Regular visitors to my blog will be expecting a review, and normal service will be resumed, but I just wanted to share with you the problems I have encountered recently with Amazon UK and my reviews. I usually post the review I share here on Amazon UK, but that will not be happening any more – see a copy of the email below.
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From what I can gather from the jargon, my reviews are considered biased because I receive arcs from authors, publishers and NetGalley. So do other book bloggers who post on Amazon UK and yet other bloggers reviews’ and indeed Amazon’s ‘Vine Voice’ reviews are apparently acceptable?
My reviews are not biased, they are my opinion, people who read them can accept or discount them. I do read widely, usually 7+plus books a week and I enjoy a wide variety of genres. Reading, reviewing and blogging is my hobby, and it now feels tainted. The email allows no appeal, or even further correspondence and I’m left feeling like a victim in this.
Thank you for reading this and following my blog.
Jane x
Aw Jane, this has happened to a lot of folks lately. The warmest regards is a joke. We all know you don’t five star every book you read and that you receive nothing for your reviews. I really don’t know how we are expected to sell books half the time when they do this. It would be nice if they would do something about troll reviews and folks with several five star reviews all from customers who have reviewed nothing else and all saying much the same thing, people who do pay review sites for reviews. The worst is you feeling you have done something wrong when your love of books is why you do this.
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Yes it’s a shame. Thanks Shey. I will still share my reviews here X
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Thing is Jane… Not so long ago I was contacted by someone I know locally who had written a book. I think they were hoping for a blog spot. So I had a look at their book which they had self pubbed. I had never seen a pig’s breakfast like in my life. There wasn’t even a basic grip of full stop capital letter. The blurb alone had 12 spelling errors. Now Amazon email you a copy of spelling errors in books certainly when you upload the manuscript, which made it worse, frankly. Not only had Amazon allowed this travesty out there, they had let it out there with a ton of five star one line reviews which he was upfront, with me about getting all his mates to do. They target the wrong people when it comes to this. They also have this thing about if you know an author. Well if you are an author you DO know other authors. At your publishing house if you have one, through facebook events, through writing events. And you do support their work as they support yours. Glad to hear you are keeping going . There’s other places you can post but while I applaud them trying to do something about ‘fake’ reviews,’ this isn’t it. x
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Guess you can’t expect a considered approach from a corporation. But life is too short to worry and after all, this is my hobby and its supposed to be enjoyable, not stressful. Maybe its the impetus I need to stop reading other peoples books at the expense of writing my own again. Thanks for the support x
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Jane… I am waiting for a new book from you you know x
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It’s appalling, Jane and I feel for you. No way around it because no one can question them. I’ve had reviews taken down in the past but as I use Amazon to buy a wide range of goods it’s been quite a while since anything disappeared. Funny, huh? I always get bombarded with emails asking me to review the goods I buy and I rarely do these days. I would if I felt they applied the same rules to books as they do to other goods. I’ve seen reviews for products where the person states they received it for free … that’s not on! Hugs, lovely lady!
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Thanks, Linn it is upsetting, especially since I put a lot of thought and care into my reviews. Still, perhaps it’s a sign for me to stop reading and reviewing so much and get back to writing my stuff.
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The pressures of writing and editing deadlines is a constant pressure, Jane, and I don’t know how you find time to fit it all in! These days I get little time to read, sadly, so instead I buy everyone’s book that I know on release day. My Kindle is a library waiting to be read but I figure I’m helping my peers and friends. I think you are right and it’s time to focus on writing. Go for the happiness factor as that’s what keeps us all going … living in a virtual world! xx
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As difficult as this may be, I encourage you to appeal. I have never read any of your reviews and therefore cannot comment on any of them, but I am concerned about Amazon’s decision to simply cut you off without hearing any form of appeal. I note that Amazon have said that they have ‘ made this decision after carefully considering your account’. However, excluding your voice without any prior invitation to engage with them on their decision, is draconian. I am not in any way a trained lawyer, but I seriously question whether Amazon’s decision is legal within the ambit of American law. if you are not in anyway guilty of the transgressions that have been mentioned in their letter to you, I encourage you to appeal and to continue reading , thinking and reviewing wherever you can. Andrew Pender-Smith
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