Amazon has several features that help to cross-promote books and encourage buyers. You’ve probably even seen these in your own searches for books or products on the site. Here are some facts about how these features work to help you better promote and sell your book:
Frequently Bought Together – Once your book has some sales history, Amazon will likely pair it with another book and offer it under the Frequently Bought Together feature on your book’s sales page. Amazon determines what book goes here based on its own algorithms and the purchase habits of those who bought your book.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought – Here you will likely see several dozen books listed, which again reveal the buying habits of your readers. If another author’s book shows up under this section on your page, your book is likely to be featured under this section on their page, too.
Books on Related Topics – Some, though not all, books on Amazon have a section that lists Books on Related Topics. Amazon chooses these titles by looking at statistically improbably phrases within the books. The more often the same phrases appear in both books, the more likely they will be paired together.
What Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item? Here you will find a few selections of similar books, or books that are likely your biggest competition.
This can all be useful information. You may want to get to know some of the authors recommended in these sections and find ways to work together. It can be beneficial for both of you to promote each other’s work.
By the way, Amazon also sends periodic email recommendations out to its buyers who subscribe to updates from Amazon. For example, if your book is about quantum physics, there is a chance, albeit slim, that Amazon will send an email out to buyers of other quantum physics books and let them know about yours. This feature is more commonly used with buyers who have a history with the author, which means as you publish subsequent books, your past buyers may get notified. When my last book came out, I heard from several readers who let me know they received an email notification about the book from Amazon.
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