It is a perfect example of the power of the internet: a self-publishing author has hit the headlines for her petition on Change.org for Amazon to change its review policy. Posted just two weeks ago, the petition has now been signed by more than 13,000 authors.

Here is the issue: once upon a time, anyone could post a review of a book on Amazon. Then came sock-puppetry, and Amazon introduced the rule that close friends and family of the author may not post reviews of their book. Fair enough. But what Amazon has failed to do is create a system that allows it to differentiate those close friends and family from the many other people who may want to post a review. The result is that lots of reviews by people not in the author’s immediate circle are being unfairly blocked or deleted on the grounds of abuse.

The author Jas Ward was moved to start the petition when one of her readers was unable to post an honest review of her book on the site. The reason: the reader had interacted with Ward online.

The Guardian, reporting on this story, explained:

If you interact with an author in any way online, beware: Amazon might decide that you’re “friends” and ban you from leaving a review of their latest book.

But Amazon refuses to explain how it determines relationships between readers and authors; its evidently flawed algorithm is a secret.

Jas Ward argues in her petition:

In the world where both Indie and Traditional authors are using all tools available to try to get their latest books out to the reader, it’s essential for the authors and their associates to use social media: IE: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

With that being said, a reader is therefore going to have cookies and data when they see that interaction and very likely would have LIKED and/or followed the authors pages, profiles and other avenues being a fan of the author’s work.  They are fans after all–they want to know what an author does and their current news and title releases. 

Your current process of removing reviews that a reader has created to show their honest & sincere opinion on a book is not fair and cripples the review process more than assists. 

What do you think of this issue? To my mind, Amazon is indeed the ‘Big Brother’ it is accused of being, and is censoring. It’s blocking all kinds of reviews in the effort to block a few, and thereby damaging authors’ careers and frustrating readers. In addition, these current two facts are entirely contradictory of the current Amazon policy:

1. Someone who has no affiliation to you and has never read your book is free to post a review. That may mean an intentionally harmful, dishonest review. As Ward says in her petition:

In the days of the negative trend where those who wish an author harm are using reviews to hurt sales or the author’s confidence, this policy makes zero sense, as the individuals that are instructed or wish to harm are most likely NOT a fan and or follower and therefore would most likely NOT to have as many cookies, data tracks as a good, loyal fan would.

Ergo: those fraudulent reviews get through Amazon’s policy.

2. Goodreads – which is an Amazon company – allows anyone to post any review/rating on any book. Again, that policy opens the door for those who aren’t playing fair or nicely to attempt to knock down a competitor.

Clearly, 13,000 authors (and counting) aren’t happy with Amazon on this issue. And neither are many happy about Amazon’s control of the book market. Author protest group Authors United is calling for signatures on a letter to the US Justice Department, declaring that:

In recent years, Amazon has used its dominance in ways that we believe harm the interests of America’s readers, impoverish the book industry as a whole, damage the careers of (and generate fear among) many authors, and impede the free flow of ideas in our society.

Amazon is a giant. In the US, it takes more than 75 per cent of online sales of physical books, more than 65 per cent of e-book sales, more than 40 per cent of sales of new books and about 85 per cent of e-book sales from self-published authors. Going up against such a giant seems to be a David and Goliath battle. But not if there is a whole army of Davids…

If you’d like to sign the petition to change the Amazon policy, you can find it at http://www.change.org/p/amazon-com-amazon-change-the-you-know-this-author-policy