The Do’s and Don’ts of Selling Your Book on Amazon
No matter how you personally feel about Amazon, it undeniably has power in the publishing industry. Amazon is the number one bookseller in the world. For that reason, authors need to make sure they are using Amazon to its full potential. Below we have assembled some tips, mostly drawn from our Buzz podcast episode, about the do’s and don’ts of selling your book on Amazon.
Do
Complete your Amazon author page. Your Amazon author page is a separate page from the book’s page. This is a good way for readers to learn more about you, and it also keeps all of your books available on Amazon in one central location. Give the same amount of attention to your author page as you did to your book page.
Consider a KDP ebook. It can be incredibly beneficial to publish an ebook through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). This will give you the opportunity to run ads through the program, allowing you to directly reach your readers. For more information on how (and why) to use KDP, explore the resources offered on evergreenauthors.com. Wise Ink’s Marketing Director took the Amazon Masterclass for Authors and learned important tools and tricks to optimize an author’s Amazon presence.
Actively seek out reviews. Because of Amazon’s algorithms, reader reviews are incredibly important to making your book easier to find. Most readers click through both positive and negative reviews before purchasing a book, so reviews are also important in convincing people to purchase. Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews or interact with people who have left reviews on your Amazon page. Do what you can to make sure your book has reviews.
Don't
Don’t approach Amazon from a place of resignation. For some people, Amazon can be intimidating. It’s difficult to fully understand the website’s algorithms, and you want your book to stand out from the rest of the books on the market. Don’t approach your time on Amazon as a chore that needs to be completed; remember that this is another platform for you to spread the exciting news about the incredible book you published.
Don’t let Amazon be the only part of your marketing plan. It’s dangerous to rely on any one marketing strategy, and Amazon is no exception. Although Amazon is very important, it can’t be your only marketing strategy. Make time for other (potentially more personally engaging) marketing strategies.
Don’t rely on any marketing strategies that don’t feel right to you. Authors are sometimes told to ask every friend you have to buy your book at the same time and leave 5-star reviews, or even told to pay a company to work behind the scenes to make your book rise on Amazon’s rankings. While these things might have value, especially if it’s important to you to become an Amazon Bestseller, think about both the ROI and your own personal sense of ethics before you take that route. These could be good strategies, but check in with yourself before you do anything that might potentially make you uncomfortable or might not pay off financially in the long-term.
With that, we hope that you are feeling more confident in your ability to maximize your Amazon presence. For more information about marketing your book, check out Wise Ink’s podcast, Buzz: Book Marketing Made Easy.