I just published my 9th book on Amazon (wow! yay!). Every book has gotten easier and easier to publish. I have also gotten a feel for the things that seem to move the needle in terms of getting the attention of customers.
So here’s my take on 3 things that I believe all Amazon book listings should have. There are lots of extra things you can at this point, but let’s be honest. At the point where you’re publishing your book, you’ve already been through so many delays with illustrations, file setup, and whatever else has come up, that you’re ready to get these thing out!
So, get it out there, and improve on it later.
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Have a good cover
This is sooo important and nothing else matters if your cover sucks. It doesn't have to be award-winning, by the way, but it needs to have some level of polish. Either get a graphic designer (different from an illustrator!) to create your cover, or get feedback from at least 5 non-friend/fam members - or both!
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Write a description that helps people find your book
That includes what you want people to search for to find your book. Come up with a few keywords and make sure they are included in your description. The description doesn't have to be super long, just make sure it speaks to your audience's pain points and books they search for. You can do research later to optimize it, but to start, just think about what you would search for.
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Enroll in Kindle Unlimited
Unless you have a plan in place to distribute your e-book outside of Amazon, enroll in KU. You can always take it out of the program in 3 months, but it's more likely to be discovered if it's there. You can also run free book promotions and give people exclusive access to your e-book by sharing the link. It’s a great marketing tool.
I hope that’s helpful for you guys. Now get out there and publish that next book!