Banned for taking shortcuts

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Yes, Amazon can suspend your whole account over poor quality books. A friend of mine found that out the hard way. Their account was banned along with every book in it, after they translated their books with Google Translate and published them without a proper edit.

What did my friend do?

They took a shortcut. They had piles of books and realized they could sell the same books in other markets if they were translated. Instead of hiring translators and editors, they decided Google Translate was good enough. It wasn’t.

Amazon banned the account without warning, for putting poor quality books on the market. The ban covered the English books they had published too. I am telling this as it was told to me, and I can’t say what Amazon’s own notice said.

What do Amazon’s rules say?

KDP’s content guidelines say it rejects or removes content that doesn’t meet them, and that it may restrict content that is typically disappointing to customers. Translations must credit the translator and the original author. KDP also requires you to tell it when text, images or translations are AI-generated, even if you edited them heavily afterwards. Using AI only to edit or brainstorm text you wrote yourself doesn’t need disclosing (KDP content guidelines).

The terms go further than removing one book. They say Amazon can end the agreement or suspend your account if it has concerns about the account or its activity, or if you break the law or the agreement. They also say Amazon will notify you when it ends an account and give you instructions on how to appeal (KDP Terms and Conditions, last updated 21-Oct-26). Read the current text yourself, because it changes. If it happens to you, see why did my KDP account close without any notification.

What does KDP count as poor quality?

KDP’s content guidelines say books for sale should give readers a positive customer experience, and that KDP does not allow descriptive content meant to mislead customers. It also does not allow content that is typically disappointing to customers. The examples sit in a separate document, the Guide to Kindle Content Quality, so read that too (KDP content guidelines).

Two more rules from the same page matter to anyone with a pile of books. A translated book must credit the translator and the original author in the contributor field. And KDP does not allow undifferentiated versions of public domain titles when a free version is already in its store, and it may ask you to prove that content is in the public domain. If KDP removes a title, it says it tells the author, and the author can appeal. A simple test: if a reader would feel let down by the book, treat it as a risk to your whole account.

What happens to my royalties if the account is closed?

The KDP Terms and Conditions say Amazon may withhold royalties for three months after they would otherwise be payable, to cover refunds and other offsets. If Amazon ends the account because you broke your promises or the content guidelines, you lose any unpaid royalties. If you open a new account without Amazon’s permission, it does not pay you through that account either. That is one more reason not to leave a large balance of your income with one platform.

What should I learn from this?

1. You are sharecropping on someone else’s platform. If you have apps on iTunes or books on Amazon, they can cut off your cash flow with the flick of a finger, and there is very little you can do about it. Build something that is yours, like an email list.
2. Be careful with shortcuts. You don’t always get a second chance to fix a mistake, and the more you have on the platform, the more you can lose. Pay a real translator and editor. 7 tips from successful self-published authors covers what the people who last tend to do.

Copyright is a separate worry, and I cover it in do I need to copyright my self-published book.

~ Chris Baird

P.S. What shortcuts have you taken that you regret? Has an account of yours ever been closed? Tell me in the comments.

If you are starting out and want to avoid mistakes like this, book a free 25-minute discovery call and I’ll look at your plan with you.

The full rules on AI-generated and AI-assisted content are in KDP AI disclosure rules.

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