[Anja1701B]

Is it normal that a newly published book on Amazon Kindle doesn't have a sales rank and doesn't show up in any category? I've been told the sales rank only appears once the book starts selling. But I am wondering how the book should sell if nobody can find it (unless they type in the book title or click on a link). Isn't it possible to choose your categories in KDP during publishing instead of waiting for Amazon to pick them for you?

I should mention that I am not the author of the book, just the translator, so I do not have insight into the publishing process. But the book has been out for over a month now and I am getting a bit concerned.

Thanks!

 

[dgrant]

Sales ranks usually show up on our books about 24 hours after publication (that is, 24 hours after they become available on the kindle store, not after we click the "publish" button.) If there are enough sales, the rank on the genre lists show up at the same time.

Also-boughts come in three days after publication; appearing in other books' also-boughts starts 4 days after publication.

 

[Anja1701B]

Thanks for your quick replies! I'm still a bit confused.

A book without a sales rank is a book that has not yet sold any copies at the relevant marketplace

and

Sales ranks usually show up on our books about 24 hours after publication

So, do sales ranks show up after 24 h, even if it hasn't sold a copy? Does it have to have more than just 1 sale to show any ranking?

 

[Wayne Stinnett]

Sales ranking is just that. A ranking as to how one book is selling against every other book on Amazon. With the first sale, a book will rank in the millions. If it gets one sale per day it will slowly climb to about 300K-500K in ranking. More sales equals a better rank.

Debut ranking is within 6-8 hours of the first sale, not 24. After that, ranking ups and downs lag about 5 hours after sales. In other words, if a book is selling 1 a day for a week, then suddenly sells five in one hour, the ranking will jump up five hours later, give or take.

 

[dgrant]

Wayne,

6-8 hours now, on some titles? Awesome!

Our last release, a week ago, didn't show up for at least 20 (I checked about 19 hours out,  then right around the same time it was published. Best news on a lunch break all week, that even beat discovering the homemade gumbo tucked into my lunch bag.)  I'm glad to hear it can be even better than that!

 

[Wayne Stinnett]

Wayne,

6-8 hours now, on some titles? Awesome!

Our last release, a week ago, didn't show up for at least 20 (I checked about 19 hours out, then right around the same time it was published. Best news on a lunch break all week, that even beat discovering the homemade gumbo tucked into my lunch bag.) I'm glad to hear it can be even better than that!

My last release's debut rank was #436. It went live about 7pm on 2/14 and ranked just after midnight.