My Letter to Jeff Bezos

 

Dear Mr. Jeff Bezos,

          On behalf of authors across the globe, I thank you for creating and growing a magnificent vehicle where authors can disseminate their work.

          You founded Amazon as a book store, and I’m sure you know that many authors depend on reviews to spread the word about their books.  Reviews mean sales, and sales mean income for Amazon.  I am writing as an author of a novel entitled Pushing the River (Amika Press, October 2018), who has had five reviews pulled from the Amazon site that I depend on to help sell my new book.

          My novel has a strong thematic component of women and families.  I asked two women — both of whom have PhD’s in anthropology, and both of whom have specialties in gender studies — to read and review my book.  Both of them purchased the book; both of them have active Amazon accounts.  Both had their reviews pulled, including Molly Hales, whose quote graces the book’s cover.  Both have appealed their cases to your Customer Services Community via email.  Neither person has received a response (Molly Hales has written twice).

          I understand Amazon wishing to retain a level of integrity and trustworthiness in its publication of reviews.  But Mr. Bezos, each of the five reviewers met your criteria.  A fellow Chicago writer — Iris Waichler — appealed her review of my book, was told it would be reinstated, witnessed that it was reinstated, only to have the review pulled a second time.

          Please continue your commitment to books, authors, and sales.  Taking down legitimate reviews of books makes no sense and hurts all involved.  If it is in your purview to handle this, the reviewers whose work was removed are:

Mary Weismantel, Molly Hales, Simon Weismantel, Jared Slucter and Iris Waichler.

          Thank you for your time and consideration.

Barbara Monier