Is Amazon Bugging Authors Into Moving From Createspace to KDP Print?
Launched in late 2016, KDP Print is Amazon’s solution for a single publishing portal that covers both print and digital books (audiobooks are probably on the roadmap as a future addition – KDP Audio, anyone?).
Many authors beleive Amazon intends for KDP Print to replace Createspace, and now it looks like Amazon may be using a subtle but annoying tactic to get authors to leave Createspace.
There’s a thread over at KBoards where authors have been sharing their recent experiences with Createspace demanding proof that the authors own the copyright on their books. For example:
I’ve used Createspace since 2013. I noticed a drastic decrease in quality control when KDP print launched. In four of the almost five years I’ve been using Createspace, I’ve never had any copyright verification requests. This year, I’ve received 18. Some of them, like the ones with a pen name, I rolled my eyes and responded to the email. Even more, were non-English editions published under the name on my Createspace account. Again, I rolled my eyes and replied to the email. Yesterday, I was updating my superhero novel cover with a new back cover blurb, and I get a verification email. The novel in question has been on my Createspace account since it’s publication in 2015, and uses the same author name that the Createspace account is registered with. There is absolutely no reason for Amazon to verify copyright other than they want to make continuing to use Createspace difficult to those of us who don’t want the hassle of using KDP Print.
It’s really hard to tell whether this is an over-zealous bot or an intentional policy, but there is a report that the uptick in verification requests came at the request of Amazon. "I asked one of the reps what was the deal of so many of these happening to independent authors and they confirmed there was an algorithm issue causing a much larger slew of items being triggered," an author reported. "They also said this was something initiated on the Amazon-side of the company outside of Createspace and they had to go through the 'procedures' as specified."
At this point the discussion I have been able to find is mostly limited to KBoards, so it is difficult to judge the scale of the problem.
Have you gotten one of these emails? Is this a hot topic in private backchannel conversations?
image by Eleaf
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