Categories and keywords are the words and phrases used to help categorize your book among similar titles, similar to how a bookstore shelves books with others of the same genre.
For a deep-dive into this topic, start by watching our Pricing & Metadata Webinar.
Choosing relevant keywords and categories helps readers interested in your subject matter find your book more easily. As you begin, keep in mind that while you will type your own keywords, the Octavo task page provides a curated list of categories for you to choose from.
Choosing categories, the basics:
Selecting your categories can be as simple as scrolling through the available categories on Octavo and picking the ones that most closely fit your book's content.
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Pick categories that closely match your book's content.
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Pick the most specific categories available. Niche categories reduce competition and help readers find your book more easily.
- Fiction and non-fiction don't mix. If your book contains fictional elements, it must be categorized as fiction—even if based on a true story.
- Age groups don't mix. Pick either Juvenile (0–12), Young Adult (13–18), or General Adult (all ages).
- In Octavo, all of your codes will start with one of the following:
- JUV for Juvenile Fiction
- JNF for Juvenile Non-Fiction
- YAF for Young Adult Fiction
- YAN for Young Adult Non-Fiction
- FIC for General Adult Fiction
- None of the above for all General Adult Non-Fiction (e.g. BUS for Business and SEL for self-help).
- If there is a specific category missing from the list in Octavo that you really want to use, please email your Project Manager and we'll add it to our list, or suggest a good alternative.
Choosing categories, advanced:
If you want to put in a little more effort, Amazon's Book Category Lists are a great resource.
- Click Best Sellers & More at the top of the Amazon page, then choose between Print, Kindle, or Audible best sellers.
- Explore the categories and sub-categories along the left-hand sidebar.
- Select niche categories with fewer competing books to increase your chances of appearing on a bestseller list.
- Once you've found relevant categories, select similar ones in Octavo.
- If there is a specific category missing that you really want to use, email us and we'll add it to our list, or suggest a good alternative.
After your book has been published, you can also sign up for an Author Central account, and add more categories to your book's Amazon listing.
An added benefit of selecting a sub-category (e.g., Self-Help/Personal Growth/Success) is that the book will automatically be listed under the parent category (in this example" Self-Help). This means you should pick specific sub-categories, to both maximize your reach and narrow your competition.
For some categories, even the most specific sub-category can still be quite broad, with many mainstream titles dominating the bestseller lists. This reflects the high level of competition in the marketplace. To stand out, you'll need a strong and varied marketing strategy. Keep in mind, your Amazon Sales Ranking doesn't always directly translate to a certain number of sales.
Choosing Keywords:
Readers can use four different search methods to find your book:
- Author name (“J.R.R. Tolkien")
- Book title (“Return of the King”)
- Series name (“Lord of the Rings”)
- General search (“Epic fantasy trilogies”) — This is where keywords play the biggest role. Readers may not know your name or book title but will search for general terms or themes, like genre, subgenres, or specific topics. By choosing effective keywords, you ensure that your book shows up when people search for related content.
You can choose up to seven keywords in Octavo. Your goal should be to use specific, unique keywords that maximize your exposure to readers interested in your book, while minimizing direct competition against other books related to yours. Here are some tips for choosing effective keywords for your book:
- Choose as specific keyword phrases as you can. Try to mirror the actual words your readers will be typing into various search engines.
- Think like your readers. What terms would you be searching if you were them? Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are great resources to help with the brainstorming stage!
- Test your keywords by searching them on Amazon or other book retailers. Pay attention to the autocomplete suggestions, which can help refine your terms based on real-time search patterns. For example, if you're writing a self-help book on leadership, you might start with "leadership" and refine it to phrases like "leadership skills for managers" or "developing leadership in teams." These more specific keywords will help attract your target audience and reduce competition.
- You can use either single words or short phrases. It is likely most effective to use phrases, because Amazon's search algorythm will index more words related to your book, and it may then show up in more searches.
- Check your spelling—incorrect keywords can drastically reduce your book's discoverability!
- Combine keywords in the logical order that readers will search ("make money fast" rather than "fast money make").
- For Non Fiction books, use specific, niche, problem-solving phrases. For example, a self-help book could have keywords like “emotional resilience", "time management strategies", and "imposter syndrom solutions".
- For Fiction books, focus on keyword types relate to book content, such as setting, character types, character roles, themes, and tone/atmosphere. For example, in a fantasy novel, useful keywords might include “magical kingdoms,” “sword and sorcery,” “strong female protagonist,” or “coming-of-age fantasy.”
- If you want to dig deeper, consider using an online tool like Publisher Rocket that uses Amazon's data to provide insights into frequently searched, low-competition keywords to improve your chances of appearing in relevant searches.
Here are some keywords to avoid:
- Words that are already included in your book title, contributors or categories.
- Time-linked phrases like "new" or "on sale".
- Common words like "book."
- Spelling errors!
- Words that misrepresent your book and may mislead the customer.
Once you’ve chosen your categories, keywords, and target audience, give everything a final spell-check. Avoid duplicating words between the title, contributors, keywords, and categories. Then complete and submit the task in Octavo.
Tellwell Managed Distribution includes at least one annual metadata update, so if you need to change your keywords and categories in the future, just email support@tellwell.ca and we'll be happy to help!
Learn more with these related articles:
How do I choose a price for my book?
Why can't I find my book when I search for the title or the keywords/categories I selected?