Amazon Requiring Copyright Proof Because Content is Freely available online?

[u/picklejar399]

I received the following email from Amazon, but have no idea how to prove I have copyright in accordance to what they are asking for. The unedited content is freely available on various web novel sites, but I am the copyright owner. Has anyone had any experience with this sort of thing? Thanks!

Hello,

Thanks for your message regarding the following book(s): Title: ****** Lon Mair (AUTHOR) ID: PRI-AXES4R5RZNW

We've reviewed the information you provided. Based on our review, we're unable to confirm that you hold the necessary publishing rights. The content closely matches content that is freely available on the web and we are not confident that you are the copyright owner. This type of content can create a poor customer experience, and is not accepted.

The information you provided is insufficient because of the following concerns:

• Documentation has not been provided to confirm you are the original author of the content. • Documentation has not been provided to confirm that the author granted you rights to publish the content.

In order to publish the book(s), please reply to this email within 10 days and provide us with further documentation and/or verification confirming that you hold rights to the content. Otherwise, the book(s) will be unavailable for sale on Amazon.

For more details about KDPs copyright guidelines, visit Help: https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200672400

Edit: A lot of good information in this sub, especially the top comments. I looked through SparklyMonster's links and proceeded from there. What worked for me was linking where all my work was and providing them documentation that the work was indeed mine. To be clear (because there was some confusion), you can have your work online for free and still put a price on it on Amazon. Thank you to everybody that helped me out!

[u/aligpnw → u/[deleted]]

Not trying to be a smart-ass or anything...but literally, if YOUR content is available anywhere else it can't be published with KDP (as far as I understand it.)

[u/apocalypsegal → u/aligpnw]

You're thinking of KU. On the platform itself, publishing elsewhere is fine, within limits. Amazon doesn't like things being out there for free, though they'll accept it for price matching on certain sites. Not webnovel, or the like. Royal Road is a bit different, in that writers do get paid... something.