UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

Hi guys,

I've mentioned here BookGobbler (https://bookgobbler.com) for the free books for readers side, but authors are welcome to register their free giveaways on the website, which we help promote.
It gets an author 2-3 reviews minimum, and some authors got as many as 10 from it.
Christmas is a quiet time of year, so very good exposure if you are looking to get reviews.

Thanks and happy xmas all,
Joni

I think BookGobbler are going to have to be careful.

From the webpage

eBooks or dual eBook/Paperback giveaways
Please first register to Bookgobbler (you will have the possibility of manually entering the title name on the registration form).
You would need to submit an honest review on Amazon when done.

Looking at the Amazon terms and conditions
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/cust...

In order to preserve the integrity of Community content, content and activities consisting of advertising, promotion, or solicitation (whether direct or indirect) is not allowed, including:

Creating, modifying, or posting content regarding your (or your relative's, close friend's, business associate's, or employer's) products or services.

Creating, modifying, or posting content regarding your competitors' products or services.

Creating, modifying, or posting content in exchange for compensation of any kind (including free or discounted products) or on behalf of anyone else.

Offering compensation or requesting compensation (including free or discounted products) in exchange for creating, modifying, or posting content.

I think that you could be getting awfully close to the bone with the last two

Especially when it specifically says on the website
Paperbacks only giveaways
Free to join, with no need to pre-register nor a review.

Hi Jim. I'm very glad you posted this, as our legal team went over the KDP/Amazon terms for reviews.

The only problem with KDP's terms, is if you offer eBooks and a member of Kindle Unlimited. Paperback giveaways are specifically said to be exempted.
We tackle this issue by offering "paperback-only" giveaways too - where the reader can express interest in an eBook.
The team then approaches them at the end of the giveaway if they are interested to be directly contacted by the author.
this is strictly to any memebr who did not win the book

As an unwritten rule, we limit the paperbacks to 1-3 per giveaway....

Regarding this point:
Offering compensation or requesting compensation (including free or discounted products) in exchange for creating, modifying, or posting content.

This is strictly not the case here, a copter-raffle is not an incentive to review the eBook, The fact that non-registered members get the same entry as registered-revieers proves that. KDP theselves clarify that paperback copies may still be offered in any other platform, even if you're a Kindle Unlimited member. as an ampirical test - none of our readers' reviewse had been taken down by Amazon, even the ones mentioning BookGobbler in name.

see KDP's take on this: [quoted from their website]
Can I give free or discounted copies of my books to readers?
You may provide free or discounted copies of your books to readers. However, you may not demand a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review. Offering anything other than a free or discounted copy of the book—including gift cards—will invalidate a review, and we'll have to remove it. To learn more, see our Community Guidelines.
- We don't demand, nor do e chase readers. much like Netgalley.

Additional Guidelines for Customer Reviews
The following guidelines apply to Customer Reviews in addition to the other guidelines set forth above:
* Customers can submit 5 non-Amazon Verified Purchase reviews each week....
* When we find unusually high numbers of reviews for a product posted in a short period of time, we may restrict the number of non-Amazon Verified Purchase reviews on that product.
You may not manipulate the Amazon Verified Purchase badge, such as by offering special pricing to reviewers or reimbursing reviewers.
- We run giveaways for 2 months, limiting eBooks to 20, hence we stand within this 5 per week rule

There are a lot of discussion on KDP forums regarding gifting books to reviewers, which is even more than what BookGobbler does.
KDP support Amazon gifting of eBooks naturally as it gets Amazon money :-) https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/top...

But these discussions are very enlightening as to the do's and don'ts of book gifting:
-https://kdp.amazon.com/community/thre...?
-messageID=1114943
-there was a discussion which included KDP's answer which alloed gifting. But i'm stuggling to find it now.

I hope this helps. And if I missed addressing anything please let me know ?

Given Amazon's knee jerk reaction to things and their habit of having bots cancel reviews and being awfully slow to respond, I tend to err entirely on the safe side.
They don't seem to take too much notice of the fine detail of legal arguments.
It's not worth the hassle that upsetting the mighty zon would create :-(

Jim wrote: "Given Amazon's knee jerk reaction to things and their habit of having bots cancel reviews and being awfully slow to respond, I tend to err entirely on the safe side.
They don't seem to take too muc..."

With this I can't argue, they are whimsical, to say the least!
In any case, given the choice between no reviews and some, I think it's worth the risk. If you're established with many reviews, maybe not so much.

Anyways thanks for the input - every concern / idea help us understand our place in this market. I've already shared this with some of the other founders (spread across a few time zones ..) :-)

Jim wrote: "Given Amazon's knee jerk reaction to things and their habit of having bots cancel reviews and being awfully slow to respond, I tend to err entirely on the safe side.
They don't seem to take too muc..."


I had an email from an author that provides ARC and just skimming through it looked as though she was worried about Amazon and Goodreads reviews of ARC and how they would be dealt with in future.

Also Amazon are very random about refusing reviews. I had read a book - the third in a series and had reviewed the previous two books. But for some unknown reason my review of the third book did not comply with Amazon's rules. I have no idea why as the review basically said that I had read previous books by that author and had enjoyed them and the latest book was equally as good.
I didn't review many books or other purchases from Amazon - maybe that was the reason. But since then I've generally ignored emails from Amazon asking me to review things, unless the service was unusually good or bad.

Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "Jim wrote: "Given Amazon's knee jerk reaction to things and their habit of having bots cancel reviews and being awfully slow to respond, I tend to err entirely on the safe side.
They don't seem to ..."

Funny enough, Jim, I have a similar experience: I've reviewed many books to Amazon.co.uk in the past, and now trying to post a review for Stephen Bentley's Who The F*ck Am I? (who's giveaway is live on BookGobbler) and Amazon rejected me once, and ignored me twice (even though I omitted the f*ck when adressing the novel's name and also no mention of BookGobbler as I bought it myself).

Sent Amazon email... had anyone else encountered strange occurance like these and have a way around it?
Thanks

Miranda wrote: "Thanks for the link. Will check it out as I'm always looking for honest reviews.

@Joni. I haven't had trouble myself but I've known people that have been banned from leaving reviews because Amazon..."

They answered that there was a system error and they subsequently approved my review. Thanks!

Yeah, 'zon has to be careful. Delete or ban too many reviews and no one will bother.