KDP Categories: Reach the Right Readers on Amazon✨

Steps to Position Your Book for Success on Amazon

Author

Arun Sarathy
November 14, 2024

A mother knows her child better than anyone.

As writers, our books are “our babies.” We give life to an idea, nurturing it from concept to completion, pouring in time, creativity, and care.

Just like a parent, no one knows your book as you do. Only you understand who it’s for, the language that speaks to your target readers, and how it fits into the digital shelves of Amazon bookstores. These decisions—the categories, keywords, and descriptions—are vital in making sure your book reaches the audience that will love it.

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform gives you complete control over these decisions. While KDP Support offers tools, they can’t provide you with tailored recommendations on categories and keywords. That’s where your instincts as an author come in.

Here’s a roadmap to help your book reach the right readers by choosing the best categories:

  • Make Your Book Discoverable: Pick a category that is popular enough to draw traffic but not so competitive that it becomes invisible. Avoid overly niche categories that might limit your reach. Strike a balance between visibility and relevance, and remember to use keywords that align with the category you choose.

  • Know Your Work Inside Out: As the creator of your book, you have the best insight into where it fits. Select categories that truly represent your book’s essence. Misleading categories not only hurt reader experience but also reduce your book’s discoverability.

  • Start with Research: Before finalizing your categories, spend some time exploring Amazon. Search for similar books in your genre to see where they are listed. This will give you a feel for the most relevant categories.

  • Focus on Your Target Marketplace: Keep your primary Amazon marketplace in mind when selecting categories. Different Amazon marketplaces offer different categories (e.g., Amazon.co.uk vs. Amazon.in), so make sure your choices align with your target audience.

  • Revisit and Update Categories Regularly: Amazon periodically updates its categories. Re-checking your book’s categories helps ensure they stay relevant and aligned with your audience. If you notice changes or if your book’s placement feels off, make adjustments to keep your book easily discoverable.

Self-publishing is a journey, and every decision—from writing to category selection—impacts your book’s reach. Make the most of these choices to connect your “baby” with readers who are waiting to discover it.

❝

As you may already know, I am working on creating a paid course to help beginners publish books on Amazon KDP, and I'd love to make it as valuable and relevant as possible. Here’s a quick survey. If not already done, do provide your inputs which will help shape the course, making sure it covers everything you (and others) really want to learn!

Here’s the link:

https://tally.so/r/mJkr4R.

Thanks so much for your time and support!

Arun Sarathy

Products Loved By Authors Like You

  • Canva - it’s so easy to design eBook covers using Canva’s book cover templates.

Quote of the Week

❝

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

—Stephen King

Did a cool person forward you this email?

Until next week,

Arun Sarathy

Founder, Self-Publishing in Tamil

This email may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product or service links, we may receive a commission. You’re receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Arun Sarathy’s ‘From Manuscript to Market’ newsletter at selfpublishertools.com. If you’d like to update your email preferences or stop receiving this newsletter from me, click the links given below.