Summary

The text explains how authors can use Amazon's free book preview embed feature to promote their books directly on their websites or web pages, providing an interactive experience for potential readers.

Abstract

The article "How to Embed an Amazon Book Preview" details a powerful yet underutilized book marketing tool offered by Amazon that allows authors to embed an interactive preview of their book on any webpage. This feature enables readers to engage with the book's content without leaving the website, thereby increasing the likelihood of a sale. The process involves navigating to the Kindle listing of the book on Amazon, selecting the 'Embed' option, customizing the preferences, and then copying the provided embed code to the desired webpage. The author emphasizes the effectiveness of this tool for both self-promotion and when reviewing the work of other authors, noting that it can significantly enhance the professional appearance of a webpage and encourage social media sharing, thus driving traffic and potential sales.

Opinions

The author believes that allowing readers to engage with the text is the most powerful tactic for generating book sales, more so than reviews or endorsements.
Amazon's embed feature is highly beneficial as it keeps potential customers on the webpage while they preview the book, which aligns with Amazon's interest in driving sales on their platform.
The interactive preview is customizable and can be easily integrated into most web platforms, with an alternative URL option for platforms that do not support the embed code.
The author uses the embed feature on their own webpages, both in sidebars and in individual posts, and finds it particularly effective for books with a dynamic opening, such as their novel "Reckly Traveler."
The feature is seen as a way to overcome distribution challenges by making the text accessible to a wider audience and providing a convenient buy link.
When used for book reviews, the embed feature is appreciated by authors and can lead to increased promotion of the review through the author's social media networks, benefiting both the reviewer and the author.

How to Embed an Amazon Book Preview

The best book marketing tool you’ve never heard of

Image courtesy of Walter Rhein, red PNG Designed By SJzhouyou from Pngtree.com

If you’re an author, the best way to generate a sale is to get somebody to start reading your work. Forget reviews, forget endorsements. When push comes to shove, allowing readers to engage with your text has more power than any other tactic you might employ.

Many authors are unaware that Amazon offers a free preview embed feature. This feature allows you to place a large, interactive preview version of a book prominently on your web page. I’m not talking about a link. I’m talking about embedding a preview version of your book that allows readers to peruse the pages just as if they were browsing in a bookstore.

The interactive preview starts with a picture of the cover with the buy, share, and preview buttons down at the bottom. You can use it to scroll through the available preview section of the work without being redirected to Amazon. I run a book review site and I frequently take advantage of this embed to promote the work of independent authors. In this article, I’ll show you how to take advantage of this great advertising feature.

Navigate to the Amazon Kindle Listing of Your Book

It’s in Amazon’s interests to encourage consumers to make purchases on their platform, which is why they’ve created this wonderful tool. However, if you don’t know where to look to get the code, it can be somewhat difficult to find.

To get the embed code, go to your book’s Kindle listing. Note that the embed code link may not appear on the paperback or audiobook listing. You’ll find the link to your book’s specific code on the right-hand side just beneath the purchasing column.

Select Your Preferences

Once you click on the embed button, you are taken to a page that allows you to select your preferences for the embed code.

You can select “embed on your site” and make some adjustments in the dropdown menu. You are then provided with a code that you can copy and paste onto your web page.

Some pages might require a plug-in to get the code to work, but most popular platforms are able to handle the code without issue.

For pages such as Medium, use the “get a link (URL)” option and you get a result like this:

Beyond Birkie Fever

We're sorry. This preview is not currently available on this browser. In the meantime, you can read on one of these…

read.amazon.com

It’s Like Claiming Shelf Space in a Digital Bookstore

I use the Amazon embed feature both in the sidebars of my web pages and in individual posts. I run a webpage about Peru called Streets of Lima and I keep an embed of my novel Reckless Traveler on the sidebar.

That novel has a very dynamic first chapter. I know that if I can get eyes on the first few paragraphs, a sale is very likely.

Distribution is probably the single most difficult obstacle to overcome for both new and established writers. The Amazon digital preview embed feature allows writers to get their text in front of as many eyes as possible, with a conveniently located buy link that encourages sales.

Helping Out Other Writers

I do a ton of book reviews and I always get responses from authors when they see the Amazon embed. It looks fantastic, it’s highly interactive, and it makes your posts look very professional.

If you use the feature for a book review, the author is much more likely to dedicate their time to promote your post on their social media network. This is a tremendous way to drive traffic to your webpage.

Whether you’re promoting your work or the work of an author you greatly admire, the Amazon embed feature is one of the best tools available to help connect readers to worthwhile books.