Amazon Rankings

[Marta Tandori]

Hi Everyone -

I know there have been discussions in the past about the reliability of an author's ranking on Amazon based on sales as well as discussions based on rankings fluctuating by the number of sales, expiration of free days on KDP select, etc.  Could someone please explain where you check that?  As always, thank you!

 

[Sabrina Williams]

Hi! Find your book on Amazon and it's in the Product Details beside Amazon Best Sellers Rank.  Hope that helps! ~Sabrina

 

Example:

Product Details

• File Size: 330 KB
• Print Length: 114 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00B12GVC2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,668 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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[Marta Tandori]

It did, Sabrina.  Thank you!

[Pearson Oldmitz]

Marta,

I checked out the three books you have listed on Amazon. They have no ratings, that is no "Amazon Best Sellers Rank," which means that you have not yet sold a single book on Amazon. The ratings begin when you first sell a book. One book sold usually gets you a ranking of around,169,000 or so. Sell a few more and it goes down. Don't sell any and it goes back up to 1,2000,000 or more quite rapidly and keeps going up, until you sell something again.

Best wishes,

Pearson

[Victor Penro]

Hey Pearson. What number will you get when you break out the cycle of rising and falling for a single sell?

[Marta Tandori]

Hi Pearson,

Thanks for your explanation.

The ebook I was referring to was TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.  I've had a KDP Select three-day freebie run which started on January 21 with today being the last day.  At 8:04 yesterday morning, my Freebie Best Seller Ranking was #167 and #10 in the Kindle Store.  As of shortly after noon today, my Freebie Best Seller Ranking dropped to #280 and #13 in the Kindle Store.  Presumably, my ranking has gone down because my downloads have slowed as well, despite the fact that well over a thousand more have been dowloaded since yesterday.  And while I understand the "Amazon Best Seller Free in Kindle Store" ranking, I don't understand what "#10" and "#13" in Kindle Store means.

 

As for THE TIES THAT BIND, I just published this ebook a week or so ago and don't have any sales yet.  However, as for my ebook, TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, I published it in late October and I have had sales every month so I'm guessing that those ranking stats have been pre-empted by the Freebie Best Seller Stats and that's why they are not there - is that how it works?

 

 

[Sherry Parnell]

I wanted to jump in with a question.  Could someone catch me up on the freebie run.  How do you do this for your book?

I appreciate any information.  Thanks :)

[Marta Tandori]

I had enrolled mine in the KDP Select program which meant that I had to sell my ebook exclusively through Amazon's site for 90 days.  Anyone that enrolls their book in KDP Select gets five "free days" - meaning you get to pick five days during that 90-day period when you want to offer your book for "free".

[Sherry Parnell]

Thanks for the information.  How do you sign up with the program?

[Marta Tandori]

If you published through Kindle Direct Publishing, it should have given you the option when you published your book.  However, you should be able to go back and enroll in the KDP Select option (when you log in to Kindle Direct Publishing and access your "bookshelf" page, it'll have various columns including author, name of book, status, etc.).  The last column says "KDP Select".  It gives you the option to enroll and if you click on it, it will enroll you for a 90-day term and it will keep you enrolled unless you specifically "unenroll" yourself.

 

One thing to remember though, is that you can't have your book for sale on any other website.  When you've enrolled in KDP Select, you have to offer your book only through Amazon.  Good luck!

[Sherry Parnell]

Thanks so much for the information Marta.  :)