Amazon Changes Self-Publishing Process

A Literal Literary Loser is Left Lost

I self-published my nonfiction how-to, “Getting into NYC High School”, on September 3, 2016. (If you’re wondering why applying to high school - public as well as private - requires an entire book in New York City, well, for that, I have an entire dedicated website.)

Amazon had no problem selling that book for 8 years.

However, because the NYC high school application process has a nasty tendency to change regularly, for every one of those 8 years, I would go in and, each fall, update the procedures, requirements, and deadlines. That was actually one of the major selling points of the book only being available in an electronic format; that I could make an instant change to the text the moment some new arbitrary addendum was announced.

Since 2016, with no paid advertising whatsoever (but a LOT of promotional man-hours), I have sold 340 copies of “Getting Into NYC High School” on Amazon for a total profit of $2,334.63. (This is considerably less than its companion book, “Getting Into NYC Kindergarten,” which has sold 2,008 copies over the years and earned $13,917.87. I’m guessing the discrepancy is due to parents feeling more prepared to apply to high school after they’ve already survived Kindergarten and middle school admissions. Or maybe because they’ve just given up by then.)

For 8 years, Amazon had no problem with my text, my product description or my images.

In 2024, they developed a problem.

I have been trying to upload the latest version of “Getting Into NYC High School” for over a week now.

First, they told me there was a problem with my description. They said the description couldn’t have links to other websites.

My description has had links to other websites for 8 years now.

I went in and edited.

Then, they said my cover could not have the words “Amazon best-seller".”

My cover has had the words “Amazon best-seller” for 8 years now.

I re-edited the cover. But now, Amazon won’t let me upload it.

I have sent an email to their support team.

And now I am just waiting.

Had this been 8 years ago, when I first published the book, I would have been more panicked.

This year, I’m chill. Not only is the updated book available on Barnes and Noble but, this year, for the first time, it is also available directly from my own website, where I don’t have to pay a commission to Amazon.

So I can afford to wait for Amazon to figure out why, after 8 years, they are suddenly having a problem with my book.

(For those who bought the previous edition of “Getting Into NYC High School,” which is still available for sale before the new version is approved, don’t worry, none of this year’s changes are major, only a few dates and links have been tweaked. You will be perfectly fine navigating 2025 admissions with the 2024 guide, I promise.)

I realize Amazon is the biggest bookseller in the world. I realize that choosing not to deal with them would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

But this isn’t the first time they’ve suddenly found a problem with a book of mine that had been up for YEARS. (See: Amazon Attacks Author’s Autonomy (with AI)!)

I really need them to get their act together.

But, then, again, why should they?

When you believe yourself to be the only game in town, what motivation is there for you to improve your services? (On a related note, see all my coverage of NYC public schools.)

Have you needed to do battle with Amazon over your books? Share your stories! Misery loves company!

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Still confused about the need for a book to explain getting into NYC high school? Here is a video I just made which is only a very, very tiny part of the process: