It is now easier than ever for authors to self-publish and manage their Amazon book sales. This is true for both physical books and e-books. This is also a double-edged sword for new authors as the competition to get noticed by readers on Amazon gets more difficult with thousands of new books added each day.
From the moment your book is available on Amazon, it is vital that you are putting the tools in place to improve the visibility, search-ability and general attractiveness of your Amazon book page. Everyone talks about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites. These same principles can, and should, be applied to your book’s Amazon page.
Some of the tools that Amazon makes available to authors to help improve the visibility of their page can include Search Inside, setting up an Author page, tagging your book with key words, uploading a book trailer and linking your blog through to your Amazon page. There are also ways to connect your book on Amazon to other bestselling books.
Some key Amazon features every author should consider:
Search Inside: Search Inside allows readers to get a “sneak peek” at your book’s content before committing to making a purchase. This is a great sales and marketing tool all authors should take to compete on Amazon.
Key Words: Readers, often overwhelmed by the thousands of options on Amazon, use Amazon’s search/browse feature to find the products their looking for. Tagging your book with key words helps readers find your book much more easily, as you’ve tagged it with the key words the reader will be using to search.
Author Pages: Amazon makes Author Pages available to authors. This is your opportunity to connect directly with readers through your bio, a complete list of your published books, a book trailer, and by pulling in your social media.
Amazon Optimization can appear to be daunting but it is incredibly important to not only be on Amazon, but to also be set up and optimized in a way that consumers can find your book in the first few pages when searching by key word or category. These simple steps can make the difference between someone finding your book (and making a purchase) and your book getting “lost” on Amazon.
It is important to remember that the majority of small press and/or self-published books sales go through Amazon. Make sure your book is positioned for success!
Corinne Liccketto is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Smith Publicity, Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.
