UPDATE: Amazon bans then unbans Scott Adams ahead of new book launch

Update: Scott Adams posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing suddenly decided, without explanation, to reverse his lifetime ban.

Author and cartoonist Scott Adams has reportedly had his new book “Reframe Your Brain” blocked by Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, and he has apparently been banned for life from the platform.

Adams said that Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, used by independent publishers, “banned me for life this week, so my book launch for Reframe Your Brain might be delayed. Their stated reason is that I don’t own my own content, although they have documents proving I do.”

“I get no response when I ask who they think owns it. I can’t penetrate what I believe is their AI support system that is pretending to be human, to determine if it is a system issue or … something else. Will keep you updated.”

Someone commented on the post, saying that his book had also been banned from Amazon: “Welcome to Rejection by Amazon, Scott! They refused my book, ‘The Plague of Models’ as well. Mine is out on GooglePlay books, Barnes and Noble, and other distributors. Amazon is earning its anti-trust prosecution, IMHO.”

When someone noted that it could be a rights issue, Adams said when his publisher canceled him earlier this year, the rights were reverted back to him. “Looks like a leftover placeholder from the publisher who canceled me and returned all of the rights to me. That might be the problem, maybe not. I can't get an answer.”

Amazon recently received backlash from prominent author Jane Friedman after it was discovered that the platform had allowed books written using AI to be published under her name, without her permission. 

Amazon initially said Friedman did not have the copyright to her name, but the platform ultimately took down the books. 

“They’ve never taken on any care or responsibility for these things. It’s pretty much anything goes until there’s a total sh*tstorm surrounding it, publicity wise,” she said. “Authors are just banging their heads against the wall trying to get a human being with critical thinking skills at Amazon to recognize there is a problem here.”