The Amazon Author Formula: Insider Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Selling More Books!

by Penny C. Sansevieri

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2024

About the author

I am the founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert.

I am also an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU and was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine.

My company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon Optimization programs as well as Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns.

I am the author of 25 books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon, Revise and Re-Release Your Book, 5 Minute Book Marketing, and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet."

AME has had dozens of books top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.

Please find me on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/therealbo...

On Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/therealbookgal

And sign up for my free Monthly Book Marketing Planner:
https://www.amarketingexpert.com/mont...

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny Sansevieri, author of “The Amazon Author Formula: Insider Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Selling More Books!” is well known in the book marketing and book launching ‘verse, and with good reason. She’s the CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts Inc., as well as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, she’s also a best-selling author and an internationally recognized book publicist. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has been around for as long as I can remember.

So, as far as I’m concerned, she’s got the creds, and she’s a voice I respect.

Therefore, as a self-published author of many years, I dove into this mammoth guide with eagerness. What did Penny Sansevieri have for me?

The excitement started to brew in me, pretty much immediately. Not only does she explain basic terms authors come up against and use daily in new, fresh language, but she also explains why the items are important, and does so quickly and clearly. One example that resonated with me early on was her explanation of book categories in Amazon. I know what they are, of course. However, her specific examples and definitions punctuate the critical importance of getting them right, from the outset.

Additionally, something as simple as keyword strings has now taken on a new life for me. While she teaches marketers all of the many pieces of selling on Amazon—much of this will apply to all products, not only books—at the same time, she also highlights tips and tricks to actually be effective.

It was interesting to me to see that these essential tips are not well-known. For instance, I learned that the best way to search for popular keyword strings on Amazon is to use an incognito browser. Why? Because if Amazon knows it’s you, they’ll change the results based on what you’ve personally searched for before. Simple, but if you don’t do it right, the data you dig up will be wrong. It’s another example where ‘complete’ knowledge is critical, and Ms. Sansevieri provides that.

I’ve paid thousands of dollars for top-rate courses by self-published authors and marketers I respect. While they covered this same information on keyword strings and searching through an Amazon browser for them, and did so well in my opinion, none of them taught me that make-or-break piece of information.

Two main pillars regarding the content of this book stand out for me.

First, the comprehensive nature of its information. There is so much in this volume. This guide covers everything from A to Z about selling on Amazon and highlights the essential categories for success. This distills to:

Your Amazon search ranking, your Amazon sales page (aka your book page, or for general marketers, your product page), successful book launches, the basics of Amazon ads (including effective copywriting), with bonus strategies, and additional information on Author Central as well.

Second, it’s designed to convey information clearly, quickly, and succinctly. The typeface and physical formatting of the text have lots of white space, so you don’t get lost in a sea of dense text. This makes all the important ideas—ideas and information we need to know to be successful—easily accessible, readable, and understandable. Clear. As a consumer of marketing information, I also found the Kindle book’s page formatting surprisingly ‘welcoming.’ It invites you to dive into it, with a cup of coffee in hand, and simply…discover. Play in all the potential.

It’s a big ‘ole Amazon playground manual, and it makes it fun.
In summary, Penny Sansevieri’s book “The Amazon Author Formula” is not just another manual; it’s a comprehensive guide that offers knowledge critical to mastering the Amazon marketplace. As online platforms continue to grow, her book serves as an essential companion to any content creator or salesperson looking to claim their space in the highly competitive world of Amazon sales, with a special emphasis on book sales, but not limited to such. With each page, Penny not only informs but also inspires, making this a must-read for aspiring and seasoned authors alike.

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amazon Author Formula by Penny C. Sansevieri is a self help book about selling your books and more of them as an author! This book has so much information about Amazon and selling your books overall, it is a fantastic resource for budding or even published writers. In this book you will find valuable information on this and so much more: why Amazon's searching is so important along with the relevancy scores, how to use strategies to get your book out there and sold, how to create and make the best Amazon book pages, how to write a killer author Bio, and so much more! I mean this book is so important for writers who are getting started on the Amazon platform as a book author. And of course you need to buy The Amazon Author Formula Workbook to go along with this book, there are so many excellent sections that you can work on for your Amazon book pages in this book such as: book pricing, book covers, launching your book, using Amazon ads, social media regarding books, reviews and reader feedback, and much more! These two books are a MUST for any book author looking to become a successful author on Amazon! You can tell the author put a lot of time and research into this book and it shows;) I would love to read more self help books by this author, she really knows her stuff!

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a book that is perfect for taking self-publishing to the next step. We are often happy to publish our dream project, but holding one copy is far from a journey ending. There are steps and nuances in marketing that can make all the difference, and this book points them out in a clear way. I appreciate that the author also published a workbook to go with this one that helps me to be organized and less overwhelmed. The index is well made, easy to jump into specific themes, but also the book is done and formatted in a coherent journey from page 1 to the end. Just opening as I got it from the bookmail room, I noticed immediately that I had made a mistake with the category of one of my books and corrected it immediately. I wouldn't say it is just for beginners because it helps those like me who have dealt with the Amazon algorithm for years on my own, and now I can recheck some steps and see what is not working. Well explained with screenshots (very important to me. I am a visual learner, and just text usually makes me quit), well-organized tips, exercises, and recommendations.

[Abby]

Thank you to @therealbookgal + Penny C. Sansvevieri for the gifted copy.


Thank you for the gifted copy of The Amazon Author Formula Workbook. This isn’t a book I would’ve initially picked up on my own, but that’s the beauty of being a reviewer, you get to explore new titles and discover unexpected, interesting reads. I thought I’d skim through a couple of pages, but interestingly enough, I ended up reading the entire thing, which is definitely a good thing. The book is very practical, the advice is clear. The checklists are straight forward and helpful and so are the worksheets. It dives right in and makes you think about your keywords and categories for your ads in a different way. This book isn't filled with big promises, but its more of a way for you to sit down and understand how things practically work. If you're overwhelmed this is a great way for you to understand the structure without being overwhelmed.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you're an author who promotes with ads or not, this book is definitely for you. Ms. Sansevieri offers a blueprint for using keyword strings by researching Amazon search options to find those strings. I found her techniques most helpful and plan to use them. Toward the end of the publication, you'll find emphasis on tweaking your books using Author Central that most authors aren't even aware of. I learned tons more about how to utilize my author page and book pages before and after setup to increase sales. This is a must-have reference for anyone who wants a boost in their book's visibility to the public. Every author will come away with helpful information from The Amazon Author Formula. Another A+ winner from this bestselling author!

[J.A. Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a helpful, quick and easy read. There are a lot of good tips in here, particularly if you are new to Amazon Ads and the concept of keywords. I am eager to try these tricks. I kind of wish the book went a little deeper into how-tos at times. Just as I was getting into it and found new content that would be helpful, it would cut to "more in a later chapter" which was a little frustrating. That said, it still is one of the most helpful books on how to work Amazon to our benefit that I've found.

[Meghan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who knows little about how search engines and algorithms work, I appreciated how this book presented strategies in an accessible manner. The subheadings made it easy to find what you need, and the screenshots were helpful for people with different learning styles. I was thrilled to pass the book along to someone who hopes to become an Amazon author. Thanks for the giveaway!

[Lisa Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much! I'm inspired to try new things for my next release. There is so much good information in this book and suggestions on what to try. It's a quick read and well worth the time to better understand Amazon.

[Mikhail Threecrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with practical, hands-on advice. Definitely worth the price.