UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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Keywords
I've never seen any evidence that keywords make much difference to the visibility/discoverability of my books, but when all's said and done, it's a tool that Amazon have provided and it makes sense to try and use them as effectively as possible.I just go with fairly straightforward classifications for mine, so my anthology uses keywords like: short stories, horror, fantasy. And my MPhil thesis stuff like: film, film theory, Jean-Luc Godard. I don't think there's any point trying to overthink them.
But with lifetime sales of a blistering 150 copies... almost everything I say on a marketing level is probably wrong ;)
Andrew
Hi again Heath and AndrewWriting the books is easy compared to promo, don't you think?
AU
Keywords affect the sub-categories your book gets listed under, particularly the ones that can't be selected from the dropdown (Romance/Romantic comedy, sci-fi/thriller etc), which can help you get into more top 100 lists, particularly for the smaller categories.The keyword requirements for the different subcategories are listed on the KDP help pages.
That's interesting Tim, I really ought to have known that... ah well.The promo really doesn't come naturally to me, the one thing that does spark interest seems to be a new Goodreads review.
This may even help to explain why Something Nice is listed in "Women Writers and Fiction"...
Andrew wrote: "That's interesting Tim, I really ought to have known that... ah well."I only found out when someone told me!
What's the point of being in the top 100 of an obscure sub category?I doubt if anyone searches for a book to read in them.
I never look for a book by keywords. Still, I use keywords to tag my books like Amazon suggests but I haven't seen it help with sales.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "What's the point of being in the top 100 of an obscure sub category?I doubt if anyone searches for a book to read in them."
But *if they do* and you're not in there...
Since Amazon doesn't give us access to *any* stats regarding searches, page looks, or anything like that, it's all a stab in the dark anyhow - we have no real idea what works and what doesn't. I just know no buggers are buying my book, but I have no idea if that's because they look at it and don't like, or because they don't look.
I'm beginning to think that putting a book out on Amazon is akin to using a powerful catapult to launch a needle deep into the heart of an enormous haystack.
I've been playing around with keywords for a while but I'm not seeing much difference. I think my book was making sales early on because it showed up in the new release searches, but now, after 90 days out, it's faded away. I'm not even sure having more reviews promotes the book either, as in fantasy, for example, I've seen a book with just one review come in the top 10 when I search for 'fantasy novels'.
Although thanks for the clarification Tim now about the keywords affecting the sub-categories.
Tim wrote: "Patti (baconater) wrote: "What's the point of being in the top 100 of an obscure sub category?I doubt if anyone searches for a book to read in them."
But *if they do* and you're not in there...
..."
or can't find it, Tim. Good points here.
David wrote: "I'm beginning to think that putting a book out on Amazon is akin to using a powerful catapult to launch a needle deep into the heart of an enormous haystack."I agree, David. But then, again, I wouldn't trust Amazon's stats or how many books they say you've sold since in their forums people complain about the inaccuracies.
The answer though is all rather simple. To sell a lot of books you need to be famous and to be famous you need to sell a lot of books.
From a reader's perspective, I have used keywords and categories to search for non-fiction but never for novels.I made use of my full allocation of keywords for my own novel because there's nothing to lose but I'm not sure how much effect it has.
Personally, I don't read books by genre, or sub-categories of such, so I wouldn't search by genre keyword. I only usually - for fiction and non-fiction - search by author, or title, nothing else. Which means, I suppose that I must have heard of the particular book or author before I even get to Amazon.
Most likely, though, I'll click a link to Amazon from somewhere else, like this group.
I nay once there click on one or two of the people also bought this links when I'm there, but nothing beyond that.
But then I'm a bloke and I treat shopping as a commando raid.
That's about the same as me, David.Occasionally I'll look at the top 100 best sellers. Rarely click them, though as they're usually celeb biographies or cookbooks, neither of which interest me.
Oh and I rarely look beyond the top 20.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "That's about the same as me, David.Occasionally I'll look at the top 100 best sellers. Rarely click them, though as they're usually celeb biographies or cookbooks, neither of which interest me.
..."
Mostly though, I have a couple of RSS feeds in Feedly that give me the daily deals, new releases and other offer books that I scroll though each day.
I like a bargain.
Oh yeah. I look at Rosen's email every day, too.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Oh yeah. I look at Rosen's email every day, too."I used to do that too, but then she changed her password ;)
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Oh yeah. I look at Rosen's email every day, too."I didn't get it yesterday - the ONE day my drabble was in it! [grr] But Rosen's emails are always a bit strange - Thursday and Sunday emails go to junk on most weeks (but not always) on my desktop, and Saturdays go to junk on my lappie. No idea why. I keep telling it "not junk" but it never seems to listen! Other days hit my inbox just fine. (except yesterdays - no trace of that one at all!). Today's arrive fine about an hour ago. Weird!
The key words ought to more accurately be called key phrases. Your 'word' can be several words. It stops being a 'word' when you put a comma after it. Don't use your title, name, or categories that you are already in as it won't expand your visibility any. Use your key words to get yourself onto the pages that other people might look at and then see your book 'by accident', this is why when you key in your favourite author you get a load of other stuff appear there too. For example, if you think your book is similar to say, Stephen King, and that his readers may well enjoy your book, have 'Stephen King' as one of your key words. That's where the sort by relevance thing comes in! If they sort by price or date, you might get lucky!
On one of my books I've got 'Kindle Daily Deal' as one of my key words. LOL. It does appear on the list. Trouble is I'm not the only one who thought of it!
I always thought amazon said not to do that in the search strings, have they changed the rules?
Beverley wrote: "The key words ought to more accurately be called key phrases. Your 'word' can be several words. It stops being a 'word' when you put a comma after it. Don't use your title, name, or categories tha..." If you add Stephen King or any other author other than yourself to your keywords, you'll get an email from amazon telling you to remove them. . .
Are there any rules against adding the words 'free bacon'?
Where did your bacon obsession come from Davie?
David wrote: "Are there any rules against adding the words 'free bacon'?"How long has bacon been incarcerated?
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Where did your bacon obsession come from Davie?"I found it, honest.
David wrote: "David wrote: "Are there any rules against adding the words 'free bacon'?"How long has bacon been incarcerated?"
Ever since The Incident.
David wrote: "David wrote: "David wrote: "Are there any rules against adding the words 'free bacon'?"How long has bacon been incarcerated?"
Ever since The Incident."
That's right! I had forgotten about The Canadian Bacon Incident!
David wrote: "That's right! I had forgotten about The Canadian Bacon Incident!"There were some who joined the Foreign Legion to forget about the The Canadian Bacon Incident.
There were some who drank to forget.
There were some who drank and forgot to join the Foreign Legion
There were some who drank to forget and joined the bacon legion to forget about the foreign incident.
There were some who drank and forgot how to stay on their barstools.
Mine's a pint.
David wrote: "David wrote: "That's right! I had forgotten about The Canadian Bacon Incident!"There were some who joined the Foreign Legion to forget about the The Canadian Bacon Incident.
There were some who ..."
LOL!
I getting a headache - go to the David thread and leave us alone.
Gingerlily - Smiter of idiots. wrote: "I getting a headache - go to the David thread and leave us alone."Seems to be a bit of Davidism outside the safety of the David thread. Hmmmm......
I've not seen the David thread in days!The silence is ominous.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "I've not seen the David thread in days!The silence is ominous."
Be afraid - there are things afoot.
Well, things approximately a30cm, these days.
David wrote: "David wrote: "That's right! I had forgotten about The Canadian Bacon Incident!"
There were some who joined the Foreign Legion to forget about the The Canadian Bacon Incident.
There were some who ..."
Ate bacon?
http://bacontoday.com/wp-content/uplo...
There were some who joined the Foreign Legion to forget about the The Canadian Bacon Incident.
There were some who ..."
Ate bacon?
http://bacontoday.com/wp-content/uplo...
PS. Guinness HP sauce is discontinued...........Swine
Mick wrote: "There were some who ..."Ate bacon?
http://bacontoday.com/wp-content/uplo... "
Possibly a tad overzealous on the bacon there. It is going to play havoc with getting the bacon/brown sauce ratio correct.
No such thing as over zealous bacon.I wish I could find decent streaky bacon in this country.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "No such thing as over zealous bacon."I remember the days of the bacon slicer on the shop counter.
Times when overzealousness with the bacon could lead to a more traditional form of digital enhancement of your bacon order.
Man walks into a butchers shop and says "Wheres your assistant?"Butcher replies "I sacked him"
Man says "Sacked him? why?"
Butcher replies "He kept sticking his dick in the bacon slicer!"
Man, shocked says "So wheres your bacon slicer??"
Butcher says "I fuckin sacked her as well!!"
BOOM BOOM!!
(Ill get me coat...)
Personally I only ever search the store for a specific book or writer I want to look at/purchase so I have never given much thought to keywords when adding my own books.
AU