Authors' New Amazon Headache

This shady character is causing all the trouble

This week the author loops I follow are all abuzz about a new Amazon policy. (Or a newly enforced Amazon policy.)

Beginning in 2012, Amazon began to crack down on fake reviews. The company removed thousands of reviews from its website. How did they choose which to ax? Only Amazon knows for sure. But if you think about the web of data they have at their disposal, it's easy enough to guess where they'd start. A reviewer who only gives out 5-star reviews, and reviews ten items a day, is probably getting paid to hand out shining reviews.

If you search "Amazon review" over at Fiverr.com right now, you will get 10,000 hits, most of them offering to write you a glowing endorsement.

Reviews are essential to Amazon's business strategy, but only if those reviews are not seen as worthless. So the policing continues. If Amazon knows you're an author (because you've used your Amazon account email to register at Author Central) it may disallow your reviews of books. And Amazon might use other data to discover that your relatives are writing reviews for you. (Do you have your reviewer's "wish list" saved under your account?)

The latest flap is about gift cards, though. In celebration of a new release, many authors do a giveaway. And some of those giveaways include Amazon Gift Cards. And why not, right? Dollars at Amazon are practically a universal currency. The recipient could use that money to buy a box of spaghetti or a tee shirt.

However.

If the winner of your gift card reviews your book whether or not they used the gift card to buy it, that review may be taken down. And if you "gift" an ebook to anyone for any reason the subsequent review also may be taken down.

Hence the freakout. Because Amazon admits that, in the time honored review tradition, the gift of a book / galley / ARC for reviewing purposes is not an ethical lapse. Paying any remuneration above the cost of the book is where the trouble lies.

Okay, fine. But web data is a blunt instrument, apparently, since disappearing reviews don't seem to discriminate between $25 gift cards and $2.99 ebook gifts. Authors who have pressed Amazon to explain their actions have come away frustrated.

Hopefully, market forces will do their thing. Because Amazon doesn't really want authors to give away copies only on, say, Kobo. And simply emailing book files to potential reviewers causes its own headaches. In the daily struggle against ebook piracy, Amazon's DRM is viewed by some as a helpful tool.

Let's hope the big brains at the Amazon mothership will come up with some clearer guidelines. Soon.

Sarah Pinneo  is a novelist, food writer and book publicity specialist. Her most recent book is Julia’s Child. Follow her on twitter at @SarahPinneo.

Publishing Pulse: 10/22/2010

QueryTracker.net Gift Certificates

So I was in Michaels (the craft store) the other day, and they were setting up the Christmas stuff.  I guess I should be impressed that it took them almost to Halloween to get to it -- a lot of places start getting out the trees come the first week in October.

In any case, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else, holidays are the season for gifts!  If you (or a writing buddy) have always wanted a premium membership to QueryTracker, the holidays are a good excuse to get one!  Did you know that you can purchase, print, snail mail, or email a QueryTracker.net gift certificate from http://querytracker.net/gifts.php?

Agent Judged Contest on the QueryTracker Blog!

Don't forget! Our next contest will be on October 27th and will be for writers of children's projects only, including middle grade and young adult fiction as well as work for younger readers down to picture books. Agent Joan Paquette from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency has agreed to be our judge. This is a great opportunity to get your work in front of Ms. Paquette because she does not accept queries outside of referrals or personal contact (conferences). Details on the contest can be found here.


Around the Web

Jane Friedman has a couple of great posts for you to check out over on There Are No Rules: First, find out 5 Things Writers Should Know About Rights; then, head on over to Kindle Singles: A Big Opportunity for Smart Writers to find out about a new opportunity through Amazon.com.

Ever wanted to use symbols in your story, but just weren't sure how to do it right?  Now you can find out thanks to Novel Journey's fantastic Symbols for Everyone post.

Adventures in Children's Publishing shows you when it's okay to tell -- as long as you've got great voice -- in Voice and the Art of Telling vs. Showing.

Finally, over on the Blood-Red Pencil, read about how one author learned that Sex is Revealing...about, to her surprise, character.

Did you find any posts (written by other people) this week that you thought were particularly good?  Share them in the comments!


Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD writes fantasy, scifi, and nonfiction. She loves helping writers "get their psych right" in their stories, and her book on the same topic, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment, and Human Behavior is now available for pre-order. Learn more about the book at the WGTP website or ask your own psychology and fiction question here.