This week we will look at a few strategies you can use to increase the sales of your books.
If you buy any books on Amazon, you may have noticed they list the Best Selling Books. You should give these categories some thought. It may help you get on one of their lists and getting on one of the lists will greatly improve your chances to get noticed and bought.
1. Try to choose a niche category on Amazon. There are less books, so you will have a better chance to be listed at the top.
2. By clicking the book ranked #100 in any given category, you can consult the Rank to Sales Estimator to see how many sales you need to qualify for that categories Best Seller List.
3. Self Published authors get to choose two categories.
Traditional publishers get to choose up to five categories. Make sure your publisher knows how the system works and how they can use it to their advantage. Choosing “Fiction” might not be the best category due to so many books. (over a million)
4. Example: Kindle Store> Kindle ebooks > Fiction> Mystery, Thriller & Suspense> Thrillers> Political. Your books will still show in all the categories above the one you chose.
A few scenarios:
Fault in Our Stars [Kindle Edition]
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) This a list of all books (no categories)
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Contemporary
#1 in Books > Teens > Love & Romance
Isla and the Happily Ever After [Kindle Edition]
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,151 Paid in Kindle Store
#100 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Romance > Contemporary
The First Third [Kindle Edition]
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,765 Paid in Kindle Store (See how this book was able to make the Top 100 List by picking Social Issues? That’s because there is less competition. This helps give the book a chance to be seen.)
#100 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Social Issues
The Year We Disappeared: A Father – Daughter Memoir [Kindle Edition]
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,006 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Social Issues
#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teen & Young Adult > Biography
#33 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Children’s Nonfiction
Neverwhere [Kindle Edition]
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,867 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Classics
#11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction > Fantasy
#79 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror
5. Make sure you check to make sure the category you pick is on both the book side and the kindle side if you have a print book. Some of the categories do not match up.
6. If you are self-published you will need to do this for yourself, but don’t assume your publisher is choosing the best categories. Do your homework and discuss what you have found with them. But make sure you do this before they list it on Amazon.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Filed under: Advice, article, demystify, How to, Marketing a book, need to know, success, Tips Tagged: Amazon Book Sales Strategies, Amazon Rankings, How to Sell More Books, NJSCBWI 2014 Workshop
LOVE having this! Thanks, Kathy :D :D :D
AWESOME INFO.! Thanks!
Just emailed Amazon about this!
Let’s us know if you find anything else out that we should know. Thanks,
Kathy http://www.kathytemean.com http://www.kathytemean.wordpress.com (Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books) http://www.temeanconsulting.com
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 19:43:48 +0000 To: [email protected]
Amazon already replied, and I am getting my categories changed! So, as always, much thanks for your AMAZING posts!
Not as easy as one might think, but it should narrow things down and put your book where it belongs.
Just another note, my children’s book was listed under the following Browse Cat.: Books > Subjects > Teen & Young Adult
I submitted a change.
You definitely were not in the best place. Glad you got it changed.
Didn’t even realize, thanks!