3 Tips for Highlighting Your Book on Amazon

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

By now, every author on the planet knows the importance of having their name everywhere they can put it. Exposure is publicity is “Limelight”.

I am on Amazon daily looking at authors, their books, and descriptions of books. I notice what the successful authors like John Grisham, James Patterson, and Steve Berry, (just to mention a few) have on their Author Page.

First, they have a picture. You will notice it is on the left hand side of the page. Pictures are most important. In our world today, people want to see the writer they are reading, by seeing your picture they can relate visually when they are reading your book and because of that picture when they are finished they just might buy another one of your books, that is, if the first one was good.

Second, they give a description of themselves, their work, what’s going on and they list magazines they have been.  James Patterson tells you in the first sentence a magazine showcased him on the cover. Steve Berry tells you in the first sentence he is a New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author and goes on to mention the titles of his books. John Grisham starts right off telling you his background that grabs you.

Third, they write a description of the book to grab the reader’s interest and that will pull them into reading the rest of the description. That first sentence you write in the description is the most important. It has to grab your reader instantly for them to read the rest of the description and the entire description has to make them want to buy the book.

Take a look at your “Author’s Page” on Amazon. Now look at the three authors I mentioned. Read their descriptions of a couple of their books. Then look at a couple of yours. Make sure you are doing the right things on Amazon to get readers to want to read your book.

If your book has been in a magazine, then mention it. If you were interviewed on the radio and/or TV go ahead mention that.

Today authors not only have to write the book they have to promote it. But that’s a good thing. It gives you a lot of control and an opportunity to take your writing career where you want it to go.

I will look for you on your “Author’s Page”.