For many authors, Amazon is their primary distribution and sales channel. The platform continues to be the largest online retailer for books, with millions of titles competing for attention, rankings, and sales. In the United States, it is estimated that Amazon controls over 50% of all book sales and 67% of the eBook market. Because of the vast number of books available for purchase on the site, it can be challenging to stand out. Amazon’s search engine and algorithms are complex, making it difficult to control whether a book shows up in search results. The good news? There are many strategies and tools authors can utilize to try to boost a book’s discoverability on Amazon.
Metadata is any information about your book such as the title, ISBN, genre, and description, that helps readers find your book. It also tells librarians and booksellers how to catalog or shelve your book. On Amazon, metadata determines when your book will be listed in search results and which genre and subgenre categories it will be placed under. This information must be accurate and intentional to reach the right readers. Metadata that can affect a book’s discoverability include:
Book Title and Subtitle
Like the cover artwork, your title acts as a first impression for potential readers, and, in just a few short seconds, they will decide whether your book might be something they are interested in purchasing. Your book’s title is not just marketing copy; it is a searchable hook that determines how discoverable your book is online.
Amazon allows any book to include a title and a subtitle, even fiction and children’s books, so take advantage of this space to make it clear what your book is about. When creating your book’s title and subtitle, there are three key elements to keep in mind:
Accuracy: Your book’s genre should inform the length, tone, and word choice of your title and subtitle, as should your storyline, themes, or topics. The title and subtitle must be relevant to the content contained within, or you risk disappointing readers and getting negative reviews.Keyword-rich: Keywords are the words or phrases people will type in the search bar on Amazon to look for a book like yours. Keywords can include genres, subgenres, subject matter, themes, and more. Think about the words that someone will use to describe your book to a friend and consider using some of these keywords in your title and subtitle that will lead readers to your book.Memorable: One way to ensure your book gets attention is to make your title easy for potential readers to remember. You can do this by using techniques such as a play on words, alliteration, popular phrases, or even humor. In addition, you will want to keep it concise, as shorter titles are easier to remember.
Once your book is published on Amazon, the title and subtitle cannot easily be changed, so it is crucial to get it right the first time.
Book Description
Book descriptions serve a very specific purpose, and that is to introduce your book to potential readers in the most intriguing way possible. This can include a tagline or hook, the summary, and a testimonial or quote from an advance review. Whether you are writing nonfiction or fiction, here are best practices for writing a compelling book description:
Know your target audience and how to appeal to them: Ask yourself what type of readers are most likely to read your book, and how you can make your book stand out to these readers. What is expected of books in your genre/subgenre?
Keep it concise and interesting: A summary or blurb is not a complete book synopsis; rather, it should give only enough details to intrigue potential readers and leave them wanting more. For fiction, share the main conflict, but do not give away the ending. For nonfiction, state the problem and a brief overview of the solution.
Make it clear how readers will benefit from reading your book: Will they be entertained, informed, inspired, or transformed?
Use keywords to increase discoverability: As with your book title/subtitle, it is important to include some keywords or keyword phrases that you believe potential readers will use to search for books like yours. This can be genres and subgenres, tropes, themes, subject matter, comparable titles/authors, and more. A popular strategy on Amazon is to state your book is “perfect for fans of XYZ book or author.”
Keep the layout readable: Potential readers need to be able to skim the content in ten seconds or less! Keep your sentences short and break the copy into multiple paragraphs. Consider bolding, underlining, or increasing the font size to emphasize certain words or phrases. For nonfiction, you may want to bullet point your main topics.
Include only relevant author bio information: Focus on the information that establishes you as an authority or accomplished writer. (Very important for nonfiction authors). For example, if your credentials establish you as an expert on the topic or if you have won any related awards, include that information.
Categories and Subcategories
Your book’s topics, themes, or storyline determine how it will be categorized in the industry. These labels help agents, publishers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers define and organize books, while helping readers more easily find the kind of books they love. At the top level, books are categorized as either Fiction or Nonfiction. Within these categories there are many genres and subgenres, determined by literary technique, tone, tropes, themes, subject matter, and more.
The amount of book categories you can assign in your book’s metadata will differ by distribution platform or channel. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows three categories to be assigned at the time of set-up. The list of category options can be overwhelming, with many new subgenres and sub-layers of subgenres that have become popular over time. We recommend following these steps to choose the best categories for your book:
Understand what your book is about: Have a clear idea of your book’s main topics or themes and know your target readers. For fiction, consider your setting, characters, plot lines, and tropes. For nonfiction, consider your subject matter and if your book is meant to inspire, educate, or solve a problem.
Look at published books similar to yours: See where authors of similar books are categorized. This will give you a starting point with some general categories, and then you can drill down to your book’s specifics from there.
Find the subgenres and sub-categories that best match your book: On Amazon, you can click on a book genre or “department” in their catalog and choose from a list of subgenres to click on. From there, you will see a list of sub-subgenres that you can click on to see any additional sub-layers.
Smaller category niches often mean less competition and a better chance to be discovered and rise in rankings on Amazon. Choosing categories that do not match your content will leave readers disappointed and will likely result in negative reviews. Amazon also has the right to remove your book from any categories it does not see as relevant.
Related Keywords
When uploading a book on Amazon KDP, authors can choose up to seven keywords or keyword phrases, highlighting their book’s unique traits. These keywords can be up to fifty characters in length and should reflect what potential readers will use to narrow their book search when looking for a book like yours. We highly recommend using all seven to optimize your discoverability. Amazon provides the following best practices when choosing the keyword phrases:
• Combine keywords in the most logical order.• Before publishing, perform searches with the keywords you are considering using. If you get irrelevant results, make some changes. • When searching, look at the suggestions that appear in the "Search" field drop down.• Think like a reader. Imagine how you would search if you were looking for a book like yours.
Developed by Amazon for authors, Author Central is a free online platform that allows authors to manage their public profiles and book details. It is designed to give authors control over how their books are presented and help them connect with their target readers in a more personalized way. Essentially, it is a one-stop hub for managing an author’s presence on Amazon.
Through an Amazon Author Central account, authors can:
Claim and create a professional author page: You can think of this as your own, personal web page on Amazon. It is your place to include everything you want readers to know about you and your books including a compelling author biography and a professional author photo or publishing company logo.
Link all published books under their profile: Setting up your author profile allows you to search and claim any published books you have available for sale on Amazon. This makes it easier for readers to find everything you have written. You will want to be sure to claim all versions of your books including eBooks, paperbacks, hardcovers, and audiobooks if relevant. You will also want to claim any books you have co-authored or have contributed to.
Update book page details: Once set up on Amazon Author Central, you will have access to your individual book pages and can make updates to descriptions, cover images, and metadata. One of the most important sections of your Amazon book page is the “Editorial Reviews” section. This is where you can add endorsements, testimonials, or reviews from sources outside of Amazon. These act as social proof and show potential readers that others have found value in your book, making them more inclined to buy it.
Track book performance: In their Author Central account, authors can track book data including sales, rankings, and historical data. This provides valuable insights to help you make more informed decisions about your marketing and promotional strategies.
Once created, an author’s profile page and book pages will also include a “Follow” button, allowing readers to follow them and be notified when new books are released. This can build trust and a deeper connection with readers, making them more likely to leave reader reviews.
When potential readers do find and click on your book on Amazon, the page content must be compelling, convincing them to buy. In addition to a gripping title/subtitle and description, a book’s page must be attractive, polished, and complete. The following elements, when optimized, can work together to increase interest and sales:
Professional book cover images: Amazon automatically displays the front and back covers of a book at the top of the book page. It is essential these cover images are high quality and readable at thumbnail size. Authors should also confirm the “Read Sample” option is enabled on a book’s product page, allowing potential readers to click and view the book’s front matter and first several pages.
Amazon A+ Content: Eligible authors (via Amazon KDP or Amazon Author Central) can add A+ Content to their book pages. This graphic- and text-rich layout supports enhanced imagery and storytelling beyond the standard description at the top of the page. Amazon now rewards book pages that look polished and perform well. That means your page needs to convert organic traffic into actual sales.
About the Author: As noted above, you will want to keep this author biography section focused on the information that establishes you as an authority or accomplished writer. You can mention genres you write in, areas of expertise, publishing credentials, and any awards or accolades that boost your credibility.
Readers often rely on reviews to determine whether they will purchase a book, and key decision-makers such as literary agents, book buyers, and librarians rely on reviews to demonstrate an author’s credibility and quality of writing. On retailer websites such as Amazon, the algorithms favor books with a large number of positive reviews. There are two types of reviews that can impact a book’s discoverability and ultimately, sales:
Reader Reviews:
Getting readers to post reviews can be challenging because it requires them to read the book and then compose a thoughtful critique of the content. It can become a numbers game, where you are asking every reader you encounter online or in-person to leave a review so that the small percentage that do start to add up over time. There is a strategy to do this, however, that should ideally start before your book is even released.
Before launch: Leading up to a book’s launch, authors should build an advance review copy (ARC) team. This is a group of people who have agreed to read your book in advance of publication and follow up with a review immediately after the book is live. When it comes to creating this team, it is about building relationships over time and utilizing your extended network. You will want to start assembling your team as soon as you have a polished manuscript and a book publication date.
Authors should also include a personal note in the book’s back matter that requests reviews. The note should thank readers for purchasing and reading the book and emphasize how much reviews help an author’s career.
At launch: When the book is released, authors must follow-up with their ARC team with clear instructions on how to leave a reader review on Amazon. The goal is to have at least 10 - 20 Amazon reader reviews shortly after launch. This will get the momentum going for the book, catching the attention of the algorithms, and improving its ranking and discoverability.
After launch: It is never too late to garner reader reviews, and it should be an ongoing effort by authors. Some additional strategies for getting reviews are engaging on Goodreads, asking for reviews in your newsletter and on social media, finding book bloggers to read and review your book, and using paid services such as Booksprout, BookSirens, and NetGalley to connect with readers.
Professional Reviews:
These types of book reviews are garnered from independent sources such as reputable review outlets, newspapers, magazines, and journals. They can be acquired prior to a book’s release and after release, but some outlets accept only unpublished manuscripts for review. The easiest place to search for outlets that write and publish book reviews is the internet. While some outlets still have print publications, many of them have digital publications only. Examples of reputable book review sources include BlueInk Review, Foreword, Kirkus, Library Journal, Midwest Book Review, and Readers' Favorite Book Reviews.
If an outlet requires a fee in exchange for a guaranteed review, do your research to make sure they are reputable and are a trusted source for libraries, agents, and book buyers. Reputable outlets will provide a completely honest, unbiased review, whether positive or negative. Be sure to include any positive professional reviews in the Editorial Reviews section on the book page.
Amazon offers programs that can substantially increase discoverability and reach. It is not mandatory authors utilize these programs, but they can help drive awareness and sales when used strategically.
Amazon KDP Select:
Authors that self-publish an eBook through Amazon KDP have the option of selling their book exclusively on Amazon through the KDP Select program. This is a free, 90-day program that gives eBook authors access to Kindle Countdown Deals, free book promotions, and Kindle Unlimited. Kindle Unlimited is Amazon's subscription service that allows readers to pay a monthly fee to borrow and read as many books as they want from a specific catalog. For authors, it acts like a digital library where you get paid every time someone reads a page of your book. The eBook is still available for sale on Amazon for non-Kindle Unlimited members. Joining the KDP Select program means you cannot sell your eBook outside of Amazon for that 90-day period, but it can be a great way to test the waters and create excitement for your book.
Amazon Advertising:
Amazon advertising allows authors to promote their books directly within the Amazon marketplace so they appear in front of potential readers who are actively searching or browsing for books. The platform works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning authors pay only when someone clicks on their ad. The three types of ads include:
Sponsored Products: The most common option. These ads promote a single book and appear in search results or on the product pages of other books.Sponsored Brands: Displays multiple books or a branded banner (often used by publishers or authors with several titles).Sponsored Display: Ads that follow readers across Amazon pages and sometimes other websites.
Most authors focus on Sponsored Product ads to start because they are simple to set up and work well for individual titles.
Amazon’s algorithms pay close attention to where reader traffic comes from, rewarding organic traffic and boosting discoverability. If your book page gets visits from blogs, newsletters, and social media, it is a sign your book is generating genuine interest. Driving readers directly to your Amazon page through meaningful content is essential. Authors should include a link to their Amazon book page on all marketing assets including:
• Website or blog• Social media• Newsletter• Sales sheet• Back matter of books• Email signature• Author biography• Business cards, bookmarks, postcards, etc.
Improving a book’s discoverability and sales on Amazon is an ongoing effort, requiring authors to consistently monitor, test, and adapt their strategies. By approaching Amazon intentionally, authors can rise above the competition and reach their target readers. Keeping up with Amazon algorithm changes can be challenging, but by creating a compelling, reader-friendly experience both inside and outside of Amazon, authors can stay a few steps ahead.
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