More authors are proactively unenrolling from KDP Select and opting for wide distribution, scared that they will be mistakenly identified as scammers and expunged by Amazon
For writers worried that artificial intelligence is about to eat their lunch, it might be time to put off that anxiety for at least a few more years; if Amazon’s algorithmic AI is any indicator, the machines just aren’t that smart yet.
We’ve been reporting on the problems of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program ever since we started this newsletter in summer 2015, and little has been resolved over the last few years. While there has been progress in Amazon’s litigation against a few standout bad actors (as we reported last month), many others remain in the system. Making matters worse, rule-abiding authors have been getting caught up more often in Amazon’s increasingly aggressive attempts to eliminate the scammers.
One of the problems of Amazon’s false positives is how difficult they are to overturn. Authors who are identified as gaming the system receive a form letter that refers generally to activity “originating from accounts attempting to manipulate Kindle services.” Amazon then withholds all earnings related to such activity, sometimes leading to losses of more than 50 percent of an author’s monthly take from Amazon KDP. Account suspension may follow. When authors ask Amazon where the illegitimate activity is coming from, the company refuses to offer any detail, as that would tip its hand to those who are scamming the system.
As is well known by anyone who’s dealt with Amazon, authors have little recourse when flagged by Amazon for misdeeds of any kind. And as is well known by anyone attempting to report on these issues, Amazon doesn’t offer comments of substance. Because authors have no way to ascertain why they’ve been flagged, speculation is rampant. The possible explanations that have been floated include:
- Scammer targeting. Scammers might be using their techniques on legitimate authors to hide their own wrongdoing. (Some authors also say scammers act in revenge against authors who speak out against book-stuffing and related illegitimate activity.)
- Targeted advertising. Many affected authors invest in advertising through Amazon or third parties, which are legitimate means of getting sales and reads. But a sudden spike in activity may unintentionally set off Amazon’s alarms.
- Incentivized readers. Some readers belong to groups that offer rewards and prizes for KU reading (which is not allowed according to Amazon’s terms); readers’ “good” activity gets mixed in with the incentivized activity. (For more on this theory, visit Kboards.)
Sometimes, the most obvious explanation is the best: Amazon’s tech is simply not up to the job of separating the good guys from the bad guys—and they don’t yet take the problem seriously enough to fix it.
Bottom line: Marie Force is attempting to address this issue on behalf of the 1,500 people who have joined her new Indie Author Support Network. She sent a letter to Amazon KDP attempting to elicit a more satisfying response and a better and more collaborative appeal process. Social media threads and message boards indicate that dozens—possibly hundreds—of authors are contacting Amazon directly to get their ebooks out of Kindle Unlimited to avoid the possible frustration and heartache of a suspension. If your account has already been suspended, contact content-review@amazon.com to appeal.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
