How to Enter Category?
Today, I’m speaking with you more about book categories, a topic I started discussing last week. And to save time last week, I left out an important detail about how to enter category combinations once you’ve selected them. There’s a lot to cover, so I will follow up with you about that today.
Using correct category combinations is critical for the successful launch of a book. To learn more about how to select categories, view last week’s video entitled, “Why Research Categories?”
Hi. This is Kurt B. Ellis, a science fiction and contemporary fiction author who self-publishes with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing.
Stay tuned and let me share information about how I enter category combinations.
Entering the Category Combinations
But where and how do you enter category combinations?
I will use an example for the short story I’m working on. It’s a spinoff of a book I published in March 2022 called “New Pangaea – Utopia of Revenge: A Rigid Dystopian Society in a Post-Apocalyptic World.”
Now I’m going to assume that you already know how to create your selections. As a reminder, you’ll need categories for each type of book. In my case, a collection for Kindle and another for paperback.
Again, I recommend setting up at least ten best category combinations for each type. Also, each marketplace is specific, so be sure to use categories that are relevant to your marketplace.
First, you’ll need to visit the Contact Us page at Amazon’s Author Central. I’ll leave a link to that below.
Next, select Amazon Book Page. Then, select Update Amazon categories.
Go to the entry page, where you can input requests for category updates. And here is where you need to be very specific with the details.
For each book-type entry, Amazon requires the four following key bits of information, and in this order:
(1) Enter the ASIN or ISBN of the book type you are referring to. You can get this information off your Amazon sales page.
(2) Your marketplace is either a .com for the US or something else for the foreign market.
(3) Select Kindle, book, or audio for your book format.
(4) Enter your selected category combination, defining the main category and any subsequent corresponding subcategories.
Get this right, and repeat until you’ve listed all entries for each book type. And then hit ‘Send message.’
After your confirmation from Amazon KDP, wait 72 hours for them to go live.
You may not see these entries on your Amazon sales page. And unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t let you control that.
So, I recommend using Publisher Rocket, a software tool to research categories. I’ll leave a link to that below too. I can see my category listings after I’ve entered my book title in the Competition Analyzer tab.
And there you go! In the end, I have a list of confirmed categories that are not intensely competitive and potentially used by buyers when searching for books.
Thank You for Your Time
Stay tuned for my soon-to-be-released short story. Also, click on the links below and give my books a try.
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For the Audio Version