Amazon Expert Reveals His Strategies: Amazon Merch, Books, Video Influencing and Networking Tips

About this video

RJ Martinez interviews Ben Smith, who works in partnerships at Seller Candy and whom he says he met through Merch by Amazon content years earlier. Smith says he has moved his focus from Merch — where he says he is around tier 8,000 and has not maxed his slots in about two years — to KDP, starting with low-content notebooks and journals and then publishing full-length books for about two years. He describes using AI tools such as Jasper and ChatGPT for titles, descriptions and outlines, checking competitors’ outlines via the Look Inside feature without copying them, then passing work to a ghostwriting agency for writing, editing and covers; he cautions against publishing a fully AI-written book without human editing. He argues audiobooks are far less competitive than print, giving a hypothetical search comparison, and outlines his launch method: getting advance reader copies and reviews via BookSprout, turning on PPC at launch, pricing slightly below top competitors for the first two to three months, and timing a Kindle free promotion with paid newsletter sites to chase bestseller badges. He also discusses the Amazon Influencer programme, networking through conferences and Seller Candy’s outcome-based support for Seller Central problems, and advises sellers to sign up early for new Amazon programmes and keep testing opportunities.

Key takeaways

• Smith shifted focus from Merch by Amazon to full-length KDP books
• He uses AI for titles and outlines, ghostwriters for the book itself
• He claims audiobooks face far less competition than print books
• Launch plan: BookSprout reviews, PPC, low initial price, free promos
• Seller Candy handles Seller Central support problems for brands

Episode details: published September 12, 2023 · 40:34 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are RJ Martinez’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Merch by Amazon Listing Optimization Guide for 2023 Sales · Next: Top Thanksgiving T-Shirt Design Niche Research For 2023 →

All RJ Martinez videos · RJ Martinez profile · RJ Martinez on YouTube