Amazon News and Tips | Self-Publishing Review

Why eBooks Are The Future

As we lock down this year, more and more of us are turning to books in their most hygienic form.

When Amazon (rightly) decided to prioritize deliveries of food and medical goods, the book industry was rather peeved. Authors who have released paperbacks this month worried that their readers wouldn’t be getting their books in a timely fashion, and that it would affect their sales.

But there’s more to worry about than just timing. Given that we now know that the Coronavirus can live on paper for up to five days, and that the molecule is so tiny[…]

Cate Baum2020-03-30T07:25:21+02:00March 30th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips|

What Amazon’s Slowing of Book Deliveries Means For Authors

Amazon has announced via Seller Central that they will be slowing book delivery to prioritize medical and food delivery in the US and EU markets. Amazon says, “We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers.”

What does that mean for authors and book sales during the COVID-19 crisis?

1. Amazon Customers will be heading for Kindle eBooks instead of paperbacks

There are no health risks for digital downloads. So, many readers will prefer this method in the […]

Cate Baum2020-03-18T11:38:28+02:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Formatting Tips|

What Do Amazon KDP Terms Mean For Self-Published Authors in 2020?

2020 sees a shake-up to the Amazon KDP Terms, so let’s take a look at the main clauses that affect both authors publishing on KDP and reviewers who leave reviews for Kindle Books. You can find the Terms here (link will geo-locate).

Here are the highlights that may affect you on your publishing and marketing journey:

Publishing Your Book

5.1.2 Content Requirements…”If you discover that content you have submitted does not comply [wth our Program], you must immediately withdraw the content by un-publishing it or by re-publishing content that complies through the Program procedures for Book withdrawal or re-publishing. […]

Cate Baum2020-02-28T05:19:43+02:00February 28th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips|

All About Book Reviews and Amazon – A Quick Guide and Rules

What reviews are allowed on Amazon?

There’s been some panic in the self-publishing streets about reviews being removed from Amazon and who is going to get sued for their reviews – and a lot of outrage blogging about Evil Amazon. Here’s a quick guide to why you should stop worrying too much and start understanding the different types of book reviews a little better.

There are three kinds of reviews on Amazon:

1. Customer Reviews

These are the reviews that Amazon is exercising their right, as a private company remember, to investigate more closely. What Amazon is trying to achieve […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T06:33:58+02:00February 17th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

How Can I Sell Books In An Election Year?

Our tips for selling books and engaging readers during the 2020 Election.

Whatever side you’re on, selling books this year will be tough. Why? Because people are busy reading about politics and watching TV in a way they do not at other times.

What can I do to weather low sales this year?

Go local. Where in your community would people buy your book despite the Election? If your book is about science fiction or fantasy, is there a games workshop near you, or a science group who would love to hear you talk about your book? Clubs and societies […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T06:42:38+02:00February 13th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Marketing Advice and Tips|

How To Get Honest Book Reviews in 2020

Here are four simple methods to get honest book reviews in 2020. Authors are always looking for new ways to get reviews for their book, but most want an honest opinion. Attracting readers to buy your book is difficult enough, but getting them to leave a review is even harder.

Use a reader mailing list service. There are only two main services you can rely upon that result in Amazon Verified Customer Reviews (proof the reader actually bought the book) and sales within Amazon’s Review Guidelines. Both services have huge mailing lists of readers who buy, read, and review books. […]

Cate Baum2020-02-12T09:45:16+02:00February 12th, 2020|Categories: Features, Member Blog|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Promotion Articles, Book Reviews|

How Do I Sell Books in 2020?

It’s 2020. You have written your book and published it, but nobody is buying it. What works, what doesn’t work? Things have changed for authors but many points of information still churn out the same old advice. We take a look at what’s needed to become a success.

Price is all

Maybe there was a time when you could price your Kindle book at $9.99 and someone might buy it. But now, if you are an indie author, the best price point is between 99 cents and $2.99. Remember that it is better to sell ten books at 99 cents […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T05:53:13+02:00February 11th, 2020|Categories: Features|Tags: Amazon News and Tips, Book Marketing Advice and Tips|

How to Optimize Your Book’s Sales Page on Amazon

Your Amazon product page is your book’s final sales page. It is the page that will ultimately dictate which browsers become readers. That means, you need to make it as inviting as possible–you want to optimize your page and draw in more sales and ‘one-click buys.’ After all, authors are always looking to level up their book marketing strategy.

Luckily, Amazon does a lot of the technical work for you. If you were to create a sales page on your website, you’d have to do all the positioning and testing to see what works. When you sell on Amazon, […]