{"id":6188,"date":"2011-10-31T15:15:12","date_gmt":"2011-10-31T09:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/?p=6188"},"modified":"2014-12-23T16:54:02","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T11:24:02","slug":"got-a-5-star-amazon-presence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/got-a-5-star-amazon-presence\/","title":{"rendered":"Got a 5-Star Amazon Presence?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Stand Out on Those Overcrowded Online Shelves<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guest Expert: Laurel Marshfield<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAmazon.com is the world\u2019s largest online bookseller. And if you\u2019re an author with one or more books, it is the one place you most definitely want to be. Getting visibility, though, is no easy task. You are competing with millions of books, overall — and perhaps hundreds or even thousands of titles in your specific genre or subject niche.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an added challenge. Famous authors in your genre have an obvious edge. But if you aren\u2019t famous, just yet, how will you and your book stand out?<\/p>\n

As if anticipating that question, Amazon offers an ever-growing array of site tools for fashioning a five-star presence — one that will distinguish you from other authors on your overcrowded genre or subject shelf. Knowing how to use those tools is key. So here are a few tips for making optimal use of Amazon\u2019s four foundational (most important) tools:
\n\"\"
\nOne:: Cover Photo, Title, & Look Inside <\/strong><\/p>\n

Your Book Cover<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a pre-publishing aside: You already know that you need an intriguing book title, backed by a knockout cover design, right? Your title and cover must convey the essential character of your book \u2013 its essence \u2013 in a way that makes readers want to know more. And know more badly enough to buy your book.<\/p>\n

Because your title and cover (your primary promotional features, both on line and off) are so crucial to the success of your book, you would be wise to consider them very<\/em> carefully. While you do, keep this fundamental point in mind: The critical thing your title and cover must convey (apart from your book\u2019s essential meaning and \u201cmusical\u201d tone) is the subliminal message that your book both \u201cfits in\u201d and \u201cstands out\u201d in your genre or subject niche. Say you write literary fiction. You need a title and cover appropriate for that genre, one that says \u201cI belong\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m as interesting, if not more so, than the best books here — in my own unique way.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help you make the best title and cover choices, study bestselling books in your genre (or subject niche) on Amazon, and figure out how they do it. Develop an ear for good titles, and an eye for good covers. Give yourself some time, though; don\u2019t expect to become a connoisseur after one quick browse through your genre\u2019s online shelves. (And if a publisher has purchased your book, your carefully crafted title may be changed by them, it\u2019s true. But having a stellar title will nevertheless help you get their attention. As for the cover, you may or may not be asked for your input, but if you have an excellent idea, there may be an opportunity to offer it.)<\/p>\n

Once you have your standout book title and cover — and your book has, of course, been published — upload your cover art to your Amazon book page. Here you have two choices: you can let them pick up your cover art through their Look Inside program, described next. Or, you can upload it through your Author Central page, described last.<\/p>\n

Look Inside<\/em><\/strong>
\nThe next tool in this first group is Amazon\u2019s Look Inside feature. Designed to give potential readers the ability to scan your book\u2019s table of contents and a selection of its pages before they buy (as they would if browsing through your book in a bricks and mortar store), this tool is nearly as important as your title and cover for winning readers. Here\u2019s a link to the FAQs and details on this site feature: http:\/\/amzn.to\/n2ARsY<\/a> (If you\u2019re selling an eBook on Amazon, the online giant will automatically excerpt a sample from your eBook that readers can request before they buy; you need do nothing to set this up.)<\/p>\n

Two:: Product Description, About the Author, Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next tool for constructing your five-star presence shows up on your Amazon book page below your cover photo and format list (if<\/em> you don\u2019t have Amazon\u2019s two book promotion bars, which appear once you\u2019ve sold a certain number of copies). This second tool is the Editorial Reviews section, and beneath it, the Product Description.<\/p>\n

If this is your first book, particularly if you self-published, you may not have any editorial reviews (book reviews from newspapers and other traditional sources, like Publishers Weekly<\/em>). So your page will not show this section (not the same as Customer Reviews, which come later). Instead, the Product Description will appear first, and this is your opportunity to sell your book with all the creative intelligence you can muster.<\/p>\n

Product Description<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here again, it\u2019s wise to study the competition carefully. Look for authors who have mastered the art of writing winning copy for their books, especially books in your genre.<\/p>\n

One interesting way of handling this section is novelist Elizabeth Berg\u2019s \u201cDear Reader\u201d letter, written to attract readers for her most recently published book. It might not work for everyone, but given Berg\u2019s readership, it provides just the right touch and is extremely effective. You can read it here: http:\/\/amzn.to\/nIKBSj<\/a><\/p>\n

Consider creating something like it for your book\u2019s Product Description. It needn\u2019t be a \u201cDear Reader\u201d letter; it could be written in a format that matches your subject matter (telegram, mission statement, author Q&A, humorous press release, note in a bottle found at sea \u2013 the options are endless). But whatever the format, the goal is always to intrigue potential readers while reaching out to them in a personal way that speaks to what the majority of your genre\u2019s fans respond to and want most.<\/p>\n

About the Author <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The next feature in this second group of presence-building tools is the About the Author section. Most authors fill this section with their publishing history, literary awards, and other forms of public recognition for their work. Here, for example, are the first two sentences in Berg\u2019s ATA: \u201cElizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, as well as two collections of short stories and two works of nonfiction. Open House<\/em> was an Oprah\u2019s Book Club selection, Durable Goods<\/em> and Joy School<\/em> were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, and Talk Before Sleep<\/em> was short-listed for an ABBY Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just starting out, you probably can\u2019t cite an extensive publishing history and numerous awards. So what can you offer, instead? Find something about your life as an author that makes a good story \u2013 perhaps why you felt drawn to the subject of your book. Win your readers with a welcoming, entertaining writing style (much like Berg\u2019s \u201cDear Reader\u201d letter). Share an insight, a good feeling, a moment of levity \u2013 because that is what books do, after all. Use your ATA section to show off your storytelling skills, in a place that browsers may not expect it, which makes your story all the more intriguing.<\/p>\n

Customer Reviews <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The final feature in this second group of tools is the Customer Review section, which appears under your book title at the top of the page, and in Product Details, midway down. Unlike Editorial Reviews, you, the author, can have a hand in soliciting Customer Reviews for your book page. Ask friends, your writing group, writing teachers, and family (as long as they don\u2019t give the appearance of bias by sharing their relationship to you; i.e., \u201cMy little brother, Jimmy, is a terrific writer . . .\u201d) \u2013 ask them to post a review as soon as your book appears on Amazon. Aim for ten to twelve initial reviews; that number will reassure potential readers that your book is worth their investment.<\/p>\n

Another way to solicit reviews is by being active on book sites \u2013 Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, and RedRoom, among others. Once your book is reviewed on any of these sites, ask the reviewer to post an excerpt on Amazon, as well. Still another approach is to persuade book bloggers to write a review. If you like what they\u2019ve written, see if you can\u2019t also encourage them to post an excerpt on Amazon. (One way to find these valiant volunteer book reviewers is through the book blog network on Ning: http:\/\/bookblogs.ning.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Three:: Your Keywords & Search Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Say you\u2019re looking for a good novel, but want to try an author you\u2019d never read before. You could go to the search box at the top of any page on the Amazon site and type in a few keywords. To stick with our Elizabeth Berg example, let\u2019s say you typed in \u201cfiction,\u201d then \u201cwomen\u2019s fiction,\u201d and finally, \u201cfamily.\u201d But the results show a mix of this and that — nothing inspiring.<\/p>\n

So you decide to search through the \u201cTags\u201d feature. You go to the book page for Berg\u2019s newest book, scroll down until you get to the \u201cTags Customers Associate with This Product\u201d feature (only accessible through an actual product page), and type your search terms or keywords in the \u201cSearch Products Tagged with\u201d box. Typing \u201cliterary fiction\u201d opens up a page with far better selections. You can also do a second or third search, using additional search terms.<\/p>\n

Clearly, adding tags to your book is a good idea — if you want browsers to discover your book, when searching for books using the same tags that you or others added to your book. (To add tags to your book, go the tags feature toward the bottom third of your book page, and add relevant keywords in the \u201cYour tags\u201d box, putting the most important words first, in any given group.)<\/p>\n

Four:: Your Author Central Profile <\/strong><\/p>\n

The last foundational tool (and there are many other presence-building features on Amazon, but these four tools are the most important) is your \u201cAuthor Central\u201d profile. Access will be available to browsers through the \u201cMore About the Author\u201d feature that appears right after \u201cProduct Details\u201d on your book page.<\/p>\n

To set up your Author Central page — with your author bio and photo, blog feed, videos, and more — go to https:\/\/authorcentral.amazon.com<\/a>. Once there, you\u2019ll find the most helpful overview of the many options that this feature offers by going to the Help tab: https:\/\/authorcentral.amazon.com\/gp\/help<\/a><\/p>\n

After you\u2019ve navigated through the four foundational site tools above, look for other ways to connect to Amazon\u2019s many promotional features, as a way of maximizing your book sales. And if you think of something that Amazon doesn\u2019t do, go ahead and suggest it. After all, every single sale you make benefits them, too.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Laurel Marshfield<\/strong> is a professional writer, developmental editor (aka \u201cbook doctor\u201d), and ghostwriter who helps authors shape, develop, and refine their book manuscripts for publication. She offers manuscript evaluation, developmental editing, co-writing, collaboration, ghostwriting, book coaching, and consultation for authors.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Her blog publishes inspiration and advice for the author\u2019s journey: Blue Horizon Communications Blog<\/a> And her free eBook, available for newsletter signup (see the upper right-hand corner of her homepage) is titled: I Need to Be a Bestselling Author \u2013 Is That True?: The Five-Destination Roadmap to Authorship<\/strong>.
\nOn Twitter, you can find her at: @BookEditorLM<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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