My (Not so) Fun Amazon Adventure

By Sophie Lechner
The Magnet Model®

When Your Book Disappears Overnight (and What I Learned as an Author)

As of one morning in January, this is what showed up when you searched for my book on Amazon.zNothing.

No book. No author page. No reviews. Just… gone.

A short email informed me that my KDP account had been terminated. No explanation. No details. No phone number to call. Along with it went the book, the author page, the sales tracking, the royalties, and the right to open another account.

Hello,

We have terminated your KDP account because we found that it’s related to an account that we previously terminated. As stated in our Terms and Conditions, if we terminate your KDP account, you are not allowed to open a new KDP account.

As part of the account termination process:

– You can no longer access your KDP Account, Bookshelf, or Reports.

– We have removed your published books from the Amazon Store.

– You are not eligible to receive any outstanding royalties.

– You are not allowed to open a new KDP account.

If you have any questions or believe your account was terminated in error, please reply to this email. 

Regards,

Amazon KDP

So just like that — pouf.

What followed was about 48 hours of appeals, emails, silence, waiting… 

Me: 

What “related account” do you mean since I only have one?

Amazon: 

As per our policy, we reserve the right not to disclose any type of information we consider sensitive data. We are unable to elaborate further on specific details

The three voices that showed up

In parallel to all this it was fascinating (and annoying) to notice the internal experience I was having and really didn’t expect to be so vivid.

First reaction:
“This has to be a mistake.”
The email looked fishy. Surely this wasn’t real.

Then I checked the product page — the one place my book should have been — and saw a placeholder image instead. The dog was cute. I did not want to see the dog.

That’s when the three voices kicked in, all at once.

My brain went straight into problem-solving mode:

“Change the links on my website

Tell people who are recommending the book

Ask book mentors and author friends for advice (they were incredible)

Find every other place the book could be purchased.”

In other words: rational action, forward motion.
Also: “No reason to get upset. This is part of life. Annoying, but let’s move on.”

My body, however, had other ideas:
A heavy feeling in my belly — the exact sensation I used to get as a kid on the first day of school. What??
Shortness of breath.
That quiet but unmistakable stress response you don’t argue with using logic.

My heart was the loudest:
“It’s not fair.”
“Why me?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“All that effort for nothing.”
“Being an author was just a dream.”
“What were you thinking, publishing a book?”

These three voices ping-ponged around for two days while the situation itself stayed unresolved.

Talk to a human… or not

Meanwhile a friend told me “you have to get hold of a human. Try calling.

With no number on the site, I found an “Appeal” button that let you send a message. So I asked to be called and left my cell number.

Amazon email: 

Hello,

I’m sorry we don’t offer phone support at this time. Please refer to our email dated (this was the original email from them)

You know that feeling you’re going in circles? Uh huh that one…

What I did while waiting

Even without clarity from Amazon, I wasn’t powerless.

Behind the scenes, I did a lot:

• I immediately changed the book link on my website to point to Barnes & Noble.
• With the help of my friend and mentor Ruth, I created a single page listing all the places where the book could be purchased.
• I researched every retailer carrying the book — and discovered far more than I realized.
• I added reviews I had previously downloaded from Amazon (and used on LinkedIn) directly onto my website, so they lived somewhere I controlled.
• I spoke to friends who reminded me who I am, what I’d built, and why this book exists in the first place.

None of that fixed the problem directly — but all of it reduced my dependence on a single platform.

The ending (for now)

The last email I sent, about 48 hours into our exchanges, included this:

I believe this termination is an error and in order to remedy it, it would be helpful to have further information.

I have been selling my book for almost a year and received 90 5-star reviews with very positive comments. I have not done anything in violation of the terms and conditions.

The site indicates I can appeal this termination and that is what I would like to do.

After about 3 hours, I received a short email informing me that my account had been reinstated.

Hello,

Thank you for your email concerning the status of your account.

After reviewing your response, we have reinstated your account and you may submit titles for possible publication.

No explanation. No acknowledgment of error. Just a reminder to comply with guidelines.

Shortly after that, everything came back.
The book.
The author page.
The tracking.
The royalties.

Relief, yes — but also a dose of wariness…. (well, weariness too!)

The lesson for authors

This experience didn’t teach me something dramatic or new. It simply reinforced something most authors intellectually know but rarely feel until it happens:

If your book only exists in one ecosystem, you are more vulnerable than you realize.

This isn’t an anti-Amazon piece. It’s a reminder to authors to:

• Diversify distribution early.
  
• Maintain your own central hub for links, reviews, and credibility.
  
• Save your reviews. Screenshot them. Download them. Use them elsewhere.
• Get reviews on other sites.
  
• Build relationships with other authors, mentors, and peers before you need them. 

And perhaps most importantly:
Notice how your brain, body, and heart react when something you’ve poured yourself into suddenly feels threatened.

That information is useful. It tells you what matters.

Also… yes.
I still think I deserved a lollipop that day. 🍭

–Sophie
sophie@themagnetmodel.com
themagnetmodel.com