Months ago I began following an author by the name of Nancy A Lopes and learned she had a book out called The Daywalker Chronicles. It was around the time when the whole cockygate business started, and to support numerous authors affected by this previous trademark of cocky as well as new authors I’ve not heard of I bought a few books, including Nancy’s.
I had already made the decision to review it once I finished reading it, though it took me a while to finish it. I am the world’s slowest reader at times I think. It came down to it that I began following Nancy on her Twitter and likewise she followed me in return. This happens commonplace with many indie authors and readers, and even traditionally published authors follow one another and communicate. So you basically have: Indie author follows another indie author; traditional author follows another traditional author. All of them read books and write reviews on the books they bought.
When I finished reading the Daywalker Chronicles, I went to Amazon first to post my review. I clicked review and was rewarded with this… nice.. message.. 
I was baffled at first because I had never reviewed the book before this attempt and I had no relationship to the author or the product itself. I bought and paid for the book myself. When I took this to Twitter, Amazon help got in touch with me and told me that “Being linked to an author on Social Media could contribute to bias.” This response contradicted their own guidelines which state that following an author on social media would not disallow a reader from reviewing the product. If I were related to the author, or if she had paid me for my review, or given me the book in exchange for a review I would understand the whole: “linked” and “biased.”
This response by Amazon has caused an explosion of authors and readers coming together in the outcry of their ridiculous answer to my concerning question about why I was not permitted to review. For that, I am beyond grateful to the author and reader community. Being a small time indie author isn’t easy and gaining the support of a reader is also not easy. But when it occurs, it is cherished more than physical gifts. To me, this refusal to allow me to review a book I purchased denies me the right to support an author I’ve come to know about. Likewise, it denies other readers the right to support their favorite authors who are particularly unknown, unlike JK Rowling, Danielle Steele, Dan Brown, and Rick Riordan.
That being said, I am still furious that I was denied my right to review. Amazon really needs to take a look at their system and their own ethics and correct a lot of issues regarding matters such as this. I was asked to write an email to Amazon about this matter and when I calm down enough to do so, I will gladly do so. I hope in the meantime, due to the dozens of outcry against this issue, that Amazon will have already taken a look into their policies and guidelines and will update them accordingly.
Lissa Gromley- Author 
I had all my Amazon reviews removed and my ability to review suspended earlier this year – however, I actually passed a manual review and had my reviews and functionality returned. See here for more on that: https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/571485/
Plenty of authors have been complaining about this too, in recent months. And it’s getting worse. Apparently, if you’re in the same Facebook Group as an author (nevermind on their Friends list), there’s a good chance Amazon will stop you from reviewing their book. 😦
Goodreads may be owned by Amazon NOW, but they used to be completely independent, and Amazon’s only had their grubby paws in the business for about a year now. They’ve made lots of changes since buying Goodreads, to be sure, but I think that Goodreads is still treated very much as an independent entity, allowed to make their own decisions about how they run things.
For now, anyway. Let’s not attract too much attention to it, though. I was none too happy when Amazon bought them, to begin with, and I wouldn’t want them interfering any more than they already do. 😉
ah, so that’s why I couldn’t find it. Okay.
Apparently, it does not say that now. I read it on their guidelines months ago. They told me in a Tweet that being linked to an author can contribute to bias. But then they changed their wording to “Your review was rejected because your account is related to the author’s account.” The author and I are not related and I sincerely hope it is not because we are both authors.
Can you show me where social media is mentioned in the guidelines? (I didn’t see it)
I was able to review it on Goodreads. It does not make sense to me being able to do so, but not directly on Amazon, as GR is owned by Amazon too. I have disconnected my Twitter account from Amazon just recently. I cannot fathom why they are preventing reviews of readers who follow an author. It is an infringement of the First Ammendment.
I hope you reviewed the book on Goodreads anyway, Lissa. Even though Amazon owns it, I think it’s a much better platform because it’s not biased towards a particular retailer.
And while you’re about it, consider not buying any more books from Amazon. They’re just a bunch of bullies, and if I thought I could get away with unpublishing all MY books from Amazon, I would (Of course I can’t, because readers continue to ensure that Amazon is the single biggest e-book seller in the world). 😦
There are plenty of alternatives. Kobo and Google Play Books being two of my favourites.
Somebody really needs to knock Amazon down a few pegs.