Why Amazon Chooses Categories You Didn't Pick for Your Book

Navigating the Amazon Store's Book Categories for Self-Published Authors

Ever notice your KDP / Kindle book ends up in a category you didn't even pick? As a self-published author this can be fustrating because we spend so much time picking the perfect categories we think our books will sell in. Yet, we really don't have any control once Amazon picks the categories for you.

In this article we generalise categories but what you're most likely confused about is placement categories. Amazon describes them as such:

Placement: The most granular classification in the category path where no further subcategories exist. It’s where your book is “placed” in the Amazon Store. For example, if History is the category, US History is the subcategory, and 19th Century is the last available classification in that path, then History > US History > 19th Century is the placement.

- Amazon

Don't worry you're not alone.

Let's explain why:

Why Amazon Chooses Categories for you

You'll be surprised to find out Amazon reserves the right to adjust the categories of a book at any time to enhance the overall customer exerperiece.

This is actually a good thing. Amazon thinks your book is most likely to sell in these categories after careful consideration. 

They are tweaking your book's categories to align with what customers are searching for and in return potentially exposes it to a wider audience.

Amazon clearly inducates this in the KDP Categories section on their site here with this quote:

Important: We reserve the right to change the categories of a book at any time to ensure a positive customer experience. The categories you add and the categories shown online may not always match. Your book may be added to additional or different categories to improve the customer experience. 

- Amazon

Can I Change These Preselected Categories

Not quite. When it comes to self-published authors on platforms like Amazon, algorithms play a significant role in category assignment. Once the algorithm settles on a decision, there's limited room for adjustment.

It seems that the algorithm analyzes your book's content based on word usage. For instance, if your novel delves into Aliens and Spaceships, it's likely to be slotted into the Sci-fi categories.

While you technically can tweak the wording in your book to align with different categories, this might involve changes that could potentially distance your existing readers.

An alternative approach is to revise your book's description and hope that the algorithm factors in this updated content for category adjustments. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't disclose the precise criteria used for categorization, adding an element of uncertainty to the process.

Conclusion

Stumbling upon your book in unforeseen genres may catch you off guard initially, yet it's essential to comprehend the rationale behind Amazon's categorizations for self-published authors. In the intricate realm of online book sales, flexibility is paramount. Grasping the intricacies of Amazon's category system empowers you to maneuver and thrive in the dynamic landscape of self-publishing.