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BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
Cool. :) Hope you're enjoying and like the finale of Krish's 2nd tale!

I did. I don't know if you noticed my comment in another thread, but my choice was your book for $3 or Brent Weeks for $13. I definitely think I made the right decision.

Look for the reviews to be posted tomorrow.

Loved the minimal appearances of the words "Road Toad." :)
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
My review for Flank Hawk has been submitted to Amazon and is being processed. Great book. Well done, Terry.
 
So it's come to my attention that it is against Amazon policy to post reviews on products that are "competing" with yours (even though I really do not believe that eBook publishing is a winner-take-all situation, it is their rule, not mine).

So I won't be posting any more fantasy/sci-fi/math/science reviews on Amazon. I will continue working my way through these types of books (including those from Mythic Scribes I am interested in) and post on my blog and Goodreads though.

(Yes I know, I haven't made much progress on reviews, but am hoping to get through some in December)
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Zero Angel:

The policy applies to persons having a financial interest in a "directly" competing product. I don't think that meets the standard here. Plus, all Amazon says is that it has the right to remove such reviews, which I doubt would be the case unless there is something really egregious going on.
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
On the face of it, it makes no sense to apply the policy to books. Does that mean just fantasy or all books? Because I wrote a book, I can never write a review of any other book?

I really think Steerpike is right on this one. Makes no sense (though, granted, Amazon doesn't necessarily follow logic).

EDIT: I will be continuing my reviews even after I start publishing.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
On the face of it, it makes no sense to apply the policy to books. Does that mean just fantasy or all books? Because I wrote a book, I can never write a review of any other book?

I really think Steerpike is right on this one. Makes no sense (though, granted, Amazon doesn't necessarily follow logic).

EDIT: I will be continuing my reviews even after I start publishing.

Generally a "directly competing" product is, I think, one that is pretty much interchangeable with the other. Two companies are offering what amounts to the same product or service. Devor can correct me if that is wrong. If that is correct, then this doesn't apply well to books generally, and particularly not to fiction.
 

TWErvin2

Auror
I'll continue posting reviews of novels/stories I read. The worst that Amazon will do is remove them, but I find it unlikely it'll happen.
 
I read somewhere on the Internet (which is always true, right? ;)) that this does apply to authors and they can define books to be directly competing on their own judgement. Additionally, I was under the impression that they could stop sale of your book over this.

I believe that this is in direct response to people using Amazon reviews as a way to advertise their authorship of a book. In "Making a Killing on Kindle" they even have a section on how to use Amazon reviews to advertise your books on the pages of others. Maybe the stories I read originally were cracking down on this particular instance of competition, but there are a lot of "bad eggs" out there that think it makes sense to trash the works of others and advertise their own books in the process. I can understand (and envision in the future) applying the ToS sledgehammer overly liberally in this situation and don't want to get sledged.

Tangentially, I've read that if you do Amazon reviews, then Amazon owns your reviews and they must be substantially different from reviews by you appearing elsewhere (such as Goodreads and blogs). I produce two different versions of my reviews when doing Amazon reviews as a response to this policy.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
I'd go by Amazon's own words in their policies and not what you read online.

Amazon doesn't own your reviews when you post them. Copyright can only be assigned by written instrument. What they get is a royalty-free license to publish your review. I'd like to see the basis on which a claim for ownership could be made.

As for their policies on reviews, it is in their discretion, but if you read their policy they're going after dishonest reviews meant to slam other authors and build up one's own work. I see nothing to indicate a prohibition on authors reviewing other authors, and in fact Amazon's own forums are full of requests from self-published authors looking to exchange reviews with others.
 
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