Hey Dave, thanks for this. Interestingly, you seem to have missed a whole new category that Amazon have come up with in Romance. It's called Romance In Uniform and it's increasingly starting to look like what I'd call a junk category. So many different types of romance stories are being lumped into this category with the only thing they have in common being that there is some sort of "uniform" involved in relation to one of the main characters e.g. military, first responders, sport and scientists! I write military romance (Navy SEALs) and instead of the categories I selected > Military, Small Town, Action Adventure, Romantic Suspense, Amazon have put my books into Romance In Uniform and my page reads and sales have tanked ever since.
Thanks Dave. As always, you;re on top of the game. I will need to watch your video several times and then break down the info into manageable chunks before checking on my seven novels. But many thanks for championing the indie authors out here.
Oh my gosh! I just tried this out in my Publisher Rocket, and, WOW, the keyword feature added onto the categories (as well as if the categories are "duplicate" or "ghost") is AMAZING! THANK YOU so much, Dave!
Came over from Dale Roberts video. Thanks for explaining this. I will have to look at my books and bounce the current categories against Publisher Rocket for those “ghost” categories.
I've just successfully and easily updated my Rocket following the link you sent us in the email. This new feature is awesome! Congratulations to you and to your entire team! 👋👍💯
@@Kindlepreneur do we get a total of 6 categories? KDP is giving me 3 choices starting with "Kindle" when I'm creating my ebook, and 3 choices starting with "Book" when I'm creating my paperback. Thanks for any information!
Ooooh. This is incredibly helpful info! Thank you for doing all the hard work! Looks like I'll be spending time in Rocket making sure all my categories are good. Thank you!!
Hi Dave. Great content. I was curious. I'm about done with my book and I want to see about getting 'Pro-Writing Aid' to assist in the first step of editing, and my question is: Do I need to type up my manuscript FIRST, and then upload it so 'Pro-Writing Aid' can do an edit? OR! Does 'Pro-Writing Aid' edit it with grammar checker and other things as I'M TYPING IT? Just want to make sure I don't skip any steps. Any advice is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you so much.
Great video, as usual. Amazon really needs to address the rampant mis-categorization. It's infuriating to see the hordes of topless guy covers in completely unrelated categories. I'd ban authors who continue to do this in an attempt to glean some tiny discoverability advantage that only annoys readers. I no longer buy ebooks at Amazon for this reason.
Thanks, Dave! Are there any plans to release an iOS or even web-based version of Publisher Rocket? I do my writing and designing on my iPad. With the web-based Atticus, I can do the layout from my iPad. I just can’t do the publishing and marketing using Publisher Rocket. Please consider. Thanks.
I would love it if you made a video of actually helping someone find the best categories for their books by physically sitting with someone in a video, helping them step by step choose the best categories for their book. I am more visual with learning, and this would help me to understand Kindle Rocket better. Thank you.
The 3 categories on my book page aren't the ones I picked in KDP. I only have 2 picked on KDP. If I try to pick a new one, it says it will ditch all my old ones, so scared to mess with it.
Amazon’s categories are frustrating. I see books in a category that is perfect for me, but when I try to choose that category, it’s not even an option for me. It doesn’t exist. Does Amazon have categories that only they can choose to place books in?
Hi Dave, much thanks for this information! Do you have a link to the current regulations for publishing Kindle Books? Specifically, in the past Amazon stated that we can't have content on our blog and in our Kindle book - but when I wrote them to ask what the current rules are, they were vague and implied that we can use blog content in our Kindle books. What are your recommendations on this topic?
Thanks for the info! Could you kindly share info about what does high level of KDP enrollment means for a category? Also are u planing to support Kobo too any time soon?
Hi Dave, Thank you for this valuable information. I have a question: When I create a new book in KDP, I have to choose it's main market. So, let's say that I choose the US market and choose my 3 categories I want to be listed in. How do I influence the choice of categories in other markets, like the UK or Canada? Can I still email Amazon for those? Or how do I pick? I has happened recently that one of my new books was put into a completely wrong category in another country. What can I do?
Here's a question I've wondered about since they made this change: My book is in 10 categories as was allowed previously. Should I go in and now change the categories to ONLY 3 of the best categories as the new system allows, or keep it the same?
Is it better not to choose categories if they fivure it out by keywords? They don't even allow you to choose office supplies for your planner. That's so weird. Something is off.
Great video! I'm about to release a novel. It's been a long time since I have. I write about vampires, and it's set in New York. So what would mine be? Urban fantasy? Horror? Or even Dark Fantasy? Last time I put a novel out it was 2013 and i need a hand. lol :)
Hi Dave and thanks for this! Quick question: if Amazon changes your categories for you, where do we see this? I'm looking at my Amazon book page and there is one category listed that I didn't choose but when I go into my KDP book page, it still shows the categories I chose. Is there anything we can do if Amazon does change a category that isn't beneficial to our book? Thanks so much!
I'm going to do a deep dive into this video in a bit. I have been able to guarantee my authors best seller status using Rocket and other methods but with this change I'm freaked out I won't be able to predict the outcome. I have Rocket but I hope it's the right version. What's the latest version? Do you have any thoughts about the ranking system, is it still possible to rank best seller in the top 100 free categories during my promo time? Thank you for all you do. You brought me tremendous peace today, you have no idea.
I hope you can work out a way to get the category search results back into alphabetical order, it is very difficult when they are not. Also is the keyword feature working yet? I have the update but the keyword button does not work for me.
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
According to Publisher Rocket, one of my books is listed in several categories (as per the Olde Way of doing it). The categories are good and where I want to be, so should I redo them according to the New Way, or keep my yap shut and leave it alone?
Hi Dave! Is there a glitch? In the Publisher Rocket category section, I press "KEYWORDS" but nothing happens. INSIGHTS brings up information, but not KEYWORDS
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
This explains a lot, since I was never able to target Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal & Urban/Contemporary with an Amazon advertisement. But since my book IS an Urban Fantasy, I'm not sure what to do with that information. If I don't choose a ghost sub category, from Paranormal & Urban, it doesn't allow me to save me in just Paranormal & Urban. Any tips?
There are some cases like this one, where you might need to select a ghost. If that is the case though, MAKE SURE you don't select another ghost, especially one that shares the same subcategory.
Typical Amazon, always changing the rules after we put so much effort into using them to make our books a success. Thank you, Dave, for all you have done, we'd truly be lost without you.
All kinds of weirdness going on. They don't put me in some of them I pick and choose their own anyway as mentioned though a fairy tale book of mine is in sci fi now LOL.. But I have an erotica pen name too and kind of like they are adding me to some mainstream catagories like romance, fantasy and horror as well as leaving erotica as the top one. I think it helps because my sales have picked up.
Hi Dave I chose my Cats carefully, ranked #2 in New Release, ranked #7 in Best Seller SUDDENLY Amzn moved me into INAPPROPRIATE cats. Non Fiction yet my bk is a novel. I asked to be taken out of Non Fiction cat. Amzn refused. What to do??
There could be a couple of reasons, but one of the biggest is the keywords that I discuss in the video. Amazon's category system will automatically choose some categories and make changes based on the keywords you chose. Therefore, I'd take a look at your input and see if there is something that would drive you into the category they put you in. If so, then I'd recommend changing the keywords.
@@Kindlepreneur KWs I chose via Publisher Rocket are not related to the categories I've been put into. KWs are all fiction-related. My reviews often mention Women's Friendship, might be influencing. But nothing KWy explains the wholly unrelated Non Fiction cats. I'll change the KWs tho' and report back. Any other ideas? Esp re how to persuade Amzn to move me back to cats where the bk was doing well?
Hmm...then I'm not sure@@KateDarroch. Something in their automated system is tipping them in that direction. You can try to wholly change your categories again, which will trigger a relook.
@@Kindlepreneur Thanks. I'm in Publisher Rocket right now and will change everything, cats and KW. It's infuriating bcoz I was BesrSeller ranking, in the 20ks and rising, now I'm down in 90ks even tho with similar book sale numbers (I'm pushing with promos and newsletter blasts, sigh) On GR people are saying "5*, Never read her before, can't wait for next bk" it's infuriating. PLUS my Also Boughts aren't moving, haven't been for weeks, and they should be, this is a new genre for me, shld be different Also Boughts.
![[DRIP] ‘Woke Up In Tokyo (RUKA & ASA)’ PREVIEW](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QN44lcR_VkI/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Dave, thanks for this. Interestingly, you seem to have missed a whole new category that Amazon have come up with in Romance. It's called Romance In Uniform and it's increasingly starting to look like what I'd call a junk category. So many different types of romance stories are being lumped into this category with the only thing they have in common being that there is some sort of "uniform" involved in relation to one of the main characters e.g. military, first responders, sport and scientists! I write military romance (Navy SEALs) and instead of the categories I selected > Military, Small Town, Action Adventure, Romantic Suspense, Amazon have put my books into Romance In Uniform and my page reads and sales have tanked ever since.
Thanks for this. My latest novel features a vet with PTSD from an incident in Afghanistan. Will check I'm not linguising in that catagory.
Thanks, Dave, for the breaking news. You're always on the cutting edge of information like this. Big kudos!
Likewise buddy and thanks!
I was scammed by Amazon KDP Publications.
Thanks Dave. As always, you;re on top of the game. I will need to watch your video several times and then break down the info into manageable chunks before checking on my seven novels. But many thanks for championing the indie authors out here.
Thank you for sharing this major amazon kdp categories news! Shared on my humble channel. Keep up the great work 🥳
Wow, awesome, I’m going to check my categories and update my processes. Thank you so much for updating these detail in Publisher Rocket
Oh my gosh! I just tried this out in my Publisher Rocket, and, WOW, the keyword feature added onto the categories (as well as if the categories are "duplicate" or "ghost") is AMAZING! THANK YOU so much, Dave!
Came over from Dale Roberts video. Thanks for explaining this. I will have to look at my books and bounce the current categories against Publisher Rocket for those “ghost” categories.
Always my first stop to understand category and keywords in the Zon.
Wow! Thank you Dave, I’m so glad I have Rocket. Am going to read your article and then head over there. Dave Chesson, you are an absolute star ⭐️
Give it about 1 hour - still making that fast change to the article to reflect my notes.
@@Kindlepreneur no worries. Thank you again 🙂
Very good advice, and a reminder to create a "revise categories" to-do note.
Very help video! Thanks for keeping us up to date on all things KDP and Publisher Rocket.
I've just successfully and easily updated my Rocket following the link you sent us in the email. This new feature is awesome! Congratulations to you and to your entire team! 👋👍💯
Wow, this is important to know. You continue to provide incredible value, Dave. Really appreciate it.
Great job once again, Dave (and the rest of the crew). You are a fount of all things Amazon!
Thanks, Dave! As always, you are a true gem on the rocky road of publishing!
Dave! You and your company are at the very TOP of this game! Please keep up the great work!!
Awe shucks and thank you!
@@Kindlepreneur do we get a total of 6 categories? KDP is giving me 3 choices starting with "Kindle" when I'm creating my ebook, and 3 choices starting with "Book" when I'm creating my paperback. Thanks for any information!
Awesome video Dave! Thanks for sharing!
OMG!! So happy I got publisher rocket. Knowing I can avoid ghost categories using PR is a huge bonus! Thanks Dave!
Thanks so much, Dave. Only yesterday I unknowingly listed a book in two ghost categories.
Excellent information! Thank you. And thank you also for updating the Publisher Rocket. Super ☺
This was so helpful, but I've come to expect that from you. Thanks for always looking out for us.
Love that Rocket simply shows Ghost! Made is so easy for me this morning when listing my new novella. Also love that Atticus is consistently updated.
I was scammed by Amazon KDP Publications.
@@davidclark573 in what way?
Thank you, David, for keeping us updated on these critical AMZ changes!
Hi, Dave, I'm so happy to have found Chesson University. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Thanks, Dave! Publisher Rocket is a great tool, and now it's even better with this info!
Thanks Dave! You are so generous with your knowledge and tools!
That Pub Rocket. I'm gonna slay those keywords when I get home soon. I wish you guys had a Pub Rocket Mobile app.
Thank you so much, Dave. Publisher Rocket saves me so much time!
Ooooh. This is incredibly helpful info! Thank you for doing all the hard work! Looks like I'll be spending time in Rocket making sure all my categories are good. Thank you!!
Thanks Dave Very useful information
My only regret is I can only give this video 1 thumbs up!
Good stuff! I love these new Rocket features!
Wow, that explains a lot. I am going through and changing all my keywords now. Thanks Dave!
Very welcome!
Nice. I love the work you're doing. It really helps.
Thanks Dave, very helpful
Thanks for staying on top of things! New rocket feature seems really helpful. :)
Thanks Dave!!! You help keep us indie publishers sane.
Truly great info ... Thank you, Dave. Every author MUST have publisher rocket!
Thank you. I always learn a lot from you. 😅
Thank you, Dave!
Thanks Dave. Brilliant insights and solutions, as always.
Thank you! Very helpful!
This is helpful, thank you! I updated Rocket today, but when I click on "keywords" for a category, nothing happens...
Same.. won’t work
Excellent information, thanks.
Wow! Thank you!
Thanks Dave!
Hi Dave. Great content. I was curious. I'm about done with my book and I want to see about getting 'Pro-Writing Aid' to assist in the first step of editing, and my question is: Do I need to type up my manuscript FIRST, and then upload it so 'Pro-Writing Aid' can do an edit?
OR! Does 'Pro-Writing Aid' edit it with grammar checker and other things as I'M TYPING IT?
Just want to make sure I don't skip any steps.
Any advice is GREATLY appreciated.
Thank you so much.
Great video, as usual. Amazon really needs to address the rampant mis-categorization. It's infuriating to see the hordes of topless guy covers in completely unrelated categories. I'd ban authors who continue to do this in an attempt to glean some tiny discoverability advantage that only annoys readers. I no longer buy ebooks at Amazon for this reason.
So true - hopefully this system will improve.
Thanks, Dave! Are there any plans to release an iOS or even web-based version of Publisher Rocket? I do my writing and designing on my iPad. With the web-based Atticus, I can do the layout from my iPad. I just can’t do the publishing and marketing using Publisher Rocket. Please consider. Thanks.
Thank you so much!
Great info! Thank you from a newb sent by DaleLRoberts and newly subscribed.
Welcome!
I would love it if you made a video of actually helping someone find the best categories for their books by physically sitting with someone in a video, helping them step by step choose the best categories for their book. I am more visual with learning, and this would help me to understand Kindle Rocket better. Thank you.
Thank you!!!
thanks for this!
Thank you very much 👍
The 3 categories on my book page aren't the ones I picked in KDP. I only have 2 picked on KDP. If I try to pick a new one, it says it will ditch all my old ones, so scared to mess with it.
Amazon’s categories are frustrating. I see books in a category that is perfect for me, but when I try to choose that category, it’s not even an option for me. It doesn’t exist. Does Amazon have categories that only they can choose to place books in?
Hi Dave, much thanks for this information! Do you have a link to the current regulations for publishing Kindle Books? Specifically, in the past Amazon stated that we can't have content on our blog and in our Kindle book - but when I wrote them to ask what the current rules are, they were vague and implied that we can use blog content in our Kindle books. What are your recommendations on this topic?
Thanks for the info! Could you kindly share info about what does high level of KDP enrollment means for a category? Also are u planing to support Kobo too any time soon?
Hi Dave, Thank you for this valuable information. I have a question: When I create a new book in KDP, I have to choose it's main market. So, let's say that I choose the US market and choose my 3 categories I want to be listed in. How do I influence the choice of categories in other markets, like the UK or Canada? Can I still email Amazon for those? Or how do I pick? I has happened recently that one of my new books was put into a completely wrong category in another country. What can I do?
I am curious about this.
Here's a question I've wondered about since they made this change: My book is in 10 categories as was allowed previously. Should I go in and now change the categories to ONLY 3 of the best categories as the new system allows, or keep it the same?
Thank u so much
Is it better not to choose categories if they fivure it out by keywords? They don't even allow you to choose office supplies for your planner. That's so weird. Something is off.
Great video! I'm about to release a novel. It's been a long time since I have. I write about vampires, and it's set in New York. So what would mine be? Urban fantasy? Horror? Or even Dark Fantasy? Last time I put a novel out it was 2013 and i need a hand. lol :)
Hi Dave and thanks for this! Quick question: if Amazon changes your categories for you, where do we see this? I'm looking at my Amazon book page and there is one category listed that I didn't choose but when I go into my KDP book page, it still shows the categories I chose. Is there anything we can do if Amazon does change a category that isn't beneficial to our book? Thanks so much!
I'm going to do a deep dive into this video in a bit. I have been able to guarantee my authors best seller status using Rocket and other methods but with this change I'm freaked out I won't be able to predict the outcome. I have Rocket but I hope it's the right version. What's the latest version? Do you have any thoughts about the ranking system, is it still possible to rank best seller in the top 100 free categories during my promo time?
Thank you for all you do. You brought me tremendous peace today, you have no idea.
I hope you can work out a way to get the category search results back into alphabetical order, it is very difficult when they are not. Also is the keyword feature working yet? I have the update but the keyword button does not work for me.
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
@@Kindlepreneur The latest update fixed everything, thank you, so far the updates looks awesome :)
Rocket rocks, and so do you, Dave!
Thank you. But the Keyword button does not work on my Rocket. Clicking on it does not bring up a list like in this tutorial vid.
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
@@Kindlepreneur Thank you :)
According to Publisher Rocket, one of my books is listed in several categories (as per the Olde Way of doing it). The categories are good and where I want to be, so should I redo them according to the New Way, or keep my yap shut and leave it alone?
I wouldn't if you don't have to.
Thanks, that's kind of where my thinking was...! @@Kindlepreneur
Hi Dave!
Is there a glitch? In the Publisher Rocket category section, I press "KEYWORDS" but nothing happens. INSIGHTS brings up information, but not KEYWORDS
Ah, we should have that fixed in the next 24-48 hours. That happens if you use the search bar in Category feature - then that button doesn't work. It's because of the massive data sent over, that we'll have to build a new pipeline for that search to data. If you select from the main categories, the buttons should work. sorry.
This explains a lot, since I was never able to target Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal & Urban/Contemporary with an Amazon advertisement. But since my book IS an Urban Fantasy, I'm not sure what to do with that information. If I don't choose a ghost sub category, from Paranormal & Urban, it doesn't allow me to save me in just Paranormal & Urban. Any tips?
There are some cases like this one, where you might need to select a ghost. If that is the case though, MAKE SURE you don't select another ghost, especially one that shares the same subcategory.
Can authors use a phrase in the “key words” box?
Amazon has put 2 categories for my book. Should I go ahead and update with 3 categories? Will it help upset the algorithm?
Generally, I'd respond that it would be best to update to the three now that we have a better understanding of how Amazon is treating them.
Typical Amazon, always changing the rules after we put so much effort into using them to make our books a success. Thank you, Dave, for all you have done, we'd truly be lost without you.
All kinds of weirdness going on. They don't put me in some of them I pick and choose their own anyway as mentioned though a fairy tale book of mine is in sci fi now LOL.. But I have an erotica pen name too and kind of like they are adding me to some mainstream catagories like romance, fantasy and horror as well as leaving erotica as the top one. I think it helps because my sales have picked up.
Hi Dave I chose my Cats carefully, ranked #2 in New Release, ranked #7 in Best Seller SUDDENLY Amzn moved me into INAPPROPRIATE cats. Non Fiction yet my bk is a novel. I asked to be taken out of Non Fiction cat. Amzn refused. What to do??
There could be a couple of reasons, but one of the biggest is the keywords that I discuss in the video. Amazon's category system will automatically choose some categories and make changes based on the keywords you chose. Therefore, I'd take a look at your input and see if there is something that would drive you into the category they put you in. If so, then I'd recommend changing the keywords.
@@Kindlepreneur KWs I chose via Publisher Rocket are not related to the categories I've been put into. KWs are all fiction-related. My reviews often mention Women's Friendship, might be influencing. But nothing KWy explains the wholly unrelated Non Fiction cats. I'll change the KWs tho' and report back. Any other ideas? Esp re how to persuade Amzn to move me back to cats where the bk was doing well?
Hmm...then I'm not sure@@KateDarroch. Something in their automated system is tipping them in that direction. You can try to wholly change your categories again, which will trigger a relook.
@@Kindlepreneur Thanks. I'm in Publisher Rocket right now and will change everything, cats and KW. It's infuriating bcoz I was BesrSeller ranking, in the 20ks and rising, now I'm down in 90ks even tho with similar book sale numbers (I'm pushing with promos and newsletter blasts, sigh) On GR people are saying "5*, Never read her before, can't wait for next bk" it's infuriating. PLUS my Also Boughts aren't moving, haven't been for weeks, and they should be, this is a new genre for me, shld be different Also Boughts.
@@Kindlepreneur OK, changed everything and republished. I'll report back. Many thanks!
Why do Amazon allow ghost categories to exist? Why don’t they delete them?
What the hell is a BISAC? Love your videos and blog, Dave. But please communicate clearly instead of using acronyms newbies may not know. Thanks!
Thanks, Dave. Great information! Seems like Amazon is working hard to hinder authors.
Sometimes thier 'inaction' on things can be worse. Either way, they keep me on my toes
I was scammed by Amazon KDP Publications.
🤩🥰