Purged Amazon Reviews: Case Closed?

Castalia House Lead Editor Vox Day passes along a possible solution to The Case of the Purged Amazon Reviews.

Specifically, he quotes author Amanda Green’s theory based on her review of Amazon’s terms of service.

2. Are authors allowed to review other authors’ books?
Yes. Authors are welcome to submit Customer Reviews, unless the reviewing author has a personal relationship with the author of the book being reviewed, or was involved in the book’s creation process (i.e. as a co-author, editor, illustrator, etc.). If so, that author isn’t eligible to write a Customer Review for that book. 

3. Can I ask my family to write a Customer Review for my book?
We don’t allow individuals who share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer Reviews for that author’s book. Customer Reviews provide unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers and aren’t to be used as a promotional tool.

The implication is that members of the Conservative-Libertarian Fiction Alliance on Facebook were especially hard-hit by the purges because they were assumed to have violated Item 2 above. As I mentioned previously, a number of reviews were removed from my Soul Cycle books. While I’m technically a CLFA member, I was essentially drafted into it, as FB allows groups to do. The only CLFA members I’ve met in person are Larry Correia and Brad Torgersen, neither of whom have posted reviews of my books. Thus, Amanda’s theory doesn’t explain why my reviews were purged.

Vox makes a similar observation.

…the fact that Jon Del Arroz’s reviews were restored upon review by an Amazon manager, as were some of the reviews of Declan Finn’s books, indicates that there was probably more going on than just legitimate TOS policing. My guess is that a rogue Amazon employee took it upon himself to take advantage of the opening being given to him by TOS-violating reviewers, but got carried away and ended up deleting a number of reviews that were not in violation of the terms of service as well.

This leads me to two conclusions. First, reviews are considered very important by SJWs. Therefore, culture warriors should be diligent about posting Amazon reviews of books that they read. Even if it’s only a short, one-paragraph review that only takes a minute to post, it will help build up the total number of reviews as well as bolster the book’s average rating against fake reviews meant to lower it.

Second, when you are dealing with an SJW-amenable authority, or even just an authority that happens to employ an SJW, you must keep your nose clean. Don’t push the envelope with regards to the posted rules and regulations. Don’t give them an excuse to crack down, because when they do, they may not stop with your infractions, but cross the line themselves.

Vox’s advice carries some weight since he’s dealt with rogue Amazon employees before. Support indie authors who are bucking the corrupt Big Five. Learn the terms of service and codes of conduct put in place by SJW-friendly organizations you’re forced to deal with, and follow them to the letter. Crossing all your t’s and dotting your i’s won’t guarantee protection–nothing will besides creating your own platform–but it will force the SJWs to drop the guise of impartiality if they censor you.

A gripping, thrilling send-off to a most wondrous series