amazon-bestseller-launch

Amazon's A10 algorithm ranks books based on:

| Metric | Weight | Target for #1 |

|--------|--------|---------------|

| Sales Velocity | 40% | 50-200+ sales in 24-48 hours |

| Conversion Rate | 25% | >15% page visitors → buyers |

| Reviews | 20% | 25+ reviews in first 30 days |

| Read-Through | 10% | >70% Kindle Unlimited pages read |

| Keywords/Categories | 5% | Rank top 3 in 3+ categories |

Category Selection Strategy

Select 3 categories using the "Low Competition, High Demand" formula:

```

CATEGORY_SCORE = (Monthly_Sales / #Books_in_Category) × Avg_Review_Count

Target: CATEGORY_SCORE > 500

```

Winning Category Criteria:

• #1 book has <50 reviews (beatable)
• Top 10 average <1,000 BSR (active buyers)
• At least 3 books selling 300+/month (proven demand)

7-Keyword Optimization

Amazon allows 7 backend keywords (50 chars each). Optimize using:

```

PRIMARY: [main topic] + [audience] + [benefit]

SECONDARY: [problem] + [solution] + [format]

LONG-TAIL: [specific niche] + [unique angle]

```

Keyword Research Tools:

• Publisher Rocket ($97 one-time)
• KDP Rocket alternatives: Helium 10, Jungle Scout

Listing Optimization Checklist

```markdown

□ Title: Primary keyword + benefit (≤200 chars)

□ Subtitle: Secondary keywords + specific outcome

□ Description: 4,000 chars, HTML formatting, 3 CTAs

□ Author Bio: Credibility + related books + social proof

□ A+ Content: 5 modules minimum (if Brand Registered)

□ Editorial Reviews: 3-5 pre-launch endorsements

```

ARC (Advance Review Copy) System

Target: 50 ARC readers → 25+ reviews by launch day

ARC Recruitment Sources:

1. Email list (highest conversion: 40-60%)
2. BookFunnel/StoryOrigin (10-20% conversion)
3. Goodreads groups (5-10% conversion)
4. Facebook reader groups (5-15% conversion)
5. NetGalley ($450/listing, professional reviewers)

ARC Email Sequence

```

Email 1 (T-60): Announce book, recruit reviewers

Email 2 (T-45): Send ARC via BookFunnel

Email 3 (T-30): Check-in, ask for feedback

Email 4 (T-14): Reminder to prepare review

Email 5 (T-1): "Review goes live tomorrow!"

Email 6 (Launch): Direct link to leave review

```

Review Velocity Target

| Day | Cumulative Reviews | BSR Impact |

|-----|-------------------|------------|

| 1 | 5-10 | Enter top 10,000 |

| 7 | 15-20 | Enter top 1,000 |

| 14 | 20-25 | Stabilize ranking |

| 30 | 25-50 | Long-term visibility |

Price Strategy for Launch

| Phase | eBook Price | Goal |

|-------|-------------|------|

| Pre-order | $0.99 | Maximize pre-orders |

| Launch (Day 1-3) | $0.99 | Sales velocity |

| Post-launch (Day 4-7) | $2.99 | Revenue + ranking |

| Steady state | $4.99-9.99 | Profit margin |

Pre-Order Stacking

Pre-orders count as Day 1 sales. Strategy:

1. Open pre-orders 90 days before launch (max allowed)
2. Stack all pre-order sales for launch day impact
3. Coordinate with email list for pre-order push T-7

Launch Team Assembly

Minimum viable launch team:

```

• 50 email subscribers committed to buy Day 1
• 25 ARC reviewers ready to post reviews
• 10 social media amplifiers (shares/posts)
• 5 podcast/blog appearances scheduled

```

Hour-by-Hour Launch Protocol

```

6:00 AM EST - Verify listing is live, price correct

7:00 AM - Email blast #1 to full list

8:00 AM - Social media announcement (all platforms)

10:00 AM - Notify ARC team: "POST REVIEWS NOW"

12:00 PM - Email blast #2 (non-openers)

2:00 PM - Check BSR, adjust if needed

4:00 PM - Social media push #2

6:00 PM - Email blast #3 (last chance $0.99)

9:00 PM - Track final Day 1 metrics

```

Sales Velocity Targets

| Category Competitiveness | Day 1 Sales Needed |

|-------------------------|-------------------|

| Low (<1,000 books) | 25-50 |

| Medium (1,000-10,000) | 50-100 |

| High (10,000+) | 100-200+ |

Real-Time Monitoring

Track every 2 hours on launch day:

```python

# Key metrics to monitor

metrics = {

"bsr": "Best Seller Rank (lower = better)",

"category_rank": "Position in chosen categories",

"review_count": "Total reviews posted",

"review_avg": "Average star rating",

"also_bought": "Appearing in 'also bought' carousels"

}

```

Week 1: Maintain Momentum

```

□ Day 2-3: Continue $0.99 pricing

□ Day 3: Raise to $2.99 if BSR stable

□ Day 4-7: Amazon Ads campaign (ACoS target <50%)

□ Daily: Monitor reviews, respond to questions

```

Amazon Ads Strategy

Sponsored Products Campaign Setup:

```

Campaign Type: Manual targeting

Daily Budget: $20-50

Bid Strategy: Dynamic bids (down only)

Keywords: 50-100 from research

Match Types: Exact (60%), Phrase (30%), Broad (10%)

```

Target ACoS by Phase:

| Phase | Target ACoS | Goal |

|-------|-------------|------|

| Launch (Week 1) | 100%+ OK | Visibility |

| Growth (Week 2-4) | 50-70% | Ranking |

| Profit (Month 2+) | 30-50% | Sustainable |

KDP Select Strategy

Enroll in KDP Select for 90-day exclusivity benefits:

1. Kindle Unlimited: Earn per page read (KENP)
2. Kindle Countdown Deals: 7-day promo pricing
3. Free Book Promotion: 5 free days per 90-day period

Countdown Deal Timing:

• Schedule for T+21 (post-launch dip)
• Promote 48-hour $0.99 deal
• Stack with email + social push

```markdown

PRE-LAUNCH (T-90 to T-0)

□ Category research: 3 low-competition categories selected

□ Keywords: 7 backend keywords optimized

□ Listing: Title, description, A+ content complete

□ ARC campaign: 50 readers recruited, ARCs distributed

□ Launch team: 50+ committed Day 1 buyers

□ Pre-orders: Open and promoted

□ Price: Set to $0.99 for launch

LAUNCH DAY (T-0)

□ Email sequence: 3 blasts scheduled

□ Social media: Posts scheduled all platforms

□ ARC team: Notified to post reviews

□ Monitoring: BSR tracked every 2 hours

POST-LAUNCH (T+1 to T+30)

□ Price increase: $0.99 → $2.99 → $4.99

□ Amazon Ads: Campaigns live

□ Reviews: 25+ posted

□ Countdown deal: Scheduled for T+21

```

• Detailed category research: See references/category-research.md
• Email templates: See references/email-templates.md
• Amazon Ads playbook: See references/amazon-ads.md
• Launch day scripts: See scripts/launch-tracker.py