Another day, another form letter from Amazon. Another month without access to my own account. Another batch of withheld royalties.
And another pair of non-answers from the very people indie authors are told to look up to.
Amazon’s ongoing lockout
For over a month, I’ve been locked out of my Amazon account. Each time I try to log in, I’m prompted for Two-Step Verification—a system that Amazon’s own emails insist is disabled on my account.
The result? I can’t sign in. I can’t change my bank account details. I can’t access the royalties Amazon owes me.
I’ve posted screenshots, videos, and updates documenting this saga in detail here:
It’s not a minor glitch. It’s a structural failure. And it raises a bigger question: what happens when Amazon’s systems fail an author—and no one steps up to help?
Reaching out to industry leaders
Independent authors are often told to lean on industry voices for guidance and advocacy. So I reached out to two of the most prominent: Jane Friedman and Joanna Penn.
Jane Friedman—a long-standing publishing commentator—never replied. Silence. Not even a polite brush-off.
Joanna Penn, to her credit, did reply. But her response deflected the issue back onto the Alliance of Independent Authors, with a reminder of how much Amazon has “enabled” careers.
Two influential voices. Two missed opportunities.
Why this matters
This isn’t about one disgruntled author. It’s about the structural reality of publishing today:
- If Amazon locks you out, you lose your income.
- Withheld royalties are not just numbers on a screen—they’re theft dressed up as “technical issues.”
- The industry leaders we are told to trust often avoid conflict with the very platform that holds our livelihoods hostage.
Silence as complicity
Jane’s silence is an answer in itself. Joanna’s polite deflection is, in many ways, worse—because it acknowledges the problem while carefully sidestepping any responsibility.
Neither response is malicious. Both are strategic. But silence and safe answers tell authors a blunt truth: don’t expect your industry leaders to go to bat for you when Amazon screws up.
What indie publishing needs
Independent publishing was built on Amazon’s infrastructure. But its future depends on accountability.
If our most visible commentators and mentors refuse to challenge the platform, then it falls to those of us with fewer stakes and less to lose to document, expose, and demand answers.
At 66 years old, I’m not particularly worried about whether Amazon blackballs me. I’ve got more books in me, more words to publish, and fewer years ahead than behind.
What I am worried about is silence. Because silence in this industry pays royalties—until it doesn’t.
The post Silence speaks volumes: When Amazon’s failures meet industry leaders’ reluctance appeared first on vietnam leadership coach.
