Amazon WIN!
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) blocked the publication of my companion Student Workbooks in eBook format. I objected, and they decided in my favor.
I currently have two companion Student Workbooks published in paperback, one each to accompany books one and two in my Jack and the Magic Hat Maker middle-grade fantasy series.
The paperback activity book for The Golden Telescope has been available since October 10, 2021. I started but didn't complete the workbook for book two - The Kidnapping King, until last month - July 17, 2024.
My intention is to create a companion workbook for each of my current and future children's fiction novels.
I Wanted To Improve Children's Reading Retention, Comprehension, and Engagement
And I've gotten GREAT feedback from parents!
I slightly revised these workbooks to make them appropriate for eBook distribution, and a few days ago, I submitted them for approval to Amazon. Normally, my books publish pretty quickly, but KDP says it can take up to 72 hours from the time of submission for approval. These two eBooks had been sitting in Review for a couple of days, which I thought was strange. Then, finally, last night, I noticed the eBook for the Student Workbook - The Golden Telescope, was displaying a big, red BLOCKED on its status. Shortly afterward, I received the following email notification from them -
We’re contacting you regarding the following book(s) that you submitted for sale on Amazon:
The Golden Telescope - Student Workbook by Partridge-Johnson, Tracy (AUTHOR)
It appears your book is a companion guide. Per our Content Guidelines, we don’t allow content that is disappointing to customers, and we’ve found that companion guides frequently cause a negative or confusing experience for customers. As a result, we won’t be making your book(s) available on Amazon.
I Decided To Dispute Their Decision
Long story short, I wrote back telling them I strongly objected to their decision, providing them with the above customer reviews/testimonials, and letting them know that I intend to create similar workbooks for each of my novels and that three more books are already on pre-order. I further said that I'd like to publish on Amazon but that if they chose not to publish, I would make them available through another provider.
First thing this morning, I received the following response from Kindle Content Review -
The Golden Telescope - Student Workbook Partridge-Johnson, Tracy (AUTHOR)
The book(s) will soon be published on Amazon. Please allow up to 48 hours for the book(s) to become available in the Amazon Store.
Thanks for using Amazon KDP
So, if you're a Self-Published Author, I wanted to let you know that sometimes it pays to make a fuss when things don't go your way, even with big players like Amazon. ;)
