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Publisher Rocket by Kindlepreneur Brings New Life to Keywords
When it comes to Amazon ads, we’ve established that manual targeting wins over automatic targeting. You can read the full article on why we prefer manual targeting for ads here.
AMAZON KEYWORDS. AUTOMATIC TARGETING VS CHOOSING YOUR OWN
Now, let’s talk about the best places to find keywords for your ads.
- Yasiv.com – a free website powered by Amazon that creates a matrix of books linked together by searches and sales data.
- Twinword.com – this website offers free and paid options and relies heavily on data from Google. A useful tool but the keywords are not tailored for use on Amazon.
- ApexAuthors.com – Apex Authors offers a subscription feature called Book Keyword Rocket that allows user to collect keywords while browsing Amazon pages.
- Kindlepreneur.com – Kindlepreneur has an app called Publisher Rocket a.k.a. KDP Rocket that offers a keyword search feature.
All four options above are great sources for keywords. Today, however, we are going to focus on Kindlepreneur and their newly updated app, Publisher Rocket.
In the past we have used and loved KDP Rocket from Kindlepreneur for researching keywords for Amazon ads. However, Amazon made changes in early 2019 that limited the searches and keyword output of the app. I’m happy to say that as of July 2019, that is no longer the case.
When Dave Chesson first created KDP Rocket, the program was geared toward marketing Kindle books only. However, as KDP Rocket has expanded to include features for marketing print books as well as Kindle books, the name was no longer a perfect fit. In May 2019 Kindlepreneur rolled out the updated and renamed app, Publisher Rocket. July 2019 ushered in additional enhancements that had us falling in love all over again.
The Kindlepreneur website has an article outlining all of the improvements to their system, but today we’re just going to focus on the AMS Keyword search feature.
As mentioned above, KDP Rocket was barely limping along earlier this year. Now, you can type in a phrase, competitive title or author that is pertinent to any book and Publisher Rocket will spit out a large list of keywords in seconds. You can also specify if you want to find keywords specific to a print or e-book – one of the upgraded features.
Even better, Publisher Rocket has expanded keyword generation. Not only will the app provide you with search terms, titles and keywords; they now also provide book ASINs!
Combine this feature with the January 7th changes at Amazon that allow authors and publisher to market by targeting specific books (using the ASIN) and this update is pure gold.
But wait, there’s more! (Said in my best Oprah voice.) Users can filter the keyword search results to ensure a curated list that fits their specific needs.
Pick and choose data such as Titles, Author Names, ASIN Numbers, Amazon Suggestions and Similar books to whittle down unwanted keywords.
To summarize, the updated app offers easy to use features that makes researching keywords for Amazon ads a snap. (Our team was able to use Publisher Rocket to find a list of 1,000 keywords – the recommended number for AMS ads – within just five minutes.)
We give the KDP Rocket to PubisherRocket overhaul two thumbs up!
Keri-Rae Barnum is the Marketing Director of New Shelves Books. She oversees New Shelves’ marketing programs and is passionate about helping authors and publishers find their unique voice in the ever-evolving world of book marketing.
How to Transfer Your Expanded Distribution Book to Ingram Spark From CreateSpace/KindleDirectPublishing
You went to CreateSpace or KDP and uploaded your self-published published book to them, and they offered you a free ISBN. You took them up on their offer and proceeded to upload your book so that you could be on Amazon. Okay!
But now you are thinking about bookstores and libraries and want to start getting your books in there. No problem, right? After all, you saw on Create Space (now KDP) that they could get you into bookstores and libraries all you have to do is click the “extended distribution for bookstores and libraries” button.
Not so fast! Unfortunately, when Create Space/KDP offers you bookstore and library distribution, they’re doing it by using a third-party Print on Demand company called IngramSpark. IngramSpark is the second largest POD company after KDP. They’re owned by the Ingram family in Lavergne, Tennessee (they also own Ingram Distribution and Ingram Wholesalers.) While all three of these companies are owned by the same family, they are three separate companies that do different things.
To get into bookstores and libraries (Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million), you need to be in a wholesaler. Ingram Wholesaler is the largest book wholesaler in the US and the best one to be in. They have the furthest reach, and more bookstores and libraries use them first than any other wholesaler.
The fastest and easiest ways to get into Ingram Wholesaler is to sign your book and your publishing up with Ingram Spark. (You CAN apply to Ingram Wholesaler as a non-POD publisher, but they have VERY high standards, and most small publishers are not accepted.)
It is not only acceptable, but it is also IDEAL to have your book files up on KDP AND up at IngramSpark at the same time. I have an article explaining why here.
WHY YOU NEED BOTH INGRAMSPARK AND KDP
Ideally, you will want your book up on Amazon through KDP, but you want your book up for bookstores and libraries through IngramSpark. To get in the Ingram wholesaler there are a number of steps you need to take.
This will allow you to get the best profit from Amazon from KDP and the best distribution options to retailers through Ingram. If you have your own Ingram Spark account, YOU set the discount, and returnability factor and YOU own your distribution decisions… not KDP.
Ready? Here are the steps you need to take:
FIRST – You have to confirm that the ISBN you have on your book belongs to YOU. If you took an ISBN from Create Space or KDP, then you don’t own it, and you cannot take that book anywhere. (If you already have an ISBN and that you bought from Bowker or your own governmental agency you’re ahead of the game – you can skip this part…) But if you got an ISBN from Create Space or KDP, that means that they own your ISBN, and THEY own the distribution rights to that edition of your book. This is not good. I’ve written an article explaining why here:
Buy your own ISBN from the proper entity. If you’re in the US, go to www.myidentifiers.com
SECOND – Sign up for an Ingram Spark account at WWW.INGRAMSPARK.COM. There’s an actual instructional videos on their site you will find helpful Here is one here:
Once you’re all signed up for Ingram spark and they have all of your tax ID and bank information, you’re ready.
Sign into IngramSpark, give them your book information and upload the new file with the new ISBN.
THIRD (A) – FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD TO PURCHASE NEW ISBNs AND ARE UPLOADING NEW EDITIONS.
Once you have your new ISBNs and you’ve registered the new edition of your book (yes, if you put a new ISBN on the book it’s a new edition) it is time to upload the new files (interior and cover) both to KDP AND to IngramSpark.
THIRD (B) – FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO GAVE CREATE SPACE or KDP EXTENDED DISTRIBUTION:
Your ISBN is in KDPs IngramSpark account and needs to be released from them before you can proceed to claim the book at IngramSpark.
This is how to get KDP to release your title and allow you to claim it at IngramSpark:
Sign into your KDP account and go to the distribution tab. Uncheck extended distribution to bookstores and libraries. You need to uncheck that button telling KDP that you no longer give them permission to offer your book through their IngramSpark account.
Next, send KDP an email through the customer service contact portal telling them that you have unchecked permission and asking them to release your book from their IngramSpark account.
Next, fill out the form found on THIS page:
http://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/articles/211155403-Title-Transfers
Then email the form and the ISBNs and titles of your books to: ingramsparksupport@ingramcontent.com
Wait for 5 to 7 business days to hear back from KDP and IngramSpark that KDP has released your ISBN from their Ingram Spark account and hear from Ingram Spark that they have accepted your title transfer.
Once you have completed the third steps (A or B), you will confirmation emails letting you know that you are all set. Log into IngramSpark, and you should see your title in your dashboard.
For those that are worried about losing existing Amazon reviews on their KDP listing… once your new edition is up on Amazon, you CAN get your reviews from the old edition up on your new edition. You have to go through your Author Central account and call the author central customer service group. (yes, they still have a phone number!) Just ask them to duplicate the reviews onto your new ISBN edition.
Hope that helps!
D5 Creation