Amazon Customer Reviews Policy Debated by Authors and Readers

A massive debate has erupted between readers and writers after Amazon (AMZN) Kindle critics overwhelmed the reviews section for The Big Short by Michael Lewis–complaining not about substance, but the lack of a Kindle edition.

In a blunt TechCrunch post, author Paul Carr generated hundreds of comments about Amazon’s customer reviews policy: “I speak from pained experience as an author when I say that we have absolutely no say on when our books are released, in what format and at what price. And yet we’re the ones who have the most to lose from negative Amazon reviews. A book’s overall star rating is one of the most prominent pieces of information on an Amazon page and many readers–quite reasonably–equate a low average rating with a poorly written book. This damages sales of the book and also damages our reputations as writers.”

These consumer reviews have changed the book review landscape forever. Via Twitter, Changing Hands Bookstore reminded us that Amazon is one of America’s most trusted brands. What do you think–should they change their book review policy?

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