Self-Publishing Amazon categories

[Jake E]

I'm very confused.

If i choose Amazon.com as my marketplace i get the option of Fantasy Humour, but if I choose Amazon.co.uk I don't.
Why are the categories different?

 

[KateESal]

I can't answer the question, but I noticed this when doing my categories for Amazon.es
I guess it must reflect varying tastes/store categorisations in different territories....or something!

Incidentally, if you go niche in some of your categories, you can end up with a surprising Amazon bestseller (as I did, albeit accidentally!)

 

[Jake E]

I can't answer the question, but I noticed this when doing my categories for Amazon.es
I guess it must reflect varying tastes/store categorisations in different territories....or something!

Incidentally, if you go niche in some of your categories, you can end up with a surprising Amazon bestseller (as I did, albeit accidentally!)

I want to list mine under Fantasy Humour, but I don't get the Option if I go with UK. There isn't a good alternative.

What would happen if I chose .com (US) as my main marketplace? Do you think that would be foolish?

 

[Robinne Weiss]

If you contact Amazon and tell them what categories you want, you can get whatever you want, and get up to 10 (I think) categories. I haven't done this myself, because I'm lazy, but lots of self-pubbed authors do.

 

[Jake E]

If you contact Amazon and tell them what categories you want, you can get whatever you want, and get up to 10 (I think) categories. I haven't done this myself, because I'm lazy, but lots of self-pubbed authors do.

How do you contact Amazon?
Can I just email them?

 

[CageSage]

How do you contact Amazon?
Can I just email them?

Amazon Book Categories: My Secret Method to Choose Clear Winners

Learn the secrets to find profitable book categories on Amazon. Show up for 10 ebook and book categories so your book will be discovered.

kindlepreneur.com

 

[CageSage]

How do you contact Amazon?
Can I just email them?

Or this:

These Amazon Category Hacks Will Boost Your Book Sales

Choosing the right categories for your book will increase your sales and visibility, and make it more likely to be recommended by Amazon too.

davidgaughran.com

 

[Jake E]

Or this:

These Amazon Category Hacks Will Boost Your Book Sales

Choosing the right categories for your book will increase your sales and visibility, and make it more likely to be recommended by Amazon too.

davidgaughran.com

Thanks Cage.

I'll look into these this afternoon.

 

[KateESal]

What would happen if I chose .com (US) as my main marketplace? Do you think that would be foolish?

If I were you, I would choose the territory where you anticipate you will make the most sales as your main marketplace.

 

[Claire G]

I want to list mine under Fantasy Humour, but I don't get the Option if I go with UK. There isn't a good alternative.

What would happen if I chose .com (US) as my main marketplace? Do you think that would be foolish?

Go US as it's the bigger market. You can add more categories in different territories by contacting Amazon and listing what you want and where. There's a set format which includes all the info to send. I found it on Google but can't remember the site!

 

[Jake E]

Go US as it's the bigger market. You can add more categories in different territories by contacting Amazon and listing what you want and where. There's a set format which includes all the info to send. I found it on Google but can't remember the site!

They've cracked down on that. You can't do it anymore apparently.
Too, many scammers were adding a ton of categories to their books that didn't belong in said categories in order to reach number 1.

 

[Claire G]

They've cracked down on that. You can't do it anymore apparently.
Too, many scammers were adding a ton of categories to their books that didn't belong in said categories in order to reach number 1.

Oh no! What a shame...grrr...

 

[Jake E]

Oh no! What a shame...grrr...

Yeah. Another example of a few spoiling it for the many.
But, if a system can be exploited, you can be damn sure someone will exploit it.

 

[KateESal]

Go US as it's the bigger market.

I would add the caveat that this won't necessarily mean you get more sales in the US, unless you have a bunch of potential readers lined up in the States who you are fairly sure will buy your book.

I regularly advertise my book via my Facebook page (among other places) and it's hands-down been the biggest driver of sales so far. As the majority of my FB friends are in the UK, they've mostly gone to amazon.co.uk to buy it. I've made a few sales on amazon.com but they've been dwarfed by the numbers from the UK site. I regularly promote my book via Twitter and it's also visible on Instagram, but US sales have been small so far. The act of making amazon.com your main marketplace won't, in itself, bump up your sales: your marketing will do that, and if you don't have many solid ins into the US market, generating sales is likely to be challenging.

 

[Jake E]

if you don't have many solid ins into the US market, generating sales is likely to be challenging.

I don't have an 'ins' anywhere so I guess that's moot. lol

 

[Hannah F]

Some books appeal more to the US market and some more to the UK market, but face to face sales, e.g. author talks/launch tour, are a good road in. Unless you're loaded, that'll be easier on UK soil.

 

[Jake E]

I think I'll go US then. As UK doesn't have the categories I want and there doesn't seem to be a way to get them.

I emailed Amazon last night and got a response that, frankly, didn't make any sense. Looked like an AI generated response if I'm honest.