I’ve had it up to here with Amazon KDP

Summary

The author is expressing frustration with Amazon KDP for suspending their account over alleged copyright violations without providing specific details, despite the author's attempts to resolve the issue by proving copyright ownership.

Abstract

The author, a long-time user of Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform, has encountered a significant issue with their account. Amazon KDP suspended the author's account, citing a violation of content guidelines due to the presence of content that is freely available on the web. The author, who claims to hold the copyright for the content in question, specifically a novel titled "The Game Called Revolution," has been unable to resolve the matter despite providing proof of copyright. The situation has escalated to the point where the author's KDP account has been shut down, and communication with Amazon KDP has been limited to emails with no option for direct dialogue or phone support. The author feels that this treatment reflects Amazon's disregard for independent authors and is considering other platforms that may offer better support and respect.

Opinions

The author is dissatisfied with Amazon KDP's customer service, particularly the lack of specificity in the copyright violation notice and the refusal to acknowledge proof of copyright ownership.
The author believes that Amazon KDP's email-only communication policy and the absence of a phone support option are inadequate for resolving such issues, especially given Amazon's size and resources.
The author perceives a bias against independent authors, suggesting that established authors like Stephen King would not face similar difficulties in communicating with Amazon.
The author is standing on principle, refusing to comply with Amazon KDP's demands without proper justification and respect, and is willing to take their business elsewhere rather than be treated unfairly.
The author's frustration has led to a strong sentiment of dissatisfaction, as evidenced by the closing remark, "F^ck you Amazon."

I’ve had it up to here with Amazon KDP

They are impossible to deal with.

For over a decade now, I’ve been putting my eBooks on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform. I’ve been able to make a decent chunk of change on there. It’s been a good relationship… until now.

This week, out of the blue, Amazon KDP sent me an email stating quite vaguely I had violated some copyright (I think?) with my 2012 novel The Game Called Revolution. Understandably miffed at my integrity being questioned by an evil corporation, I asked for specifics. They refused to give me any and ordered me to fix whatever the perceived problem is.

Hello, > > We have temporarily suspended your KDP account because you submitted > titles which contain content that is freely available on the web. We don’t > accept content that is freely available on the web unless you are the > exclusive copyright owner of that content. > > You can see the violations reflected in the following title(s): > > Title:The Game Called Revolution/ASIN:145387934X > > Before we can reinstate your account, we need you to do the following: > 1. Reply to this message with the following declaration: “I confirm that I > will remove any content for which I do not have the exclusive publishing > rights and that I will adhere to all terms in the Content Guidelines when > submitting new content”; and > 2. Review your catalog and remove any titles that do not comply with the > Content Guidelines or for which you do not have the necessary publishing > rights > > Until we receive a response from you regarding this issue, your account > will remain blocked. > > As a reminder, violations of our Content Guidelines may negatively impact > your account status and you may also lose access to optional KDP services. > > If you have questions or believe you’ve received this email in error, > reply to this message. > > Regards, > Amazon KDP

Of course, how can I fix a problem when they won’t tell me what the problem is?

Photo by author.

Despite my insistence, I am the copyright holder and despite the fact I sent them the official copyright certificate in my name to prove it, they refuse to listen and just keep sending me the same boilerplate email.

And since I haven’t given in to their stupidity, they shut down my KDP account.

Photo by author.

Why, yes, I do believe my account was closed in error and contacted them, but guess what? There’s no phone number for KDP. You can only communicate with them through email. You can’t actually engage in dialogue with anyone. How can the world’s biggest company have such a backward system in place to deal with people who make them money?

This is proof positive Amazon sees indie authors as inferior. I guarantee you Stephen King’s people would have no problem getting Amazon on the phone to voice their concerns.

You’re probably thinking, “Just do what they say, and you can get your account reinstated.” No. It’s the principal of the thing. I won’t be pushed around by these jerks. If they don’t want to treat me with respect, there are plenty of other places that would be happy to have me.

F^ck you Amazon.