Introduction

Selling books on Amazon is an important sales strategy for self-publishing authors. Despite this, many authors are underusing the tools available on Amazon to help them boost discoverability and build their author brand. One easy-to-access and free tool available to assist authors who want to sell more through Amazon is Amazon Author Central. 

Amazon Author Central allows authors to create an Author Page on Amazon’s website, presenting the opportunity to connect with readers, showcase their books and writing, and promote their work. An author page can consist of a biography (in different languages to appeal to users of Amazon sites across the globe), photos, recommendations, and a ‘follow me’ button to help readers connect and learn when new books are published by the authors they follow. 

So in this blog, we look at why self-publishing authors should embrace Amazon Author Central, and suggest strategies to make your author content on Amazon the best it can be. 

The Importance of Amazon Author Central

Amazon Author Central allows you to manage and optimize your presence on Amazon – beyond just your book listing. Through Author Central you can create a personalised author profile, offering readers insight into you as a writer. For authors of multiple works, it also brings all your books together onto one author page, making your books easier to discover for those readers who have enjoyed your earlier titles. There are other benefits too: 

1. Author Brand: Your author brand is more than just your books; it's about connecting with readers on a personal level. Your Author Page on Amazon Author Central can be an important part of enhancing your author brand on an internationally recognised platform. Use this tool as part of your discoverability took kit. 
2. Reader Engagement: Amazon Author Central allows you to connect with your readers – they can learn more about you and your books through the biographical information you provide and can ‘follow’ you, meaning they will be notified when you launch new products. You can also see customer reviews as they are placed, and you can start conversations by recommending other books that you think your audience would enjoy. This direct interaction helps foster a sense of community and loyalty with your readers. 
3. Get insights into your sales: Amazon Author Central can provide some insights into your book sales and customer reviews. One of the metrics it may list is a sales rank. Note that sales ranks are calculated using many different metrics, so it's not as simple as every time you make a sale, your rank will change. But for authors setting to build a readership and be more than a hobbyist writer, they can be insightful. Read more here.
4. See how your profile looks in different Amazon territories: Amazon has different websites to service different regions. UK authors will mostly interact with Amazon.co.uk – but books can be available via other Amazon territories too (read more about our Overseas distribution options here). On Author Central, as well as being able to add your biography in a different language for different Amazon territories, you can also use a handy function to see how your profile will look on, say, Amazon.jp (Japan) or Amazon.fr (France), should your book be available there. Not all territories show the same content (for example, videos are no longer shown on Amazon.com, but are still available on Amazon.co.uk, so it is still worth adding video content as a convincer for your readers).

Getting Started

To set up your Author Central account you will need to do the following: 

1. Go to https://author.amazon.co.uk/claim/join and create an Author Central Account. 
2. If your book distribution to Amazon is being managed by your publisher, they will be asked (by Amazon) to confirm that you are the author and to authorize your account. 

Then, you can start to: 

1. Add all your published books to your Author Page.
2. Write your biography to entice readers to follow you (see more below).
3. Upload photos and videos to your Author page. 
4. Explore the other functions to make the most of Amazon Author Central. 
5. Promote your author pages to increase your Amazon followers. 
6. Regularly review your Author Central content to make sure it stays current. 

Making Your Amazon Author Central Content Stand Out

To make the most of Author Central, you need to spend time looking at other profiles to see what works and what is best practice. Some good examples to look at are: 

1. Sophie H Morgan
2. Daniel T Jackson

In all cases, you want professional content, well written and that will be a convincer for someone looking to learn more about you and your book(s). Ideally, you want to pitch yourself to fully align with your author brand, so this means keeping in mind the types of book(s) you have written and the audience who will be engaging with that when creating professional and relevant content. 

1. Craft a Compelling Author Bio: Your author biography is crucial so make it count. Share your writing journey and relevant personal details that add depth to your biography. (The key phrase here is relevant – include qualifications when they add weight to your ‘author life’). This biography will be freely available on the internet, so don't include personal details you do not want to share. Aim for a balance between professional and relatable. You will want to regularly revisit your author biography to make sure it stays up to date and reflects your body of work. 
2. Author Photo: Pick a professional high-quality image that aligns with your brand rather than a family holiday snap, a quirky image or a picture of you clutching a glass of your fave tipple (unless you are a wine writer, of course!). If you write for kids, you can be less formal in your picture but do not include pictures of other people's children in any images you share online. 
3. Link to Social Media: Link your social media profiles to your Amazon Author Central page, as you want to be able to connect with your readers both inside and outside of the Amazon platform for ongoing engagement. 
4. Regular Updates: Keep your audience engaged by updating your author page regularly. A dynamic and current author page tells readers that you are active and worth following and engaging with. 
5. Promote Your Author Central Page: Ensure that readers can easily find your Amazon Author Central page. By promoting your author page, you increase the likelihood of building a dedicated following.

Amazon Author Central is a free tool that can empower self-publishing authors to take control of their online presence on Amazon, the biggest online bookselling platform. A professional presence, and well well-crafted biography are the starting points for enhancing your exposure and discoverability on Amazon.