Some friends in the publishing world have pointed me to the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) statement on the misuse of subtitle metadata. The statement identifies a real issue (keyword stuffing), but neglects to mention the 900-pound gorilla in the room that’s responsible: Amazon, and the resulting contortions that publishers engage in to game the […]
Amazon keyword stuffing in book subtitles revisited Read More »
I watched this scammy KDP success video so you don’t have to, replete with bad advice about quitting your job to live off supposed Amazon KDP riches. Of course this is not possible, and what’s happening is the sincere-sounding “guru” is trying to sell a $1,500 masterclass. More details in this video:
Bad Amazon KDP advice: “I quit my job” Read More »
Some important things book publishers need to understand about Amazon, from a publisher who has been using Amazon to sell books for 10 years.
4 things book publishers need to understand about Amazon Read More »
Can you view the number of times your book’s detail page has been viewed? It’s complicated, and depends on what access you have to Amazon Advertising and other software programs.
How to determine the number of views for an Amazon KDP book’s detail page Read More »
Have a new edition of a book on Amazon KDP? Here’s how to apply existing A+ content to it. Narrator Ian Lamont is an experienced Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy seller who has built two successful brands from scratch.
Amazon KDP tutorial: How to apply existing A+ content to a new book Read More »
This is rare. According to the Society of Authors, Amazon actually agreed to change its ebook return policies after years of complaints authors and publishers about the “refund loophole” for Kindle books. In a nutshell, Amazon customers could get a full refund on a Kindle purchase within 14 days, even if the book had been
Amazon actually backs down on the “refund loophole” for Kindle books Read More »
I watched this scammy KDP success video so you don’t have to, featuring a supposed guru offering terrible advice for Amazon KDP “passive income” schemes that are destined to fail and possibly get you kicked off Amazon KDP. What he’s really after is your money, through low-value “masterclass” subscriptions.
Beware Amazon KDP passive income schemes from “masterclass” gurus Read More »
An independent book publisher shows how to optimize your Amazon detail page, probably the most important thing you can do for your publishing business.
Amazon detail page optimization for book listings Read More »
I recently advised a publisher who was using one of the Ingram wholesale programs for independent publishers (IngramSpark or Lightning Source) not to discount books 55%, the recommended Ingram wholesale discount. At one time the 55% discount was required for publishers intent on getting their books in bookstores, but in the past few decades it
Why I never set the Ingram wholesale discount to 55% Read More »
I thought over-the-top Amazon “keyword stuffing” for book titles (an SEO technique) was mainly the domain of self-published authors trying to rank higher in organic search, like the second example in the image above. “Psychological thriller” appears in the title, subtitle, series name and even the publisher’s name! But check out the first example. That’s
A “Big 5” publisher turns to Amazon keyword stuffing Read More »
