Amazon is the world’s largest bookstore. If you’re an author, you need to make the most of your presence there. I spoke with several indie authors to get their advice on how to maximize your Amazon Author Central page.
Personalize your Amazon Author Central URL
Amazon Author Central gives you the option to customize your URL. Author Karen Dimmick calls this a “pretty link” which she uses to “easily send people directly to it.” Her personalized link https://amazon.com/author/karendimmick looks nicer than the auto-assigned https://www.amazon.com/Karen-Dimmick/e/B01E0BXITY (though both land you in the same place).
Include your Amazon Author Central link in your email signature or on your business cards. (Check out Newoldstamp for tips on executing an effective email signature marketing strategy.)
Author Amber Fallon adds, “The best way to put your Amazon Author Central page to work for you is to make sure people know about it. Tweet it once in a while. Be sure to include [the link] on your website and your social media profiles.”
Tyrone Givens notes that the “author dashboard has a very convenient button for sharing the link to the page.”
Link blog(s) to your author profile
You can link your blog’s RSS feed so that your Amazon Author Central page is automatically updated every time you post to your blog. This is a surefire way to keep your Author profile current. Richard Lowe advises, “if you have more than one [blog], and they are all relevant, connect them all.”
Update your author photo and videos regularly
Your main author photo should reinforce your brand and personality. “Use the same photo from your bio everywhere you appear, e.g. when you’re a guest on a podcast,” says Dimmick. “That way everything ties together.”
Colette Tozer adds, “ensure the photo you post in your bio has personality. After all, the reader wants to get to know the author, so ensure that your picture paints an accurate picture.” You can (and should!) also add more photos and have some fun with them. This way your audience gets to know you a little better.
Video is another interactive feature you should take advantage of. A book trailer, a narrated slideshow, or a reading or speaking engagement are all superb content to include as video.
Stacy Brown showcases art from her coloring books as well as children interacting with them on her Author Central page. “I really like featuring videos and photos of my books on the Author page,” she says, “because it helps to sell the books more. Since some of the book listings are limited when you use CreateSpace, it’s nice to show more of the insides of the books or of happy little customers coloring in the books and reading!”
Perfect your author bio
Your Amazon Author Central bio should reflect your whole body of work. While books in disparate genres or subject areas should have author biographies tailored to those genres or subjects, your Amazon page is a hub for your entire bibliography. Treat this block of text as marketing copy, a direct message from you to your readers.
Keep in mind you will not be able to format this text using bold, italics, or hyperlinks. However, it is still a good idea to introduce readers to your website, blog, or social media channels.
One way to hone your bio’s copy is to test it using PickFu. Upload two or more versions of your “About” copy, and run a poll. You can target respondents by age, gender, parental or marital status, and even preference for fiction or non-fiction. Poll respondents will read each version and tell you which one they prefer, and why.
Add events to your author page
Whether in person or online, make sure to include any events you’re participating in. Doing so helps author Allison Fagundes “capture Amazon foot-traffic that otherwise hasn’t found me on my other social media platforms.” When the event has passed, Amazon removes it from your page automatically.
“Add More Books” to include your whole catalogue
“It’s very important to make sure your books are showing up! Sometimes Amazon doesn’t automatically link them,” says Holly Lyn Walrath. Include books that you’ve co-authored, too. You’ll find an “Add More Books” button on the Book Details tab to search for books you’ve written by title or ISBN.
If you’re interested in more Amazon tips, try reading why our software is one of the best ways to split test on Amazon!
