Summary
The article advises authors against encouraging friends and family to purchase their new book on Amazon right away, as this can negatively impact the book's success on the platform.
Abstract
The article titled "Attention, Authors: Your Friends And Family Confuse Amazon" cautions authors against the common practice of asking friends and relatives to buy their new book as soon as it's available online. This practice, while well-intentioned, is described as a severe mistake, particularly on Amazon. The author suggests that the initial sales surge from personal contacts can inadvertently hinder the book's visibility and long-term sales potential. Instead of focusing on the quantity of books sold in the first few days, the article emphasizes the importance of selling to the right audience. A linked article delves deeper into why widespread initial purchases are counterproductive, especially for Amazon sales. The piece is written by René Junge, a published author contributing to the ILLUMINATION publication on Medium.
Opinions
- It is a mistake for authors to have friends and family immediately buy their new book on Amazon.
- The number of books sold in the initial days is less important than the identity of the buyers.
- Selling to the right audience is crucial for a book's success on Amazon.
- The author suggests that the conventional wisdom of promoting initial sales to boost rankings may be flawed, at least on Amazon.
- René Junge, the author, implies that there is a strategic approach to book sales on Amazon that many authors may not be aware of.
