Due to the many great opportunities self-publishing offers, the number of books being published or republished each year has exploded. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for an author to raise his or her profile amid all the chatter and competition.

So how do you capture a reader’s attention and lock in the sale? One effective way is to make sure your Amazon book page is optimized to increase traffic and engage potential book buyers.

3 Ways To Create A Successful Amazon Page For Your Book

Focus On Your Visual Imagery

Your book cover is the most important marketing tool on your Amazon page. If your sales are sagging or dead in the water, the first thing you must consider is the impact of your book cover. You may love your design, but as the author and the publisher, you aren’t necessarily the most objective critic of the sales effectiveness of your book cover.

Ask friends, colleagues, and readers to give your cover a critical review. Does it reflect the genre of your novel? Is it eye-catching even at a reduced size? Does it use color and contrast effectively? Does it evoke the tone and mood of your story? Or is it just tired and in need of an overhaul?

A wonderful perk of self-publishing your book is that you have the freedom to update whatever you want at any time. Giving your book a fresh cover can attract a new audience and boost sales.

Choose Categories And Keywords Wisely 

When was the last time you checked the categories that you chose for your novel? Amazon is constantly adding new categories and subcategories to make the shopping experience better for its buyers. To widen your exposure, have your book listed in different main category branches—but make sure the genres still fit your story.

While you’re at it, check your keywords. Did you know that using certain keywords can get you into super-secret Amazon subcategories that aren’t available for direct selection on KDP? Check out these hush-hush lists for romance category keywords, science fiction and fantasy keywords, and mystery, thriller, and suspense keywords.

Think “Sales”—Not “Synopsis”

Some writers fill the book description space on their Amazon pages with a long, detailed synopsis. But you’re not writing for an editor—you’re writing for a potential book buyer. So treat this text like a sales pitch. Remember the old sales mantra: Readers want to be tempted by the sizzle, not the steak.

Author Bryan Cohen states that about 80 percent of potential book buyers never read beyond the first line of your Amazon page text. That’s why it’s critical to grab your reader with a scintillating hook. For Mr. Cohen’s Ted Saves the World series, his hook is “Good Thing This Nerd Has Superpowers…”

Try following up your unique hook with a short, tight blurb that delivers the emotional punch of your story as well as the character’s impossible conflict. Do this in no more than three sentences, and your sales are sure to soar.

You can do this. You’re a writer!

Finally, fill the rest of the description box with “social proof”: quotes from review journals, bloggers, and prominent writers in your genre. This will convince potential book buyers that your story has been lauded by experts. Don’t have quotes or big journal reviews yet? Check out our article about how to get more reviews.

If you’re nervous about making any big changes to your Amazon page, try starting with something minor, like switching categories or keywords for a few weeks to see if sales improve. Or craft a new description that includes a one-line hook, a sizzling three-sentence synopsis, and plenty of social proof. If your sales are still slumping, it might be time to invest in a new, professionally designed cover.

The good news? In the brave new world of self-publishing, you can always switch back.

QUESTION: For book sales, which do you think is most persuasive: the book cover design or the book blurb?