What Happened to Book Reviews? The Dark Side of Amazon’s Review System | The Official Web Site of Author Robert Stanek

📌 Have you ever wondered why some books have thousands of glowing reviews while others—especially from independent authors—barely have any?

📌 Why do some authors mysteriously receive waves of negative reviews overnight?

📌 And why are real reader reviews sometimes deleted, while fake ones thrive?

Welcome to the dark side of Amazon’s review system.

For years, bestselling indie author Robert Stanek has battled a relentless campaign of fake review attacks—coordinated efforts to bury his books, silence his voice, and undermine his success. And he’s not alone.

Let’s pull back the curtain on the broken system that’s hurting honest authors—and what you can do to help.

The Power of Reviews – And Why They’re Being Manipulated

✅ Reviews determine which books show up in search results.
✅ Reviews influence whether Amazon promotes a book or buries it.
✅ Reviews tell new readers whether they should take a chance on a book.

For independent authors, reviews are everything.

But what happens when a system meant to showcase reader opinions gets hijacked by bad actors?

The Rise of Fake Reviews & Organized Attacks

🔴 Paid reviews flood the system – Some authors (and publishers) pay for thousands of fake positive reviews to boost their rankings.
🔴 Organized smear campaigns bury indie authors – Competitors and industry insiders target independent authors with waves of fake 1-star reviews to destroy their credibility.
🔴 Real reader reviews are mysteriously deleted – Amazon’s flawed algorithms often remove genuine reviews while allowing fake ones to remain.

📌 Robert Stanek has been a major target of these attacks. His books have been bombed with fake 1-star reviews, his real reviews have disappeared overnight, and Amazon has done little to stop it.

How the System Hurts Authors Like Robert Stanek

✅ He built his success without major publishing house backing.
✅ He pioneered the independent author movement long before it was popular.
✅ His books have been beloved by readers for over two decades.

📌 So why do his books have so few reviews on Amazon?

❌ Because Amazon repeatedly deleted them.
❌ Because fake negative campaigns buried his books.
❌ Because the system favors deep-pocketed publishers, not hardworking indie authors.

The Shocking Reality of Amazon’s Review System

📌 Amazon bans authors from reviewing books—but allows paid fake reviews.
📌 Real reviews get flagged and removed—while bot-generated reviews remain.
📌 Review bombing is rampant—but Amazon rarely takes action.

The result?

Honest authors get drowned out.
Readers struggle to find quality books.
The system rewards those who game it—and punishes those who don’t.

And worst of all? Amazon profits from it.

What You Can Do to Help

✅ Leave a Verified Purchase Review: If you’ve read one of Robert Stanek’s books, leave an honest review. Even a short “Loved this book!” makes a difference.
✅ Spread the Truth: Help counter the smear campaigns by sharing this article and telling people about Robert’s work.
✅ Report Fake Reviews: See suspicious reviews? Flag them on Amazon. If enough people report bad actors, Amazon might finally take action.
✅ Support Indie Authors: Every book purchase, review, and recommendation helps indie authors thrive despite the obstacles.

The fight for fairness in publishing continues. Robert Stanek has overcome combat, adversity, and industry attacks, but the battle isn’t over.

💡 Want to help? Read, review, and share his work.

Get started with Robert’s books today:

💖 Thank you for supporting independent voices in publishing!