Keyword Alchemy for Amazon KDP and Self Publishing: A Comprehensive Glossary
A
Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR): A metric that ranks books on Amazon based on sales and popularity.
Author Central: A platform provided by Amazon where authors can manage their book listings, create author profiles, and connect with readers.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): A publishing platform owned by Amazon that allows authors to self-publish their books on the Kindle and other devices.
ASIN: Amazon Standard Identification Number; a unique identifier for each book sold on Amazon.
Back Matter: The portion of a book that appears after the text, such as acknowledgments, references, and index.
Beta Reader: A person who reads an early draft of a book to provide feedback and suggestions.
Blurb: A brief description of a book used to capture readers’ attention.
B
Book Blurb: See “Blurb”.
Book Description: A more detailed description of a book, typically found on its Amazon listing page.
Book Formatting: The process of preparing a book for publication, including setting margins, fonts, and page breaks.
Book Cover: The design that appears on the front of a book.
Book Interior: The contents of a book, excluding the cover.
Book Marketing: The process of promoting a book to reach potential readers.
Book Packaging: The overall presentation of a book, including its title, cover, and marketing materials.
C
Call to Action (CTA): A prompt that encourages readers to take a specific action, such as purchasing a book or subscribing to an email list.
Case Study: A detailed analysis of a successful marketing or publishing campaign.
Categories: The genres or topics into which books are classified on Amazon.
Chapter: A major division of a book, typically containing a related set of topics.
Content Creation: The process of generating new and engaging content for marketing or promotional purposes.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as purchasing a book.
Copyright: A legal protection that grants authors exclusive rights to their original works.
Cover Design: The process of creating a visually appealing and informative book cover.
Cross Promotion: Partnering with other authors or platforms to promote each other’s books.
D
Demographics: The characteristics of a target audience, such as age, gender, and location.
Digital Marketing: Marketing efforts that utilize digital channels, such as social media and email.
Distribution: The process of making a book available to readers through various channels, such as Amazon, bookstores, and libraries.
Draft: An early version of a book that is not yet ready for publication.
Editing: The process of reviewing and correcting a book’s text, grammar, and structure.
Ebook: A digital version of a book that can be read on electronic devices.
Editorial Calendar: A plan that outlines the schedule for creating and publishing content.
Email Marketing: Marketing efforts that utilize email to communicate with potential readers.
E
Fiction: A genre of books that are not based on factual events.
Font: The typeface used in a book’s text.
Foreword: An introductory section of a book written by someone other than the author.
Genre: A category that classifies books based on their content and style.
Ghostwriter: A writer who is hired to write a book for another person.
Headline: A concise and attention-grabbing title used in marketing materials.
Imprint: A division of a publishing house that publishes books under a specific brand or label.
Indie Author: An author who self-publishes their books without the support of a traditional publisher.
F
Formatting: See “Book Formatting”.
Front Matter: The portion of a book that appears before the text, such as the title page, copyright page, and table of contents.
Funnel: A marketing strategy that guides potential customers through a series of steps towards making a purchase.
Gatekeeper: An individual or organization that controls access to a market or platform.
Giveaway: A marketing tactic that involves offering free copies of a book to generate interest.
Google Ads: A paid advertising platform that allows authors to display ads on Google search results and other websites.
Google Analytics: A free tool that provides website owners with insights into their traffic and audience behavior.
G
Hardback: A book with a hardcover binding.
Hashtag: A keyword or phrase preceded by the pound sign () used on social media to categorize content.
Headings: Subtitles that divide the text of a book into sections.
High Concept: A compelling and easily understandable central idea that forms the basis of a book.
Historical Fiction: A genre of books that are set in the past and are based on historical events.
Holding Page: A placeholder page created on Amazon to reserve a book’s title and ASIN before it is published.
Horror: A genre of books that evoke feelings of fear, suspense, and terror.
H
Illustrations: Images or drawings included in a book to enhance its visual appeal.
Index: An alphabetical list of topics and their corresponding page numbers.
Influencer Marketing: A marketing strategy that involves partnering with individuals who have a large following on social media.
Interactive Content: Content that allows readers to engage with it in a dynamic way, such as quizzes or polls.
Interview: A conversation between two or more people that is recorded and published.
ISBN: International Standard Book Number; a unique identifier for each book published in the world.
Jargon: Specialized language or terminology used by a particular group or profession.
I
Kindle: A line of e-readers manufactured by Amazon.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): See “Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing”.
Keywords: Words or phrases that describe the content of a book and help potential readers find it.
Landing Page: A web page that visitors are directed to after clicking on an ad or link.
Large Language Model (LLM): A type of artificial intelligence that can generate human-like text and perform various language-related tasks.
Lead Magnet: A free offer used to attract potential customers and collect their contact information.
J
Marketing Funnel: See “Funnel”.
Marketing Materials: Materials used to promote a book, such as book covers, press releases, and social media posts.
Meta Description: A brief description of a web page that appears in search results.
Meta Keywords: Keywords that are included in the HTML code of a web page to help search engines understand its content.
Middle Grade: A genre of books that are targeted at children aged 8-12.
Mission Statement: A concise statement that describes the purpose and goals of an organization or individual.
K
Manuscript: An unpublished written work, typically a book.
Marketing Plan: A roadmap that outlines the strategies and tactics for promoting a book.
Marketing ROI: The return on investment generated by marketing efforts.
Mission: See “Mission Statement”.
Mockup: A visual representation of a book cover or other marketing material.
Niche: A specific segment of the market with a shared interest or need.
Non-Fiction: A genre of books that are based on factual events or information.
L
Long Tail Keywords: Keywords that are specific and less competitive than shorter keywords.
Lower Funnel: The stage in a marketing funnel where potential customers are close to making a purchase.
Loyalty Program: A program that rewards customers for repeat purchases.
Lyrical Prose: Writing that is characterized by its musicality and evocative language.
M
Meta Tags: HTML tags that provide information about a web page to search engines.
Micro-Influencer: An individual with a smaller but highly engaged social media following.
Midlist Author: An author who has achieved some commercial success but is not yet a bestseller.
N
Niche Marketing: Marketing efforts that are targeted at a specific niche.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): A legal agreement that prevents parties from disclosing confidential information.
Novel: A long fictional work that typically contains a complex plot and well-developed characters.
O
Objective: A specific and measurable goal that is part of a marketing plan.
Offer: An incentive or promotion that is used to attract potential customers.
Online Book Club: A group of people who discuss and read books together online.
Organic Marketing: Marketing efforts that do not involve paid advertising.
Outline: A plan or structure that outlines the main points of a book or other piece of writing.
O
Page Count: The number of pages in a book.
Paperback: A book with a softcover binding.
Paragraph: A group of sentences that form a unit of thought.
Pen Name: A pseudonym used by an author to publish books under a different name.
Plot: The sequence of events that make up a story.
Point of Sale (POS): The location where a book is purchased.
Pre-Order: A book that is available for purchase before its official release date.
P
Press Release: A written announcement that is distributed to the media to promote a book or event.
Print-on-Demand (POD): A publishing method that allows authors to print books as they are ordered, reducing waste and storage costs.
Proofreading: The final stage of editing that involves checking for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Promotion: Any activity that is used to promote a book or author.
Public Domain: Works that are not protected by copyright and are freely available to the public.
Q
Query Letter: A letter sent to agents or publishers to introduce a book and request representation or publication.
Quote: A passage from a book or other source that is used to support or illustrate a point.
R
Readership: The audience for a particular book or author.
Reading Level: The level of difficulty of a book based on factors such as vocabulary and sentence structure.
Reference Book: A book that provides information on a specific topic or subject.
Release Date: The date on which a book is officially published.
Reprint: A new edition of a book that is published after the original edition has sold out.
R
Reviews: Evaluations of a book written by readers or critics.
Royalty
