AUTHOR GUIDE
Amazon book categories: how to pick the right ones for your book
THE SHORT ANSWER
Choose the most specific Amazon categories that honestly describe your book. Specific categories have fewer competing books, so your book can be seen by readers who want exactly that. KDP lets you pick up to three categories per book format.
Why categories matter so much
Categories decide which bestseller lists and “customers also bought” rows your book can appear in. A book in the wrong category is shown to the wrong readers.
Go specific, not broad
“Romance” is huge. “Romance › Romantic Suspense” is smaller and more focused. Being one of fewer books in a precise category gives readers a better chance to find you.
How to research categories
Open the pages of 10 books most like yours. Scroll to “Best Sellers Rank” to see the categories they appear in. Note the ones that come up again and again.
Check that your categories match your keywords
Categories, keywords, cover and description should all point to the same genre. Mixed signals confuse Amazon and readers alike.
WANT US TO CHECK YOUR BOOK?
MENTOR offers a free Amazon audit of your book page. We look at your cover, description, categories and keywords and tell you what to fix first. Get your free audit.