Top 8 Tips to Protect Your Amazon Account
Reviews are important. They tell Amazon that readers are engaging with books—buying them, reading them, and forming real opinions. For authors, reviews boost visibility and credibility.
But Amazon’s review system is built on trust, and if that trust is broken, accounts can be flagged, restricted, or even banned. Many well-meaning authors and reviewers have lost access to vital features simply because they didn’t fully understand the rules.
At BookMonty, we design every aspect of our platform to help you receive compliant and credible reviews. Whether you're reviewing or requesting, here are eight important tips that help protect your Amazon account and your author reputation.
🔁 1. No Review Swaps—Ever
Even if it’s casual, unspoken, or done “on the side,” swapping reviews is a clear violation of Amazon’s guidelines.
Why it matters: Amazon defines a conflict of interest broadly. If you review someone’s book and they review yours—even weeks later—it can be flagged. These patterns are detectable and risky.
BookMonty’s safeguard: We implement a Chinese wall that prevents mutual visibility between reviewers and authors. You’ll never see a book from someone who has reviewed your own.
⏳ 2. Review at a Natural Pace (2–3 per Week Max)
Amazon monitors excessive review frequency, particularly if those reviews are for digital books, unverified purchases, or posted too soon after download.
Best practice: Limit yourself to about 2–3 reviews per week, and make sure you’ve genuinely read the book. Don't speed through just to earn Hoots. Amazon tracks the time spent with content, and rushed reviews can appear suspicious.
BookMonty’s safeguard: Guess what? We limit reviews to 2–3 per week to help protect your Amazon reviewer account. During peak review periods, we may temporarily increase that threshold, but always within safe limits to avoid raising red flags. Our system is designed to strike a balance between flexibility and compliance.
💎 3. Focus on Quality
When writing reviews, avoid overly brief or generic statements, as they can come across as spammy. Also, if Amazon detects that all your reviews are like this, they might flag your account.
Best practice: Write reviews that YOU would like to receive. Don't you feel good when you come across a review where you can just tell the reader truly read and appreciated your book?
🛒 4. Authors: Ask for Verified Purchase (VP) and Kindle Unlimited (KU) Reads
Don't just request Regular (free) reviews. VP and KU reviews carry more weight in Amazon’s ranking and trust signals.
Best practice: Request a healthy mix of reviews—some Regular, some VP, and some KU. This shows natural reader interest and reduces the risk of reviews being filtered or suppressed.
📚 5. Don’t Just Review Books (Diversify!)
If your Amazon account only has reviews for indie eBooks—especially those you didn’t buy—your profile may be flagged as “review club activity.”
Simple fix: Once in a while, review something you’ve purchased on Amazon: a household item, gadget, kitchen tool, or even pet food. This helps make your account appear more authentic!
❗ 6. Don’t Copy-Paste Reviews Across Platforms
Even though it’s tempting to reuse the same review on Amazon, GoodReads, BookBub, blogs, etc., try to rephrase your wording slightly. Amazon may see identical content across multiple platforms as spammy or auto-generated.
Pro tip: Add a sentence or two specific to Amazon’s audience or product format (e.g., Kindle, Audible). This adds uniqueness and helps the review stick.
🛑 7. Authors: Never Ever Incentivize Review Requests
Do not offer gifts, discounts, "bonus points," etc., in the hopes of getting your book picked up first over others. Even subtle pressure can get flagged.
At BookMonty, we never allow authors to boost visibility with tokens or perks. All reviews are earned honestly, with no strings attached.
📝 8. Update Your Reviewer Profile
This is a pro move: Update your Amazon public profile. Add a bio, upload profile image, indicate your reading interests, etc.. A well-maintained profile enhances your credibility as a reviewer.
🛡️ Why All This Matters
Protecting your Amazon account is not just about avoiding penalties—it's about earning trust and maintaining a positive reputation. Every review you receive or write is part of a system that only works when it's respected.
At BookMonty, we’re here to help you:
- Stay compliant
- Avoid shortcuts
- Build a credible author platform that lasts