“When you publish a book, it’s the world’s book. The world edits it.”

~ Phillip Roth, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist~

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By Catherine Townsend-Lyon

12/11/2017

 

Authors, do you have your Amazon Author Page set up? If not, why not? It is a vital part of your marketing platform. Let me show you how to get it all set up correctly and make you shine on Amazon. I am author Catherine Townsend-Lyon, and I run Lyon Media, Book Promotions, and Literary Consulting. Writing and reading good books is a passion of mine. Since my book was published, May 2013 on Amazon, many doors have opened for me. Some of which are book promoting, ghostwriting, and helping authors.

So, when I receive emails from clients who are looking to hire me for book promoting, I always do my research on the author to see what they currently have open in the way of social media accounts. I have opened many of social media accounts for many excellent authors and make sure I add an Amazon Author Page to their marketing plan.

But to my surprise, about 80% of authors out there have no Amazon Author page! WHAT? Now, to me, this is a head-scratcher. WHY? It is free to do, easy to set it up, and you can even link your website or blog feed to your page and advertise free any author event too! You get a fabulous bio area, add a photo of yourself. So why wouldn’t you utilize these fantastic book marketing tools to go along with all your books listed for sale on Amazon? Maybe it is because you are not sure where to go, or how to set up your page up?

Well, I can help you with that.

Setting up an Amazon Authors Page

Here is how to set up your Amazon Author Page:

All you do is go to Amazon Author Central here https://authorcentral.amazon.com and away you go! Just create a new account, answer some questions, and you’re ready to set up a beautiful author page.

To set up your account and reap all the benefits associated with marketing your book through Author Central, follow these steps (from Amazon):

• Go to https://authorcentral.amazon.com/ and click Join Now.
• Enter your e-mail address and password and click “sign in” using our secure server.
• If you have an Amazon.com account, sign in with the e-mail address and password you use on that account.
• If you do not have an existing Amazon.com account, select No, I am a new customer. You will be prompted to enter the necessary information.
• Read the Author Central’s Terms and Conditions, and then click Agree to accept them.
• Enter the name your books are written under. A list of possible book matches appears.
• Select any one of your books. If your book is not on the list, you can search for it by title or ISBN. The book you select must be available for purchase on the Amazon.com website. Selecting the book creates the account.

When you receive the confirmation e-mail we send, confirm your e-mail address and identity.

While you’re waiting for approval, you still can use some of Author Central’s features. For example, you can add or edit a photo or biography. We hold your content until verification is complete. Other updates, such as blogging and making changes to the books listed in your bibliography, are not available until you’re confirmed.

Optimize your Amazon Authors page

Optimizing Your Author Page:

Then you can complete the rest with using the Twitter tools to link your feed, add your social media links, so readers can visit you, and more. You even create your own URL link for your author page. If you look to the left of the front page, there is a whole host of topics and marketing tools available for you to use.

It is a fact that authors who have an Amazon Author Profile page alongside their books listed are more prone to have readers purchase a book if the reader can learn more about the author while looking to buy your books. Readers love to learn, connect, and engage with their authors they enjoy reading. It is also a fact that they will be more prone to come back and place a review of your book when they are done reading the book, which helps your Amazon ranking. WHY?

Because your new Amazon Author page will make you shine! It shows you as a professional writer and author. So please authors, go over to Amazon Author Central and get your author page today. And while you are there, check out all the helpful marketing tools Amazon offers free to aid you in promoting all your books.

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Catherine Townsend-Lyon

Bio:

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The Book Store on Two Drops of Ink

In the spirit of collaboration – teamwork between fellow writers looking to reach a bigger more diverse audience – we have decided to expand our site’s mission and promote books by both traditionally published and indie authors.

Here at Two Drops of Ink, we have blazed a trail in the blogosphere regarding collaboration between writers, bloggers, and audiences. We’ve found that creating a place for a cyber, social gathering is beneficial to everyone involved.

1. We’ve seen new writers birthed from our readers.
2. We’ve provided a platform for new and seasoned writers.
3. We’ve expanded the reach of all writers.
4. We’ve created a supportive literary community

In all, we have seen our followers and readers benefit from a diverse and extremely creative collaboration of writers.

This page will be dedicated to helping expose good books that may be well-read, or, that may be the fern at the bottom of the redwood forest of the book market, looking to find its way to the sunlight of readership. 

Please read the guidelines for “Book Store Submission” on our submission guidelines page and then submit your books for review to Twodropsofink@gmail.com

Best wishes and much success!