its author.
Like any reader, as soon as I finished reading, I wrote my review. When I tried posting it on Amazon (I did buy the eBook, just like any normal and decent human being would), I received a rather concerning email.
I will not share the screenshot of the email as it does contain the title of the book and name of the author. In its place I have copied the body of the email below.
Dear Amazon Customer,
Thanks for submitting a customer review on Amazon. Your review could not be posted to the website in its current form. While we appreciate your time and comments, reviews must adhere to the following guidelines:
http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines
Here I was, thinking I had included an expletive, or mentioned a brand name within the review. I went back and cross-referenced it against the review I posted on Amazon’s sister site Goodreads, and didn’t see anything wrong with it. I tried to upload it again. Immediately, I received the below message.
Sorry. You’re not eligible to review this product. For more information, read the Customer Review Guidelines.
I thought for a minute, and figured maybe there was an issue with their website… So I tried to input a review for another book by another author, and received the same system message I shared above.
I wrote an inquiry to Amazon regarding the issue. To my surprise, this is the message I received the following day.
Hello,
We cannot post your Customer Review for (book title deleted) by (author name deleted) to the Amazon website because your account activity indicates that you know the author.
Customer Reviews are meant to give customers unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers. Because our goal is to provide Customer Reviews that help customers make informed purchase decisions, any reviews that could be viewed as advertising, promotional, or misleading will not be posted. To learn more about this policy, please review our Customer Review Guidelines (http://amazon.com/help/customer-reviews-guidelines) and FAQs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=201077870).
We encourage family and friends to share their enthusiasm for the book through our Customer Discussions feature or Editorial Reviews feature. To start a Customer Discussion visit the Meet Our Authors forum and enter your discussion title in the Start a new discussion box. You’ll find the forum here:
http://www.amazon.com/forum/meet%20our%20authors/&cdForum=Fx2UYC1FC06SU8STo have your Editorial Review posted to the detail page, e-mail it directly to the author so they can add it for you.
If you believe you’re eligible to write a Customer Review for this book, send additional details to review-appeals@amazon.com.
We hope to see you again soon.
Best regards,
Harm J,
At this point I am dumbstruck. “I know the author.” That is quite an erroneous and quite presumptous assessment, so I went through the painstaking process of escalating the issue to their Review Appeals Department. At this point, I’m pretty upset.
Greetings,
I am appalled with your recent email message stating a review I wrote could not be posted because my “online activity suggests I know the author.” (Online purchase: X by X eBook.)
This response is ludicrous. I am a writer and published author. I understand the Indie Community is a small one, and among our circles, rubbing elbows with peers is not an uncommon occurrence. I am also a blogger and reviewer who also buys books. When I’m not writing, I am reading and reviewing. My reviews are one hundred percent unbiased, regardless if I have rubbed elbows with peers online. I would like to know who is providing you the information that suggests I may know the author.
That’s a two-edged sword; knowing of an author online, and personally knowing an author in real life are two different things. By your definition it would mean that bloggers such as myself are being barred from reviewing books they legitimately purchased, which in turn contravenes with the notion that reviews for a verified purchase are highly encouraged.
I am left speechless as I don’t know any authors on a level you are suggesting. I merely follow authors on Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, tsu, and on your partner site Goodreads. I interact with these authors during takeover events. I am an avid reader and I buy my books like anyone else does.
Your claims are unfounded, and as a paying consumer, I demand my review be posted. It is unfair to the authors whose work I love, to be punished for a claim that simply cannot stand. I don’t know any authors on a personal level.
Expecting your prompt response,
Ms. Santiago
(Amazon user: x@x.com)
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
I was hoping for a better outcome. It took them a week to answer back. To my dismay, this below screenshot is the response I received today.
Amazon has crossed the line.
I pay for my eBooks. I take the time to read and review books I love. The Big Brother mentality Amazon is employing is appalling, and crosses an ethical line of unfathomable proportions. They are not God, and are censoring my passion for the written word. Because of them, I will not be allowed to write and post any further reviews on their site, regardless if I paid, or not. It is a disservice to readers, and a back-handed slap in the face of all authors across the board.
What quantifiable and verifiable ways is Amazon using to determine if I know the author of a book, or not? The fact that they refuse to elaborate as to how I “know the author personally” is highly concerning.
This is what happens when you are a published writer, and write reviews for the books you paid for.
This is wrong, and it has to stop.
It is censorship at its finest. I have interacted with a couple hundred authors over the past year; from events to signings, authors and writers rub elbows during networking sessions. This does NOT mean I know you personally. Knowing someone personally is bearing knowledge about them, from say… their favorite color to their social status.
Amazon, you have spat in the face of those authors and writers whose work deserve praise and recognition. I am shocked and appalled. At this time, I will discontinue writing peer reviews. I will complete my list of pending reviews, and will cease from posting them on Amazon.
I’m truly sorry, but my wings have been clipped.
Don’t hate me for it.
Blame Amazon for their questionable business practices.
Feel free to post your comments below. I’m eager to read your thoughts.
-i
Please share this blog post if you think this business practice is unfair.
#ExplainYourselfAmazon #Censorship #QuestionableBusinessPractices #AuthorsDependOnReviews #ClippedWings
imy santiago 
Been there… I blogged about this very thing a little over a year ago, only it was not an author who was denied a review. She’s a reader… it’s very upsetting.
https://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/an-open-tipsy-letter-to-amazon/
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This is beyond ridiculous. Someone in Amazon needs to reassess their business practices. I’m confident before we became writers we were once readers, and most of us still are. Just because we published a book doesn’t give Amazon the right to take away our reading and reviewing privileges, ESPECIALLY when we pay for the books like everyone else does. It’s wrong, and it needs to stop.
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Nope. And the thing is, she’s a READER. And a casual blogger about LIFE not necessarily about BOOKS. But, yes, we are friends. God forbid. Thanks for your post earlier.
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Whether or not you pay for the book is immaterial. For whatever reason, someone at Amazon has come to this conclusion. They need very little in the way of “proof” and it’s likely some insane Facebook algorithm or obscure mathematical formula they use to decide. This is why I NEVER admit that I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Three of four of those, and you’re done for. It would be nice to be able to be honest, but that is one of the criteria. Mentioning something about the author beyond the book itself might also be something they look for, but not only will they not tell you what the reason is, they won’t even read your emails after this. They just delete them.
Frankly, Amazon listens to exactly one thing. Dollars. And unless you can convince people not to buy their books on Amazon until the reasons for actions like this are made clear, they will not change. It’s funny because, as a company, Amazon likes to spout a transparency policy but they don’t actually mean it.
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Just wanted to put in a counter to what Grace said. Until O’Reilly shut down their reviewer program recently, I got a lot of books from them to review, and I always put a line at the end of my reviews saying so. I’ve done dozens of those and never had a problem.
I did have one review refuse to post – for a book by a self-published author – but when I emailed Amazon asking why, it was posted immediately.
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Reblogged this on Author Silver Rain.
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Thank you kindly for the reblog. ♥
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Thanks for posting your story! I really hope something changes.
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Reblogged this on Author Mysti Parker and commented:
This is a ridiculous practice on the part of Amazon. I’ve seen a number of terrible, personal attack reviews on authors’ books that are deemed fine while the opinions of real readers’ who might “know” the author are deleted.
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Indeed, and agreed. We must ask ourselves what methods Amazon uses to make such statements. I’m thinking along the lines of monitoring, and that is not okay with me. Social Media has allowed us to be closer to each other, but that doesn’t mean we “know” each other in the way that is implied in their email response. Food for thought.
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WOW!!! I’m kind of speechless!!! Based on their explanation any reader on a review team could easily be banned from reviewing for said author on the basis that they “know” that author because they are on their team!!!! This is absolutely crazy!!!!!!!!
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Indeed. It’s a head-scratcher for sure.
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It’s really not a head scratcher at all. Nor is it an outrage. Nor is it censorship.
Amazon has a huge problem with fake reviews, including the inevitable glowing reviews from spouse, family, friends, street teams, etc. Prohibiting those questionable reviews has *always* been part of Amazon’s guidelines, even if they haven’t aggressively enforced that policy.
And yes, there will undoubtedly be some false positives that result in reviews being removed, just as they have incorrectly flagged reviews originating from the same IP address, or too soon after a book is published (both of which have happened to me in the past).
It’s frustrating, but it’s not personal. And it’s really not worth the ruffled feathers. Better to spend that energy encouraging reviews from readers with no personal connection (and no implicit bias).
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So, basically, if you can afford paid reviews, that’s okay, but if you go the cheap route and ask your network to review you, you’re outta luck.
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I’m utterly gobsmacked! The simple fact that they’re hiding behind such questionable business practices makes the whole thing just fishier! I’ve chatted with any number of authors on facebook or Goodreads about various things. Does this mean that I now “know” them and can no longer review their work??? What the hell, Amazon? Get over yourself!
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I wholeheartedly agree. It is sketchy and it makes me reconsider continuing publishing through them.
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Shared this on Facebook – it’s absolutely ridiculous – and the lack of transparency on Amazon’s part is very troubling.
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Reblogged this on Dawning Whimsy and commented:
This is an very disturbing and happening far to often. I’ve had reviews on my books go poof because Amazon determined I knew the reviewer…not the case. Just because I have a social interaction with a reader in a facebook event does not mean I “know” them. This is just one way that I interact with readers. It’s very discouraging when reviews disappear. Makes things much harder for an author.
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Reblogged this on The Ramblings Of Me and commented:
They can’t be serious with this nonsense?????
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Reblogged this on eileengriffin.
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I’m in the same boat Imy. I tried to post reviews on two books from one author and I got the same response!!! I think it’s crap!! So what even if we do know the author…I firmly believe that the authors should even be able to review themselves if they wanted to!!!
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I don’t believe it is ethical for a writer to review their own work on the same site where they can publish their book. Having said that, I reviewed both of my novels on Goodreads… They are not reviews but more like inside information. However, I do believe we should be allowed to review the work of others because at the end of the day we are readers, and we buy books too.
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Reblogged this on elainekelly59.
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Ok are my reviews going to be taken down next? I am “friends” with several authors through FB, subscribe to their newsletters a bs follow their posts. Does this mean I know them?? IT MOST CERTAINLY DOES NOT!! Authors poor their blood, sweat & tears into their work and deserve to know what others think of it. Consumers deserve to know what others think of a product. Just because I know of an author does NOT mean I will leave a biased review. In fact just the opposite occurs. I am honest to a fault because that’s what these authors need.
I think it’s time to back down AMAZON. We as a country already are censored enough.
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Reblogged this on Confessions of 2 Book Lovers and commented:
This is awful!
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So this recently JUST happened to me with TWO books when I was croSs posting between goodreads and amazon. One book was for Kitty French book and one was for a Danielle Jamie. They’re old reviews, so honestly I have no idea if they were arcs or purchased, though it would just take a second to verify in my library. Anyway, on both of them as soon as I clicked submit a review I got a response that said I wasn’t eligible to review the items. I’m a blogger. I read a lot. I review a lot. I go to events a lot. I’ve NEVER met either author, and obviously aren’t related. So this kind of pisses me off. Not only for the author but myself. I spend a lot of time blogging, and I’m an Amazon associates affiliate and now I’m kind of pissed. So here I am promoting your shit so you make money Amazon, and I can’t post a review of a book I read? Well that just sucks. This is ridiculous.
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This is insane…..shaking my head at the stupidity…..hope it will, be resolved soon!! 😦
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This has been going on for a long while now.
I understand Amazon wants legitimate reviews, and has tried to come up with a resolution to ensure that happens, but it’s a ridiculous and obviously flawed “fix.”
After your email, they most certainly need to take the fact that you’re a blogger into consideration. You read and review. It’s what you do.
Amazon needs to start behaving more like professionals rather than high school students. Wait … do they employ high school students?
I shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds me, but I can’t be “okay” with this.
I hope it doesn’t happen to you again.
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I agree.
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Reblogged this on Below See Level and commented:
Maybe, we should all just spend out dollars at B&N. They don’t seem to give anyone shit over reviews.
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Actually, I’ve have really bad experiences with trying to post reviews at B&N, and having them remove reviews suddenly after they’ve been sitting on the website for over a year. So… no commercial retail review platform is ‘safe’ anymore. Does this mean because I’ve met an author one time for 60 seconds at an author signing that I can’t post my review? I’m just flabbergasted at ‘the man’ and why they won’t just let our reviews be free? Why? One quick photo with an author does NOT make them my personal friend, as much as I may want it to. There are some authors I would consider my friend, even without ever speaking to them on a phone or meeting them in person but I still would not ever lie on a review and always disclose if I recieved a book for free (in exchange for review). *Shakes fist at Amazon*
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This is ridiculous, I’m like the rest of you, I may have ‘met’ you at fb/gr events or possibly at cons. Even if I claim friendship at a personal level with a couple of authors, I am still able to give an unbiased review. It wouldbe obvious if ‘friends’ were posting false reviews when their ratings contradicted other reviewers.
This makes me feel very uneasy about buying books from amazon, what business is it of theirs who i read or talk to online?
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Reblogged this on The World of The Teigr Princess and commented:
I’ve had this happen to me – I don’t bother to post reviews on Amazon any more. I post them on my blog, on smashwords and on goodreads (although I hate the place) but I’m not reviewing on amazon any more.
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I would say that it is more than just a casual connection. Most of the authors that I review, I try to connect with them on facebook or twitter, just so they can see when I post a review of their books. I have become good friends with one author in particular, and if they were monitoring or connecting with facebook somehow, they would assume that we knew each other personally. I can still post reviews of her books. But that’s neither here nor there, it’s still creepy and rude. I am not a fan of Amazon and if it wasn’t for creating more exposure for the authors that I review I wouldn’t bother with them.
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Great post. Another hashtag worth considering: #authorsarereaderstoo
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As a new author who desperately needs reviews this blog fills me with horror. It is almost like saying that because we write, we have no rights to review other authors. I agree with an earlier commentator. Reviews from other authors are generally better than any reviews because they do tend to be moire detailed and more honest than reviews from casual readers.
The amount of big brothering required to make this assumption is perhaps the but that terrifies me the most. I guess we all knew we gave up a lot of our privacy when we entered social media……but really Amazon….so, what did I have for breakfast this morning? Do you know that Amazon? Sheeesh, what a total crock of shit from a virtual monopoly…….that’s what we can always expect from monopolies.
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All they would have to do is add something to the bottom or top of the review that says something like “Amazon has determined that this reviewer may know the author personally.” Still kind of creepy but it would satisfy their reasoning for not wanting to post your review. And that repeal message you got back looks like an automated message rather than a valid response to your appeal. 😦
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I’m going to be in the minority here but no I don’t think an “author” whether it be a best selling author the world knows or a indie with a small following should be allowed to post a review on another authors book on Amazon. Amazon has gotten flack for author wars that have been started in the review section and in the discussion section. I think to end that they decided authors couldn’t rate/review other authors books on their site. They also sent out an email letting everyone know that they were now going to exercise their right to remove or move down any reviews that were not purchased on Amazon. For many years they allowed what I am sure amounts to millions of reviews to be posted of books/products that were not purchased from their site. When authors and their assistances found out that if a book has XX reviews it then gets more exposure on Amazon, they then asked their readers to post reviews to get to that number. So does that mean that its ok for those XX readers to just go over to Amazon and post a review even though say none of them purchased the book there? As for bloggers who only get free ARCs to read – you want to promote the book without buying it – then use Goodreads – use your blog – use your following on facebook. Bottom line is Amazon is a company whose goal is to make money and now that they are finally saying if you want to come into my place of business you have to purchase something people are complaining. It’s no different than say a restaurant – you just going to walk in sit down not buy anything and then walk out and give a review on the place? They want legitimate reviews not ones that may be bias whether that be from a good review or a bad review or a tearing down the author from a fellow author. If an author wants to promote a fellow author there are better ways of doing that than a review on amazon anyways. Amazon has been one of the only places you could leave a review of something you hadn’t purchased on their site – you cant go to say samhainpublishing.com or ellorascave.com or any other direct publishing website and leave a review on a book you have not purchased so really why should Amazon allow it and now that they are starting to enforce that everyone is complaining about the change..
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The OP purchased the book from Amazon .
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So based on your idea, if and when I were to ever become an author… even penning a single novella would then exclude me from ever posting a review other books I purchased on Amazon regardless if I’ve ever heard of the author before. And as Susan pointed out, the OP PURCHASED the book so it has nothing to do with reviewing products not purchased from their site. So, either I’m a reader or a writer, but cannot be both (I am just a reader, btw). That seems like authors are being excluded as consumers as if they don’t spend money and it doesn’t matter what they think which seems discriminatory to me.
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I think there’s another way to look at it. Authors opinions about another author’s work is actually MORE weighted than an average reader. An author can post their review of another person’s work in other venues, like at Goodreads, for instance. From a professional standpoint, the review from another author should go into the Editorial Review portion of the book listing page and not in the “customer review” section with the stars.
Purchasing the book, imho, doesn’t matter. The reader is still an author.
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That’s kind of ridiculous when you take into account just how many readers are authors. Think about it. Authors read probably more than your average consumer. Alienating the authors like that is alienating the biggest chunk of their customers. The “author wars” you speak of is a tiny speck of a problem compared to denying paying customers, wether they be authors or not, their right to review the product they purchased. This particular post was not by someone who was given an arc, she bought the book.
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Amazon is trying to weed out the paid reviews from third party sites, and unethical positive/negative reviews from their platform, and for that I applaud them. However, their new practice is also deleting legitimate reviews. Just because writers are publish doesn’t grant Amazon to rule them out as readers, especially when there is a legitimate purchase involved. Their policies need a closer look, that’s all. Thank you for your insight.
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This whole thing is ridiculous. I guess Amazon is trying to somehow stem the “fangirl wars” erupting between authors, where family and friends use their accounts to laude certain books and bash others, sometimes creating fake profiles (I wish I was making this up). But this is most definitely not the way to go. If I know a manager at a hardware store, would I still be allowed to review hammers and screwdrivers?
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That is the problem with the incestuous nature of the Internet. It’s a mixed blessing for authors who self-publish. We are encouraged by Amazon to use social media as a way of promoting our books, yet we are penalized for doing just that. I have been down this road many times, so many, in fact, that I have decided not to review ANY books. I have always been honest in divulging any personal relationship I might have with a book’s author, but have never failed to be straight forward in writing my reviews. At first, it was okay to mention that you had received a review copy in return for writing a review, then it became taboo. What is an editorial review, if not one written for the sole purpose of promoting an author’s new book? The publishing industry is rampant with ethics corruption of all kinds. Tell me how a book “debuts” as number one on the NY Times best seller list, when it hasn’t even been put on sale at the time of its “debut?” If the publishing industry is about one thing, it’s all about “who you know.”
Guess we just don’t know the right people.
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I am a newer blogger and reviewer. I was thinking about becoming an amazon affiliate but not now. I will not help them male money when they are doing things of this nature. It is wrong!! I receive many books for reviews so I wonder how long it will take before this happens to me….
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*make money
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What I don’t like either is that SO WHAT if I am related to an author… I have never denied it, I am their worst critic!
I BOUGHT the books fair and square – so I should be entitled to review it.
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Reblogged this on Kat's Book Promotions and commented:
I think this is really unfair and agree with Imy, you can know someone and still give your honest opinion!
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What Amazon is ignoring is the fact a casual reader isn’t likely to leave a review. We’re not talking about a family member posting reviews of someone’s miracle As Seen on TV product! A reader who follows an author because they love their work, up to and including following on social media, blogs, and mailing lists, is the person who is going to buy and review a book. That doesn’t necessitate a tit for tat relationship if both are authors or any sort of unfair bias for the review if it’s coming from a reader who has reviewed all the author’s work. The whole point as an author is to make people enjoy your work and love to talk about it… that’s what we call good marketing! Amazon is extremely short-sighted in this matter by hamstringing authors and fans–the very people who are just trying to make the eBook business continue to grow–which can only help Amazon. Unfortunately, poor customer service is usually the hallmark of big business that has forgotten it exists because of the consumer.
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I am an author and I am so pleased when someone reviews one of my books. My main interaction with readers is on FB and at conventions. I am friends with people in Australia, England, Greece — yet I have never met them and may never have the opportunity.
To think that people who interact with me on FB might be banned from writing a review is ridiculous! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will be asking Amazon about it.
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I’m a published author and have met this very obstacle. As an indie, it’s hard enough to both write and market yourself. No, it’s not hard—it can be downright exhausting! I worked on my novel for 5 years, perfecting it, caring for it, sometimes crying out of pure frustration. I poured myself into it. The day of its release, I received 2 emails from 2 different people who were told that they couldn’t write a review for me because they knew me “personally.” At least, according to Amazon. Imagine my disappointment when the first 2 reviews I would have had were met with such a response. And now, from what I understand, Amazon is no longer allowing reviews from readers who purchased the book elsewhere. What’s an indie to do?
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This brings up many questions, for me.
Do I now have to think twice before I accept a friend request on Facebook or Goodreads? Is Amazon now forcing authors have to hold readers at arms length so their reviews can be posted? The entire point to social sites such as GR is to allow readers to have fuller access to their fan base. I despise feeling like I have to choose between having a close relationship with my readers, or pushing fans away so that I may use their opinions as a marketing tool. This is just unacceptable, because, how can any of us afford to turn our backs on the free marketing Amazon does on our behalf, which is based on sales AND reviews?
It’s an impossible choice and it’s every bit as unfair to suggest a reader who is casually acquainted with an author cannot be unbiased.
BUT, it also underscores something that’s been curdling in my gut for a while now. And that is the author behavior that has brought this policy to bear. I see posts in various groups all the time by people offering to sell reviews. Admins leave these damn things up, too. When asked why the post wasn’t taken down, one admin went so far as to post that, while she didn’t need the service, another author might.
Do what?
That’s the mindset that has led us to this point. As readers, and as authors, we have to confront this situation and make such offered intolerable, not turn a blind eye. Every review purchased, every one written from a sock-puppet account, only undermines the system. Amazon is trying to right a ship that’s been torpedoed by those individuals seeking the shortcut to fame and fortune. More than one has been publicly outted, to a great deal of fanfare, and embarrassment for Amazon.
As authors, it’s on us to make such behavior unacceptable. We have to educate our own. We have to stop tolerating those authors who contravene the system, as well as those trying to make a fast buck by offering the service. We haven’t done so to this point, and this policy is the result of our lax attitude.
I have lost count of the number of whining blog posts I’ve read, where authors bash a bad review and outright belittle the honest reviewer. I’ve seen more posts written than I care to admit where authors have the temerity to state that if a reviewer feels a book deserves less than a 4-star review, they want to ‘discuss’ it with the reviewer first.
Do what? If you want better reviews, write a better book. Pull up your big girl panties and stop crying that this one opinion is taking food out of your babies’ mouths, because frankly, you’re just embarrassing yourself–and me and every other published author–when you make such a manipulative statement. Frankly, if most authors but the effort into manipulating their readers’s emotions into the book as they do into these blog posts and FB status updates, their outcry would be unnecessary. .
Every author who publicly whines over a bad or unfair review has added a drop to this bucket, forcing Amazon to tip the pail too far in the opposite direction. So, authors, think twice before you post the link to a negative review and ask your fans to go down vote it. Doing so taints the system. Those forums are for readers to speak to other readers, and a group of folks who should prize the right to an open discourse have proven time and again that they only value an open discourse until it affects their work, and that has to stop.
We’ve got to protect the idea of free discourse, even when it fucking hurts. So, while I am aghast about the ramifications that this policy might have, I can’t help but vent about the unprofessional behavior that caused it. We stand a much better chance of changing ourselves than we do the monolith that is Amazon. And if we do, we might get more respect when we ask for a change on their part.
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Very true on all points.
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Reblogged this on Ian D. Moore's Blog Page and commented:
Amazon is in danger of alienating the very authors they rely on for business. As an indie author, I KNOW OF many other indies but I DO NOT KNOW THEM PERSONALLY. If I give a man a copy of my book in the street, he reviews it, does that mean that I know him too?? Ridiculous!!
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I think it’s high time the Indies formed an alliance. WE make millions of pounds/dollars for Amazon who do take the lions share of any sale. It is ridiculous for them to impose a ban on reviews from so-called people who know eachother. In the writing business, we come across other writers and readers alike, it is a part of the process and is unavoidable but we don’t KNOW those people personally. Granted, I have a few close writing friends – we all do, but by the same token, I, as a PAYING CUSTOMER, just like anyone else, am entitled to review a work that I have read, and it’s not like Amazon can’t TRACK WHAT I’VE READ – given the new pay structure for authors!! How dare they take away a basic consumer right! I would be inclined to find a new email address, create a new account and by-pass their ‘friends’ system that way. Unless they can also track bank details, they’ll be none the wiser. Read under your autrhor name, review under your pseudonym. 🙂
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This must be part of Amazon’s new process, whereby they try to make their reviews legitimate and relevant again. However, it’s not anything you can’t solve by purchasing and reviewing under a separate email address and screen name. Amazon can play Big Brother and get illogical and asinine, but we still have few resources left! And, when all fails – there’s always Kobo. Which is, by the way, a WONDERFUL venue.
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I have shared this on Facebook too. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. It is something I never dreamed could happen. A young friend has just started her own blog reviewing books, and I have let her know about this.
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Reblogged this on lesilverman.
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On Amazon, there’s a social media section under account and Your Social Settings. Amazon has access to friends lists, activity and more if yours is not turned off or if you are on the list of the author you reviewed and they haven’t turned theirs off.
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Wow, that is really over the line. I’ve had readers tell me that before (readers I had NEVER even talked to before). It’s hard enough being an Indie author without the big man trying to hold us back too. I am really, really begining to hate Amazon, but they are a necessary evil. It really sucks.
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I find this appalling, I really do. What does it mean for those of us who go to conventions to meet authors? Are our reviews no longer relevant? Does it also mean I can’t support the solo projects of my co-writer? That’s just mean spirited. I think any review that is unbiased and well-thought out should be viable.
Also, as a reader, I actually look to the verified purchase reviews first. They are the people who paid to read the book and I want to know if it met their expectations. That’s kind of the purpose of identifying those reviews separately, right?
Ugh. Just, ugh.
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Reblogged this on kimberlyfaye reads and commented:
This is insanity.
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Ludicrous. Poor Kevin Bacon better never write a book. He’ll have nobody who can review it. 😦
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Interestingly, Amazon is constantly asking me to review my own books- they are under a pen name and I gift them to people in contests and then I get an email asking me to review them. Can I know the author more intimately? Nope.
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You brought a smile into this discussion. And yes, somebody COULD know the author more initmately – because self-view and the analysis of others about oneself is not congruent and one is biased in analysing oneself.
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That’s very true. Happily, not many people can crawl into our head though and know what we are thinking. Lol. Especially if we have a poker face. (Which I do not).
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Reblogged this on writerchristophfischer and commented:
More Amazon madness part 2
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