Amazon KDP categories are extremely important to authors and book buyers alike. Used properly, they help readers find books and authors make sales. What’s in a category? Why does it matter?
This post is by Abigail Wild, MFA, the Director of the Young Writers Workshop at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and owner of Wild Ink Publishing. Her first novel, The Art of Drowning, is available on Amazon.
Self-Publishing benefits
I’m in awe of those who self-publish. Being able to make all your own creative decisions, selling your work in your own way, on your own schedule, having the entire process in your hands. I am both envious and terrified of that process. Now is the time to do it for myself. I’ve been tasked with listing an anthology of short stories, written by teens, on KDP/AMAZON! I was excited (read: terrified) to start this process. I read everything I could get my hands on and think I have a handle on it all.
But I face a dilemma. What is the best category for the Young Writers Workshop Journal? If I make the wrong decision, this anthology will be lost in the sea of books that make up Amazon. I did my due diligence by asking self-publishing “experts.” I was told that product placement was everything. I learned that if I played my cards right, I could make this anthology a bestseller, simply by making a few choices. That was all I had to hear. I was all in—until I wasn’t. Let me explain.
Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP
When decide to list your book with KDP, Amazon’s self-publishing platform, you have some decisions to make. These include book size, cover finish: matte or shiny, and price. Perhaps one of the most important decisions you will make has to do with product placement. What category does your book belong in?
This is like walking into Target and knowing where to find decorative pillows. You won’t find decorative pillows in the diaper aisle, right? You know exactly which section to go to: Decorative Housewares. It’s the same for books. Think of each Amazon category as an aisle in a big box store.
Details about Amazon KDP categories
When you go through the process of uploading a book, you will need to choose a BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) code, which is essentially a category. Using this code along with keywords means your book will be filtered to the right customer. This is important. If you make the wrong choice, your book will be lost to potential buyers.
You can choose two categories (you can call Kindle Direct Publishing [KDP] to request more categories). Be as specific as you can. For example, if your book is a historical romance, you will want to go deeper than just choosing the romance category. It will be important to find the historical romance subcategory under the main romance heading. You might think choosing the romance category would be the right call. That it might put you in front of more readers. In reality, that’s just not true.
A crowded genre
The romance genre is so flooded with books that your novel would easily get lost in the crowd. Your future readers are wandering through the historical romance aisle of the store. That’s where they will find your words. You can even whittle it down further to include genre specifics, such as Vikings. There are fewer books in the Viking historical romance category than in the all-encompassing romance category, which means your book will be visible to your future readers.
Hint: find your comparable book. This is one of the ways having a comparable book helps you find your correct placement. Find a book that would be in the same section of the bookstore as your book would be ant that has the same reading audience and the same type of information. Then take a look at the categories it’s listed in. If it seems like the author did it correctly, then use this book’s categories as a guide for your own placement.
Amazon romance categories
Let’s take a peek at Amazon’s categories for Romance:
When I click on historical, I find even more categories.
I chose the Viking category and clicked on a book with a cover that was appealing (covers are important). I chose Marti Talbott’s book entitled The Viking. Notice its categories.
Take note of the fact that it is an independently published book, correctly placed, and is at the top of the list of suggestions made by Amazon, even though it’s not a “bestseller.”
The Viking has been placed under the Scottish Historical Romance and Viking Historical Romance categories. This means that if you are looking for a romance novel showcasing Vikings, you will stumble upon this book. Awesome, right?
Seems simple. So what’s the problem?
Bestseller status might not mean much
Simply put, the “bestseller” status is a coveted moniker. But it’s a numbers game more than a testament to good writing. Some have learned how to massage (scam) the system to achieve the status of being a “bestseller.” The allure is strong. After all, you can claim the “bestseller” status on your webpage and on social media. You can use it to get speaking gigs and gain perceived notoriety. Will anyone actually ask how you achieved the status? Why not do anything you can to be called a “bestselling” author?
Truth be told, it is relatively easy to achieve. You simply put your book in an obscure category, then ask your friends to purchase it. Suddenly, after 20 sales, you are a “bestseller.” You can now blast this through social media and use it in your marketing. Until someone else comes along and does the same thing, knocking you out of the prized bestseller category.
The question you need to ask yourself is, is gaming the system ethical? I don’t think so. You are not following the rules set forth by Amazon which are to be accurate and specific. There are categories for a reason, to lead customers to your book. If you market yourself well, interested readers will find your words.
How does gaming the system hurt anyone?
But how does it hurt anyone?
Look, you know as well as I do that self-published authors fight to be considered legitimate. Authors have to claw into bookstores, libraries, and to be found on Amazon. Indie authors know the value of error-free writing, making sure to hire the best editors. They spend money for a good cover designer. They enlist beta readers and ARC readers, and they market.
Authors spend hours learning how to reach their audience. They find their niche, and properly use the correct Amazon KDP categories. Maybe the topic they write about is one they went through years of schooling for. They have put in their time in researching and in learning how to write effectively. They have worked hard for their merits. And they achieve “bestseller” status by fighting for every sale using their knowledge and fortitude.
Then, someone comes along and purposely misplaces their book in the same category, knowing it will only take 40 books to make the number-one spot. The usurper emails their friends to purchase their misplaced book, and suddenly they are now the bestseller, knocking out the author who spent years perfecting their craft. Does this sound ethical? This is the type of numbers game that makes it harder for independent authors to be taken seriously, and it makes the Amazon “bestseller” status meaningless.
An experiment in obtaining Amazon bestseller status
As an experiment, Brent Underwood set out to test this. He created a fake book showcasing photos of his foot and placed it in “transpersonal psychology” and “freemasonry studies.” Then asked his friends to purchase his book. He became a “bestseller” after three sales. You can read about it here: https://nextshark.com/man-reveals-scam-artists-hack-amazon-become-best-selling-authors/
Photos from https://nextshark.com/brent-underwood-amazon-best-seller-foot/
The question remains, did he earn the coveted “bestselling” title? Is he actually a bestseller? No, of course not. He did not select the correct Amazon KDP categories, and he didn’t even write a book! But this is something some authors still do because we live in a society where “likes” and bell-ringing terms are important—to some people, they are more important than a clear conscience or integrity.
I know some believe this is just a leg-up that will help them with the book they worked so hard on. I get it. I’m currently in the process of revising my first novel. It is hard work. But this scheme is essentially stealing the award. You have to ask yourself, if it’s stolen, is the title truly yours? Have you truly earned it?
Be a bestseller
I would love for all writers to become bestsellers. But do it the right way.
- Research your genre.
- Find your audience, and have conversations with them.
- Reach out on social media.
- Write a first draft, then do endless rewrites.
- Hire professional editors and designers.
- Write an amazing blurb.
- Select the right Amazon KDP categories for your book.
- Keep telling the world, forever.
This is how you earn the title of bestseller. Get to it!
My decision
So, instead of placing the Young Writers Workshop Journal in a category entitled “ancient cricket husbandry in Mesoamerica,” the journal will take its rightful place with other Young Adult Anthologies. It may not become a bestseller, but I have faith that my students’ writing will be read by the right people, who will adore their work, hang on to their words, and be inspired. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
You can find Abigail Wild’s books on Amazon (just click the image).