ASP 50: Dave Chesson on Amazon’s Algorithm and KDP Rocket

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“A key issue that many self-publishers face every day is they have the ability to write excellent works, but have little experience with marketing. Too many authors hope that if they write it, people will come.” – Dave Chesson

Kindlepreneur – one of the most in-depth blogs on kindle and self-publishing Steve has ever read

Tell us about your background and how got involved with Kindle books and self-publishing.

Dave started with building niche websites, but he wasn’t happy with the minimal income. He decided to turn the content he already had into Kindle books and that’s where his self-publishing journey started.

You teach so many great marketing strategies on Kindlepreneur, but wouldn’t you say a lot of marketing success begins with picking the right idea for your book?

To pick the right topic, you first have to make sure that there are people looking for that subject. Discoverability is important. Do basic market research before writing your book, especially if you’re just starting out.

What do you do to validate an idea for a book before you commit to it?

  1. Use Amazon search suggestion tool. (Make sure you’re using the Incognito mode.)
  2. Use the Google keyword planner to see how many people are searching for the term.
  3. Check books on similar topic on Amazon and look at their Bestseller Rank. You can use Dave’s Amazon Sales Rank Calculator to see how much the authors are making.
  4. See if you can actually compete with the other books: check their reviews, book formatting, general content. Look for weaknesses that you can improve on.

You’ve developed your own software to help with this. Can you tell us about it?

KDPRocket.com – A book idea validating software

It will provide you information such as:

  • Amazon searchers per month
  • Google searches per month
  • Estimated amount of money made
  • Competition score

When will KDP Rocket be available and how can people find it?

Dave is looking to have it available by July 4th, but he plans to keep it in beta until people are happy with it.

Why not build one massive authority site instead of niche websites?

Dave looks at niche websites and authority websites as two different things. Niche websites allows him to put in the work and then move on to the next project while authority websites require his constant presence.

Turn your idea into a bestselling book!

Download your free copy of The Bestseller Checklist at APChecklist.com. Learn the 46 steps we personally follow when self-publishing our bestsellers.

Looking for a supportive community of writers and authors?

Be an Authority and join the Authority Self-Publishing Facebook group.

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