Small press and self-published authors have noticed over the past year or so that their books are getting fewer and fewer reader reviews on Amazon and B&N. Meanwhile, the big books that don’t need any reader reviews to survive, often have a thousand or so people saying they loved the book. Here is my response:
Where have all the reviewers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the reviewers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the reviewers gone?
Big books have picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the big books gone, long time passing?
Where have all the big books gone, long time ago?
Where have all the big books gone?
Gone for big publishers everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the big publishers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the big publishers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the big publishers gone?
Gone for conglomerates everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the conglomerates gone, long time passing?
Where have all the conglomerates gone, long time ago?
Where have all the conglomerates gone?
Gone for Amazon everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where has Amazon gone, long time passing?
Where has Amazon gone, long time ago?
Where has Amazon gone?
Gone for a billion other products everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have the billion products gone, long time passing?
When have the billion products gone, long time ago?
Where have the billion products gone?
Gone for a monopoly everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where, then, have the small presses gone, long time passing?
Where have the small presses gone, long time ago?
Where have the small presses gone?
Gone to graveyards, nearly everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to amnesia everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the reviewers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the reviewers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the reviewers gone?
The void has picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Copyright © 2019 by Malcolm R. Campbell
Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of the comedy/satire Special Investigative Reporter.
Malcolm's Round Table 
The problem surely is (or was) that Amazon decided – especially for small- and self-publishers, that it would be So Unfair if there should be any reciprocal reviewing amongst friends or colleagues that they would invent really draconian algorithms to root out this heinous crime.
It’s not so bad in Britain (smaller market). Amazon works quite differently here.
(BTW I am entirely happy to engage in reciprocal reviewing, no matter how heinous a crime it is. 😉 )
I guess we need to buy Amazon and change the rules. 🙂
😂 Could you be bothered with running a business these days? I couldn’t! It’s the life of a sole trader for me (and two teeny tiny pensions: whoopee!). Like Mr Micawber, I have modest aims these days – simply to write well and sell a few books. Amazon are, thankfully, still more help than hindrance in that.
“My people” would take care of the details while I sit here and write. What could possibly go wrong?
🤔