Searching For Book Ideas And Inspiration On Amazon.com By Roger C. Parker
It's my pleasure to introduce you today to Roger C. Parker, book marketing coach and author of over 38 books. Roger's blog, Published and Profitable, is full of timely book marketing tips for authors. In today's post, Roger will dig deep into Amazon.com to teach us how to use it as a market research tool for our books.
Searching for book ideas and inspiration on Amazon.com
By Roger C. Parker
Writing and self-publishing success today involves searching for book ideas and inspiration on Amazon.com.
More than visiting any single bookstore or library, Amazon.com offers you endless opportunities to research currently available books and search for additional ideas and opportunities.
Benefits of online research at Amazon.com
Here are some of the reasons you will be well-rewarded by the time you spend on Amazon.com, the world's 5th largest search engine,
Time spent at Amazon will help you:
Identify the "missing book." Searching at Amazon.com can help you identify the "missing book"-- the book your market wants, but hasn't been written yet! After carefully analyzing the pros and cons of existing books, and reading between the lines of reader reviews, it will be easier for you to position your book apart from existing books on the topic and do a better job of serving your intended reader's needs.
Inspiration. In addition to the exploring the existing titles, authors, and publishers, time spent familiarizing yourself with existing books is likely to spark new ideas and title possibilities. This is especially true to the extent you not only analyze the Amazon sales pages for books addressing your market's needs, but you dig deeper and use the sales page as a point of departure for exploring other books and websites.
The key to success is to look beyond the obvious, looking for new approaches and hidden competition, rather than focusing on the authors and books in your field that you're already familiar with. Approach your research like your market does, from a fresh perspective.
Keywords and key phrases
If you're already familiar with search engine optimization, you've got an important head start.
Start your Amazon research by searching on the keywords and key phrases that you may already be using to attract qualified traffic to your blog or website. Search on the terms that your market is searching on when they look for help solving their problems and achieving their goals.
If you are familiar with the other authors in your field, you can visit their website and use your Internet browser's View Source to identify the keywords they are using to drive visitors to their blog and website.
It's never too early to search for additional keywords and key phrases. Try entering the keywords and individual words used in key phrases into online resources like www.Thesaurus.com.
Best practices for research on Amazon.com
Although many are familiar with the process of searching for books at Amazon.com, many authors fail to go deep enough in their search for ideas and competition. Here are some suggestions for "going deeper"at Amazon:
1. Start your searches at Amazon's Books page. The Books page offers access to additional links and resources, including Books of the Year, Books of the Decade, Editor's Choice Books in various categories, The New York Times Bestsellers Lists, and New Releases during the upcoming quarter.
2. Revisit familiar titles in your field. You probably already have a good idea of the titles already available in your field. You may own some of the books, or you may have encountered them at local bookstores. In either case, visit each book's sales page on Amazon view it as a shortcut to locating other relevant titles. Pay particular attention to Amazon features like books found under the Frequently Bought Together, Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought, and the What Customers Ultimately Bought After Viewing subheads that appear on each title's Amazon sales page. These can open your ideas to dozens of books you didn't know already existed.
3. "Look Inside" link. Many book pages display a Click to Look Inside link next to the image of the book's cover. Take advantage of it whenever you see it. This permits you to Zoom-in to explore the sales copy and testimonials on the book's front and back covers. In most cases, you can also review the book's table of contents and one, or more, sample chapters. Although you can't print these pages, you can easily take notes and review the author's perspective and the book's intended market.
4. Reader Reviews. Pay particular attention to reviews submitted by readers. (Hint: filter out those obviously written by the author's friends or those with an obvious ax to grind.) Look for themes that show up in more than one review, i.e., the reviewer's favorite parts of the book, or comments about topics not covered in the book that show up in more than one review. These comments may provide the spark of inspiration you need to begin writing. In addition, note the date of the latest review, as this will help you gauge the current popularity of the book.
5. Author Connect. Look for a link to the author's page at Amazon.com. This does more than just cross-reference other books the author has written. After publication, Amazon.com gives authors a page where they can submit their own biography and create their own blog. (Hint: many authors run RSS feeds from their existing blogs to their author page at Amazon.) Authors can also add audios and videos to their page, giving you a better idea of how others in your field are leveraging their book to additional profits.
6. Tags. Pay attention to the Tags Customers Associate With This Product, located at the bottom of each title's sales page. The tags submitted by readers may suggest new topics for you to search.
7. Listmania and task-oriented referrals. Likewise, you can usually discover additional books addressing your topic in the Listmania lists of favorite books that readers have submitted to Amazon. In addition, by skimming the So You Want To… articles, you may locate links to additional books in your field, or ideas you can include in your book or online book marketing.
8. Publisher. Always pay attention to who published each book. Do you recognize the publisher, or does it appear to have been self-published. If you're interested in trade publishing, pay particular notice to the publishers of successful titles in your field/category. When books are successful, publisher's may welcome proposals for additional books on the topic.
Category rank versus overall sales rank.
Avoid placing too much emphasis attention to a title's overall ranking on Amazon.com, concentrate on the title's ranking within its specific sales categories. It doesn't mean too much that Garr Reynold's new Presentation Zen Design, for example, was Amazon's #1005 best-selling book in mid-January. What's more important is rank relative to its direct competition, for example:
1. Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Running Meetings & Presentations
2. Books > Computers & Internet > Software > Business
3. Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia
You'll undoubtedly get an entirely new perspective on the titles your book will have to compete against when you view it in the context of its category competition.
Search the categories listed in the Kindle Books section of Amazon as well as the book titles that show up in the printed books. As this is written, the categories don't completely overlap, and there are more categories available for print titles.
In any event, remember: your book doesn't have to be a mass market best-seller to establish you as the "go to" expert in your field!
Tracking your research on Amazon.com
It's vital that you develop a system to keep track of the information you find at Amazon.com, as you follow the links to different pages.
(Click image to go to the form)
At left is the Analyzing Existing Books Worksheet I have developed to help my book coaching clients keep track of the titles they encounter on Amazon.com. You're invited to download it for free—no registration required.
I always encourage clients to develop a system for taking notes and profiting from their research at Amazon.com. For example:
1. Create a separate word processed file for each of the books that you discover as they search on Amazon.
2. List competing books and highlights of their reader reviews, and include links to the author and book's URLs at Amazon, as well as links to the URLs of related books.
3. Print copies of the latest files of your research results on 3-hole paper at the end of each search session.
4. Insert the print-outs, organized alphabetically by the author's last name, in a 3-ring binder.
You'll find it easier to review your research after it's been printed, and you'll also appreciate the ability to immediately retrace your steps searching for book ideas at Amazon.com.
You can also use mind mapping programs, like Mindjet, to track the results of your research.
Your turn!
If you have any questions about online research, send them to me c/o Roger@PublishedandProfitable.com. I'll do my best to help you.
Writing and publishing success begins on Amazon.com, well before you begin to write your book. Success involves researching on Amazon.com to identify "missing titles" and bringing new information and perspectives to your field. Success also involves identifying the appropriate categories where your book should be listed on Amazon.com. What's your favorite idea, tip, or technique for searching for book ideas at Amazon.com? What other sites do you find useful searching for book ideas and inspiration? Which do you find most useful? What have I overlooked? Share your ideas as comments, below!
***
Roger C. Parker is a book marketing coach who helps authors through his blog, Published and Profitable, and his consulting services. Over 1.6 million readers own copies of his 38 books, and he's known as thee "Best-Selling $32 Million Dollar authors."
Searching for book ideas and inspiration on Amazon.com
By Roger C. Parker
Writing and self-publishing success today involves searching for book ideas and inspiration on Amazon.com.
More than visiting any single bookstore or library, Amazon.com offers you endless opportunities to research currently available books and search for additional ideas and opportunities.
Benefits of online research at Amazon.com
Here are some of the reasons you will be well-rewarded by the time you spend on Amazon.com, the world's 5th largest search engine,
Time spent at Amazon will help you:
Identify the "missing book." Searching at Amazon.com can help you identify the "missing book"-- the book your market wants, but hasn't been written yet! After carefully analyzing the pros and cons of existing books, and reading between the lines of reader reviews, it will be easier for you to position your book apart from existing books on the topic and do a better job of serving your intended reader's needs.
Inspiration. In addition to the exploring the existing titles, authors, and publishers, time spent familiarizing yourself with existing books is likely to spark new ideas and title possibilities. This is especially true to the extent you not only analyze the Amazon sales pages for books addressing your market's needs, but you dig deeper and use the sales page as a point of departure for exploring other books and websites.
The key to success is to look beyond the obvious, looking for new approaches and hidden competition, rather than focusing on the authors and books in your field that you're already familiar with. Approach your research like your market does, from a fresh perspective.
Keywords and key phrases
If you're already familiar with search engine optimization, you've got an important head start.
Start your Amazon research by searching on the keywords and key phrases that you may already be using to attract qualified traffic to your blog or website. Search on the terms that your market is searching on when they look for help solving their problems and achieving their goals.
If you are familiar with the other authors in your field, you can visit their website and use your Internet browser's View Source to identify the keywords they are using to drive visitors to their blog and website.
It's never too early to search for additional keywords and key phrases. Try entering the keywords and individual words used in key phrases into online resources like www.Thesaurus.com.
Best practices for research on Amazon.com
Although many are familiar with the process of searching for books at Amazon.com, many authors fail to go deep enough in their search for ideas and competition. Here are some suggestions for "going deeper"at Amazon:
1. Start your searches at Amazon's Books page. The Books page offers access to additional links and resources, including Books of the Year, Books of the Decade, Editor's Choice Books in various categories, The New York Times Bestsellers Lists, and New Releases during the upcoming quarter.
2. Revisit familiar titles in your field. You probably already have a good idea of the titles already available in your field. You may own some of the books, or you may have encountered them at local bookstores. In either case, visit each book's sales page on Amazon view it as a shortcut to locating other relevant titles. Pay particular attention to Amazon features like books found under the Frequently Bought Together, Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought, and the What Customers Ultimately Bought After Viewing subheads that appear on each title's Amazon sales page. These can open your ideas to dozens of books you didn't know already existed.
3. "Look Inside" link. Many book pages display a Click to Look Inside link next to the image of the book's cover. Take advantage of it whenever you see it. This permits you to Zoom-in to explore the sales copy and testimonials on the book's front and back covers. In most cases, you can also review the book's table of contents and one, or more, sample chapters. Although you can't print these pages, you can easily take notes and review the author's perspective and the book's intended market.
4. Reader Reviews. Pay particular attention to reviews submitted by readers. (Hint: filter out those obviously written by the author's friends or those with an obvious ax to grind.) Look for themes that show up in more than one review, i.e., the reviewer's favorite parts of the book, or comments about topics not covered in the book that show up in more than one review. These comments may provide the spark of inspiration you need to begin writing. In addition, note the date of the latest review, as this will help you gauge the current popularity of the book.
5. Author Connect. Look for a link to the author's page at Amazon.com. This does more than just cross-reference other books the author has written. After publication, Amazon.com gives authors a page where they can submit their own biography and create their own blog. (Hint: many authors run RSS feeds from their existing blogs to their author page at Amazon.) Authors can also add audios and videos to their page, giving you a better idea of how others in your field are leveraging their book to additional profits.
6. Tags. Pay attention to the Tags Customers Associate With This Product, located at the bottom of each title's sales page. The tags submitted by readers may suggest new topics for you to search.
7. Listmania and task-oriented referrals. Likewise, you can usually discover additional books addressing your topic in the Listmania lists of favorite books that readers have submitted to Amazon. In addition, by skimming the So You Want To… articles, you may locate links to additional books in your field, or ideas you can include in your book or online book marketing.
8. Publisher. Always pay attention to who published each book. Do you recognize the publisher, or does it appear to have been self-published. If you're interested in trade publishing, pay particular notice to the publishers of successful titles in your field/category. When books are successful, publisher's may welcome proposals for additional books on the topic.
Category rank versus overall sales rank.
Avoid placing too much emphasis attention to a title's overall ranking on Amazon.com, concentrate on the title's ranking within its specific sales categories. It doesn't mean too much that Garr Reynold's new Presentation Zen Design, for example, was Amazon's #1005 best-selling book in mid-January. What's more important is rank relative to its direct competition, for example:
1. Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Running Meetings & Presentations
2. Books > Computers & Internet > Software > Business
3. Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia
You'll undoubtedly get an entirely new perspective on the titles your book will have to compete against when you view it in the context of its category competition.
Search the categories listed in the Kindle Books section of Amazon as well as the book titles that show up in the printed books. As this is written, the categories don't completely overlap, and there are more categories available for print titles.
In any event, remember: your book doesn't have to be a mass market best-seller to establish you as the "go to" expert in your field!
Tracking your research on Amazon.com
It's vital that you develop a system to keep track of the information you find at Amazon.com, as you follow the links to different pages.
(Click image to go to the form)
At left is the Analyzing Existing Books Worksheet I have developed to help my book coaching clients keep track of the titles they encounter on Amazon.com. You're invited to download it for free—no registration required.
I always encourage clients to develop a system for taking notes and profiting from their research at Amazon.com. For example:
1. Create a separate word processed file for each of the books that you discover as they search on Amazon.
2. List competing books and highlights of their reader reviews, and include links to the author and book's URLs at Amazon, as well as links to the URLs of related books.
3. Print copies of the latest files of your research results on 3-hole paper at the end of each search session.
4. Insert the print-outs, organized alphabetically by the author's last name, in a 3-ring binder.
You'll find it easier to review your research after it's been printed, and you'll also appreciate the ability to immediately retrace your steps searching for book ideas at Amazon.com.
You can also use mind mapping programs, like Mindjet, to track the results of your research.
Your turn!
If you have any questions about online research, send them to me c/o Roger@PublishedandProfitable.com. I'll do my best to help you.
Writing and publishing success begins on Amazon.com, well before you begin to write your book. Success involves researching on Amazon.com to identify "missing titles" and bringing new information and perspectives to your field. Success also involves identifying the appropriate categories where your book should be listed on Amazon.com. What's your favorite idea, tip, or technique for searching for book ideas at Amazon.com? What other sites do you find useful searching for book ideas and inspiration? Which do you find most useful? What have I overlooked? Share your ideas as comments, below!
***
Roger C. Parker is a book marketing coach who helps authors through his blog, Published and Profitable, and his consulting services. Over 1.6 million readers own copies of his 38 books, and he's known as thee "Best-Selling $32 Million Dollar authors."
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