PNEUMA BOOKS ARTICLE:
DO YOU HAVE AN AMAZON PRESENCE ON AMAZON?
Is the information Amazon has for your books current? What else can you do to ensure you are maximizing book sales in the world's biggest bookstore?
Obviously, getting your book listed on Amazon.com is the first step in getting your book into the global online book marketplace. That is also the first step for over 150,000 other new titles each year! But just because your title is listed does not mean it will sell well. And what about that notorious Amazon practice of listing used copies of your book right under the new listing? How can you control these things to maximize your book’s performance potential?
As the publisher, it is your responsibility to list your titles correctly and make the most of your Amazon presence. You must take the reigns on this issue. Many publishers who use distributors understand that it is typically the distributor’s responsibility to list the book with Amazon. While that is true, it is not the distributor’s obligation to build the publisher’s presence on Amazon beyond a simple listing or even to manage the book information that accompanies the listing other than to check it for accuracy. Many distributors forego any additional listing options. While it may seem silly that the distributor does not take full advantage of Amazon’s wide range of bookselling information opportunities, perhaps the issue is that distributors are simply too busy to spend time developing a detailed listing for each title they represent.
So, I will say it again. You, the publisher, must take the reigns on this issue. In fact, if you completely develop your presence and listing on Amazon, your distributor will sell more books. Print copies of your expanded Amazon listings and send them to your distributor. This will show that you are paying attention to the range of marketing options available for your book.
Another major reason to increase your presence on Amazon is to increase your ranking in search engines. Yes, that’s right. The major search engines regularly index Amazon.com. If you have a strong presence on Amazon.com, you will likely have a strong presence in search engines. We do. Try typing, “Pneuma Books” (with the quote marks) into Google… you’ll see that some of the top results of your search are directly from Amazon. Why is this beneficial? If you are trying to position yourself as the expert on a particular topic, then your Amazon listing will help you get there quickly.
So, what opportunities does Amazon have available for you to enhance your market presence and your book’s listing? Peruse the list below. But before you pursue these, you should contact your distributor and coordinate activity so that you aren’t duplicating efforts or interfering with your distributor’s plan.
- Front Bookcover Picture File
Yes... it is true... some titles listed on Amazon do not have a picture of the cover available. Is yours one of them? Make sure the digital files of your book cover conform to Amazon’s size and resolution requirements; otherwise, they will not post it. Make sure your distributor has the same digital cover file for consistency! For more information, visit: Amazon Cover Art
- Back Bookcover Picture File
Isn't the back just as important as the front? Amazon offers additional artwork opportunities for your book. Presenting a back cover will help a potential buyer know you have a strong commercial product. Again, make sure your distributor has the same digital cover file for consistency! For more information, visit: Amazon Back Cover Art
- Interior Book Pages
With Amazon's "Look inside the book" program, you can offer potential buyers concrete evidence that your book is the right purchase. If you have used an interior book designer like Pneuma Books, capitalize on that professional design. GIF or JPG shots are available from your designer. But make sure the original designer produces these images to maximize image quality, or Amazon may refuse them. For more information, visit: Amazon Look Inside the Book
- Interior Art
If you carefully developed and paid for commercial illustrations, tables, or charts, you probably did so because it adds value to your book. Be certain book browsers know your book is a cut above the competition because of the added visual content. These items will also be available from your designer as GIF or JPG images. Again, make sure the original designer produces these images to maximize image quality, or Amazon may refuse them. For more information, visit: Amazon Interior Art
- Descriptive Content
This is where it really gets good... you can add a bunch of additional descriptions, book excerpts, an author bio, a list of endorsements, questions for discussion, and more! This full book experience will guarantee Amazon browsers get more info on your book than your competitor with a simple listing. This information is usually readily available from your book editor or designer. This is information you should compile for your media kit anyway. For more information, visit: Amazon Descriptive Content
- Listmania
Creating a list of recommended reading on Amazon will make certain your name pops up when browsers do a search for your subject matter. This is probably one of the coolest attributes of Amazon’s expanded listings. You'll have to sign in to your Friends and Favorites Section of Amazon (see the next section). If you already have a member profile, visit: Amazon Listmania
- About You
List your author profile and upload a high-quality photo. This is also beneficial when you write reviews of other books. You can list information on your own book in your author bio. You will create an account if you do not already have one. After you log in to your account you will go the the Friends and Favorites section to filliut your profile under the About You area. For more information, visit: Amazon Friends and Favorites
- Become a Reviewer
Why would you do that? Why would you encourage readers to look at your competitor’s books? It marks you as an expert in your subject area. It increases your credibility. And it creates an opportunity to add “Author of Such-and-such” when you sign your review. Additionally, when people click on About Me in your book review, they'll see you... and your book! To write a review, you'll need to login to your account. Then, simply locate the title you wish to review and click the "Write Your Own Review" link near the other reviews on that page. Or visit: Amazon Write Your Own Review
- “So You’d Like to...” Guide
This is where your expertise can really shine. Write a brief how-to in your subject area with a few suggestions for recommended reading (including your own book, of course!) Then, when a web browser does a subject search, your advice will pop up. You'll need to login ot your account to become a guide. For more information, visit: Amazon So You'd Like To... Guide
- EDI
You can also consolidate your efforts by using a more technologically advanced approach. Amazon deals with data the same way as Ingram, BIP, and any other sophisticated database in the book industry. This method is called “Electronic Data Interchange,” or EDI. In short, EDI is a cross-platform approach to standardizing information. In the book industry, it is a standard set of data tags that identify and categorize variable data. It sounds complicated, but it is really very simple. Amazon makes it easy to use by giving you instructions and samples. Generally, you’ll compile your listing data in a word processing program using the tags Amazon recommends. For more information, visit: Amazon Submitting Content for Titles. For detailed text examples, visit Amazon submission Samples
- Used Books Listing
Let’s face it… it’s here to stay. It is maddening to see a bunch of used books for sale at discounted prices competing with your new book at its list price. So, if you can’t beat ’em… join ’em! Top the list by selling your own used books at the lowest price. You, however, can be unique by offering first or special editions and signed copies. For more information, visit: Amazon Selling Amazon Marketplace
Amazon can be powerful tool to help you master your book category and own your competition. Your strategy should be to think like a book buyer. A buyer who is looking for a book on a particular topic on Amazon doesn’t necessarily know what titles are available. So, they do a search. If your name and title continually pop up in various areas of Amazon’s listings and the information accompanying your title is thorough and professionally presented, your book will be the natural choice for any book buyer interested in your subject matter.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is the opinion of Pneuma Books and is presented as informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of legal, financial, or other professional counsel. Individuals should consult an attorney, accountant, and additional publishing consultants for specific applications to their individual publishing or writing ventures. Individuals should always gather and consider more than one source of information in order to make well-informed decisions.
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Pneuma Books is a Book Producer. Pneuma Books does not issue ISBNs.
