Amazon Sub Categories

giantpasta said:

Hello All

Having recently uploaded my latest work (now twiddling thumbs until I get approval) I noticed that I was only able to select two relevant categories: horror and short stories. The Amazon process did not allow more than that.

I recall however that a lot of people state when their book is doing well free on Select that "Oh! My book is selling really well in obscure sub category e.g. horror/ survival / nun.

How does this work? Am I missing something?

Or does Amazon put you into these categories later on automatically?

Click to expand...

We have really limited control over our categories. Amazon seems to decide, sometimes without much human thought. For instance, Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn was Number 1 (really?) in the Religion>Buddhism category for about a year. I knew another author whose thriller was Number 1 in "Car Parts."

I went to KDP and fixed things, but the last time I attempted to do that I was referred to a phone number. So, go to KDP, and find the phone number and call them.

Here's what I get. Let's explore it:

#1 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Renaissance
#11 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Metaphysical
#48 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Historical

History and Criticism? Not so much. I really belong under the following two categories. But if the sales rank moves up, that irrelevant category pushes further upward. So do the other categories (they display toward the bottom of your book page), but not as quickly. I can't believe that people navigate to this category, and select MY book over all others. Just as I really, really know that most people searching for "car parts" did not select a thriller over an air filter.

So, even 15 years into it, Amazon is still working out the bugs. But a phone call will probably help, if your book displays in a category that's really, obviously wrong.