By Sherrie Wilkolaski
It is amazing to me that most authors aren’t even aware that Amazon provides a FREE author page to each and every author who has an ISBN and listed on their site. It’s true! It’s a great marketing tool to help authors, better market their books.
Setting up your Amazon Author Central page. First step, is registering for your account. Go to authorcentral.com. If you already have a personal Amazon account, you can log in with your standard login, however you do need to register as an author via the above mentioned link.
Once your account is activated, you then can set-up your author profile. This is where you tell your potential readers about yourself. Be sure to fill in as much information as you can and don’t forget to include your photo. To maximize this valuable sales tool, you will want to link to your Twitter account, and if you have a blog, which I hope you do, please be sure to sync that up as well. Both of these tools will keep your author page active, every time you post a blog or send out a Tweet. It can take 3-5 days for your page to appear on Amazon, so be patient.
Where do you find an author’s individual page on Amazon.com? Great question! Go to Amazon and find your favorite book. Notice that the author’s name is hyperlinked. Click on that hyperlink and if they have an Amazon page. If they don’t have an Amazon page, it will simply go to a page that lists the author’s book(s) but that is it.
Benefits of having an Amazon Author Central page. There are a lot of reasons to have an Amazon Author Central page.
Author Has Control. There is no better way to control your destiny at Amazon than by taking control of personal page. You’ll be able to manage what buyers see on your book(s) page(s). (i.e. book synapsis, search inside the book feature, etc.)
Improves Amazon Search. If you want to compete, you’ve got to be ready to play alongside best-selling titles. If you’re active on your Amazon page, that will help with key word searches on Amazon.
Track Your Sales. From within your Amazon Author Central account, you can track your sales and also see what part of the country your sales are coming from. Great feature.
Add More Books. As you launch new titles, you’ll be able to quickly add them to your personal Amazon page and start tracking sales.
Connecting with Readers. There is a section of your author page that allows you to start discussions. Use this to get feedback from your readers and fans.
Dealing with Issues. From time to time, you may run into issues with your book listing, etc. and you can reach out to Amazon via your account.
Create your personal Amazon page today if you don’t already have one and if you do, be sure to use it more. If you have questions on how to set-up your page or information on any other features Amazon has a wonderful help section.
Sherrie Wilkolaski is a public relations and marketing expert for independent authors and traditional publishers. Her unique balance of real-world experience as a best-selling author and her insider knowledge into the mechanics of the publishing process has allowed her to help thousands of authors successfully translate their creations into published works of art. Her boutique publishing house style draws authors to her—it’s the measurable results in book sales that keep them loyal. A former Director of Publishing Services at Lulu and Director of Marketing at Author Marketing Experts, Inc., in the past, she has also co-hosted the blog talk radio show, “The Publishing Insiders.” Currently, she is a columnist for the Raleigh Examiner and frequent featured blogger on Shewrites.com. She is a consultant and publishing services broker for a variety of small to mid-sized publishers, including Infinity Publishing. She is the author of best-selling book, “How to Start a Wedding Planning Business” and the “Cookies and Cocktails” series. Her third, yet to be titled, book is coming out in the in 2012. www.authorpublishingservices.com