Amazon is a massive marketplace and the competition to attract and retain readers is very high. There are two main advantages to having your eBook for sale on Amazon:
1) it’s a global marketplace so you can reach readers all over the world2) you have more control over the product (your book) and how it’s marketed
Author and book PR/marketing expert A.G. Billig encourages first time authors to make their books available for sale on Amazon, but advises that it's important to do it right. First and foremost, if you are publishing your eBook using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, it’s critical to have a high quality product. This means a well-edited book with an attractive cover and title to draw potential buyers in. Second, Billig recommends that authors complete all of the book metadata that Amazon offers, including the description, author bio, and long tail keywords (3 or 4 word phrases). Amazon is ultimately a search engine, so this data will help with your book’s searchability. Finally, Billig advises authors to make the paperback version of their book available for sale in addition to the eBook. There are still readers that enjoy the physical copy of a book and you might need physical copies as well. Billig also offers several points of caution for first-time Amazon authors. Watch the video below to learn more!
True, first impression is very important because it stays with you for the rest of your life. The reputation you will garner from this first impression will also affect your brand, credibility, integrity and other creative endeavors that you will be broadcasting to the world. I'm just learning about this yesterday from an editor whom I hired to review my book before I release it at the end of the month. Thanks to this editor and her honest feedback, I am postponing the release of my book to give myself time to rework the content and polish it to a professional standard. Take your time and follow your own deadline. :-)
I don't have a clue how to contact Amazon
Good info! As a teen author who has published e-books on Amazon, I wish I had learned this earlier. It is really easy to ruin your "reputation" as a first-time author. First impressions are really important.
Thank you ALC for posting this very important information. This is so timely for me, as I am launching my first book on April 7th. Thank you A.G, Billig for sharing this information freely and generously. I would like to learn more about this self-publishing, is there away for me to communicate with you directly? I'll try to invite you to my Author Space and hopefully we can connect from there. Thank You.
Thank you for your advice on the "Do's and Don't for New Authors Publishing on Amazon". I am new at this yet you helped clarify a few fine points for me.