If you currently use or plan to use the Amazon marketplace to sell your book(s), you want to ensure that you’re set up for success. One of the best ways to do this (outside of ads) is to use Amazon Author Central to optimize your author page.
In this article, we’ll talk about what Amazon Author Central is, the steps for getting set up, and how to use its tools to create an author page on Amazon that gets noticed.
Here’s what you need to know about optimizing your Amazon Author Central page:
Amazon Author Central Defined
Amazon Author Central is the gateway to setting up your author page on Amazon and optimizing it for maximum impact. It is the backend tool used to add important information about you, your author brand, and your books. Setting up your Author Central account allows visitors to click on your author link, to see who you are and what you offer at a glance.
The Author Central website lists the following dashboard options:
- Add your books to your Author Page
- Add your biography in different languages
- Add photos and videos (Non-US feature only)
- Check Amazon Best Sellers Rank
- Check Customer Reviews
- Add Editorial Reviews for your books (US feature only)
- Check BookScan sales information (US feature only)
- Check the number of Amazon followers.
Anyone who has a book or books on Amazon can create an Author Central account whether self-published, hybrid, or traditionally published authors.
Amazon Author Central Step-By-Step
Step 1: Sign up for Author Central
Go to the Author Central page.
If you’ve published a book with Amazon before, you are already familiar with the KDP side of Amazon. This is where you upload your book to be published on the Amazon website and to get printed. KDP is the distribution side of Amazon. Author Central is the marketing side of Amazon, so setting up your account is essential if you want to embrace the full experience of having your book listed on the Amazon platform.
Step 2: Sign in to Your Amazon Account
When you get to the Author Central page, you’re given the option of joining for free or signing into your Amazon account. You can also log in to your KDP account, click on “Marketing” in the top navigation. Scroll down to Author Central. Select your marketplace and then click “Manage author page.”
Step 3: Search for Your Books
To get started, search for one of your books by title, ISBN, AISN, or author name.
Amazon will show a list of books based on your input. Select your book. If you have more than one book, you can add the others under the “Book” tab once your account is set up. If you don’t see your book(s), scroll beneath the books section and click on the “Get Help Finding Your Book” link.
Step 4: Confirm
Once you select a book, Amazon will ask you to confirm that you want to continue. If you have additional books on the platform, you will not add them at this time. You’ll add them later once the account has been set up.
Step 5: Approval Process
The approval process can take up to seven days. If you are traditionally published, Amazon will check with your publisher as an extra step. Once the account has been approved, Amazon will send a confirmation email.
Amazon Author Page Defined
Your Amazon author page is your little corner of the Amazon.com world. It’s the place you invite potential buyers to come visit to learn more about you, your brand, and your books. The author page provides a snapshot of what you have to offer in one place.
An Author page allows you have all of your work on one page and gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to your readers. It helps them get to know you and makes it easy for them to find all of your books in a single place. An Author Page does not come standard with use of KDP and you will need to register for an Author Central account to have one. – Amazon.com
When you have an author page, your author name will show up on each of your book’s product pages as a clickable link that will take buyers to your page. Without an author page, a search for your name will only lead to a list of your books in Amazon’s search results.
Author pages include:
- photo
- your background (bio)
- the current books you sell on Amazon
- contact information
- social media links
- Audible book links (If you have books on the platform)
- book recommendations
Author pages also include a useful follow button. According to Amazon:
The Follow button can be found on your Author Page or book’s detail page and it allows Amazon customers fans to add you to their favorite authors to learn about you and your new books as they become available.
Your followers will be notified of your book’s release or availability for pre-order on our website if your book is eligible, your followers allow marketing emails from Amazon, and if they haven’t already placed an order for your new book. Your followers are also more likely to see your new releases while browsing on Amazon.
Setting up Your Amazon Author Page
Once your Amazon Author Central account has been approved you can start building your author page. Before getting started, a good idea is to consider everything that makes up an Amazon author page and plan accordingly. Consider your author page like your Amazon home that you’re inviting guests to visit. When entertaining guests, you want everything to be inviting so that they can enjoy their visit. Carefully plan how each piece of your author page will work together to offer page visitors an enjoyable experience.
Step 6: Sign in to Amazon Author Central
Sign in to your Amazon Author Central page.
You can also access the Author Central page by signing into your KDP account, looking under the marketing tab, and then scrolling down to Author Central.
Step 7: Create Your Profile
Click “Profile” in the top menu.
- Photo: Upload a professional author photo or brand photo. It’s not necessary to pay for a professional photographer to have a professional-looking photo (unless you want to). Just make sure that the photo you select is clear, with a clean background, or use an uncluttered logo. The header image on your author profile is thumbnail-sized and cropped to a circle. Keep in mind that for an image to work on the page it needs to look good from a distance (smaller size).
- Bio: Your bio includes all of the bits and pieces of information that you want a potential buyer to know about you. An effective author bio should answer the following:
- Why do I write x-types of books?
- What is something specific that I want readers to know about me? This can be something quirky, endearing, eye-opening, or funny—something you’re comfortable sharing that will help readers feel more connected to you.
- What background prepared me to write? Whether education or life experiences, share what makes you uniquely qualified to write your books.
- How can a reader find me?
The purpose of your bio (and every other piece of your author page) is to engage potential readers and pull them further into your world. When creating the pieces of your author page puzzle, think dynamically. In what ways can you add more of your personality to your author page so that it doesn’t look or sound like every other author page on Amazon. You’re an author. It’s okay to think outside the box!
- Author Page URL: Amazon Author Central provides an option to create a customized URL for your author page. Author page URLs can be added to your book as a way to keep your other books top of mind. Author URLs can also be included on your author website as a way to direct visitors where you want them to go—on Amazon to buy more books. You can also share the customized URL on social media or even business cards.
Step 8: Set up your books
After setting up your Author Central account, you can add your other books to your author page. Begin by clicking “Books” in the top navigation menu. Search for your books again like you did when you opened the account. Note: Once you add a book, it cannot be removed unless you unpublish it. Also, books can show up on your page if they are being sold by a third-party seller.
After setting up your books, don’t forget to add editorial and customer reviews. Reviews are an effective form of social proof that can give your books an edge over others. Author Central makes adding reviews easy. While in the “books” tab, select one of your books to add a review. Under the book details section, click “Edit book details” and then “Add.” You can type or copy/paste a review. Amazon also supports HTML, so add bold and italics where appropriate to highlight portions of your reviews and make them easier for buyers to read.
Step 9: Reports and Marketing
Click on the “Reports and Marketing” tab at the top of the page to get to the next section.
- Book recommendations: adding book recommendations allows you to share specific books in your catalog with readers and share why you think they’d make a good choice. Amazon will list the recommendations on your author page and their website. They may also select your book recommendations to share in their marketing emails to potential buyers.
Amazon allows you to make recommendations based on:- your most talked about book
- the book you wished more readers knew about
- the best book to start with if they are a new reader of your books
- the book a reader can get the most lost in
You can also recommend other author’s books.
- Reports: in this section, you can see how many followers you have on Amazon. You can also view reports for sales rank, BookScan weekly sales, and customer reviews.
Step 10: Optimize Your Author Profile with Amazon Central
In order to make the best use of Amazon’s free Author Central tool for your author page, remember the following:
- Claim all versions of your book: If you wrote it and want it included in your online catalog, ensure it’s uploaded to Amazon Author Central. This includes print, digital, and audio versions.
- Pen names: Amazon allows up to three pen names per Amazon Author Central account. Add the books from your other pen names following the instructions for adding books listed above. Click on the “Books” tab in the top navigation bar. Then click “Add it now” and add your book’s information. When you find the book, claim the pen name. Once Amazon verifies the request, you’ll find your other pen names listed in the Author Central dashboard at the top of the page in the drop-down menu under your name.
- Author URL: When customizing your Amazon author page URL, make sure it’s something that works for you as an author and your brand. Once created, the URL cannot be changed.
- Amazon marketplaces: Setting up an Amazon Author Central account in one Amazon marketplace doesn’t automatically autofill data in other marketplaces. You’ll need to go to the homepage of your Author Central account and set up other marketplaces where your books are sold.
Final Thoughts
There are many benefits to using Amazon Author Central to optimize your Amazon author page. Outside of it being free, the tool gives you the ability to use Amazon’s internal tools to create a professional online presence. Amazon receives an average of over two million visitors per month. If you want some of those visitors to swing in your direction, making a great impression means everything.
In addition, authors can also benefit from:
- the potential for increased exposure
- better insight into how their books are doing on the platform
- better connections with potential buyers
- author pages are indexed by Google
- managing multiple pen names in one place
- a single location on Amazon.com where buyers can learn about an author’s brand
When building an author brand, finding ways to maximize exposure and secure your brand’s position in the marketplace is critical. First impressions matter, and when you show potential buyers that you are serious about your brand, they take notice.
Using Amazon Author Central allows you to pull all of the information about your book(s) into one place making it easier for you to manage your author brand and buyer expectations.
