The Authors Guild Launches an Amazon/Author Dispute Resolution Channel
The Authors Guild has a well-deserved reputation for being a puppet of legacy publishers. This group has never missed an opportunity to bash Amazon and spread FUD (even though Amazon does more business with authors than publishers pay in royalties).
This is why I was surprised to read that The Authors Guild says they have set up a way that members can use to resolve disputes with Amazon.
After discussions with Amazon, we have agreed to an additional procedure that will directly flag issues where Authors Guild members feel they are being harmed as authors (not as customers), and online communications with Amazon have not borne fruit in a timely manner. Authors Guild members may now file complaints directly with the Guild. The Guild will review all of the author complaints to determine whether they raise problems that Amazon can or should address.
The Guild will not be able to successfully resolve every issue, of course; but in cases where the incident has been in violation of Amazon’s policies, they have worked with us to resolve them. In other cases, Amazon has heard us out and has been willing to review policies that work to the detriment of authors.
HOW TO LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR ISSUES WITH AMAZONAuthors Guild members may contact us at [email protected] or here if 1) they have an issue with their books’ Amazon listings, such as where a third-party seller has won the “buy box” when there are publisher copies readily available, 2) infringing copies of their books are being sold, or 3) fake or abusive reviews of their books remain on their books’ pages. We ask that members attempt to resolve these problems directly with Amazon first through their normal complaint procedures
This option is only available to TAG members, and we don’t yet know if it will help, but god knows the industry needs this.
I have heard way to many horror stories about authors being punished by Amazon without ever being told exactly why. In many cases, the authors' only recourse is to ask for an explanation, and then after they get a form email response, appeal to Jeff Bezos.
Any alternative to the current situation is a huge improvement.
image by streetwrk.com
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