How To Get More Book Sales on Amazon (2019)

About this video

Dale argues the days of ‘publish and pray’ are over and lays out five keys to getting more book sales. First, identify your target audience (ideal reader) before writing: they have a problem, you have the solution, and you must know their needs and expectations rather than writing the manuscript and hoping to find an audience afterward. Second, the cover: everyone judges a book by its cover, and a cover that doesn’t match what your audience expects costs you sales and credibility. Third, the book description (ad copy) must show, not just tell, what the reader stands to gain, regardless of price point. Fourth, Amazon advertising (formerly Amazon Marketing Services) is valuable less as a sales channel than as a diagnostic tool, using an impressions-to-clicks-to-sales ratio he credits to Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur: impressions with no clicks means the cover needs work; clicks with no sales means the ad copy/description isn’t compelling. Fifth, promote regularly and consistently beyond launch day — via email newsletters, social media, blogs, podcast interviews, or a YouTube channel — because Amazon’s algorithm judges a book’s relevancy by consistent performance, and a launch spike that fizzles makes the algorithm stop serving the book. He closes by offering his bestseller book launch checklist.

Key takeaways

• Identify your ideal reader and their problem before writing, not after
• A cover that mismatches audience expectations kills sales and credibility
• Book descriptions must show what readers gain, not just describe the book
• Use Amazon ads diagnostically: no clicks = cover problem; no sales = copy problem
• Promote consistently after launch — Amazon’s algorithm rewards steady performance

Episode details: published March 12, 2019 · 7:46 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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